Norway: 'Melodi Grand Prix' acts announced 🇳🇴

🎧 Listen to all 21 Melodi Grand Prix entries on Spotify

A total of 21 acts will compete over 6 weeks, 4 semi-finals, a ‘second chance’ round, and a grand final, for the honour of representing Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin.

Five songs, as determined by the broadcaster, have pre-qualified for the 10-act grand final on Saturday 19 February. These songs will be showcased during the semi-finals.

Four songs will compete in each semi-final, with the public determining a winner each week. These four semi-final winners will advance, leaving just one space left in the grand final.

On Monday 7 February, the artists who were knocked out of the four semi-finals will compete for four spots in the ‘second chance’ round; the four acts with the highest audience vote will then perform on Saturday 12 February for the last open spot in the grand final.

Let’s meet the artists…

Melodi Grand Prix 2022: Participants

Pre-Qualified for the Grand Final:

• Elsie Bay (showcase during semi-final one)
• Christian Ingebrigtsen (showcase during semi-final two)
• Subwoolfer (showcase during semi-final three)
• NorthKid (showcase during semi-final four)
• Anna-Lisa Kumoji (showcase during second chance round)

Semi-final One:

• Mira Craig
• Frode Vassel
• TrollfesT
• Eline Noelia

Semi-final Two:

• Lily Löwe
• Steffen Jakobsen
• Farida
• Daniel Lukas

Semi-final Three:

• Mari Bølla
• Oda Gondrosen
• Sturla
• VILDE

Semi-final Four:

• Alexandra Joner
• Maria Mohn
• Kim Wigaard
• Sofie Fjellvang

Semi-final One: Saturday 15 January

Elsie Bay – Death of Us
(Pre-Qualified for the Grand Final)

Music and lyrics: Elsa Søllesvik / Jonas Holteberg Jensen / Andreas Stone Johansson

Elsie Bay is the latest project from singer/songwriter Elsa Søllesvik.

The last couple of years have been busy for Elsa, having been nominated for a Spellemann award for her album Endless Optimism, which provided the soundtrack for the cult TV series SKAM. The album has been streamed over 30 million times on Spotify.

She also wrote the song Witch Woods (which you might remember from MGP 2021), as well as Hammer of Thor, which Oda Gondrosen will perform in semi-final three.

Mira Craig – We Still Here

Music and lyrics: Mira Craig / Bård Berg

Mira Craig is no stranger to Melodi Grand Prix. In 2008 she wrote Maria Haukaas Mittet’s winning song Hold On Be Strong which went on to finish 5th at the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia.

Another Spellemann nominee, Mira has worked with an incredible range of international artists and producers, including Snoop Dogg.

Frode Vassel – Black Flowers

Music and lyrics: Frode Vassel / Benjamin Larsen / Niklas Rosström / Celine Alette Pedersen Breivoll

Frode Vassel is no stranger to Europe’s biggest stage, having performed backing vocals for JOWST in Kiev (2017), Alexander Rybak in Lisbon (2018), and helping KEIINO to secure a televote victory in Tel Aviv (2019).

Now it’s Frode’s turn to be in the spotlight.

TrollfesT – Dance Like a Pink Flamingo

Music and lyrics: Eirik Renton and Jostein Austvik

TrollfesT came into existence in 2003 when a group of pals became tired of the music around them, and wanted to do something about it.

With a love of metal and music from the Balkans, they use instruments such as saxophones, accordions and synths and mix them with the extreme sensibilities of metal.

There’s a very soothing TrollfesT version of Britney’s Toxic for all to enjoy on Spotify.

Eline Noelia – Ecstasy

Music and lyrics: Eline Noelia Myreng / Audun Agnar Guldbrandsen / Tea Megaard

Eline Noelia Myreng is a 22 year old artist and songwriter who studied pop music at Lillehammer Institute of Music Production (or 'Limpi’ as it’s affectionately known).

Her career as a singer really kicked up a gear when she became acquainted with the producer Audun Agnar Gulbrandsen.

Ecstasy is the result of their first studio session together and the start of a major project.

