Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Last updated

Eurovision Song Contest 2009
CountryFlag of Malta.svg  Malta
National selection
Selection processGO Malta EuroSong 2009
Selection date(s)Semi-final:
8 November 2008 – 10 January 2009
Final:
7 February 2009
Selected entrant Chiara
Selected song"What If We"
Selected songwriter(s)
  • Marc Paelinck
  • Gregory Bilsen
Finals performance
Semi-final resultQualified (6th, 86 points)
Final result22nd, 31 points
Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄200820092010►

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "What If We" written by Marc Paelinck and Gregory Bilsen. The song was performed by Chiara, who had previously represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest in the 1998 and 2005 edition where she achieved third and second place with the songs "The One That I Love" and "Angel", respectively. The Maltese entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia was selected through the national final GO Malta EuroSong 2009, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a semi-final round and a final, held between 8 November 2008 and 7 February 2009, where "What If We" performed by Chiara eventually emerged as the winning entry after scoring the most points from a jury in the first round and gaining the most votes from a public televote in the second round with 12,249 votes.

Contents

Malta was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 12 May 2009. Performing during the show in position 17, "What If We" was announced among the 10 qualifying entries of the first semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the final on 16 May. It was later revealed that Malta placed sixth out of the 18 participating countries in the semi-final with 86 points. In the final, Malta performed in position 14 and placed twenty-second out of the 25 participating countries, scoring 31 points.

Background

Prior to the 2009 contest, Malta had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest twenty-one times since its first entry in 1971. Malta briefly competed in the Eurovision Song Contest in the 1970s before withdrawing for sixteen years. The country had, to this point, competed in every contest since returning in 1991. Malta's best placing in the contest thus far was second, which it achieved on two occasions: in 2002 with the song "7th Wonder" performed by Ira Losco and in the 2005 contest with the song "Angel" performed by Chiara. [1] In the 2008 edition, Malta failed to qualify to the final with the song "Vodka" performed by Morena.

For the 2009 contest, the Maltese national broadcaster, Public Broadcasting Services (PBS), broadcast the event within Malta and organised the selection process for the nation's entry. PBS confirmed their intentions to participate at it on 3 June 2008. [2] Malta selected their entry consistently through a national final procedure, a method that was continued for their 2009 participation.

Before Eurovision

GO Malta EuroSong 2009

GO Malta EuroSong 2009 was the national final format developed by PBS to select the Maltese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The competition consisted of a semi-final held between 8 November 2008 and 10 January 2009, and a final held on 7 February 2009. All shows were broadcast on Television Malta (TVM) as well on the broadcaster's website pbs.com.mt. [3]

Format

The competition consisted of fifty-six songs competing in the semi-final which consisted of eight shows titled Euro Showbox between 8 November 2008 and 10 January 2009. Seven songs were presented in each show and a total of twenty entries qualified to compete in the final on 7 February 2009. In the semi-final, six judges evaluated the songs and each judge had an equal stake in the result. Fifteen of the qualifying entries were the songs that received the highest scores from the judges, while the remaining five qualifying entries were based on the results of the public televote from the remaining forty-one entries. The final consisted of two rounds: the first round selected the top three entries based on the votes of five judges in addition to the jury votes in the first selection phase and the semi-final, while the second round (superfinal) determined the winner exclusively by public televoting. [4] [5]

Competing entries

Artists and composers were able to submit their entries between 13 and 14 October 2008. Songwriters from any nationality were able to submit songs as long as the artist were Maltese or possessed Maltese citizenship. Songwriters were able to submit as many songs as they wished, however, artists were only able to submit a maximum of two songs and could only compete with a maximum of one in the final. [6] 182 entries were received by the broadcaster and the fifty-six songs selected to compete in the semi-final were announced on 27 October 2008. Among the selected competing artists were former Maltese Eurovision entrants Georgina who represented Malta in the 1991 contest, Miriam Christine who represented Malta in the 1996 contest, Chiara who represented Malta in the 1998 and 2005 contests, and Ludwig Galea who represented Malta in the 2004 contest. [7] The jury panel that selected the fifty-six semi-finalists consisted of Alon Amir (Israel), Frank Cachia (Malta), Lenoir Francis (France), Alvin Laudi (Malta), Nadienne Sacco (Malta), Vincent Scerri (Malta) and No Yon (South Korea/Japan). [8]

