Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016

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Eurovision Song Contest 2016
CountryFlag of Malta.svg  Malta
National selection
Selection processArtist: Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2016
Song: Internal selection
Selection date(s)Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2016:
Semi-final
22 January 2016
Final
23 January 2016
Song Selection:
14 March 2016
Selected entrant Ira Losco
Selected song"Walk on Water"
Selected songwriter(s)
Finals performance
Semi-final resultQualified (3rd, 209 points)
Final result12th, 153 points
Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2015 •2016• 2017►

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "Walk on Water" written by Lisa Desmond, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren, Molly Pettersson Hammar and Ira Losco. The song was performed by Losco, who had previously represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest in the 2002 edition where she achieved second place with the song "7th Wonder".

Contents

The Maltese entry for the 2016 contest in Stockholm, Sweden was initially selected through the national final Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2016, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a semi-final round and a final, held on 22 and 23 January 2016, respectively, where "Chameleon" performed by Losco eventually emerged as the winning entry after scoring the most points from a five-member jury and a public televote. The rules of the Maltese national selection allowed for the winning artist to change the winning song either partially or entirely with the consent of the winning composers. In February 2016, PBS announced that a jury panel consisting of international and local experts would determine the song Losco would ultimately perform at the Eurovision Song Contest from a selection of ten songs, including a revamped version of "Chameleon". On 14 March 2016, PBS announced that Losco would perform "Walk on Water" in Stockholm; the song was released to the public on 17 March.

Malta was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 10 May 2016. Performing as the closing entry during the show in position 18, "Walk on Water" was announced among the top 10 entries of the first semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the final on 14 May. It was later revealed that Malta placed third out of the 18 participating countries in the semi-final with 209 points. In the final, Malta performed in position 22 and placed twelfth out of the 26 participating countries, scoring 153 points.

Background

Prior to the 2016 contest, Malta had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest twenty-eight 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 2015 edition, Malta failed to qualify to the final with the song "Warrior" performed by Amber. [2]

For the 2016 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 30 September 2015. [3] Malta selected their entry consistently through a national final procedure, a method that was continued for their 2016 participation. [3]

Before Eurovision

Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2016

Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was the national final format developed by PBS to select the Maltese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. The competition consisted of a semi-final and final held on 22 and 23 January 2016, respectively, at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in the nation's capital city of Valletta. Both shows were hosted by actor Ben Camille and broadcast on Television Malta (TVM) as well on the broadcaster's website tvm.com.mt, while the final was also broadcast on the official Eurovision Song Contest website eurovision.tv. [4]

Format

The competition consisted of twenty songs competing in the semi-final on 22 January 2016 where the top fourteen entries qualified to compete in the final on 23 January 2016. Five judges evaluated the songs during the shows and each judge had an equal stake in the final result. [5] The sixth set of votes were the results of the public televote, which had a weighting equal to the votes of a single judge. Ties in the final results were broken based on the entry which received the higher score from the judges. [5] The five members of the jury that evaluated the entries during both the semi-final and final consisted of: [6]

  • Nick Clark-Lowes (United Kingdom) – Video editor/designer having worked in international shows with well-known artists
  • Vyara Ankova (Bulgaria) – General manager of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT)
  • Sabrija Vulić (Montenegro) – Head of Delegation for Montenegro at the Eurovision Song Contest
  • Luke Fisher (United Kingdom) – Journalist specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest
  • Quinton Scerri (Malta) – Television producer and presenter

The rules and regulations for the competition allowed for the artist, author and composer of the winning entry to change parts of the winning song or the entire song for the Eurovision Song Contest. [5]

