Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

participated in the

Eurovision Song Contest 2010 The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Oslo, Norway, following the country's victory at the with the song "Fairytale (Alexander Rybak song), Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak. Organise ...

with the song "My Heart Is Yours" written by

Hanne Sørvaag Hanne Margrethe Fredriksen Sørvaag (born 27 December 1979) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. For many years she was based in Stockholm, Sweden, mostly composing for other artists via Universal. Today she works from Oslo, Norway and has a career ...

and

Fredrik Kempe Fredrik Kempe (born 29 April 1972) is a Swedish songwriter and opera and pop singer, who was born in Vårgårda. He has participated in Swedish versions of the musicals ''Les Misérables'' and ''Chess''. In 2002, Kempe had a hit with ''Vincerò' ...

. The song was performed by

Didrik Solli-Tangen Didrik Solli-Tangen (born 11 June 1987) is a Norwegian singer who represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song " My Heart Is Yours". Biography Solli-Tangen was born in Porsgrunn. From his early years he was interested i ...

. In addition to participating in the contest, the Norwegian broadcaster

Norsk rikskringkasting NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest ...

(NRK) also hosted the Eurovision Song Contest after winning the competition in

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

with the song "

Fairytale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cul ...

" performed by

Alexander Rybak Alexander Igorevich Rybak (russian: Александр Игоревич Рыбак) or Alyaxandr Iharavich Rybak ( be, Аляксандр Ігаравіч Рыбак; born 13 May 1986) is a Belarusian-Norwegian singer-composer, violinist, pian ...

. NRK organised the national final ''Melodi Grand Prix 2010'' in order to select the Norwegian entry for the 2010 contest in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

. "My Heart Is Yours" performed by Didrik Solli-Tangen was selected as the winner following a five-week-long competition consisting of three semi-finals, a Last Chance round and the final. As the host country, Norway qualified to compete directly in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Performing in position 3 during the final, Norway placed twentieth out of the 25 participating countries with 35 points.

Before Eurovision

Hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2010

After winning the 2009 Contest, Norway became the host of the

which took place in Bærum just outside

. NRK announced that a total of 150 million kroner (€17,4 million) would be spent to host the contest. On 27 May 2009, NRK announced that the 2010 Contest would be held in the Oslo metropolitan area, arguing that Oslo was the only city with the required capacity, venues, and infrastructure to hold the show. After selecting two candidates for the show, NRK chose the newly constructed

Telenor Arena Telenor Arena, sometimes referred to as Fornebu Arena, is a multi-purpose indoor arena located at Fornebu in Bærum, outside Oslo, Norway. It serves as a venue for a variety of events, including concerts, exhibitions, action shows, family shows ...

, situated in the neighbouring municipality

Bærum Bærum () is a municipality in the Greater Oslo Region in Norway that forms an affluent suburb of Oslo on the west coast of the city. Bærum is Norway's fifth largest municipality with a population of 128,760 (2021). It is part of the electoral ...

. This arena beat the

Oslo Spektrum Oslo Spektrum is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in east central Oslo, Norway that opened in December 1990. It is currently owned and operated by Norges Varemesse. Oslo Spektrum is primarily known for hosting major events such as the annual ...

, the host of the 1996 Contest.

Melodi Grand Prix 2010

''Melodi Grand Prix 2010'' was the 48th edition of the Norwegian national final ''

Melodi Grand Prix Melodi Grand Prix (), commonly known as Grand Prix and MGP, sometimes as Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix ( no, Norsk Melodi Grand Prix), is an annual music competition organised by Norwegian public broadcaster Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK). It dete ...

'' and selected Norway's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. The competition consisted of three semi-finals, a Last Chance round and a final in different cities across Norway, hosted by

Per Sundnes Per André Sundnes (born June 16, 1966 in Bodø) is a Norwegian journalist and talk show host. He is often described as a trend and pop culture expert with a particular interest for music and fashion. Eurovision commentator In autumn 2006 it be ...

and Marte Stokstad. The shows were televised on

NRK1 NRK1 (pronounced as ''"NRK en"'' or ''"- ein"'') is the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation's (NRK) main television channel. History Test broadcasts started on 12 January 1954, regular test broadcasts started on 13 April 1958 and regular broadca ...

as well as streamed online at NRK's official website ''nrk.no''.