ArtistSongSongwriter(s)
Alison Ellul"Typical Me" Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg
Annabelle Debono"Army of Lovers"Sean Vella, Gerard James Borg
Baklava"Kamikaze Lover"Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg
Chiara "What If We"Marc Paelinck, Gregory Bilsen
Christian Arding"This Ain't a Love Song"Trevor Fenech, Claudia Faniello
Christine Barbara"Life is an Opera"Rita Pace
"Visions of You"Philip Vella
Claire Caruana"Harmony"Augusto Cardinali, Giovann Attard
Classic Rebels"Tonight at the Opera" Ralph Siegel, John O'Flynn
Claudia Faniello "Blue Sonata"Ray Agius
"Midas Touch"Sean Vella, Philip Vella
Corazon Mizzi"Another Side of Me"Philip Vella
Daniela Vella"Soulmate"Ray Agius, Alfred C. Sant
Dario and Grecia Bezzina"Fjamma tas-Sliem"Philip Vella
Derrick Schembri and Yanika Fava"For a Moment"Philip Vella, Rita Pace
Dominic Cini"I'm in Heaven"Elton Zarb, Rita Pace
Dorothy Bezzina"Mozart Revives"Chan Vella, Alexia Schembri
Eleanor Cassar "Someday"Paul Giordimaina, Fleur Balzan
"This Is Our Life"Paul Giordimaina, Fleur Balzan
The Elements"Ħa Ħi Ħu"Carm Fenech
Evita Magri"Sexy Girls"Philip Vella, Melchiore Magri
Francesca Borg"Falling in Love"Jason Paul Cassar, Mario J. Farrugia
Georgina "To Be Myself"Rafael Artesero, Joe Julian Farrugia
Georgina and Ruth Casingena"Avalon"Paul Abela, Joe Julian Farrugia
Gloriana Arpa Belli"Love Was Made of Clay"Renato Briffa, Doris Chetcuti
J. Anvil"Choose Your Number"Augusto Cardinali, Giovann Attard
"Love Me or Leave Me"Trevor Fenech, Claudia Faniello
Jamie Tonna"Where Was I?"Jason Paul Cassar, Mario J. Farrugia
Jessica Muscat "Hey You"Rafael Artesero
"Smoke-Screen"Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg
Jo Zette"I'm Me"Steve Compagno, Noel Zammit
Josmar"Circus"Josmar
Julie Pomorski"Shades of Memories"Johann Schembri
Justine feat. Siconix"Rhythm of the Night"Renato Briffa, Doris Chetcuti
Klinsmann"Butterfly Sky"Klinsmann Coleiro, Joe Julian Farrugia
"Rock and Rise"Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg
Kylie Coleiro"Let It Shine"Andrew Zahra, Joe Julian Farrugia
Laura Bruno"Something About You"Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg
Ludwig Galea "Inferno"Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg
Ludwig Galea feat. Fidela tal-Bambinu"Lament"Philip Vella
Maria Mallia"Love in the Sahara"Charlene Grech, Clinton Paul
Marija Galdes"Castaway"Philip Vella, Rita Pace
Miriam Christine "Mama"Miriam Christine Warner
Natasha and Charlene"Alchemy"Charlene Grech, John A. Agius
"King"Charlene Grech, John A. Agius
Q"Before You Walk Away"Paul Giordimaina, Fleur Balzan
"Live for Today"Paul Giordimaina, Fleur Balzan
Raquela"Crossroads"Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg
Rebecca Bonnici"Carry Me"Renato Briffa, Rita Pace
Rosman Pace"One Million Ways"Rosman Pace
Ruth Portelli"Blame It on Your Heart"Ralph Siegel, John O'Flynn
"Innocent Heart" [lower-alpha 1] Ralph Siegel, John O'Flynn
Talitha Dimech"Earth and Sky"Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg
Trilogy"The Song in Your Heart"Paul Abela, Joe Julian Farrugia
Vittorio and Dorothy"Promises"Chan Vella, Alexia Schembri
Wayne Micallef"Where You Belong"Wayne Micallef, Luke Ambrogio