Competing entries

Artists and composers were able to submit their entries between 29 and 30 October 2015 to the PBS Creativity Hub in Gwardamanġa. Artists were also required to submit a cover version of another song along with their entry application. [5] Songwriters from any nationality were able to submit songs as long as the artist were Maltese or possessed Maltese citizenship. Artists were able to submit as many songs as they wished, however, they could only compete with a maximum of two in the semi-final and one in the final. [5] 2015 national final winner Amber was unable to compete due to a rule that prevented the previous winner from competing in the following competition. 153 entries were received by the broadcaster. [7] On 3 December 2015, PBS announced a shortlist of 49 entries that had progressed through the selection process. [7] The twenty songs selected to compete in the semi-final were announced on the TVM programme Xarabank on 11 December 2015. [8]

Among the selected competing artists was former Maltese Eurovision entrant Ira Losco who represented Malta in the 2002 contest, and Daniel Testa who represented Malta in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2008. Among the songwriters, Elton Zarb, Muxu, Paul Abela, Gerard James Borg and Philip Vella were all past writers of Maltese Eurovision entries. Paul Giordimaina represented Malta in the 1991 edition and together with Fleur Balzan co-wrote the Maltese entry in 2011; Dimitri Stassos co-wrote the Spanish entry in 2009 and the Greek entry in 2012; Jonas Gladnikoff co-wrote the Irish entries in 2009, 2010 and 2014. [9]

Semi-final

The semi-final took place on 22 January 2016. Twenty songs competed for fourteen qualifying spots in the final. [10] The running order for the semi-final was announced on 13 January 2016. [11] The show was opened with a guest performance by the 2015 Maltese Eurovision entrant Amber performing "Warrior", while the interval act featured performances by the local bands the Crowns and the New Victorians. [12]

DrawArtistSongSongwriter(s)Result
1 Ira Losco "Chameleon" Ira Losco, TalkbackFinalist
2Corazon"Falling Glass"Sara Ljunggren, Georgios Kalpakidis, Jonas Gladnikoff Finalist
3 Stefan Galea "Light Up My Life"Ylva Persson, Linda PerssonEliminated
4Domenique"Empty Hearted" Dimitri Stassos, Ylva Persson, Linda PerssonEliminated
5Dario"I Love You"Henric Pierroff, Sandra NordstromEliminated
6Daniel Testa"Under the Sun"Daniel Testa, Elton Zarb, Matthew Mercieca Finalist
7 Jessika "The Flame" Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg Finalist
8Jasmine"Alive"Paul Abela, Michael James Down, Marie Pettersson, Filip LindforsFinalist
9Raquel"Flashing Lights"Elton Zarb, Matthew MerciecaFinalist
10Brooke"Golden"Christian Schneider, Aidan O'Connor, Sara Biglert, Brooke BorgFinalist
11Kim"Lighthouse"Cyprian Cassar, Matthew MerciecaFinalist
12Sarah Crystal"Right Here with You"Toby Farrugia, Pamela Bezzina, Sarah CrystalEliminated
13Danica Muscat"Frontline"Philip Vella, Emil Calleja BaylissEliminated
14 Christabelle "Kingdom"Elton Zarb, Matthew MerciecaFinalist
15Franklin"Little Love"Cyprian Cassar, Matthew MerciecaFinalist
16Dominic"Fire Burn" Will Taylor, Jonas Gladnikoff, Natasha TurnerFinalist
17Ira Losco"That's Why I Love You"Ira Losco, Howard Keith Debono, Matthias Strasser, Stefan MoessleEliminated
18 Lawrence Gray "You're Beautiful"Paul Giordimaina, Fleur BalzanFinalist
19Maxine"Young Love"Elton Zarb, Matthew MerciecaFinalist
20Deborah C"All Around the World" Matthew Ker, Jonas Gladnikoff, Michael James Down, Primož Poglajen, Angie LausFinalist

Final

The final took place on 23 January 2016. The fourteen entries that qualified from the semi-final were performed again and the votes of a six-member jury panel (5/6) and the results of public televoting (1/6) determined the winner. The show was opened with a guest performance of "Not My Soul" performed by Malta's Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 winner Destiny Chukunyere, while the interval act featured further performances by Chukunyere as well as performances by Amber and the Southville Dancers dance troupe. [12] After the votes from the jury panel and televote were combined, "Chameleon" performed by Ira Losco was the winner. [13] "Chameleon" won the public televote with 40% of the votes. [14]