Semi-final Two: Saturday 22 January

Christian Ingebrigtsen – Wonder Of The World
(Pre-Qualified for the Grand Final)

Music and lyrics: Christian Ingebrigtsen / Michael Hunter Ochs / Henrik Tala

Christian Ingebrigtsen is a popular singer/songwriter with a glittering career, and is perhaps best known for being part of world-famous pop group A1.

No longer ‘Caught In The Middle’ of a boyband, Melodi Grand Prix will see Christian strike out on his own, ready to add to the 4 second place finishes he’s enjoyed across MGP and Finland’s national final as a songwriter.

Farida – Dangerous

Music and lyrics: Farida Bolseth Benounis / Rasmus Simon Vedvik Thallaug / Atle Pettersen / Peter Newman / Hannah Dorothy Bistow

Farida has toured with Dua Lipa and performed at festivals such as South by Southwest in Texas.

In September 2021, she became a finalist in The John Lennon Songwriting Contest in New York.

Steffen Jakobsen – With Me Tonight

Music and lyrics: Mats William Wennerberg / Nicolai Herwell

Steffen Jakobsen is a country artist from Grimstad.

He became a known face in Norway when he finished 3rd in Idol in 2013.

His biggest dream is to perform on the radio show Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, but first Steffen is ready to bring his deep voice to the Melodi Grand Prix stage.

Lily Löwe – Bad Baby

Music and lyrics: Lill Sofie Wilsberg / Trond Holter / Victoria Land

Lily Löwe’s music is rooted in melodic hard rock but extends over several genres such as metal with elements of pop and punk.

The singer wants to challenge the expectations people have of her favourite genres, and promises to create her own unique universe.

Role models include Rammstein and Lady Gaga… so she should get along well with TrollfesT.

Daniel Lukas – Kvelertak

Music and lyrics: Daniel Lukas Kalelic / Are Næsset

In 2018, Daniel tried his luck in Idol, where he impressed the judges with a self-composed song.

The following year he won the talent competition H&M Loves Music and performed at the Vulkan Arena in Oslo together with several established Norwegian artists.

Daniel has previously worked as a swimming instructor and is working today as a salesman, but his big dream is to be able to work in the music industry full time.

Semi-final Three: Saturday 29 January

Subwoolfer – Give That Wolf a Banana
(Pre-Qualified for the Grand Final)

Music and lyrics: Keith / Jim

A statement from Subwoolfer:

‘Subwoolfer, the biggest band in the Galaxy, first formed 4.5 billion years ago on their home planet… the moon.

Since then, the brothers, Keith and Jim, have conquered the music scene on every planet, making them the most successful pop group ever.

On June 20, 1969, a prophet named Neil appeared to them, and was soon hailed ‘the man with the strongest arms’. He promised to return telling them he would help them become the biggest band on his planet too, but only once they had written the greatest song in the Universe, sung in his native tongue: English.

However, Neil never returned and so now armed with the greatest song in existence, Give That Wolf a Banana, they have come to earth in search of him, and to claim their musical throne by performing at the most important and prestigious musical event in the history of the world: Melodi Grand Prix 2022 in Norway.’

Well there we are.

VILDE – Titans

Music and lyrics: Vilde Johannessen / Ben Adams / Sindre Timberlid Jenssen

Vilde Johannessen is a 26 year old artist and songwriter from the island of Tjøme in Vestfold.

Among the highlights of her career are supporting Matoma, Röyksopp and Julie Bergan; singing at the opening ceremony of the Norway Cup; and releasing the single Never Said Enough.

Sturla – Skår i Hjertet

Music and lyrics: Sturla Fagerli Larsen

Sturla has been releasing pop songs for the last ten years. His journey started in secondary school at the Orkdal culture house, and has built to several sold out gigs across Norway in recent years.

In 2020, he released the song Som Ingen Andre together with Hanne Mjøen, and the follow-up single Kanskje Du Kan Vær Mitt Paradis was A-listed on the radio station NRK P1 for several months.

