Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019

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Eurovision Song Contest 2019
Country Denmark
National selection
Selection processDansk Melodi Grand Prix 2019
Selection date(s)23 February 2019
Selected entrantLeonora
Selected song"Love Is Forever"
Selected songwriter(s)
Finals performance
Semi-final resultQualified (10th, 94 points)
Final result12th, 120 points
Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2018 2019 2020►

Denmark participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Love Is Forever" written by Lise Cabble, Melanie Wehbe and Emil Lei. The song was performed by Leonora. The Danish broadcaster DR organised the national final Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2019 in order to select the Danish entry for the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel. Ten songs competed in a televised show where "Love Is Forever" performed by Leonora was the winner as decided upon through the combination of jury voting and public voting over two rounds.

Denmark was drawn to compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 16 May 2019. Performing during the show in position 7, "Love Is Forever" was announced among the top 10 entries of the second semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the final on 18 May. It was later revealed that Denmark placed tenth out of the 18 participating countries in the semi-final with 94 points. In the final, Denmark performed in position 6 and placed twelfth out of the 26 participating countries, scoring 120 points.

Background

Prior to the 2019 contest, Denmark had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest forty-seven times since their first entry in 1957.[1] Denmark had won the contest, to this point, on three occasions: in 1963 with the song "Dansevise" performed by Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann, and twice in Sweden: in 2000 with the song "Fly on the Wings of Love" performed by Olsen Brothers, and again in 2013 with the song "Only Teardrops" performed by Emmelie de Forest. In the 2018 contest, "Higher Ground" performed by Rasmussen qualified Denmark to the final placing ninth.

The Danish national broadcaster, DR, broadcasts the event within Denmark and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. DR confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest on 10 August 2018.[2] Denmark has selected all of their Eurovision entries thus far through the national final Dansk Melodi Grand Prix. On 22 August 2018, the broadcaster announced that Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2019 would be organised in order to select Denmark's entry for the 2019 contest.[3]

Before Eurovision

Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2019

Leonora backstage during Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2019

Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2019 was the 49th edition of Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, the music competition that selects Denmark's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest. The event was held on 23 February 2019 at the Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, hosted by Johannes Nymark and Kristian Gintberg and televised on DR1 as well as streamed online at DR TV.[4][5] The show was also televised in Greenland on KNR1 as well as streamed online at KNR TV.[6] The national final was watched by 1.324 million viewers in Denmark.[7]

Format

Ten songs competed in one show where the winner was determined over two rounds of voting. In the first round, the top three songs based on the combination of votes from a public vote and a tem-member jury panel qualified to the superfinal. In the superfinal, the winner was determined by the public and jury vote. Viewers in Denmark and Greenland were able to vote via SMS or a mobile application specifically designed for the competition. Viewers using the app to cast a vote were provided with one free vote.[8] The ten-member jury panel was composed of ten Danish Eurovision fans: Peter Bach, Clara Amalie Singerholm Christiansen, Benjamin Holstebroe, Jonas Jacobsen, Christina Janus, Kristina Møller Karlsen, Annette Kjungberg Kjeldsen, Mila Kovalj, Jonas Leth-Jensen and Ole Tøpholm.[9]

Competing entries

DR opened a submission period on 22 August 2018 for artists and composers to submit their entries. Entries could be submitted throughout the year, however only songs submitted by 26 September 2018 were considered for the 2019 edition of the competition.[3] The entertainment director for DR, Jan Lagermand Lundme, stated that the competition would seek out "high quality songs that have a strong chorus" with emphasis on songs that stand out to viewers.[10] The broadcaster received 800 entries during the submission period. 30 songs were shortlisted from the entries submitted to the broadcaster and a selection committee of OGAE Denmark members, Eurovision viewers and industry professionals selected ten songs.[11] DR held a press meet and greet at the Koncerthuset in Copenhagen on 31 January 2019 where the competing artists and songs were announced and officially presented.[12][13]