Shows

Semi-final

The semi-final took place over the eight shows of Euro Showbox between 8 November 2008 and 10 January 2009, all held at the Audiovision TV Studios in Hamrun and hosted by Valerie Vella. [9] Fifty-six songs competed for twenty qualifying spots in the final, which were announced during the last show of Euro Showbox on 10 January 2009. [10] [11] The allocation of the seven entries competing in each show was announced on 2 November 2008. [12] Due to incorrect SMS numbers being displayed during the first show, a revote took place at the beginning of the second show. [13] [14] The six members of the jury that evaluated the entries during the semi-final consisted of: [15]

  • Kevin Abela (Malta) – Principal Trumpet of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and music director
  • Munro Forbes (Cyprus) – Producer of various Eurovision Song Contest and Junior Eurovision Song Contest events
  • Pascal-Emmanuel Luneau (France) – Musician, screenwriter, composer, author and vocal coach
  • Ray Mangion (Malta) – Producer, artistic director and performer
  • Denise Mulholland (United Kingdom) – Director and actress
  • Marco Vannuzzi (Italy) – Music manager

  Jury qualifier  Public vote qualifier

Semi-final – 8 November 2008 – 10 January 2009
BroadcastDrawArtistSongResult
8 November 20081 Ludwig Galea feat. Fidela tal-Bambinu"Lament"Eliminated
2Dominic Cini"I'm in Heaven"Eliminated
3Classic Rebels"Tonight at the Opera"Advanced
4Klinsmann"Rock and Rise"Eliminated
5Talitha Dimech"Earth and Sky"Eliminated
6Rosman Pace"One Million Ways"Advanced
7Francesca Borg"Falling in Love"Eliminated
15 November 20081Q"Live for Today"Eliminated
2Josmar"Circus"Eliminated
3 Jessica Muscat "Smoke-Screen"Eliminated
4 Georgina "To Be Myself"Eliminated
5Laura Bruno"Something About You"Eliminated
6Marija Galdes"Castaway"Eliminated
7Vittorio and Dorothy"Promises"Advanced
29 November 20081Trilogy"The Song in Your Heart"Advanced
2Dorothy Bezzina"Mozart Revives"Eliminated
3Derrick Schembri and Yanika Fava"For a Moment"Eliminated
4Jo Zette"I'm Me"Eliminated
5Evita Magri"Sexy Girls"Eliminated
6Christian Arding"This Ain't a Love Song"Eliminated
7Gloriana Arpa Belli"Love Was Made of Clay"Eliminated
6 December 20081Ruth Portelli"Innocent Heart"Eliminated
2 Eleanor Cassar "Someday"Advanced
3Dario and Grecia Bezzina"Fjamma tas-Sliem"Eliminated
4Claire Caruana"Harmony"Eliminated
5Maria Mallia"Love in the Sahara"Eliminated
6Natasha and Charlene"Alchemy"Eliminated
7 Claudia Faniello "Midas Touch"Eliminated
13 December 20081 Miriam Christine "Mama"Advanced
2Baklava"Kamikaze Lover"Advanced
3Ruth Portelli"Blame It on Your Heart"Eliminated
4J. Anvil"Choose Your Number"Advanced
5Corazon Mizzi"Another Side of Me"Eliminated
6Rebecca Bonnici"Carry Me"Eliminated
7Justine feat. Siconix"Rhythm of the Night"Eliminated
20 December 20081Jamie Tonna"Where Was I?"Advanced
2Q"Before You Walk Away"Advanced
3Julie Pomorski"Shades of Memories"Eliminated
4Jessica Muscat"Hey You"Eliminated
5Raquela"Crossroads"Advanced
6Ludwig Galea"Inferno"Eliminated
7Kylie Coleiro"Let It Shine"Advanced
3 January 20091Alison Ellul"Typical Me"Advanced
2Daniela Vella"Soulmate"Eliminated
3Eleanor Cassar"This Is Our Life"Eliminated
4Georgina and Ruth Casingena"Avalon"Advanced
5Claudia Faniello"Blue Sonata"Advanced
6 Chiara "What If We"Advanced
7Christine Barbara"Visions of You"Eliminated
10 January 20091Natasha and Charlene"King"Eliminated
2Annabelle Debono"Army of Lovers"Eliminated
3J. Anvil"Love Me or Leave Me"Eliminated
4Christine Barbara"Life Is an Opera"Advanced
5Klinsmann"Butterfly Sky"Advanced
6The Elements"Ħa Ħi Ħu"Advanced
7Wayne Micallef"Where You Belong"Advanced

