Malta: PBS to switch to a national final for Eurovision 2022

Malta: PBS to switch to a national final for Eurovision 2022
Monday, 21 June 2021

  • The Maltese national broadcaster will be opting for a national final show to determine next year's Eurovision 2022 representative. 

    Malta will be switching to a national final after two years in which its Eurovision hopefuls were determined through the X-Factor Show. The news come after the thrid reason of the x-factor show has been announced and have been confirmed by the Chairman of the Valletta Cultural Agency, Mr. Jason Micallef.

    Mr Micallef revealed via facebook the the public broadcaster will be switching to a national final in order to select the country's Eurovision 2022 representative. Micallef stated about it: 

    "It is fitting to commend the wise decision of the new management of PBS, that with immediate effect, the representation of Malta in the next edition of Eurovision, will be through a specially staged festival, and not the winner of X Factor Malta. I am convinced that this news will be received with great satisfaction by all Maltese singers, authors and composers."

     

    The story so far

    Before X-factor Malta chose its Eurovision hopefuls via the Malta Eurovision Song Contest (MESC) which in the past was called Malta Song Festival. The specific show was Malta's national selection formula since it's debut back in 1971. The format saw several amendements among which the introduction of televoting and the cut of the semi final rounds. Malta did not participate in the contest between 1977 and 1990.

    Since its return in 1991, national finals under various names were held to select the entry, including Malta Song for Europe (Maltese: il-Festival Kanzunetta għall-Ewropa), Malta Eurovision Song Contest, and Malta Eurosong. During this time period, the organization of the event was taken over by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS Malta).The last edition  of that format in 2018, saw Christabelle and her entry Taboo, selected as the Maltese Eurovision entry which ended up 13th in the 2nd semi final with 101 points.

     

    Malta in Eurovision 

    Malta participated in Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1971 and has participated 33 times until now. Since 1991 it hasn't missed out any edtion of the competition. The mediterranean country has not been victorious until now but holds two second places in its record (2002 Ira Losco, Seventh Wonder) and (2005 Chiara Angel). Since the introduction of semi-finals in 2004, it has failed to qualify six times.

    In 2019 the X-factor winner Michela Pace won the right to represent the country in Tel Aviv with her entry “Chameleon” which eventually came 14th in the grand final. In 2020 Destiny Chunkunyere won the second season of X-factor and was set to fly the flag in Rotterdam with her song 'All My Love' but unfortunately the contest was cancelled due to the cornavirus pandemic and she never performed in The Netherlands.

    However, this year Destiny was invited back for Eurovision 2021 in Rotterdam where she delivered on Rotterdam Ahoy's stage her entry "Je me casse"  which finished 7th in the Grand final with a total of 255 points, which is Malta's best results since 2005 when Chiara finished 2nd. 

     

    News Source: Eurovoix

    Image: EBU / THOMAS HANSES