Final –23 January 2016
DrawArtistSongJuryTelevoteTotalPlace
1Deborah C"All Around the World"80811
2Franklin"Little Love"386443
3Daniel Testa"Under the Sun"20214
4Brooke"Golden"4810582
5Raquel"Flashing Lights"111129
6 Christabelle "Kingdom"308384
7Corazon"Falling Glass"105158
8Dominic"Fire Burn"50513
9 Jessika "The Flame"154197
10Jasmine"Alive"233266
11 Lawrence Gray "You're Beautiful"52712
12Maxine"Young Love"297365
13 Ira Losco "Chameleon"5612681
14Kim"Lighthouse"1001010
Detailed Jury Votes
DrawSongN. Clark-LowesV. AnkovaS. VulićL. FisherQ. ScerriTotal
1"All Around the World"3148
2"Little Love"78108538
3"Under the Sun"22
4"Golden"1212771048
5"Flashing Lights"36211
6"Kingdom"8626830
7"Falling Glass"24410
8"Fire Burn"325
9"The Flame"545115
10"Alive"1781623
11"You're Beautiful"55
12"Young Love"65110729
13"Chameleon"101012121256
14"Lighthouse"43310

Song selection

Following Losco's win at the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2016, the singer stated that she was open to the idea of performing a song other than "Chameleon" at the Eurovision Song Contest should it improve Malta's chances of winning. The national final rules set by PBS allowed for the winning song to be partially modified or completely changed. [15] On 19 February 2016, PBS announced that an international jury consisting of representatives from ten countries along with local experts from Malta would be presented with ten songs, including a revamped version of "Chameleon", and would determine which song Ira Losco would ultimately perform at the Eurovision Song Contest. [16] [17]

On 14 March 2016, PBS announced that Losco would perform the song "Walk on Water" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, which officially replaced "Chameleon" as the Maltese entry through the decision of thirteen international and local judges. [18] [19] "Walk on Water" was written by Lisa Desmond, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren, Molly Pettersson Hammar and Ira Losco herself. [20] The release of the song and official music video was announced on 17 March 2016 during the TVM news bulletin and made available online on the broadcaster's website tvm.com.mt and the official Eurovision Song Contest website eurovision.tv. [21] [22] Losco appeared as a guest during a special edition of the TVM programme Xarabank on 18 March to discuss and present the song. [18] The music video for the song was filmed earlier in March in Gozo and at the Malta National Aquarium. [18]

Promotion

Ira Losco made several appearances across Europe to specifically promote "Walk on Water" as the Maltese Eurovision entry. On 2 April, Losco performed during the Eurovision PreParty Riga, which was organised by OGAE Latvia and held at the Spikeri Concert Hall in Riga, Latvia. [23] On 3 April, she performed during the Eurovision Pre-Party, which was held at the Izvestia Hall in Moscow, Russia and hosted by Dmitry Guberniev. [24] Losco also completed promotional activities in Armenia following her performances in Riga and Moscow. [25] On 9 April, Ira Losco performed during the Eurovision in Concert event which was held at the Melkweg venue in Amsterdam, Netherlands and hosted by Cornald Maas and Hera Björk. [26] On 16 April, Losco performed "Walk on Water" live during the ČT1 televised broadcast of the charity show Pomozte dětem, which was held at the La Fabrika theatre in Prague, Czech Republic. [27] The following day, Losco performed during the London Eurovision Party, which was held at the Café de Paris venue in London, United Kingdom and hosted by Nicki French and Paddy O'Connell. [28] In addition to her international appearances, Ira Losco also completed promotional activities in Malta where she appeared during the TVM talk show programme Xarabank on 22 April and performed during the Malta Eurovision Party at the Aria Complex in San Ġwann on 23 April. [29]

