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80 songs in the semi finals!
Malta: major changes to the selection process
1st phase
Songs may be submitted by composers and lyricists of Maltese nationality or songwriters from countries, where Maltese songrwriters would also have the opportunity to compete. Up to two songs may be submitted per singer, although only one song per singer is allowed in the final stage. Submissions will be accepted on 13th and 14th October at the PBS offices in G’Mangia. Between 23rd and 26th October and on 1st and 2nd November, 80 songs will be chosen internally for the second phase.
- You can download the rules from pbs.com here.
2nd phase
80 songs will be presented in ten weekly televised shows to be held between 8th November and 9th January. A jury will choose 15 entries to move forward to the national final. Another five entries will be given a wildcard by the televoters. The shows will be aired on Saturdays on TVM.
3rd phase - national final
20 songs will compete in the national final. A jury will choose three songs to go forward to the "super-final", where a televoting will be held. However, the votes given by the juries will be kept and included in the voting. The eventual winner will represent Malta in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow.
It will be Malta's 22nd participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Being one of the smallest competing countries, it has been very succesful in the 1990s, when it achieved eight top 10 placings in a row and in 2002 and 2005 with two second places, the best results so far. However, the last three years were not successful at all: Malta finished last in 2006 and was eliminated in the semi finals in 2007 and 2008.
Related polls
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Best national final
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Worst dressed performer/s
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Best dressed performer/s
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Best duo/group performance
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Best preview video
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Best male vocal performance
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Best male performance
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Best female vocal performance
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Best female performance
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Lyricist(s) of the year
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Composer(s) of the year
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Best act not to qualify from the semi finals
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Most traditional Europop song
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Song of the year
- 2008 esctoday.com award nominations: Performance of the year
- First quarter final in Bulgaria: your favourite?
- Jury vote, do you agree?
- Jury vote only in the final or in the semis as well?
- What mixture of televote and jury vote do you think is the best?
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You don't need to understand all comments Mina :-)
Mind you, I wasn't accusing the Greeks of anything, I was trying to explain why I think the Maltese haven't been very lucky so far.
Helena (for example) was born and raised in Sweden, which meant votes from Cyprus and Sweden even before the song was known. For Malta it's much more difficult to get those 12 points with singers who are not widely known in any other country. (and with no dear friends to help them in times of trouble).
there is only one reason why malta has good songs but at the end we fail. The singers in Malta are really good singers...and they are well prepared and they are really looking forward for this festival. If a singer represents malta and is placed in top 10 he would be famous in this island. yes just a small island but music is in our veins. Through the whole summer, almost everyday you'd have maltese singers rushing from one city to another...sometimes singing in three places on one evening!
when it comes to the festival......they are not given enough props, they can't use fire on stage, they can't use pirothecnics on stage and so on and so forth. Now, if you'd have a song that talks about fire........t is almost impossible to make it to the top because there is no real fire going on stage........do you understand what i mean. Therefore, the maltese composers, authors and singers are getting used to certain effects on stage and that's it and they are loosing their creativity. Secondly, we are always hearing the same composers and authors in these festivals.....I agree that a singer has only one song in the final...but i would add that even the composers and authors shouldn't have more than one song. Sometimes one author has about 4 or 5 songs!!! how could he be creative enough to cater 4 or 5 songs>? he would end up dreaming one song and abandoning the others.
i think that this new style might help the maltese song to get back in high positions!
I don't know what their fuss is about. You don't need to make changes to the selection procedure, it wont help if you keep choosing utter noise to represent you!
I mean, the last time Malta scored well was only three years ago, they nearly WON. As in 2002. The only thing that went wrong the last three years was first a dreadful song, sung out of tune to top it, then a nice song that was murdered by probably the most ridiculous performance of recent years, and then lastly some kind of cartoon show tune with weird drinking toasts and a lame story (I mean, secret agents, grow up).
