Melodi Grand Prix 2020
Melodi Grand Prix 2020 was the 58th edition of the Norwegian music competition Melodi Grand Prix and served as the country's preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. The competition was organized by NRK between 11 January 2020 and 15 February 2020, and a total of 25 songs participated – the highest number in the history of the competition.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Norway's debut in the Eurovision Song Contest, five heats and a final were organised instead of a single final. Each region in Norway was assigned its own heat, in which four acts from that region competed for a spot in the final on 15 February 2020. In addition, five pre-qualified finalists had been selected by the broadcaster. The heats were held in the H3 Arena in Fornebu, while the final took place in Trondheim Spektrum. This is the first time Trondheim is hosting a Melodi Grand Prix final, and it is the first time since 1989 that the final is not held in Oslo.
KÃ¥re Magnus Bergh hosted Melodi Grand Prix for the sixth time, while Ronny Brede Aase and Ingrid Gjessing Linhave debuted as presenters of the competition. In the final, the pre-qualified entry "Attention" by Ulrikke Brandstorp received the most votes and was selected to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Format
Song submissions
As in previous years, NRK had invited Norwegian and foreign musicians to submit songs for the competition. Registration for Melodi Grand Prix 2020 opened on 2 March 2019, with the deadline being 31 July of the same year. Each submission had to have at least one Norwegian songwriter, and each songwriter could submit a maximum of three contributions. These changes to the rules led to a significant decrease in the number of songs submitted. In total, the broadcaster received about 800 submissions, compared to about 1,000 in previous years. A total of 25 songs were selected to participate in the competition: 20 songs were divided over the five heats, and five songs qualified directly for the final.Shows
2020 marked the 60th anniversary of Norway's debut in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960 with the song "Voi Voi" by Nora Brockstedt. On the occasion of the anniversary, NRK decided to expand the competition with five heats. This is the first time since 2014 that NRK organised heats ahead of the finals.Each of the five heats was centered around one of Norway's geographical regions: Northern, Central, Western, Southern and Eastern Norway. Four acts from each of these regions competed in their respective heats for a spot in the final on 15 February. The heats were broadcast directly from the H3 Arena in Fornebu, while the final was hosted by Trondheim Spektrum. This was the third time a Melodi Grand Prix final had been held outside of Oslo, and the first time since 1989. It was also the first time that Trondheim hosted the final.
The competition was hosted by three presenters. KÃ¥re Magnus Bergh hosted for the sixth time, whereas Ronny Brede Aase and Ingrid Gjessing Linhave hosted the show for the first time.
| Show | Date | Region | Venue |
| Heat 1 | 11 January 2020 | Southern Norway | H3 Arena, Fornebu |
| Heat 2 | 18 January 2020 | Eastern Norway | H3 Arena, Fornebu |
| Heat 3 | 25 January 2020 | Central Norway | H3 Arena, Fornebu |
| Heat 4 | 1 February 2020 | Western Norway | H3 Arena, Fornebu |
| Heat 5 | 8 February 2020 | Northern Norway | H3 Arena, Fornebu |
| Final | 15 February 2020 | Trondheim Spektrum |
Voting
The audience could vote for the competing acts in each heat, with the act that received most votes after two rounds proceeding to the final. A jury led by Stig Karlsen, the Norwegian head of delegation for the Eurovision Song Contest, selected the five pre-qualified finalists. In each heat, one of the pre-qualified finalists performed to ensure equal broadcasting time for all ten finalists. Viewers could only vote through the broadcaster's website nrk.no.In the final, the same method of online voting was used to determine the winner of the competition. Due to excessive server load caused by the emoji reaction function of the app, the four gold finalists were determined by a thirty-member backup demoscopic panel as the NRK website was down.