Final

The final took place on 7 February 2009 at the Malta Fairs & Convention Centre in Ta' Qali, hosted by Pablo Micallef and Valerie Vella. [9] The twenty entries that qualified from the semi-final were performed again and the winner was determined over two rounds of voting. In the first round, the top three entries were selected to qualify to the second round, the superfinal, after the votes of a five-member jury panel were combined with the jury votes in the first selection phase and the semi-final. [16] In the superfinal, the winner was determined solely by a public televote. The show was opened with a guest performance by the Yada Dance Company, while the interval act featured performances by 2008 Maltese Eurovision entrant Morena, 2009 Turkish Eurovision entrant Hadise, 2009 British Eurovision entrants Jade Ewen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the local acts Niki Gravino, Airport Impressions, Crisitina Casolani and Toby, and The Riffs. [17] [18] After the results of the public televote in the superfinal were announced, "What If We" performed by Chiara was the winner. [19] [20] Among the five members of the jury that evaluated the entries during the final were former Eurovision entrants Linda Martin who represented Ireland and won the 1992 contest, and Nicki French who represented United Kingdom in the 2000 contest. [21]

Final – 7 February 2009
DrawArtistSongPointsPlace
1The Elements"Ħa Ħi Ħu"2519
2Baklava"Kamikaze Lover"3018
3J. Anvil"Choose Your Number"7110
4Wayne Micallef"Where You Belong"857
5Classic Rebels"Tonight at the Opera"945
6Vittorio and Dorothy"Promises"5716
7 Chiara "What If We"1291
8Rosman Pace"One Million Way"769
9Q"Before You Walk Away"1243
10Kylie Coleiro"Let It Shine"1420
11Jamie Tonna"Where Was I?"5117
12Christine Barbara"Life is an Opera"6214
13 Eleanor Cassar "Someday"1262
14Raquela"Crossroads"7111
15 Miriam Christine "Mama"6115
16 Georgina and Ruth Casingena"Avalon"7112
17Alison Ellul"Typical Me"798
18Trilogy"The Song In Your Heart"876
19 Claudia Faniello "Blue Sonata"1134
20Klinsmann"Butterfly Sky"6513
Detailed Jury Votes
DrawSongFirst
Phase
Semi-finalFinalTotal
Jury 1Jury 2Jury 3Jury 4Jury 5
1"Ħa Ħi Ħu"1123421225
2"Kamikaze Lover"379332330
3"Choose Your Number"12316171031071
4"Where You Belong"18217129121585
5"Tonight at the Opera"1518620720894
6"Promises"96451113957
7"What If We"22201813162218129
8"One Million Way"1311891751376
9"Before You Walk Away"20221218181717124
10"Let It Shine"241114114
11"Where Was I?"511111127451
12"Life is an Opera"71776614562
13"Someday"1482222221820126
14"Crossroads"1710210881671
15"Mama"616102491461
16"Avalon"1013516515771
17"Typical Me"81414813101279
18"The Song In Your Heart"161513714111187
19"Blue Sonata"1192015201622113
20"Butterfly Sky"451514156665
Superfinal – 7 February 2009
DrawArtistSongTelevotePlace
1 Chiara "What If We"12,2491
2Q"Before You Walk Away"4,6193
3 Eleanor Cassar "Someday"9,7852

Promotion

Chiara made several appearances across Europe to specifically promote "What If We" as the Maltese Eurovision entry. On 18 February, Chiara performed during the Greek Eurovision national final. [22] [23] On 1 March, she performed during the presentation show of the 2009 Bosnian Eurovision entry, BH Eurosong 2009. [24] Chiara also completed promotional activities in Belgium following her performances in Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina. [25] On 18 April, Chiara performed during the Eurovision in Concert event which was held at the Amsterdam Marcanti venue in Amsterdam, Netherlands and hosted by Marga Bult and Maggie MacNeal. [26]

At Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 took place at the Olimpiysky Arena in Moscow, Russia and consisted of two semi-finals on 12 and 14 May, and the final of 16 May 2009. According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top nine songs from each semi-final as determined by televoting progress to the final, and a tenth was determined by back-up juries. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 30 January 2009, an allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals. Malta was placed into the first semi-final, to be held on 12 May 2009. [27] The running order for the semi-finals was decided through another draw on 16 March 2009 and Malta was set to perform in position 17, following the entry from Portugal and before the entry from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The two semi-finals and the final were broadcast in Malta on TVM with commentary by Valerie Vella. [28] The Maltese spokesperson, who announced the Maltese votes during the final, was Pauline Agius. [29]

Semi-final

Chiara took part in technical rehearsals on 4 and 8 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 11 and 12 May. The Maltese performance featured Chiara wearing a black dress with Swarovski crystals, designed by Maltese fashion brand Charles and Ron, and performing alone on stage. [25] [30] The background LED screens projected a starry night with a mixture of darker and lighter shades in blue colours. [31] [32] The performance was originally to have featured smoke effects, however, the Maltese delegation opted not to use the effect in the broadcast performance. [33]

At the end of the show, Malta was announced as having finished in the top 10 and consequently qualifying for the grand final. It was later revealed that Malta placed sixth in the semi-final, receiving a total of 86 points. [34]

Final

Shortly after the first semi-final, a winners' press conference was held for the ten qualifying countries. As part of this press conference, the qualifying artists took part in a draw to determine which half of the grand final they would subsequently participate in. This draw was done in the order the countries appeared in the semi-final running order. Malta was drawn to perform in position 14, following the entry from Moldova and before the entry from Estonia.

Chiara once again took part in dress rehearsals on 15 and 16 May before the final, including the jury final where the professional juries cast their final votes before the live show. Chiara performed a repeat of her semi-final performance during the final on 16 May. Malta placed twenty-second in the final, scoring 31 points. [35]

Voting

The voting system for 2009 involved each country awarding points from 1-8, 10 and 12, with the points in the final being decided by a combination of 50% national jury and 50% televoting. Each nation's jury consisted of five music industry professionals who are citizens of the country they represent. This jury judged each entry based on: vocal capacity; the stage performance; the song's composition and originality; and the overall impression by the act. In addition, no member of a national jury was permitted to be related in any way to any of the competing acts in such a way that they cannot vote impartially and independently.

Following the release of the full split voting by the EBU after the conclusion of the competition, it was revealed that Malta had placed twenty-fourth with the public televote and thirteenth with the jury vote in the final. In the public vote, Malta scored 18 points, while with the jury vote, Malta scored 87 points.

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Estonia and awarded by Malta in the first semi-final and grand final of the contest, and the breakdown of the jury voting and televoting conducted during the two shows:

Points awarded to Malta

Points awarded by Malta

Detailed voting results

Detailed voting results from Malta (Final) [38] [39]
DrawCountryResultsPoints
JuryTelevotingCombined
01Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
02Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 33
03Flag of France.svg  France 11
04Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 554
05Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 22
06Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
07Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 12102212
08Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 66127
09Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia
10Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
11Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan 331
12Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina
13Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
14Flag of Malta.svg  Malta
15Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
16Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 84126
17Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 22
18Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 885
19Flag of Albania.svg  Albania
20Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 107178
21Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 552
22Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
23Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7121910
24Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 4153
25Flag of Spain.svg  Spain

Notes

  1. The refrain of "Innocent Heart" was later used as a sample for the Montenegrin 2009 Eurovision entry "Just Get Out of My Life" performed by Andrea Demirović.