At Eurovision

Ira Losco during a press meet and greet ESC2016 - Malta Meet & Greet 10.jpg
Ira Losco during a press meet and greet

The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 took place at the Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden and consisted of two semi-finals on 10 and 12 May, and the final of 14 May 2016. [30] According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. 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. [31] On 25 January 2016, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. Malta was placed into the first semi-final, to be held on 10 May 2016, and was scheduled to perform in the second half of the show. [32]

Once all the competing songs for the 2016 contest had been released, the running order for the semi-finals was decided by the shows' producers rather than through another draw, so that similar songs were not placed next to each other. Malta was set to perform last in position 18, following the entry from Bosnia and Herzegovina. [33]

The two semi-finals and the final were broadcast in Malta on TVM with commentary by disc jockey Arthur Caruana. [34] [35] The Maltese spokesperson, who announced the top 12 points awarded by the Maltese jury during the final, was actor Ben Camille. [36]

Semi-final

Ira Losco during a rehearsal before the first semi-final ESC2016 - Malta 15.jpg
Ira Losco during a rehearsal before the first semi-final

Ira Losco took part in technical rehearsals on 3 and 6 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 9 and 10 May. [37] This included the jury show on 9 May where the professional juries of each country watched and voted on the competing entries. [38] On the day of the first semi-final, Malta was considered by bookmakers to be the second most likely country to advance into the final. [39]

The Maltese performance featured Ira Losco wearing a black and gold rhinestone dress, designed by Australian designer Alex Zabotto-Bentley, and performing together with one dancer. [40] [41] [42] [43] The performance began with the LED screen floor projecting Ira Losco's face followed by Losco emerging on stage with the dancer performing choreographed movements. The performance was originally to have featured full 360 degree projection mapping on Losco's dress accomplished by real-time tracking technology; however, during the rehearsals, the Maltese delegation opted not to use the technology in the broadcast performance. The creative director for the Maltese performance was Stephane Boko. [44] Ira Losco was joined by four off-stage backing vocalists: Pamela Bezzina, Anna Azzopardi, Lars Säfsund and Molly Pettersson Hammar. [40] The dancer featured during the performance was Skorpion, who also appeared in the music video for "Walk on Water". [40]

At the end of the show, Malta was announced as having finished in the top 10 and consequently qualifying for the grand final. [45] It was later revealed that Malta placed third in the semi-final, receiving a total of 209 points: 54 points from the televoting and 155 points from the juries. [46] [47]

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 compete in the second half. [48] Following this draw, the shows' producers decided upon the running order of the final, as they had done for the semi-finals. Malta was subsequently placed to perform in position 22, following the entry from Ukraine and before the entry from Georgia. [49] On the day of the grand final, bookmakers considered Malta the seventh most likely country to win the competition. [50]

Ira Losco once again took part in dress rehearsals on 13 and 14 May before the final, including the jury final where the professional juries cast their final votes before the live show. [51] Ira Losco performed a repeat of her semi-final performance during the final on 14 May. Malta placed twelfth in the final, scoring 153 points: 16 points from the televoting and 137 points from the juries. [52] [53]

Voting

Voting during the three shows was conducted under a new system that involved each country now awarding two sets of points from 1–8, 10 and 12: one from their professional jury and the other from televoting. Each nation's jury consisted of five music industry professionals who are citizens of the country they represent, with their names published before the contest to ensure transparency. 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. [54] 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. The individual rankings of each jury member as well as the nation's televoting results were released shortly after the grand final. [55]

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Malta 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: [46] [52]

Points awarded to Malta

Points awarded by Malta

Detailed voting results

The following members comprised the Maltese jury: [54]

