Melodi Grand Prix 2024

''2024'' was the 62nd edition of (MGP), the annual Norwegian music competition that serves as the country's preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest. It was organised by Norway's public broadcaster NRK, and consisted of three semi-finals and a final, held between 13 January and 3 February 2024. The winner of the competition, with "", represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.

Format

The competition, consisting of three semi-finals at the studios 1 and 2 in Marienlyst and a grand final at Trondheim Spektrum, was organised by NRK between January and February 2024 and is presented by and Marion Ravn. Six entries competed in each semi-final, with a televote decreeing three qualifiers to the final. The result of the final were determined by a 60/40 combination of the votes from the public and an international expert jury, giving more weight to the televote. The competition was broadcast on NRK1 and NRK TV.

The option for artists to make use of autotune, introduced in the previous edition, has been retained, despite not being permitted at the Eurovision Song Contest. The European Broadcasting Union clarified that this rule should be limited to sound effects and must in no circumstance allow the "manipulation" of the artists' vocal performance.

Competing entries

On 9 June 2023, four weeks after the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, NRK officially opened for songwriters to submit entries for until 31 August 2023. The competition was open to all songwriters, and each songwriter could submit up to three songs. Each song was required to have at least one Norwegian contributor, in order to "prioritise and promote the Norwegian music scene". In addition to the open submission, NRK also looked for possible entries through targeted search and direct dialogue with the Norwegian music industry, and through songwriting camps (the earliest of which was held in April 2023 at the in Oslo).

For the first time, the songs were allowed to be published as early as 1 September 2023, in line with the EBU's existing rules for the Eurovision Song Contest. Previously, all submitted entries had to be held secret until NRK decided to release them. According to the broadcaster, the aim of the rule change was to create a better "opportunity for more good songs and artists for MGP".

The submissions were first assessed through a number of listening sessions, followed by a live audition phase in the presence of a jury on 25 September 2023. The final list of selected entries, defined by early November 2023, was announced on 5 January 2024. Four former winners were among the participants: Benedicte Adrian as part of Mistra (1984, then part of Dollie de Luxe); Margaret Berger (2013); Keiino (2019); and Gaute Ormåsen (2022 as part of Subwoolfer) behind the avatar of "Super Rob", who revealed his real identity only after the final.

Contest overview

Semi-final 1

The first semi-final took place on 13 January 2024.

Semi-final 2

The second semi-final took place on 20 January 2024.

Semi-final 3

The third semi-final took place on 27 January 2024.

Final

The final took place on 3 February 2024 and featured guest performances by Carola (, and Swedish Eurovision representative), Bobbysocks ( MGP winners), Alexander Rybak ( and MGP winner) and Tix (2021 MGP winner). The winner was selected by a 60/40 combination of public televoting and an international jury.

Following the song's qualification, NRK found that the lyrics of "" by had been taken from an existing Norwegian medieval ballad and requested them to be changed, in order to avoid potential infringement of Eurovision regulations mandating all songs be entirely original. The band went on to win the final.

Ratings

References

External links

''Melodi Grand Prix'' on NRK TV

{{Melodi Grand Prix

2024
2024 song contests
Eurovision Song Contest 2024
January 2024 events in Norway
February 2024 events in Norway
2024 in Norwegian music
Events in Oslo
Events in Trondheim