Related Research Articles

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Angel" written and performed by Chiara, who had previously represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest in the 1998 edition where she achieved third place with the song "The One That I Love". The Maltese entry for the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected through the national final Malta Song for Europe 2005, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a final, held on 19 February 2005, where "Angel" performed by Chiara eventually emerged as the winning entry after gaining the most votes from a public televote with 11,935 votes.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with the song "Vertigo" written by Philip Vella and Gerard James Borg. The song was performed by Olivia Lewis. The Maltese entry for the 2007 contest in Helsinki, Finland was selected through the national final Malta Song for Europe 2007, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of two phases: Opportunity 2 and Malta Song for Europe 2007. In the final of Malta Song for Europe 2007, held on 3 February 2007, "Vertigo" performed by Olivia Lewis eventually emerged as the winning entry after gaining the most votes from a public televote with 30,977 votes.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Vodka" written by Philip Vella and Gerard James Borg. The song was performed by Morena. The Maltese entry for the 2008 contest in Belgrade, Serbia was selected through the national final The GO Malta Song for Europe 2008, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a semi-final round and a final, held on 24 and 26 January 2008, respectively, where "Vodka" performed by Morena eventually emerged as the winning entry after scoring the most points from a seven-member jury and a public televote.

Finland participated at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Lose Control" written by Waldo, Karima, Ari Lehtonen and Annie Kratz-Gutå. The song was performed by the band Waldo's People. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Euroviisut 2009 in order to select the Finnish entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. 12 entries were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of three semi-finals, a Second Chance round and a final, taking place in January 2009. Eight entries ultimately competed in the final on 30 January where votes from the public selected "Lose Control" performed by Waldo's People as the winner.

Estonia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Rändajad" written by Sven Lõhmus. The song was performed by the group Urban Symphony. The Estonian broadcaster Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR) organised the national final Eesti Laul 2009 in order to select the Estonian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. Ten songs competed in the national final and the winner was selected over two rounds of voting. In the first round, a jury panel and a public vote selected the top two to qualify to the superfinal. In the superfinal, "Rändajad" performed by Urban Symphony was selected as the winner entirely by a public vote.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "It's My Time" written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren. The song was performed by Jade Ewen. The British entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia was selected via the national final Eurovision: Your Country Needs You, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Six acts competed in the national final which consisted of two heats, a semi-final and a final, during which the winner was selected entirely through a public televote.

Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Is It True?" written by Óskar Páll Sveinsson, Tinatin Japaridze and Christopher Neil. The song was performed by Yohanna, which is the artistic name of singer Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir. The Icelandic entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia was selected through the national final Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of four semi-finals and a final, held on 10 January, 17 January, 24 January, 31 January and 14 February 2009, respectively. Four songs competed in each semi-final with the top two as selected by a public televote advancing to the final. In the final, "Is It True?" performed by Yohanna emerged as the winner exclusively through public televoting.

Slovenia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Love Symphony" written by Andrej Babić and Aleksandar Valenčić. The song was performed by the group Quartissimo featuring Martina. Slovenian broadcaster Radiotelevizija Slovenija organised the national final EMA 2009 in order to select the Slovenian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. 20 entries competed in the national final which consisted of two shows: a semi-final and a final. Fourteen of the entries competed in the semi-final and the top eight entries were selected to advance alongside six pre-qualified songs following the combination of votes from a three-member jury panel and a public televote. Fourteen entries qualified to compete in the final where "Love Symphony" performed by Quartissimo was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a three-member jury panel and a public televote.

Slovakia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Leť tmou" written by Rastislav Dubovský, Petronela Kolevská and Anna Žigová. The song was performed by Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková. In September 2008, the Slovak broadcaster Slovenská televízia (STV) announced that they would return to the Eurovision Song Contest after an eleven-year absence. The broadcaster selected the Slovak entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia through the national final Eurosong 2009. 50 entries competed in the national final which consisted of six shows: five semi-finals and a final. In the semi-finals, three entries were selected to advance from each show: two entries selected based on the votes from the public and one entry selected by a seven-member jury panel. A wildcard entry was also selected by the jury from the remaining entries to advance. Sixteen entries ultimately qualified to compete in the final on 8 March 2009 where a public vote selected three of the entries to proceed to a second round of voting. In the second round of voting, "Leť tmou" performed by Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková was selected as the winner after scoring the most points from the jury.

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Bistra voda" written by Aleksandar Čović. The song was performed by the band Regina. On 12 January 2009, the Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) revealed that they had internally selected Regina to compete at the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. Their song, "Bistra voda", was presented to the public during a show entitled BH Eurosong Show 2009 on 1 March 2009.