  • Matthew Merceica (Muxu; jury chairperson) –songwriter, vocal coach
  • Maria Abdilla –vocal coach, music teacher
  • Peter Borg –guitarist, songwriter, producer, musician
  • Angie Laus –TV presenter, TV producer
  • Ismael Portelli –director, creative director
Detailed voting results from Malta (Semi-final 1) [56]
DrawCountryJuryTelevote
MuxuM. AbdillaP. BorgA. LausI. PortelliRankPointsRankPoints
01Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 1189476513
02Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 57161781116
03Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova 10136857411
04Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 1391310131338
05Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 1517141491712
06Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1612413141447
07Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 2112111274
08Flag of San Marino.svg  San Marino 9375125665
09Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 12313210112
10Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 126116118392
11Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus 8142323856
12Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 71110717101101
13Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia 61689109214
14Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan 14151216615210
15Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro 4551244717
16Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 3101515151283
17Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina 1741711161615
18Flag of Malta.svg  Malta
Detailed voting results from Malta (Final) [57]
DrawCountryJuryTelevote
MuxuM. AbdillaP. BorgA. LausI. PortelliRankPointsRankPoints
01Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 16131724212017
02Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 18162010171624
03Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 13111525201783
04Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan 209211981156
05Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 19151216191465
06Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 544353847
07Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 10148121110118
08Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 1561721038
09Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 11122222181811
10Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 24171617252222
11Flag of France.svg  France 471845692
12Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 25212418242513
13Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 61097683112
14Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus 1237226512
15Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 15192315161921
16Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 1422142091316
17Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 21182521152325
18Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 38551374210
19Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 96109109220
20Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia 22201314121519
21Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 23251823142474
22Flag of Malta.svg  Malta
23Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 17241911222123
24Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 7231113231215
25Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 21241112101
26Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 823634714

After Eurovision

Losco and the Maltese delegation flew to Malta International Airport on 15 May and was greeted by fans upon her arrival at 5:00 pm CEST. [58] She recognised the competitiveness of the contest in recent years, "It is always nice to be given such a warm welcome. During my journey at the Eurovision, the fans’ constant support instilled in me greater confidence and serenity." [58] She received praise from her manager Howard Keith Debono, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and the Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil. [59] Two days later, Losco urged fellow Maltese musicians not to be pretentious over the contest, citing its relevance to competition within the music industry and its growing quality. However, she stated she would not commit to representing Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest for a third time, "The industry is cut-throat, as every artist knows. It’s great to go and busk and try your luck in another country but this is an experience that should also be one to aspire to, for artists in any country." [60]

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Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song "Taboo" written by Johnny Sanchez, Thomas G:son, Christabelle Borg and Muxu. The song was performed by Christabelle. The Maltese entry for the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal was selected through the national final Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2018, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a final held on 3 February 2018, where "Taboo" performed by Christabelle eventually emerged as the winning entry after scoring the most points from a five-member jury and a public televote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christabelle Borg</span> Maltese singer and television presenter

Christabelle Borg, sometimes known as simply Christabelle, is a Maltese singer, songwriter, and television presenter. She represented Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal, with the song "Taboo", but failed to qualify to the final, finishing in 13th place with 101 points".

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Chameleon" written by Joacim Persson, Paula Winger, Borislav Milanov and Johan Alkenäs. The song was performed by Michela Pace. The Maltese entry for the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel, was selected through the first season of the music competition X Factor Malta, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition concluded with a final on 26 January 2019 where Michela Pace eventually emerged as the winner. The song Pace would perform at the Eurovision Song Contest, "Chameleon", was internally selected and was released to the public on 10 March.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Je me casse" written by Malin Christin, Amanuel Dermont, Nicklas Eklund and Pete Barringer. The song was performed by Destiny Chukunyere, who was due to compete in the 2020 contest with "All of My Love" before the 2020 event's cancellation. The song Destiny would perform at the Eurovision Song Contest, "Je me casse", was also internally selected and was released to the public on 15 March.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy. Emma Muscat was selected as the Maltese representative via the national final Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2022, where she competed with the song "Out of Sight", but on 14 March 2022 it was announced Muscat would perform the song "I Am What I Am" instead.

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