Prior to the 2024 contest, the Maltese Broadcasting Authority (MBA) until 1975, and the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) since 1991, had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Malta thirty-five times since MBA's first entry in 1971. MBA briefly competed in the contest in the 1970s before withdrawing. PBS had competed in every contest since 1991. Their 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 with the song "Angel" performed by Chiara. Both in 2022 and 2023, it failed to qualify for the final with the songs "I Am What I Am" performed by Emma Muscat and "Dance (Our Own Party)" performed by The Busker.[1]
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, PBS organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. For the third year in a row, the broadcaster opted to select its entry through the national selection show Malta Eurovision Song Contest,[2] a format previously held between 2012 and 2018.
Before Eurovision
Sarah Bonnici, winner of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2024, at the PrePartyES event in Madrid
Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2024
Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was the national final format developed by PBS to select the Maltese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The competition consisted of a semi-final phase and final, and was held between October 2023 and February 2024.[3][4] Both phases were broadcast on Television Malta (TVM) as well as on the broadcaster's streaming platform tvmi.mt.
Format
The competition was divided into a semi-final and a final. The semi-final phase consisted of nine performances in each of the four weekly episodes of the TV show XOW between 27 October and 17 November 2023, where a combination of votes from a jury and a public televote determined a total of twelve qualifiers for the final. This consisted of a show week featuring pre-recorded performances and ad-hoc music videos created by the contestants, with the winner being decreed by a similar combination of votes from the jury and the public. The final was originally planned as a one-night show to be held in January 2024; on 9 January, however, PBS clarified the mechanics of the final stage: three episodes aired between 29 and 31 January, where the finalists were interviewed; the music videos for their songs premiered on 1 February; a "nostalgia night" was held on 2 February, where contestants performed Maltese or international songs from the past; and the final was held on 3 February.[3][5][6][7]
Competing entries
On 15 April 2023, PBS announced the songwriting camp MESC Music Exchange Camp would be held between 12 and 15 June, dedicated to the creation of 18 competing songs for their next national selection.[2]
On 21 August 2023, PBS published the regulations of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2024, announcing that artists and composers would be able to submit their entries between 28 August and 20 September 2023. Songwriters from any nationality were able to submit songs as long as the artist was Maltese or possessed Maltese citizenship. Artists were able to submit as many songs as they wish, however, they could only compete with one in the semi-final. A dedicated panel selected the semi-finalist entries, which were announced on 18 October 2023.[3][8][9] It was later revealed that ten of them, without specifying which, had been selected from the MESC Music Exchange Camp.[10]
The semi-final took place over four episodes of XOW–hosted by Ron Briffa and Jacqui Losco–on 27 October, 3 November, 10 November and 17 November 2023, with nine acts performing in each show. The voting was open after each show and for a fifth overall round on 24 November, at the end of which the results were announced.[13][14]
The final took place on 3 February 2024 and was hosted by Carlo Borg Bonaci and Angie Laus.[19] Voting was opened on 2 February, after the release of the music videos, and lasted until the final. Yulan Law and The Busker performed as interval acts. The winner was determined by a weighed combination of votes from a seven-member jury panel (7/9) and a public televote (2/9).[20]
Ahead of the contest, "Loop" was revamped in February 2024 in collaboration with Swedish songwriters and producers Joy and Linnea Deb; the new version, recorded in Stockholm, was released on 14 March.[22][23]
As part of the promotion of her participation in the contest, Sarah Bonnici attended the PrePartyES in Madrid on 30 March 2024,[24] the London Eurovision Party on 7 April 2024,[25] the Eurovision in Concert event in Amsterdam on 13 April 2024[26] and the Copenhagen Eurovision Party (Malmöhagen) on 4 May 2024.[27] She will also perform at the Eurovision Village in Malmö on 7 May 2024.[28] She additionally launched a social media challenge on TikTok and Instagram between 17 March and 16 April 2024, with the creator of the best video performance for "Loop" being selected to win two tickets for semi-final 2–where Bonnici is set to compete.[29]
At Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is taking place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consists of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. 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 in the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. On 30 January 2024, an allocation draw was held to determine which of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show, each country would perform in; the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot.[30] Malta was scheduled for the first half of the second semi-final.[31] The shows' producers then decided the running order for the semi-finals; Malta was set to open the show.[32]
In Malta, all three shows of the contest are being broadcast on TVM.[33][34][35]
Performance
Sarah Bonnici took part in technical rehearsals on 29 April and 2 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 8 and 9 May.[36] For her performance of "Loop" at the contest, she was accompanied by four supporting dancers.[37]
Semi-final
Malta opened the semi-final, before the entry from Albania.[32] The country was not announced among the top 10 entries in the semi-final and therefore failed to qualify to compete in the final.
Below is a breakdown of points awarded to and by Malta in the second semi-final and in the final. Voting during the three shows involved each country awarding sets of points from 1-8, 10 and 12: one from their professional jury and the other from televoting in the final vote, while the semi-final vote was based entirely on the vote of the public.[38] The Maltese jury consisted of Paul Anthony Abela, Gail Attard, Haley Azzopardi, Cipryan Cassar, and Matthew Mercieca.[39] In the second semi-final, Malta placed 16th and last with 13 points. Over the course of the contest, Malta awarded its 12 points to the Netherlands in the second semi-final, and to Switzerland (jury) and Ukraine (televote) in the final.[40][41]
PBS appointed Matt Blxck as its spokesperson to announce the Maltese jury's votes in the final.[42]
Each participating broadcaster assembles a five-member jury panel consisting of music industry professionals who are citizens of the country they represent. Each jury, and individual jury member, is required to meet a strict set of criteria regarding professional background, as well as diversity in gender and age. 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.[43] The individual rankings of each jury member as well as the nation's televoting results were released shortly after the grand final.
The following members comprised the Maltese jury:[39]
Paul Anthony Abela
Gail Attard
Haley Azzopardi
Cipryan Cassar
Matthew Mercieca
Detailed voting results from Malta (Semi-final 2)[40]
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