Melodi Grand Prix 2020 in Norway: Format and dates revealed
Dates and format have been revealed for Melodi Grand Prix 2020. The Norwegian broadcaster NRK will introduce five heats in next year's MGP
The Norwegian selection for Eurovision, Melodi Grand Prix, or just "MGP", celebrates its 60th anniversary next year. Back in March 2019 it was announced that Melodi Grand Prix 2020 will be a big event: A total of six shows will be broadcast live from Oslo during six Saturdays.
The focus will be on artists from all over the country, and every part of Norway will get their own show. It will be divided into the five regions.
In an interview with escNorge, the MGP boss Stig Karlsen, has revealed the dates:
Melodi Grand Prix 2020 – Shows
- 11 January 2020: 4 songs representing Southern Norway
- 18 January 2020: 4 songs representing Eastern Norway
- 25 January 2020: 4 songs representing Central Norway
- 1 February 2020: 4 songs representing Western Norway
- 8 February 2020: 4 songs representing Northern Norway
- 15 February 2020: Final with 10 songs
All the shows will be broadcast from Oslo, it will also have live coverage from each of the five regions. Head of MGP, Stig Karlsen, says to escNorge that he hopes that the regional songs will create involvement from all parts of Norway.
10 Finalists
In each of the five heats, four songs will compete in duels, until there is one regional winner, who will qualify to the Final of MGP 2020 on 15 February 2020.
In addition to the five finalists from the regional heats, a jury of professionals will pick another five finalists, independent from the regions, making a total of 10 songs in the MGP 2020 Final.
In the final of Melodi Grand Prix 2020 it will solely be the public who decide the winner and Norwegian Eurovision entry.
Between 500 and 600 songs have been submitted to the Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Stig Karlsen is happy with the numbers of submitted songs:
– We want to focus on quality instead of quantity. That is why we have some new rules. Each song must have at least one Norwegian composer, and each composer can only submit three songs, and we have had an earlier deadline than previous years. So it was clearly part of the plan to have fewer songs, but more good songs, says Stig Karlsen to escNorge.
Norway in Eurovision Song Contest
Since the debut in 1960 Norway has participated 58 times in Eurovision. They have won the competition three times:
- 1985: Bobbysocks - "La Det Swinge"
- 1995: Secret Garden - "Nocturne"
- 2009: Alexander Rybak - "Fairytale"
In 2009, Alexander Rybak's Fairytale was the song that has received most points with the old voting system: 387 points – got 12 points from 16 countries. But Norway holds another Eurovision record: The country that ended last most times – 10 last places!
Since the introduction of Semi-finals in 2004, Norway has been very succesful with qualification to the Grand Final 13 out of 16 times.
