Changes have been announced by Stig Karlsen to how Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian Eurovision selection, will work in 2021.
Speaking to ESCNorge, Stig Karlsen has announced how the 2021 edition of Melodi Grand Prix will work. The biggest change is that a total of twenty six artists will now compete in the selection up from twenty-four in 2020. The increase is as a result of increasing the number of acts in the final to twelve from ten.
NRK has taken the decision to increase the number of pre-qualified acts to six up from five last year. Joining the six pre-qualified finalists will be the winners of each of the semi-finals, plus the winner of a second chance round.
In the semi-finals the songs competing will no longer be grouped by region. Instead the songs will be from across Norway with two duels taking place, before the winner is selected through a final duel. On the Sunday after the fifth semi-final of Melodi Grand Prix a second chance show will be held to determine the six qualifier.
The six pre-qualified artists will reveal their songs during the semi-finals. Two will be revealed in the first semi-final of the 16th of January, with the remaining four songs revealed in the next four semi-finals.
The names of the first acts competing in Melodi Grand Prix will will be revealed on January 11 ahead of the first semi-final. At this press conference the first four semi-finalists will be revealed, plus the six pre-qualified artists. The acts will continued to be revealed every Monday before the semi-finals.
The Norwegian selection will commence on January 16th and run for six weeks culminating in the Grand Final on February 20. The dates of the selection are as follows:
- Semi-Final One – January 16
- Semi-Final Two – January 23
- Semi-Final Three – January 30
- Semi-Final Four – February 6
- Semi-Final Five – February 13
- Second Chance – February 14
- Final – February 20
Image Source: NRK / Source: ESC Norge
Norway debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960 and have won the contest three times – in 1985, 1995 and 2009. The country has the dubious record of finishing last the most times, eleven in total, and have received nul points four times. Norway last won the contest in 2009 when Alexander Rybak broke all records with his song “Fairytale”. He scored 387 points in the final, receiving 16 sets of 12 points and scoring points from every country.
