Norway: Changes coming to Melodi Grand Prix 2023
30 November 2022 at 08:00 CET
Arian Engebø and Stian ‘Staysman’ Thorbjørnsen will host Melodi Grand Prix 2023
Julia Marie Naglestad / NRK
Norwegian broadcaster NRK has revealed changes to their national selection show 'Melodi Grand Prix' - with fewer (but bigger) heats, no pre-qualified artists, and no ‘duels’.
Melodi Grand Prix - Semi-Final 1 - Saturday 14 January
Melodi Grand Prix - Semi-Final 2 - Saturday 21 January
Melodi Grand Prix - Semi-Final 3 - Saturday 28 January
Melodi Grand Prix - Grand Final - Saturday 4 February
Our hosts for MGP are Arian Engebø and Stian ‘Staysman’ Thorbjørnsen. Arian is a radio host on the famous music program StudioP3 and has also been hosting VG-Lista, the largest free concert in Scandinavia. Stian is an experienced musician, TV host and has also participated in Melodi Grand Prix twice.
It was also revealed that following the three semi-finals, the grand final will take place in the city of Trondheim, and that the 21 participants will be presented on Wednesday 4 January, 2023.
In recent years a number of artists had been guaranteed a place in the grand final - but no more! The changes for 2023 were made based on feedback from viewers.
‘There were several good reasons for the solution with pre-qualified acts, but MGP is in constant development. We are now going for a competition model that is easier to understand, and where all the artists compete with the same starting point. More is at stake for everyone from day one’, says head of music Stig Karlsen.
The semi-finals are cut from five to three and there will be no ‘last chance’ either. To offer more music in each broadcast, seven artists will compete in each semi-final. There will be no duels and the voting process starts after all the artists have performed. The three artists who have received the most votes advance to the final.
Trondheim Calling...
Next year's winner of the Melodi Grand Prix will be chosen in Trondheim Spektrum on Saturday 4 February - it’s the third time the MGP final has been held outside Oslo (Stavanger in 1989 and most recently in Trondheim in 2020).
And, in order to increase their chances of winning the Eurovision Song Contest, NRK has decided to reintroduce an international jury during the final, last seen in MGP in 2019. The jury will consist of industry professionals from a selection of countries and will count for 50% of the points during the final. The audience votes will therefore count for 50%.
Get ready for the launch…
All 21 artists will be showcased during a press conference at Marienlyst on Wednesday 4 January - we will also find out which semi-final they will appear in. The songs will then be released on a weekly basis.
Make sure you sign up to the official Eurovision Song Contest newsletter, subscribe to the official podcast, and follow us across our social media channels - YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook - to be the first to find out how to secure tickets for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.