Format

The competition consisted of five shows: three semi-finals on 8, 16 and 23 January 2010, the Last Chance () round on 30 January 2010 and a final on 6 February 2010. Seven songs competed in each semi-final and the top two entries proceeded directly to the final, while the songs that placed third and fourth proceeded to the Last Chance round. The two fifth-placed acts from the semi-finals with the most votes also proceeded to the Last Chance round as wildcards. An additional two entries qualified from the Last Chance round to the final. The results in the semi-finals and Last Chance round were determined exclusively by public televoting. The results in the final were determined by public televoting and four regional juries.

Competing entries

A submission period was opened by NRK between 6 July 2009 and 1 September 2009. Songwriters were required to hold Norwegian citizenship or have permanent residency in Norway. Collaborations with foreign songwriters were permitted as long as half of the composition were by Norwegian songwriters. NRK also reserved the right to choose the performers of the selected songs in consultation with the songwriters and directly invite certain artists and composers to compete in addition to the public call for submissions. At the close of the deadline, over 1,000 submissions were received. Twenty-one songs were selected for the competition by a jury panel. The competing songs were revealed on 27 November 2009, while the artists were revealed between 2 and 17 December 2009. 30-second clips of the competing entries in each semi-final were released on 4, 11 and 17 December 2009, respectively, while the songs in their entirety were premiered via radio on

NRK P1 NRK P1 is a nationwide digital radio channel operated by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). It is the result of the NRK radio channel reform initiated in 1993 by radio director Tor Fuglevik. NRK P1 is the direct descendant of NRK's firs ...

on 7, 14 and 20 January, respectively.

Semi-final 1

Seven songs competed during the first semi-final on 8 January 2010 at Hangar E of the Ørland Hovedflystasjon in

Ørland Ørland is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Fosen region. Ørland is located at the southwestern tip of the Fosen peninsula at the northern shore of the mouth of Trondheimsfjord where the Stjørnfjorden arm begins. ...

. "Make My Day" performed by

Maria Haukaas Storeng Maria Haukaas Mittet (née Storeng, born 3 August 1979) also known as simply Maria is a Norwegian recording artist. She gained national recognition in 2004 for her participation in the ''Idol'' reality television series, and international recogn ...

and "The Dragontower" performed by

Keep of Kalessin Keep of Kalessin is an extreme metal band from Trondheim, Norway formed in 1993. The group's early lineup consisted of Ghash on vocals, Obsidian C. (the group founder) on guitars and keyboards, Warach on bass, and Vyl on drums. They released two ...

qualified directly to the final, while "" performed by

Gaute Ormåsen Gaute Ormåsen (born 20 April 1983 in Brumunddal, Hedmark) is a Norwegian singer and was the Idol runner-up to Kurt Nilsen in 2003. He represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 along with Ben Adams as a part of pop band Subwoolfer. ...

and " Yes Man" performed by

Bjørn Johan Muri Bjørn Johan Muri (born 4 January 1990) is a Norwegian singer known for having taken part in Series 5 ''Idol'' (the Norwegian ''Pop Idol'') in 2007 where he came runner-up. In 2010, he took part in the Norwegian qualification for the Eurovisi ...

proceeded to the Last Chance round. On 25 January 2010, "Rewind Love" performed by Johnny Hide was revealed as one of the two fifth-placed entries with the most votes and proceeded to the Last Chance round as a wildcard.

Semi-final 2

Seven songs competed during the second semi-final on 16 January 2010 at

Bodø Spektrum Bodø Spektrum is an indoor sports complex in Bodø, Norway. In 1990, construction of Nordlandshallen started, which would allow Glimt a winter training ground, It opened on 21 September 1991. The largest hall is Nordlandshallen, an association ...

Bodø Bodø (; smj, Bådåddjo, sv, Bodö) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Bodø (which is also the capital of Nordland count ...

