Norway's Melodi Grand Prix 2024: The 18 artists and songs

Norway commences its pre-selection for the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday 13 January. Melodi Grand Prix will run for 4 weeks, presenting an enticing menu of music to Norwegian viewers, who will be tasked with finding a worthy winner. 

In the 10 most recent editions of the Eurovision Song Contest, Norway has managed to secure a place in the Top 10 of the Grand Final a whopping 80% of the time. With a track record like that, expectations will be high on whichever song the Norwegians vote to represent them in Malmö.

For Melodi Grand Prix 2024, we have 18 songs competing. 6 entries will compete in each of the 3 semi-finals, with the Top 3 from every semi qualifying to the final, which will take place on Saturday 3 February.

Here are the 18 artists and songs, via the 3 semi-finals that they'll be participating in:

Semi-Final 1: Saturday 13 January

Margaret Berger - Oblivion

Lyrics and music: Margaret Berger, Anders Kjær, Minoca Engeseth and Sivert Hjeltnes Hagtvedt

Margaret Berger is a well-known name in this competition. She won MGP in 2013 and came in an impressive 4th place at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song I Feed You My Love. 

She has achieved a lot since she went on the Idol stage in 2004. With her critically acclaimed debut album Chameleon she was nominated at the Spellemann (Norwegian Grammy) Awards. In 2006, she moved her musical expression closer to electropop with the album Pretty Scary Silver Fairy. More recently, she has explored music in her own language, which has resulted in four singles. Margaret has also been seen in, among other things, Hver gang vi møtes in 2016 and Maskorama (The Masked Singer) in 2021. 

11 years after her Eurovision Song Contest adventure, Margaret is now back in MGP with the song Oblivion.

Myra - Heart On Fire 

Lyrics and music: David Atarodiyan, Svein Hermansen and Regina Tucker

Myra is an award-winning songwriter and artist from Bergen. With songs such as Hjemløs i egen by and Dovre faller, the 29-year-old has established herself on the Norwegian music scene in recent years. 

Myra actually started her career in the back seat of an Über back in 2016. The driver was impressed by Myra's freestyle rapping and drove her to a music studio. Since then, she has appeared on some of the biggest stages in Norway. Among other things, she has performed at by:Larm, had Song of the Week on NRK P3, was nominated for newcomer of the year at the P3 Guld Awards and won the Edvard prize in 2020 for the lyrics to the song Homeless in My Own City. Furthermore, she has taken part in Stjernekamp and Hver gang vi møtes. Last autumn she was also featured in Skal vi danse (Norway's Dancing With The Stars).

Now Myra is looking forward to participating in MGP with the song Heart on Fire. The artist wants the song to be a 'happy pill' that gives hope, joy, love and freedom.

Ingrid Jasmin - Eya 

Lyrics and music: Ingrid Jasmin Vogt and Jonas Kroon 

Music listeners met an artist quite unlike anything else on the Norwegian music scene when Ingrid Jasmin released her debut single in 2021. Her electro-acoustic mix of traditions in a modern production, performed with a characteristic vocal style, has attracted attention beyond Norway's borders; most recently mentioned by Billboard as "a totally refreshing mix of Nordic folk music, R&B and Latin".

Ingrid Jasmin grew up in Telemark, one of the core areas for Norwegian folk music, and has family ties to Latin America. She studied flamenco together with traditional Norwegian music, and thus set the tone for her debut album Luna. She won a Spellemann Award in 2022 in for this album. In addition to the Spellemann Award, the record also received wide acclaim from critics.

The trilingual artist, songwriter and producer is now ready to rock the MGP audience with the song Eya.

GOTHMINISTER - We Come Alive

Lyrics and music: Bjørn Alexander Brem

GOTHMINISTER is Bjørn Alexander Brem's alter ego. During the day, the Oslo-based man works as a lawyer, but at night, GOTHMINISTER appears. Bjørn Alexander brings out his creative side through impressive costumes and music. GOTHMINISTER recently played to over 30,000 people in Germany and has toured in more than 40 countries over the years. 

Last year they released the album Pandemonium, which won the Dark Album of the Year award, and featured Rammstein and Placebo among others. GOTHMINISTER has achieved numerous chart entries in Germany and won a total of 19 international film awards for music videos.

