Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025
| Eurovision Song Contest 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participating broadcaster | Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK) | |||
| Country |  Norway | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Melodi Grand Prix 2025 | |||
| Selection date(s) | 15 February 2025 | |||
| Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
| ||||
Norway will be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, which will be held in Basel, Switzerland. The Norwegian participating broadcaster Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK) will organise the national final Melodi Grand Prix 2025 in order to select its entry for the contest.
Background
[edit]Prior to the 2025 contest, Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Norway sixty-three times since its first entry in 1960.[1] It had won the contest on three occasions: in 1985 with the song "La det swinge" performed by Bobbysocks!, in 1995 with the song "Nocturne" performed by Secret Garden, and in 2009 with the song "Fairytale" performed by Alexander Rybak. Norway also had the two dubious distinctions of having finished last in the Eurovision final twelve times, more than any other country, including in 2024 with the song "Ulveham" performed by Gåte,[1] and for having received nul points (zero points) four times, the latter being a record shared with Austria. Following the introduction of semi-finals for 2004, it had finished in the top ten ten times.
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, NRK organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. NRK confirmed its intention to participate in the 2025 contest on 3 July 2024,[2] announcing on 6 August that its representative would continue to be selected through the national final Melodi Grand Prix, which had selected its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in all but one of its participations.[3]
Before Eurovision
[edit]Melodi Grand Prix 2025
[edit]Melodi Grand Prix 2025 will be the 63rd edition of Melodi Grand Prix (MGP), the annual music competition organised by NRK to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. It will consist of a final held on 15 February 2025 at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo (Eurovision 1996 venue) and will be presented by Markus Neby, Marte Stokstad and Tete Lidbom.[4][5] For the first time, commentary will be also be provided during the broadcast by Stokstad, who has served as NRK's commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest since 2021.[6]
In August 2024, Stig Karlsen announced that he would be stepping down from his position as artistic director on 1 October, after seven editions.[7][8] Tarjei Strøm, who previously participated in Melodi Grand Prix 2013 as part of Datarock, was later revealed as his successor.[9]
Competing entries
[edit]NRK opened a submission period between 6 August and 1 September 2024 for interested songwriters to submit their entries.[10] 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 June 2024 at multiple locations in Rena).[11][12] Participants in the camp included Citi Zēni (2022 representatives for Latvia), Emmy (a Melodi Grand Prix 2021 entrant) and Lasse Midtsian Nymann (one of the songwriters of "The Code", the winning Swiss entry in 2024).[13] The final list of selected entries, selected for the last time by Karlsen and defined by October 2024,[14] will be announced on 16 January 2025.
Final
[edit]The final will take place on 15 February 2025.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Norway". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ Farren, Neil (2 July 2024). "🇳🇴 Norway: Eurovision 2025 Participation Confirmed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (6 August 2024). "🇳🇴 Norway: Melodi Grand Prix 2025 Song Submissions Open". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Pettersen, Mandy (20 November 2024). "Melodi Grand Prix 2025: Tilbake til Oslo Spektrum". ESC Norge (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Øverdal, Astri Chatura (20 November 2024). "Blir MGP-programleder: – Trodde det var tull" [Becomes MGP presenter: – Thought it was nonsense] (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ Sand, Camilla (20 November 2024). "Slik blir Melodi Grand Prix 2025" [This is how Melodi Grand Prix 2025 will be] (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Vedeler, Linda Marie (19 August 2024). "Ferdig i Melodi Grand Prix". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (30 October 2024). "🇳🇴 Norway: New Head of Delegation & Music Director for Melodi Grand Prix Revealed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Vedeler, Linda Marie (29 October 2024). "Tarjei Strøm blir ny musikksjef for MGP" [Tarjei Strøm will be the new music director for MGP] (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Hyttebakk, Jon Marius (6 August 2024). "NRK klar for et nytt år med MGP og Eurovision" [NRK ready for a new year with MGP and Eurovision] (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Sanabria-Rangel, Alvaro (30 January 2024). "Norway starts MGP 2025 preparations with first songwriting camp!". Eurovisionfun. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "Rena Song Fest". The Woods Norway. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Tudor, Ruxandra (2 July 2024). "Rena Song Fest 2024: Over 150 songwriters and artists from 32 countries craft new hits for Eurovision at songwriting camp". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (6 August 2024). "🇳🇴 Norway: Melodi Grand Prix 2025 Song Submissions Open". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 November 2024.