Norway: NRK aims to hold an impressive Melodi Grand Prix in 2021
MGP project manager Stig Karlsen talking to Dagbladet confirmed that Melodi Grand Prix will take place in 2021 and it will be a “big and hefty one”!
NRK’s project manager for Melodi Grand Prix confirmed to Dagbladet that next year’s competition will also take place next year. Karlsen stated specifically:
MGP 2021 will be big and hefty! Obviously there will be fewer spectators in the hall, but there will be a folk festival when potentially more than a million people gather in front of the TV screen. We will offer TV magic, and take innovative measures to create close contact between the stage and the audience.
NRK will arrange a national selection of six shows in total with 5 semi-finals and a big final on Saturday in the new MGP edition.
We are not going to do anything halfway, even though we are in the middle of a pandemic. It is more important than ever to gather Norway for common experiences and pleasant events, says Karlsen.
Taking into account the circumstances that Covid-19 has brought along the MGP manager says:
We actively monitor the restrictions and recommendations given by the authorities. We will of course continuously assess what kind of dialogue will be necessary in addition to the public updates that come.
With the MGP 2021 submission window closed since August 16, 2020 the entries that will compete in the shows will go public the first weeks of 2021.
The Eurovision story so far
Norway has been competing in the Eurovision Song contest since 1960 and has won the competition three times, in 1985, 1995 and 2009. However the country has marked some record scorings , as it has finished in the last place most times than any other country, finishing in the bottom spot of the scoreboard 11 times. A total of four times it has received zero points, while in 2009 victory it received the remarkable number 16 sets of 12 points and was voted by every single country, reaching the impressive winning score of 387 points! Norway hasn’t qualified two times in the final the last decade, in 2011 with Stella Mwangi and in 2016 with Agnete
In 2018 was represented for the second time by Alexander Rybak and his song That’s How You Write A Song, which finished in the 15th place of the grand final. Last year the three member group KEiiNo with their entry “Spirit in the Sky” defended the Norwegian colors in Tel Aviv achieving a remarkable 1st place in the televoting while they finished 6th on the overall scoreboard.
Ulrikke won this year’s national final of MGP 2020 and was the act to represent Norway at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with her entry “Attention” but due to the cancellation of ESC 2020 the female act saw her Eurovision journey staying incomplete.