The song We Come Alive is a collaboration with producer Jesper Borgen (Alan Walker, Coldplay), and is about the value of play, about believing in yourself and standing together against all injustice. 

Fredrik Halland - Stranded

Lyrics and music: Fredrik Halland, Jenson Vaughan and Ruthy Raba

Fredrik Halland moved from Bergen to Los Angeles when he was 16 years old to follow his dream. He studied at the Musician’s Institute for a year before touring with the American artist Colbie Caillat. Fredrik later started working in the studio as a songwriter, producer and guitarist. He has played, written and toured with artists such as Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Becky G, Babyface and many more. 

Now, the 30-year-old has moved back to Norway and wants to focus on his own artistic career. He is ready to participate in this year's MGP with the song Stranded, written together with Jenson Vaughan and Ruthy Raba. The song is about the importance of being there for someone in difficult and lonely times.

Mathilde SPZ - Woman Show (feat. Chris Archer & Slam Dunk)

Lyrics and music: Audun Agnar Guldbrandsen, Silje Montsko Blandkjenn, Emmy Kristine Guttulsrud Kristiansen, Linda Dale, Christopher Colin Archer and Mathilde Espeseth 

Mathilde SPZ is firecracker of an artist and has written and performed her own songs since she was 9 years old. She has performed at an impressively long list of festivals and stages, and annually entertains thousands with her energetic stage presence. In the context of MGP, however, she does not participate with a 'one man show', but with her Woman Show - a party song for the introverts!

She has two energetic artists with her on this song. Chris Archer has over 50 million streams, from party music to pop, and many Norwegians will probably recognise his voice from hits they've heard. Petter Haga, better known as Slam Dunk, has gone from civil engineer and entrepreneur to artist, conference host and speaker with his humorous tunes.

Together, Mathilde and her two 'hype men' take the stage with the motto 'You Do You'!

Semi-Final 2: Saturday 20 January

Gåte - Ulveham

Lyrics and music: Sveinung Eklo Sundli, Ronny Graff Janssen, Marit Jensen Lillebuen, Gunnhild Sundli, Magnus Børmark and Jon Even Schärer

Gåte had its breakthrough at the start of the 2000s and would quickly become a Norwegian treasure. Their unique combination of traditional Norwegian folk music and explosive rock lifted them out of the rehearsal basement and onto some of the biggest stages. The band experienced huge success with spectacular live shows, two critically acclaimed studio albums, two EPs and a live album. During this period, Gåte sold more than 100,000 albums, went straight to the top of the VG-lista chart and won the Spellemann Award 2002 for Best Newcomer.

The critically acclaimed band took a 12-year break before making a long-awaited return in 2017. Since then, Gåte has once again delivered concerts and music to brilliant reception and reviews. Now the band is ready to stand on the MGP stage with the song Ulveham.

Super Rob, Erika Norwich - My AI

Lyrics and music: Lars Horn Lavik, Super Rob, Erika Norwich and Kristian Liljan

Erika Norwich is a talented songwriter and artist from Trondheim. She has made a name for herself with hits such as Til Lillebror and the EP Fra hjertet til hodet og ut. With her unconventional, honest approach to music, life and social media, Erika both provokes and touches the hearts of those who listen and see her.

In her next adventure, Erika has found an unexpected partner and best friend in Super Rob; an almost 3-metre-tall robot that has been updated with the latest AI technology. He works a bit like the digital assistant Siri. Sometimes he's downright brilliant, while other times he's just annoying. He is full of clichés and is not afraid to use them. Super Rob is here to help people and would rather just create a good atmosphere for the whole world. 

Mileo - You’re Mine

Lyrics and music: Miles Curtis Sesselmann 

Mileo is a Norwegian-Australian singer, songwriter and producer. He grew up traveling between Oslo and Sydney with his Norwegian father and Australian mother. As a child, he learned about music through school. He understood early on that he had to learn to write and produce his own songs in order to give vent to his inner musicality. With his exaggerated imagination, creative sense, dark sense of humour and unique sound, he seduces the listener into his own world. 

The song You're Mine is no exception to this; a captivating synth-heavy production, with horror movie-like beats and an entertaining and disturbing nerve. The song is about being so infatuated with a person that you are willing to do almost anything to make it happen for the two of you. In recent years, Mileo has written and produced for several Norwegian artists, including Madcon, Chris Holsten, Mugisho, Alexandra Joner and Adelen.