. "The Touch" performed by

Maria Arredondo Maria Sødal Arredondo (born 6 July 1985 in Vennesla, Norway) is a Norwegian pop singer. Her surname Arredondo comes from her Chilean stepfather. Career In March 2003, Arredondo released her first album, the self-titled '' Maria Arredondo'' ...

and "Give It To Me" performed by Alexander Stenerud qualified directly to the final, while "Jealous 'Cause I Love You" performed by

Venke Knutson Venke Knutson (born 20 October 1978) is a Norwegian singer. Since 2003, she has had six top 10 hits in Norway. Life and career Venke Knutson was born in Birkeland, in 1978. She was the youngest of three sisters, in a musical family, and she go ...

and "The Best of Me Is You" performed by Heine Totland proceeded to the Last Chance round. On 25 January 2010, "Life Is Here Today" performed by Skanksters was revealed as one of the two fifth-placed entries with the most votes and proceeded to the Last Chance round as a wildcard.

Semi-final 3

Seven songs competed during the third semi-final on 23 January 2010 at Skien Fritidspark in

Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the Norsj ...

. "My Heart Is Yours" performed by

and " Don't Wanna Lose You Again" performed by A1 qualified directly to the final, while "I'll Take You High" performed by

Mira Craig Mira Scherdin Craig (born 31 July 1982) is a Norwegian R&B artist. Early life Craig's father is Ronaldo Craig an African American from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was born in 1982 in Oslo, and at the age of twelve, Craig performed the Whitney H ...

and "Tokyo Night" performed by Karoline Garfjell Rundberg proceeded to the Last Chance round.

Last Chance round

The Last Chance () round took place on 30 January 2010 at the

Sparta Amfi Sparta Amfi is an indoor ice hockey rink located in Sarpsborg, Norway. The 3,900-spectator venue is the home of Sparta Sarpsborg and Sarpsborg Skøyteklubb. The arena opened in 1963 as the first indoor ice rink in Norway. Major upgrades were ca ...

Sarpsborg Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg. Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neigh ...

. The six entries that placed third and fourth in the preceding four semi-finals alongside the two wildcards competed and the results were determined over two rounds of voting. In the first round, the eight entries competed in four duels and the winners of each duel were selected to proceed to the second round: " Yes Man" performed by

, "" performed by

, "I'll Take You High" performed by

and "Jealous 'Cause I Love You" performed by

. In the second round, the four entries competed in two duels and the winners of each duel, "Yes Man" performed by Bjørn Johan Muri and "Jealous 'Cause I Love You" performed by Venke Knutson, proceeded to the final.

Final

Eight songs consisting of the six semi-final qualifiers alongside two qualifiers from the Last Chance round competed during the final on 6 February 2010 at the

. The winner was selected over two rounds of voting. In the first round, the top four entries were selected by public televoting to proceed to the second round, the Gold Final. In the Gold Final, four regional juries from the four semi-final and Last Chance round host cities awarded 2,000, 4,000, 6,000 and 8,000 points to their top four songs. The results of the public televote were revealed by Norway's regions and added to the jury scores, leading to the victory of "My Heart Is Yours" performed by

with 466,675 votes. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, the interval acts featured a performance by Norwegian

Eurovision Song Contest 2009 The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Moscow, Russia, following the country's victory at the with the song "Believe (Dima Bilan song), Believe" by Dima Bilan. Organised by the Euro ...

winner

At Eurovision

As the winner of the

and host of the 2010 Contest, Norway automatically qualified for a place in the final, held on 29 May 2010. In addition to their participation in the final, Norway was assigned to vote in the second semi-final on 27 May 2010. Norway was drawn to perform 3rd in the final performed following

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and preceding

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...

. The country placed 20th in the final, scoring 35 points. The public awarded Norway 21st place with 18 points and the jury awarded 17th place with 61 points.

Voting

Points awarded to Norway

Points awarded by Norway

References

External links

*
Official Melodi Grand Prix 2010 site
''NRK''
Full national final on nrk.no
{{Melodi Grand Prix

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010

Eurovision The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...