Latvia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Probka" written by Kārlis Lācis, Jānis Elsbergs and Sergejs Timofejevs. The song was performed by Intars Busulis. The Latvian broadcaster Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) organised the national final Eirodziesma 2009 in order to select the Latvian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. Twenty songs were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of two shows: a semi-final and a final. In the semi-final, ten entries were selected to advance based on a public vote. Ten songs ultimately qualified to compete in the final on 28 February 2009 where two rounds of voting by the public and a five-member jury panel selected "Sastrēgums" performed by Intars Busulis as the winner. The song was later translated from Latvian to Russian for the Eurovision Song Contest and was titled "Probka".

Moldova participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Hora din Moldova" written by Veaceslav Daniliuc, Andrei Hadjiu, Nelly Ciobanu and Aristotelis Kalimeris. The song was performed by Nelly Ciobanu. The Moldovan broadcaster TeleRadio-Moldova (TRM) organised the national final O melodie pentru Europa 2009 in order to select the Moldovan entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. 39 entries competed to represent Moldova in Moscow, with 20 being shortlisted to participate in the televised national final which took place on 14 February 2009. "Hora din Moldova" performed by Nelly Ciobanu emerged as the winner after gaining the most points following the combination of votes from a jury panel, a committee and a public televote.

Poland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "I Don't Wanna Leave" written by Alex Geringos and Bernd Klimpel. The song was performed by Lidia Kopania. The Polish broadcaster Telewizja Polska (TVP) organised the national final Piosenka dla Europy 2009 in order to select the Polish entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. The national final took place on 14 February 2009 and featured ten entries. "I Don't Wanna Leave" performed by Lidia Kopania was selected as the winner after gaining the most points following the combination of votes from a four-member jury panel and a public vote.

Montenegro participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Just Get Out of My Life" written by Ralph Siegel, Bernd Meinunger and José Juan Santana Rodríguez. The song was performed by Andrea Demirović, who was internally selected by the Montenegrin broadcaster Radio i televizija Crne Gore (RTCG) to represent the nation at the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. Andrea Demirović was announced as the Montenegrin representative on 23 January 2009, while her song, "Just Get Out of My Life", was presented to the public on the same day. This was the first time that the Montenegrin song was performed entirely in the English language at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "My Dream" written by Jason Cassar and Sunny Aquilina. The song was performed by Thea Garrett. The Maltese entry for the 2010 contest in Oslo, Norway was selected through the national final The GO Malta Eurosong 2010, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a semi-final round and a final, held between 9 December 2009 and 20 February 2010, where "My Dream" performed by Thea Garrett eventually emerged as the winning entry after scoring the most points from a five-member jury and a public televote.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with the song "One Life" written by Paul Giordimaina and Fleur Balzan. The song was performed by Glen Vella. The Maltese entry for the 2011 contest in Düsseldorf, Germany was selected through the national final Malta Eurosong 2011, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a semi-final round and a final, held on 11 and 12 February 2011, respectively, where "One Life" performed by Glen Vella eventually emerged as the winning entry after scoring the most points from a six-member jury and a public televote.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with the song "This Is the Night" written by Johan Jämtberg, Kurt Calleja and Mikael Gunnerås. The song was performed by Kurt Calleja. The Maltese entry for the 2012 contest in Baku, Azerbaijan was selected through the national final Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a semi-final round and a final, held on 3 and 4 February 2013, respectively, where "This Is the Night" performed by Kurt Calleja eventually emerged as the winning entry after scoring the most points from a six-member jury and a public televote.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with the song "Coming Home" written by Richard Micallef. The song was performed by Firelight. The Maltese entry for the 2014 contest in Copenhagen, Denmark was selected through the national final Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2014, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a semi-final round and a final, held on 7 and 8 February 2014, respectively, where "Coming Home" performed by Firelight eventually emerged as the winning entry after scoring the most points from a five-member jury and a public televote.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Warrior" written by Elton Zarb and Matt Muxu Mercieca. The song was performed by Amber. The Maltese entry for the 2015 contest in Vienna, Austria was selected through the national final Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2015, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a semi-final round and a final, held on 21 and 22 November 2014, respectively, where "Warrior" performed by Amber eventually emerged as the winning entry after scoring the most points from a five-member jury and a public televote.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Breathlessly" written by Philip Vella, Sean Vella and Gerard James Borg. The song was performed by Claudia Faniello. The Maltese entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected through the national final Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2017, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a final, held on 18 February 2017, where "Breathlessly" performed by Claudia Faniello eventually emerged as the winning entry after gaining 26% of the public televote.