Just pick a half decent song and you'll be back up there in no time. It'll be a top ten shared with Greece, Russia, Turkey and Armenia obviously, but still a top ten.
their singers are really Maltese citizens, no artists from abroad.(unlike the Greek American or Swedish Greek singers that competed for Greece)
Both Kalomoira and Helena are 100% Greek and the fact that they grew up in another country doesn't change that fact. Their looks, their voice, their talent (whatever talent they have) and their Greek parents and grandparents would still be the same had they grown in Greece or Alaska or wherever...so I don't see the purpose of that comment. If a Maltese grew up in America or in Sweden, would that make him any less Maltese? I don't think so.
I have to admit I seldom like netiher Maltese songs nor finals. They are often sugery, cheesy and pale - in my view! I loved their song this year, their bluesy rock song in 93, and e.g. F. Faninellos songs. Their final in 04 was great, but they picked very wrong, froma final with many cool dance / rnb songs.
Having said that, I admire this small country for their sheer committment to ESC, which means to be enormous. It's said around 90 % of the people wtach ESC, the ESCsingers are big stars and they just LOVE ESC. And being a die hard NF-fan...I have to say I lov the prospect of 80 songs! 
Even if Malta often have had dull, old-fashioned pompous ballads, I am sure it will come out nicely, and it will be cool to follow. Surely, among 80 songs, there must be at least 30 that are good!
I loved Bulgaria, iceland and Lithuanias "mammoth" selections. The more the better
Murieanne,
before you comment on any of my comments and before attacking me or any f the countries i am related to, please read carefully what i write and please use my whole comment when pasting it and not only a part of it. So to your comments on me and my opinion now: I have never put any country of the ESC down and certainly not Malta. Actually many friends f this site know that i am very fonfd of this country and of their enthusiasm and effort they put inot the contest. Some other friends from here also know that lasy year i was one of the biggest supporters of "vertigo" and olivia lewis on this site, on other sites and with my intensive vote in the semis for it. I have also written many times many good comments on Chiara and "angel" and on her beautiful voice. I have also stated more than once,that i would love to see Malta winning this contest,last time i did so was in the comment of mine you have just reacted to, but only using the 1st sentence of it. So you got all my point wrong: all i wanted to say is that Malta which indeed puts a lot o effort and energy into choosing their ESC entry, sometimes and not always still have failed to choose something very impressive. But this goes accorfding to my opinion also to some ther countries, but we are just talking about Malta in the moment.
To your comment now about Greece and Germany: in my opinion you are very wrong, both countries have sent both recently and in the past some very good entries, and sometimes some not very good ones, and sometimes maybe some crap too. the way you talk about "my first and second country" proves actually that you are the one who plays some countries down and not me.And about Germany I very much agree with Max, especially in the past they have sent some brilliant songs.
Muireanne, be careful with what you say...
If you think that Germany is one of the worst countries in ESC-history, then please write IN MY OPINION in front of that and don't consider your own opinion as universal...
If you think of the actual results, Germany isn't among the worst, that's proven.
And if you take your own taste as reference, then let me say that ME, I THINK, Germany has deserved much more than only one victory - especially in 1980, 1981 and 1987 where we were only beaten by two unbearable Irish crap songs and one from the United Kingdom - only because they sang in English and we were forced to do so in German.
So far my opinion.
Don't forget, Theophilos, that Malta is a very small country with no good friends that always give them 12 points...
Moreover, their singers are really Maltese citizens, no artists from abroad.(unlike the Greek American or Swedish Greek singers that competed for Greece)
I didn't really like the Maltese entries in the past few years, but I love their enthusiasm for the contest and hope they will do well once.
The "blue and white with a little cross on the top-left side" country at least has won a the esc lately with the biggest star Helena Paparizou. The thing with Malta is thats a small country and hasnt got that various as for example Greece has. They really have a lot tallend in Malta and they love the contest there.Id like to see new talents for Malta in next ESC.