Competing entries
The competing acts were announced during a press conference in Oslo on 6 January.| Artist | Song | Composer |
| Akuvi | "Som du er" | Andreas "Stone" Johansson, Costa Leon, Amin Zana, Beatrice Akuvi Kumordzie |
| Alexandru | "Pink Jacket" | Ruben Markussen, Tormod Løkling |
| Didrik & Emil Solli-Tangen | "Out Of Air" | Fredrik Boström, Mats Tärnfors, Niclas Lundin, Didrik Solli-Tangen |
| Elin & The Woods | "We Are As One" | Robin Lynch, Elin KÃ¥ven, Ylva Persson, Linda Persson |
| Geirmund | "Come Alive" | Eric Lumiere, Jonas H. Jensen, Niklas Rosström |
| Hege Bjerk | "Pang" | Martin Bjerkreim, Trygve Stakkeland, Hege Bjerkreim |
| Anna Jæger | "How About Mars" | Roel Rats, Synne Vorkinn, Chris Wortley, Sindre T. Jenssen |
| Jenny Jenssen | "Mr. Hello" | Mats Larsson, Jørgen Andson, Jenny Jenssen |
| Kevin Boine | "Stem på mæ" | Henning Olerud, Stanley Ferdinandez |
| Kim André Rysstad | "Rainbow" | Knut Bjørnar Asphol, Kim André Rysstad |
| Kim Wigaard & Maria Mohn | "Fool For Love" | Torbjørn Raae, Arve Furset, Kim Wigaard Johansen, Maria Mohn |
| Kristin Husøy | "Pray For Me" | Galeyn Tenhaeff, Neil Hollyn, Marcia Sondeijker, Roel Rats, Kristin Husøy |
| Lisa Børud | "Talking About Us" | Jimmy Jansson, Anderz Wrethov, Maia Wright, Laurell Barker |
| Liza Vassilieva | "I Am Gay" | Audun Agnar Guldbrandsen, Stian Nyhammer Olsen, Myrtoula Røe, Liza Vassilieva |
| Magnus Bokn | "Over The Sea" | Alexander Rybak, Joakim With Steen, Magnus Bokn |
| Nordic Tenors | "In This Special Place" | Einar Kristiansen Five, Jan-Tore Saltnes |
| Oda Loves You | "Love Who We Love" | Magnus Bertelsen, Oda Evjen Gjøvåg |
| Raylee | "Wild" | Andreas "Stone" Johansson, Anderz Wrethov, Laurell Barker |
| Rein Alexander | "One Last Time" | :no:Erik Smaaland|Erik Smaaland, Kristoffer Tømmerbakke, Rein Alexander |
| Sie Gubba | "Kjære du" | Petter Øien, Magne Almås |
| Sondrey | "Take My Time" | Ola Frøyen, Eric Lumiere, Terchi Pippuri |
| Thomas Løseth & Erika Norwich | "Vertigo" | Idar Sørensen |
| Tone Damli | "Hurts Sometimes" | Helge Moen, :no:Jim André Bergsted|Jim Bergsted, Jethro Fox, Tone Damli |
| Tore Petterson | "The Start of Something New" | Tore Petterson, :no: Knut Bjørnar Asphol|Knut Bjørnar Asphol |
| Ulrikke Brandstorp | "Attention" | Christian Ingebrigtsen, Kjetil Mørland, Ulrikke Brandstorp |
Heats
Heat 1 – Southern Norway
The first heat took place on 11 January 2020 at the H3 Arena in Fornebu.Heat 2 – Eastern Norway
The second heat took place on 18 January 2020 at the H3 Arena in Fornebu.Heat 3 – Central Norway
The third heat took place on 25 January 2020 at the H3 Arena in Fornebu.Heat 4 – Western Norway
The fourth heat took place on 1 February 2020 at the H3 Arena in Fornebu.Heat 5 – Northern Norway
The fifth heat will take place on 8 February 2020 at the H3 Arena in Fornebu.Final
Ten songs consisting of the five heat winners alongside the five pre-qualified songs competed in the final which was hosted by Trondheim Spektrum in Trondheim on 15 February 2020. The running order for the final was announced on 10 February 2020. In the first round, all ten finalists performed once, after which the four best songs proceeded to the gold final. After a second voting round, the two best songs from the gold final proceeded to the gold duel. A third voting round then determined the winner of Melodi Grand Prix 2020.After the gold duel, the results of the online voting were revealed by representatives of Norway's five regions, which led to the victory of "Attention" performed by Ulrikke Brandstorp.
Spokespersons
- Southern Norway – Tom Hugo
- Central Norway – Margaret Berger
- Northern Norway – Agnete Johnsen
- Western Norway – Bjørn Johan Muri
- Eastern Norway – Åge Sten Nilsen