Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. The Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) used the first season of the music competition X Factor Malta to select the Maltese performer for this edition of the contest.[1] The series,[2] which ran between 7 October 2018 and 26 January 2019, was won by Michela Pace who sang the song "Chameleon", Malta's entry at the 2019 Contest in Tel Aviv.[1]

Eurovision Song Contest 2019
Country Malta
National selection
Selection processX Factor Malta
Selection date(s)26 January 2019
Selected entrantMichela Pace
Selected song"Chameleon"
Selected songwriter(s)Joacim Persson
Paula Winger
Borislav Milanov
Johan Alkanäs
Finals performance
Semi-final resultQualified (8th, 157 points)
Final result14th, 107 points
Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2018 • 2019 • 2020►

Background
Main article: Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest

Prior to the 2019 Contest, Malta has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 31 times since its first entry in 1971.[3] 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 2005 with the song "Angel" performed by Chiara.

In 2018, Malta failed to qualify to the final, placing 13th in the second semi-final with the song "Taboo" performed by Christabelle.

X Factor Malta
Main article: X Factor Malta

The first season of X Factor Malta, the Maltese version of the British television music competition The X Factor created by Simon Cowell, was used as the platform for the selection of Malta's entrant at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, and the winner also secured a record contract with Sony Music Italy.[1][4] The season premiered on 7 October 2018 and was broadcast on Television Malta.

Selection process

Firstly, a producer audition round was held from 13 to 15 July at Fort St Elmo, which the show's producers assessed the auditioning acts and determined who would progress to the judges auditions. The chosen auditionees were then invited back to the last set of auditions that took place in front of the judges , which were filmed at Fort St Angelo from 1 to 8 August and broadcast from 7 October via the X Factor Malta YouTube channel and on the Facebook page of Vodafone Malta. The four judges were:

  • Ira Losco
  • Howard Keith Debono
  • Ray Mercieca
  • Alexandra Alden

120 contestants were selected to progress to the bootcamp round, which they were split into the four category groups - Boys, Girls, Overs and Groups, and were given one song to sing a cappella. 30 acts were eliminated, and the remaining acts each selected a song from the Wall of Songs, which they had to perform with three others who had selected the same song. In the final challenge, the remaining acts - including newly formed groups - performed a song of their own choice. The jury then selected 12 acts from each category to go through to the Six Chair Challenge, filmed at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Attard on 11 and 12 October 2018, where 24 acts advanced to the Judges' Houses, broadcast on 23 and 30 December 2018. During the Judges' Houses round, the four judges eliminated 3 acts from each category, meaning that a total of 12 acts advanced to the live shows.

Finalists

Key:

     – Winner
     – Runner-up
     – Third Place
Category (mentor) Acts
Boys (Losco) Norbert BondinLuke ChappellOwen Leuellen
Girls (Debono) Kelsey BellanteNicole FrendoMichela Pace
Over 25s (Mercieca) Franklin CallejaPetraBen Purplle
Groups (Alden) 4th LineKayatiXtreme

At Eurovision

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big 5" (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. On 28 January 2019, 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 second semi-final, to be held on 16 May 2019, and was scheduled to perform in the second half of the show.[5]

Once all the competing songs for the 2019 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 in position 11, following the entry from Croatia and preceding the entry from Lithuania.[6]

The song passed to the final round of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, when it was announced as the last entry to make it through from the second semi-final, where songs were announced in random order.[7]

Semi-final

Malta performed eleventh in the second semi-final, following the entry from Croatia and preceding the entry from Lithuania. At the end of the show, Malta was announced as having finished in the top 10 and subsequently qualifying for the grand final. It was later revealed that Malta placed eighth in the semi-final, receiving a total of 157 points: 50 points from the televoting and 107 points from the juries.

Voting

Voting during the three shows involved each country 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. 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 will be released shortly after the grand final.[8]

Points awarded to Malta
Points awarded to Malta (semi-final 2)
Televote
12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
Jury
12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
Points awarded to Malta (final)
Televote
12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
Jury
12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point

Points awarded by Malta

Split voting results

The following five members comprised the Maltese jury:[8]

  • Carlo Borg Bonaci – Chairperson – broadcaster
  • Arthur Caruana – channel manager
  • Nicole Frendo – student, singer
  • Matthew James Borg – singer, songwriter, producer
  • Eileen Ann Spiteri – logistics executive producer
Split voting results from Malta (Semi-final 2)
Draw Country Jury Televote
C. B. Bonaci A. Caruana N. Frendo M. J. Borg E. A. Spiteri Average Rank Points Rank Points
01 Armenia276625616
02 Ireland9131414131411
03 Moldova684776514
04  Switzerland791715812112
05 Latvia16151310141615
06 Romania1211751510112
07 Denmark17121213101592
08 Sweden4322421047
09 Austria14171617161717
10 Croatia131689511101
11 Malta
12 Lithuania1111516178383
13 Russia343433865
14 Albania1514101191313
15 Norway821112127438
16 Netherlands16116112210
17 North Macedonia10598119256
18 Azerbaijan5105314774
Split voting results from Malta (final)
Draw Country Jury Televote
C. B. Bonaci A. Caruana N. Frendo M. J. Borg E. A. Spiteri Average Rank Points Rank Points
01 Malta
02 Albania911711109219
03 Czech Republic21241918212118
04 Germany20212019202020
05 Russia4123221074
06 Denmark16151417161512
07 San Marino1191210910121
08 North Macedonia8811848365
09 Sweden765576556
10 Slovenia25252523232523
11 Cyprus634755617
12 Netherlands3734647210
13 Greece548687424
14 Israel23232425242422
15 Norway17131816151647
16 United Kingdom18172115191814
17 Iceland191817211819101
18 Estonia22222324252311
19 Belarus1414913121225
20 Azerbaijan256213892
21 France12121314131313
22 Italy12113112112
23 Serbia24192222222216
24  Switzerland1516159141438
25 Australia10101012111183
26 Spain13201620171715

References
  1. "X FACTOR PREMIERE: Here's Who Got Four Yeses And Who Was Sent Packing". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  2. "X Factor Malta Judge Urges People To Chill Out Over Use Of English On Show". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  3. "Malta Country Profile". EBU. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  4. "X-Factor Malta to determine Eurovision entry; news welcomed, but questions raised". www.independent.com.mt. The Malta Independent. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  5. Jordan, Paul (28 January 2019). "Eurovision 2019: Which country takes part in which Semi-Final?". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  6. "Exclusive: This is the Eurovision 2019 Semi-Final running order!". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  7. "Malta makes it to the Eurovision finals in Tel Aviv - TVM News". TVM English. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  8. Groot, Evert (30 April 2019). "Exclusive: They are the judges who will vote in Eurovision 2019!". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
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