Malta Song Returns As Official Selection Contest For Eurovision 2022
A classic way of choosing Malta’s representative for Eurovision will be returning for the next edition of the song contest to be held in Turin, Italy.
The Malta Eurovision Song Contest for 2022 is back, the Public Broadcasting Service has announced. The show will consist of semi-finals before a grand final, organisers said, with a total of 22 songs set to be part of the semi-finals. Sixteen will then go on to the grand final.
The popular format had Maltese Eurovision lovers glued to their seats in previous years as some of the island’s most popular singers took the stage together to compete.
To enter, participants need to have Maltese nationality or have Maltese citizenship, but songwriters can be from any country.
“All artists must be of Maltese nationality or have dual citizenship, one of which is Maltese. In the case of a group comprising two or more artists, the lead artist must be of Maltese Nationality or hold dual citizenship one of which is Maltese. All artists participating in lead role must be of Maltese Nationality or hold dual citizenship, one of which Maltese.”
Destiny Chukunyere, Malta’s representative for 2021, cannot apply as rules rule out the previous year’s contestant from applying for this year.
You can find this year’s entry rules by following this link.
If you want to take part, submissions are open now until 15th December.
Malta’s Eurovision selection history
Between 1971 and 1976 and again between 1991 and 2018, Malta’s representative was chosen through the Malta Song for Europe.
A typical national final would consist of: the rules for submissions by composers, authors, and singers being published in October, first elimination rounds in December, and semifinalists announced in January.
The semifinal was then held in February, followed two days later by a final to choose Malta’s representative at the Eurovision.
In 2009, a new format of the contest was introduced, the Malta Eurosong contest, with eight semi-finals held over November 2008 to January 2009, with a final of 20 songs competing in February
Then, in 2019 and 2020, the representative was selected via X Factor Malta, which was televised. Michela Pace and Destiny made it through on each year respectively.
The change was announced earlier this year by Valletta Cultural Agency chairman Jason Micallef, who said: “it is a wise decision by the new management of PBS that, with immediate effect, the representation of Malta in the next edition of Eurovision will be through a specially staged festival, and not [be automatically given to] the winner of X Factor Malta. I am convinced that this news will be received with great satisfaction by all Maltese singers, authors and composers”.
Are you excited to see this format return?
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