Iceland: Hera Björk wins Söngvakeppnin – To Eurovision 2024 with "Scared of Heights"
Hera Björk won the Final of Söngvakeppnin 2024 in Iceland with the song "Scared of Heights." The Icelandic broadcaster RÚV has confirmed, that Hera Björk will represent Iceland at Eurovision 2024
UPDATE 11 MARCH 2024
Hera Björk to Eurovision
Prior to the Icelandic final, Icelandic broadcaster RÚV announced that Iceland's participation at this year's Eurovision should be jointly determined by the broadcaster and the winner of Söngvakeppnin 2024.
The winning artist of Söngvakeppnin 2024, Hera Björk, and the broadcaster have now decided, that Hera Björk will be Iceland's representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
Hera Björk will compete in the second half of Semi-final 1 with the song "Scared of Heights".
Tonight the Final of Söngvakeppnin 2024 took place. Hera Björk was able to gather the most votes from the public and won the competition with the song "Scared of Heights."
"Scared of Heights" was written by Ferras Alqaisi, Jaro Omar, Michael Burek, and Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir.
Söngvakeppnin 2024 – Final
First round
| Voting | 50% international jury 50% public voting |
Superfinal
| Voting | Public voting combined with the votes from the first round |
Hera Björk
Hera Björk has already appeared on the Eurovision stage multiple times. In 2010, she represented Iceland with her song "Je ne sais quoi," placing 19th in the Final. She's been a backing singer three times in Eurovision: With Euroband in 2008 ("This Is My Life"), Yohanna in 2009 ("Is It True?"), as well as for Maria Ólafsdóttir in 2015 ("Unbroken").
She also participated in the Danish Melodi Grand Prix 2009 with "Someday," and in Söngvakeppnin 2019 with "Moving On."
Hera Björk won her first singing competition in 1988, aged just 16, and was second runner-up in the National College Singing Competition in 1991.
In 2013, she was part of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile, where she won the Best Song category with her song "Because You Can."
To this day, Hera Björk has released four albums.
Söngvakeppnin 2024
Once again, the Icelandic national contest Söngvakeppnin was made up of two Semi-finals and the Final. The two Semi-finals took place in the Truenorth Studios in Reykjavik. The Final tonight was held in Reykjavik's Laugardalshöll. All shows were hosted by Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir, Sigurður Þorri Gunnarsson, and Unnsteinn Manuel Stefánsson.
- 17 February: Semi-final 1
- 24 February: Semi-final 2
- 2 March: Final
10 artists competed to be the representative for Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö. Five acts performed in each of the two Semis, with two advancing to the Final. After the second Semi-final, the broadcaster had the option of adding a wildcard fifth finalist and gave that wildcard to Sigga Ózk. The voting in the Semis was determined by 100% televote. In the Final, the winner was chosen by 50% televote as well as 50% by an international jury.
Iceland in Eurovision
Iceland's debut in the Eurovision Song Contest was back in 1986, and they've participated 35 times since.
Their best results are two second-place finishes with Yohanna in 2009, and Selma in 1999.
Since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004, Iceland has qualified for the Grand Final 11 out of 19 times.
Iceland is the only Northern European country that has yet to win the Eurovision Song Contest.