Last but not least , dear Muireanne Greece the last years "climbs" at the top10 very easy , we never forced anyone to vote our Great songs even you. So plz next time behave 
80 songsin the semi final!. WOW. thats a big effort it be shame not to score high in eurovision though
there is something very wrong with Malta and the ESC i think. I mean we are talking about a country which lovs this contest, which apparently spend a lot f energy in finding a good song, and i the end with some bright exeptionsthey fail to come up with something really big, impressive or good.
There's nothing wrong with Malta. It's nice to see they still are as energetic and enthousiast as they have always been about the ESC.
And what you say about Malta not sending in "something really big, impressive and good". They do, only you don't notice it. They have always send in a big and impressive voice with a good song. Malta 2008 deserved more than ever to reach the final, or at least a whole lot more than 80% of the contestants that did pass the semis.
Why are you always putting other countries down Vincent? That while your own country is one of the worst in the entire history of ESC and your other country is the example of how crap can be lifted up to be pearls if you wrap it up in blue and white with a little cross on the top-left side.
Jonny
lol. I would love to see Julie & Ludwig back
The Maltese National Broadcaster have nothing to air on Saturday evening, that's why made this selection long to attract some viewers...prefer selection excitment during January anf February onle not also during November & December.
Not mentioning the mediocre stage that they will perform on at the studios of PBS...no level at all...private companies produce much more spectacular and high level programmes than TVM...a song has to be fully performed in front of viewers cause the maltese tend to stick to the first performance only and disagree with any changes even if they are for the good.
Local singers are already promoted here...we have to find THAT SONG WHICH SHINE...NOT QUANTITY BUT QUALITY...prefered a competition with singers, authors write songs for TOP 3 singers then again the winner singer will be offered more songs in which the maltese choose the best song.
lol Stockholm, you should become the new chairwoman of the Malta song for europe board
Or they should just send Julie & Ludwig again! That would be too funny! 
there is something very wrong with Malta and the ESC i think. I mean we are talking about a country which lovs this contest, which apparently spend a lot f energy in finding a good song, and i the end with some bright exeptionsthey fail to come up with something really big, impressive or good. I wish they would this time, i think a contest on the beautiful island of Malta nad with its nice people would be a very nice experience
I love Malta and still don't understand what happened after " Angel " in 2005 ? All the connections to G 
on and Lionheart didn't pay off-- trust your own power ! I am not sure about the new concept - 80 songs ? Sounds like mass but Malta needs class....it seems unlikely to see someone like Chiara return with such a selection but let's wait and see. Probably Claudia Faniello will win anyway this time - I'd like a song like Pamela's MSFE 08 entry, ironically it didn't even make it to the final, while Morena's euro trash songs did !
Jonny
lol. Or Morena singing about Champagne & orange juice = Bucks Fizz, a winning concept
I would love that aswell Stockholm, her new rock style is a million times better than her old sort
So Ira with a great rock song or Chiara with a massive euro-ballad! (Or Morena singing about Ginn & Tonic instead of Vodka )
I think Malta should send Ira Losco with a good rock song
80 songs !!! My god, what sort of quality is going to come out of that??? Just gives them a bigger chance to pick the wrong song. I'm a die hard ESC fan but even I'd get fed up with 80 songs to watch over 10 weeks. It's drawn out enough here in Sweden with 4 semis, second chance and a final.
80 songs in semi-finals god that 2 much
Interesting selection but too much jury impact for my taste.
@Mazarra Mazerati
i like Malta too..lets hope they win next time
It doesnt matter if you have 3 or 80 songs in selection, the song that goes to Eurovision matters !!! It could be selected internaly and be good or from 100 songs and be bad.
I even love national finals with few songs, or only 3 songs like in Greece, more then endless list of songs, semifinals, second chances, finals and superfinals and at the end they select a bad one
Are there 80 maltese singers? hehe
Ahhhhh I love Malta! I love the Maltese! And I love MSFE!!! I love Vodka, the drink & the song. I love Eurovision!!
GO MALTA!!
That's impressive!
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