Eli Kristin - Touch of Venus

Lyrics and music: Ronny Graff Janssen and Eli Kristin Hanssveen

Eli Kristin is a real opera diva. Or is she? Eli has been an regular face at the opera for a number of years and has had leading roles in the most famous of productions. But for all these years she has had a dream of being part of MGP. Eli is first and foremost a music lover, who doesn't like to be put into the box of any genre.

She became even more well-known as a participant in Stjernekamp, where in recent years she has also been an opera coach and a duet partner for the participants. Now she has written Touch of Venus together with Ronny Janssen. The song is about how we - at our most vulnerable point in life - can either succumb or discover how strong we really are. The message is largely based on Eli Kristin's own life.

Dag Erik Oksvold and Anne Fagermo - Judge Tenderly of Me

Lyrics and music: Dag Erik Oksvold, Alexander Pettersen and Anne Fagermo 

They first found their own tone musically during The Voice in 2023. The former competitors have subsequently collaborated on music, participated in Beat for Beat and are now ready for the MGP stage with the song Judge Tenderly of Me. 

Anne Fagermo has quickly made a name for herself as a talented singer and songwriter. With her distinctive voice and unique musical style, she has appeared on both large and small stages in recent years and has released several singles. Anne Fagermo has roots in the pop/rock genre, but her songs also have a country-inspired sound. She began releasing her own music in 2019 and released the live EP Stone Church Sessions in 2020.

Dag Erik Oksvold has become known for his velvety vocals and entertaining charm. He has a long artist and music career behind him; playing drums in Hver gang vi møtes, Melodi Grand Prix and other major productions. In 2021, he released his debut album Back Then, a country record that was recorded in Norway and Nashville.

Farida - Heartache

Lyrics and music: Farida Louise Bolseth Benounis, Kristian Wiik, Ilja Eriksson and Olav Tokerud

Farida is not an unknown name to those who have followed the Norwegian music industry for the past 7 years. She has warmed up for Dua Lipa, played at Øyafestivalen, performed at by:Larm twice, won the award for Role Model of the Year at the same festival and, not least, was seen at SXSW in Texas. Just before Christmas, she was on a sold-out Christmas tour for the second year in a row.

The Gjøvik girl is also a skilled songwriter. In 2021, Farida reached the final in the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Competition in New York with the self-composed song Do About It. In December 2022, she wrote two K-pop songs for the groups Red Velvet and WayV. She wrote these together with Karen Poole, known for having worked with world stars David Guetta and Zara Larsson, among others. Farida is also one of the songwriters on the song Love Is a Drug, which the renowned DJ Armin van Buuren released last autumn.

Many fans will remember Farida from her previous participation in MGP. She went to the final in 2022 with the ballad Dangerous, a song that was also used in the TV 2 and Netflix series Blood Brothers. Now Farida is ready for an MGP comeback with a song and a show that she reckons stands out from everything else she has done in the past.

Semi-Final 3: Saturday 27 January

KEiiNO - Damdiggida

Lyrics and music: Alexandra Rotan, Fred Buljo, Tom Hugo Hermansen, Alexander N. Olsson and Jakob Redtzer

5 years have passed since KEiiNO combined original Norwegian melodies, joik and danceable pop for the first time, and the unique sound has since gained a large international audience. Since KEiiNO won the viewers' hearts at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019, they have released 28 songs, topped the charts, become radio favourites, won awards and been nominated at the Norwegian Grammys - the Spellemann Awards. 

Most of the trio's 150 million plays on Spotify and YouTube come from abroad. Among other international achievements, KEiiNO has toured Australia twice and played to large crowds in Europe several times.

For Alexandra, Fred and Tom, Melodi Grand Prix is the European pop championship. When they came up with a song they thought would be able to engage a lot of people, they decided they would make another attempt to take home the victory. Damdiggida is about the feeling you get when things just click, when you are in the zone and can't help but smile. What gives you a sense of Damdiggida is different from person to person, but the feeling is one that unites us all. 

MIIA - Green Lights

Lyrics and music: Benjamin Dan Ravn Fahre, Mia Virik Kristensen, Mugoshi David Nhonzi, Emelie Hollow and Ida Botten

MIIA's raw and often heartbreaking vocals have conquered many listeners around the world, beginning with the single Dynasty back in 2015. At the time of writing, the song has over 161 million streams on Spotify. 