References

  1. "Malta Country Profile". EBU. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  2. Murray, Gavin (3 June 2008). "Malta: Will participate in Eurovision 2009". Esctoday. Retrieved 28 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. Pinto, Sónia (7 February 2009). "Live: National final in Malta". Esctoday. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  4. Klier, Marcus (2 September 2008). "Malta: major changes to the selection process". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 3 September 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
  5. Calleja Bayliss, Marc (12 January 2009). "Malta: PBS announces details regarding the Final". Oikotimes. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
  6. "Regulations". TVM. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  7. Viniker, Barry (17 October 2008). "Malta chooses Eurovision entry on March 7th". ESCToday. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
  8. Grillhofer, Florian (27 October 2008). "Malta: Big names for Malta's Eurovision bid". ESCToday. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  9. 1 2 "Malta Eurosong 2009". 4lyrics. Retrieved 28 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. Calleja Bayliss, Marc (10 January 2009). "Malta: The 20 Finalists Revealed". Oikotimes. Archived from the original on 12 February 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  11. Royston, Benny (11 January 2009). "UPD Malta: The twenty Eurovision finalists". ESCToday. Retrieved 21 July 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. Konstantopoulos, Fotis (2 November 2008). "Malta: The draw for the Eurovision preselection". Oikotimes. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
  13. Viniker, Barry (12 November 2008). "Mistakes in Malta Eurovision show". ESCToday. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  14. Press Release (8 November 2008). "Mistakes in Maltese show to be corrected". Oikotimes. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  15. "EURO SHOWBOX on TVM". TVM. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009.
  16. Sanz Martin, Jorge (7 February 2009). "Malta: Results of the first round; Chiara in the superfinal". Oikotimes. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  17. Horvat, Ivan (21 January 2009). "Malta: Hadise and UK representative in Eurosong final". ESCToday. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
  18. Calleja Bayliss, Marc (21 January 2009). "Malta: Hadise and UK representative/s guests in the Final". Oikotimes. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
  19. Klier, Marcus (8 February 2009). "Malta: Eurovision entrant chosen". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 9 February 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  20. Sanz Martin, Jorge (8 February 2009). "Malta: Chiara bids in Eurovision 2009 for third time". Oikotimes. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  21. Webb, Glenn (8 February 2009). "Chiara completes her Maltese hat-trick!". EBU . Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  22. Floras, Stella (12 February 2009). "Malta: Chiara returns to Greece". ESCToday. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  23. "Hadise and Chiara confirmed for Greek selection". Oikotimes. 16 February 2009. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  24. Floras, Stella (16 February 2009). "B & H: Eurostar studded song presentation on 1st March". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 19 February 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  25. 1 2 "Malta 2009".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. "Huge Eurovision promo concert to be held". eurovision.tv. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. Bakker, Sietse (30 January 2009). "LIVE: The Semi-Final Allocation Draw". EBU . Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  28. "Valerie Vella chosen as commentator". Oikotimes.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 31 May 2009.
  29. Costa, Nelson (12 April 2009). "Pauline Agius to read the Maltese votes". Oikotimes. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  30. Massa, Ariadne (12 May 2009). "Chiara happy with her performance". Times of Malta. Retrieved 28 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. "Malta: Welcome back Chiara". eurovision.tv. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. "Blue Chiara ready for the action". eurovision.tv. 8 May 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  33. "Chiara: "I dried out completely"". eurovision.tv. 9 May 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. "First Semi-Final of Moscow 2009". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  35. "Grand Final of Moscow 2009". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  36. 1 2 "Results of the First Semi-Final of Moscow 2009". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  37. 1 2 "Results of the Grand Final of Moscow 2009". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  38. Bakker, Sietse (31 July 2009). "Exclusive: Split jury/televoting results out!". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  39. "Eurovision Song Contest 2009 - Full Results". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original (XLS) on 6 June 2011.