Sturla works daily at the smelter in Orkdal. He enjoys doing different things in life and believes that his work leaves positive traces in the music he creates.

Oda Gondrosen – Hammer Of Thor

Music and lyrics: Morten Franck / Elsa Søllesvik / Torgeir Ryssevik / Oda Kristine Gondrosen

As a 16 year old, Oda signed up for Idol, followed by The Voice in 2015, but has subsequently said that she felt too young at the time and found it difficult to get anywhere with her music after her participations.

Therefore, Oda put the music dream on hold for four years and studied to become a nurse, specialising in end of life care.

Her return to the limelight came, once more, via Idol; in 2020 she finished the show in 3rd place and is now fully committed to a career in music.

Mari Bølla – Your Loss

Music and lyrics: Lars Horn Lavik / Morten Franck / Mari Eriksen Bølla

As a 10 year old, Mari found success in Idol Junior, finishing in 3rd place on the only season of the show. But it wasn’t until her participation in the established version of Idol in 2020 when she became the talent contest’s youngest ever winner, aged 15.

Semi-final Four: Saturday 5 February

NorthKid – Someone
(Pre-Qualified for the Grand Final)

Music and lyrics: Helge Moen / Alex Charles / Sandra Lyng / Jim Bergsted

NorthKid, possibly the world’s most northern boyband, is fronted by Bilal Saab. He charmed his way into Norwegian hearts when he won the television show Stjernekamp in 2019.

The other members are Helge Moen, Håkon Guttormsen, Sebastian Willassen and Vegard Olaussen, who all originate from Alta and Hasvik at the very top of Norway, where winter temperatures remain below freezing.

But don’t expect a frosty performance…

Musical joy, playfulness and acceptance are important values for this band in everything they do, and it’s those values they’ll showcase during Melodi Grand Prix.

Alexandra Joner – Hasta La Vista

Music and lyrics: Henrik Sæter / Jazara Aden Hutton

Alexandra is a Norwegian-Cuban singer, dancer, and actress from Oslo.

Her breakthrough came when she entered the dance competition Dansefeber on TVNorge.

In 2015, she participated in MGP for the first time with Cinderella – this time she’ll perform Hasta La Vista which she describes as ‘a goodbye to boring boys’.

Kim Wigaard – La Melodia

Music and lyrics: Kim Wigaard Johansen / Marius Hagen / Karianne Sissener Amundsen / Ronny Janssen

Kim has sung at the Norwegian Opera and Ballet, off-Broadway in New York, and has sold-out Oslo Concert Hall.

He participated in Melodi Grand Prix in 2020 with the duet Fool For Love together with our next participant…. Maria Mohn.

Maria Mohn – Fly

Music and lyrics: Maria Mohn / Einar Kristiansen Five

Maria is a graduate of the Norwegian Academy of Music, and has participated in Idol and sung on TV shows Beat for Beat and Popstokk.

The singer/songwriter has written Fly for her three children.

Sofie Fjellvang – Made Of Glass

Music and lyrics: Sofie Fjellvang / Kjetil Mørland

Sofie Fjellvang is a 21 year old singer/songwriter from Kristiansand. Her big breakthrough came when she made it to the final of The Voice in 2021.

Her song has been written with the help of an old acquaintance of the Melodi Grand Prix family: Kjetil Mørland.

Kjetil finished in 8th place at Eurovision 2015 with Debrah Scarlett and the song A Monster Like Me.

The Second Chance: Saturday 12 February

Anna-Lisa Kumoji – Queen Bees
(Pre-Qualified for the Grand Final)

Music and lyrics: Olli Äkräs / Alan Roy Scott / Elsbeth Rehder / Anna-Lisa Kumoji

Anna-Lisa was educated at the Bårdar Academy and has many years of experience as a professional singer, actress, dubber and artist.

She’s enjoyed performing in The Book of Mormon and Flashdance, and has recently played the role of Anita in West Side Story.

This is her second shot at MGP, having entered Holla in 2019.

So there we have it! Let us know what you think of the 21 Melodi Grand Prix hopefuls over on the official Eurovision Song Contest Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook channels.