Artist Song Songwriter(s)
Humørekspressen "Dronning af baren" Christian Kroman, Søren Schou, Chang Il Kim, Peter Lützen
Jasmin Gabay "Kiss Like This" Lise Cabble, Clara Sofie Fabricius, Fredrik Sonefors
Julie and Nina "League of Light" Julie Berthelsen, Nina Kreutzmann Jørgensen, Marcus Winther-John, Joachim Ersgaard
Leeloo "That Vibe" Laurell Barker, Ludvig Hilarius Brygmann, Maria Marcus
Leonora "Love Is Forever" Lise Cabble, Melanie Wehbe, Emil Lei
Marie Isabell "Dancing with You in My Heart" Greg C. Curtis, Miguel Garcia, Petrus Wessman, John Ballard
Rasmus Faartoft "Hold My Breath" Martin Skriver,
Tim Schou
, Thomas Agerholm, Sebastian Owens, Benjamin Rønn, Marcus Elkjer
Sigmund Trondheim "Say My Name" Christoffer Stjerne, Abigail F. Jones
Simone Emilie "Anywhere" Jeanette Bonde, Fred Miller, Fredrik Sonefors
Teit Samsø "Step It Up" Christoffer Stjerne, Lise Cabble, Nanna Larsen

Final

The final took place on 23 February 2019. In the first round of voting the top three advanced to a superfinal based on the votes of a ten-member jury (50%) and a public vote (50%). In the superfinal, the winner, "Love Is Forever" performed by Leonora, was selected by the public and jury vote.[14] In addition to the performances of the competing entries, Stig Rossen, Danish Eurovision 2010 entrant Chanée and N'evergreen and Danish Eurovision 2018 entrant Rasmussen performed as the interval acts.[15]

Final – 23 February 2019
Draw Artist Song Result
1 Simone Emilie "Anywhere" Eliminated
2 Jasmin Gabay "Kiss Like This" Eliminated
3 Rasmus Faartoft "Hold My Breath" Eliminated
4 Marie Isabell "Dancing with You in My Heart" Eliminated
5 Sigmund Trondheim "Say My Name" Advanced
6 Humørekspressen "Dronning af baren" Eliminated
7 Julie and Nina "League of Light" Advanced
8 Teit Samsø "Step It Up" Eliminated
9 Leonora "Love Is Forever" Advanced
10 Leeloo "That Vibe" Eliminated
Superfinal – 23 February 2019
Draw Artist Song Jury Televote Total Place
1 Sigmund Trondheim "Say My Name" 14% 9% 23% 3
2 Julie and Nina "League of Light" 12% 23% 35% 2
3 Leonora "Love Is Forever" 24% 18% 42% 1

Promotion

Leonora made several appearances across Europe to specifically promote "Love Is Forever" as the Danish Eurovision entry. On 6 April, Leonora performed during the Eurovision in Concert event which was held at the

Café de Paris venue in London, United Kingdom and hosted by Nicki French and Paddy O'Connell.[17] On 21 April, Leonora performed during the Eurovision Pre-Party Madrid event, which was held at the Sala La Riviera venue in Madrid, Spain and hosted by Tony Aguilar and Julia Varela.[18] On 24 April, Leonora performing during the Eurovision Pre-Party, which was held at the Vegas City Hall in Moscow, Russia and hosted by Alexey Lebedev and Andres Safari.[19]

At Eurovision

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. 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. Denmark was placed into the second semi-final, to be held on 16 May 2019, and was scheduled to perform in the first half of the show.[20]

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. Denmark was set to perform in position 7, following the entry from Romania and before the entry from Sweden.[21]

The two semi-finals and final were broadcast on DR1 with commentary by Ole Tøpholm.[22] The Danish spokesperson, who announced the top 12-point score awarded by the Danish jury during the final, was 2018 Danish Eurovision entrant Rasmussen.