Behind the artist name is Mia Virik Kristensen from Kragerø. Since her big breakthrough, MIIA's audience has only grown, with a community of devoted followers from all corners of the world. In 2023, MIIA lifted the veil on a new chapter, with a debut EP that presents with it the soul of her musical journey. 

Now, she is participating at MGP with the ballad Green Lights, and would love to represent Norway on the Eurovision Song Contest stage.

Annprincess - Save Me

Lyrics and music: Annprincess Johnson 

Annprincess is an artist and songwriter from Lier. Originally from Liberia, the singer fled to Norway with her mother when she was just 7 years old. Now 32, she loves writing songs that make others feel strong, seen and heard. 

Annprincess signed up for Norske Talenter when she was in her teens and took part in The Voice in 2022. Annprincess turned to music professionally in 2019, after studying psychology.  

Annprincess is now ready to participate in Melodi Grand Prix. The song Save Me is about the loneliness you feel when others point out how different you are. The composition is also about accepting it, however, and standing up for yourself.

Thomas Jenssen - Take Me To Heaven

Lyrics and music: Thomas Jenssen, Ricky Hanley, David Fremberg and Jonas Holteberg Jensen

Thomas Jenssen (32) is an artist and songwriter from Levanger. In recent years, he has studied music at the University of Agder and is now in his final year for a masters in songwriting. 

With several single releases, concerts and a Christmas album in Norwegian in the bag, Thomas is now ready to take the whole of Norway by storm. The dream, for Thomas, has always been to participate in Melodi Grand Prix. The stage is the place where he feels completely at home. 

Take Me To Heaven is about being captivated by someone and daring to be vulnerable. The message in the song is something Thomas is passionate about.

MISTRA - Waltz of Death 

Lyrics and music: Benedicte Adrian and Anders Odden 

In the new duo MISTRA, two extremes of the Norwegian music industry collide: pop queen Benedicte Adrian and metal pioneer Anders Odden. Together they will perform the song Waltz of Death.

Benedicte Adrian is back in MGP 40 years after the success of Dollie de Luxe. The duo, which consisted of Benedicte and Ingrid Bjørnov, won the competition with Lenge Leve Livet. They followed up the success with the album Rock vs Opera and have composed music for several musicals together. As a solo artist, Benedicte has, among other things, performed the role of Queen of the Night in Tryllefløyten at Den Norske Opera, released the solo album Desember, and guested on various stages both as a pop artist and a classical singer.

Anders Odden has a long career behind him in metal music. In 1990, his band Cadaver debuted with Hallucinating Anxiety. Since then, Cadaver has released 6 albums and gained cult status worldwide. Anders has also toured the world as a musician for other bands, such as Celtic Frost. He has also collaborated with famous musicians like Ronni Le Tekrø, Ledfoot, Hank Von Hell and Tony Harnell.

Vidar Villa - MER

Lyrics and music: Vidar Mohaugen, Jonas Thomassen, Martin Thomassen and Mathias Nilsen

In recent years, Vidar Villa has established himself as one of Norway's most popular artists. A lot has happened since he stood on the MGP stage in 2018, at the very start of his career. 

Vidar Villa originally started as a band. They have now performed over 500 concerts, been streamed over 200 million times and as many as 17 of the songs have received a gold or platinum certification. Vidar Villa was also nominated for the Spellemann Award in 2022 in the category of Party Music. The music may have evolved since 2018, but it's still the same group we get to see on stage this time. The focus is still on spreading joy and a good atmosphere.

Vidar's contribution to this year's MGP is the exuberant energy bomb MER. The song is about embracing all parts of life - both the good and the bad. The lyrics depict the desire to get out of the old rut one can quickly end up in, and to want more. More of everything.

Amongst the lineup we have three artists who have represented Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest before.

KEiiNO competed in 2019 with the song Spirit In The Sky, while Margaret Berger represented her country in 2013, with I Feed You My Love. One half of MISTRA was a part of Dollie de Luxe, who performed Lenge Leve Livet at the Contest in 1984.

At the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, Norway achieved a 5th-place finish at the Grand Final with Alessandra's high-tempo hit Queen of Kings.