Semi-final

Leonora during a rehearsal before the second semi-final

Leonora took part in technical rehearsals on 6 and 10 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 15 and 16 May. This included the jury show on 15 May where the professional juries of each country watched and voted on the competing entries.[23]

The Danish performance featured Leonora dressed in a white blouse and black trousers and performing with two dancers and two backing vocalists. The performance began with Leonora behind two screens that displayed a blue sky summer background and later pulled away to reveal the audience. During the second verse, Leonora climbed a ladder onto a big chair to join the backing vocalists. The dancers finished the performance by carrying ladders to climb towards the chair and sit upon with the other performers. The LED screens displayed an animated country scene with blue sky and clouds as well as a rising sun with rays of light flowing out.[24][25][26] The two dancers that joined Leonora were Ryan Jacolbe and Sinan Spahi, while the two backing vocalists were: Andrea Heick Gadeberg and Sofie Niebuhr McQueen. An additional off-stage backing vocalist was also featured: Jeanette Bonde.[27]

At the end of the show, Denmark was announced as having finished in the top 10 and subsequently qualifying for the grand final. It was later revealed that Denmark placed tenth in the semi-final, receiving a total of 94 points: 41 points from the televoting and 53 points from the juries.[28]

Final

Shortly after the second semi-final, a winner's 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 were announced during the semi-final. Denmark was drawn to compete in the first half.[29] Following this draw, the shows' producers decided upon the running order of the final, as they had done for the semi-finals. Denmark was subsequently placed to perform in position 6, following the entry from Russia and before the entry from San Marino.[30]

Leonora once again took part in dress rehearsals on 17 and 18 May before the final, including the jury final where the professional juries cast their final votes before the live show. Leonora performed a repeat of her semi-final performance during the final on 18 May. Denmark placed twelfth in the final, scoring 120 points: 51 points from the televoting and 69 points from the juries.[31]

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 were released shortly after the grand final.[32]

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Denmark and awarded by Denmark in the second semi-final and grand final of the contest, and the breakdown of the jury voting and televoting conducted during the two shows:

Points awarded to Denmark

Points awarded by Denmark

Detailed voting results

The following members comprised the Danish jury:[32]

Detailed voting results from Denmark (Semi-final 2)[33]
Draw Country Jury Televote
H. Milling A. Bisgaard K. Bjerregaard J. Berthelsen J. Reimar Rank Points Rank Points
01  Armenia 5 10 10 13 17 14 15
02  Ireland 17 7 17 6 10 13 16
03  Moldova 10 11 12 15 14 15 9 2
04   Switzerland 9 2 14 4 9 7 4 5 6
05  Latvia 2 4 5 10 8 5 6 12
06  Romania 12 16 7 17 16 16 13
07  Denmark
08  Sweden 1 1 9 1 4 1 12 2 10
09  Austria 15 9 4 9 7 9 2 17
10  Croatia 11 15 8 3 2 6 5 11
11  Malta 14 5 16 11 6 11 6 5
12  Lithuania 13 12 3 16 11 12 7 4
13  Russia 7 14 13 5 5 8 3 8 3
14  Albania 16 17 11 14 13 17 14
15  Norway 4 3 15 7 1 3 8 1 12
16  Netherlands 8 8 2 2 12 4 7 3 8
17  North Macedonia 3 13 1 8 3 2 10 10 1
18  Azerbaijan 6 6 6 12 15 10 1 4 7
Detailed voting results from Denmark (Final)[34]
Draw Country Jury Televote
H. Milling A. Bisgaard K. Bjerregaard J. Berthelsen J. Reimar Rank Points Rank Points
01  Malta 24 10 22 13 15 16 12
02  Albania 25 23 11 14 21 21 22
03  Czech Republic 4 5 9 18 16 11 11
04  Germany 9 11 7 3 2 3 8 17
05  Russia 11 6 18 2 7 8 3 13
06  Denmark
07  San Marino 7 13 23 24 8 14 20
08  North Macedonia 3 9 3 7 4 2 10 18
09  Sweden 1 1 12 1 3 1 12 2 10
10  Slovenia 17 24 2 22 23 13 16
11  Cyprus 12 19 17 23 22 23 21
12  Netherlands 14 2 4 5 9 4 7 4 7
13  Greece 23 25 25 25 24 25 25
14  Israel 21 21 14 16 10 17 23
15  Norway 5 7 19 11 1 6 5 1 12
16  United Kingdom 10 12 16 10 5 12 15
17  Iceland 19 20 8 21 25 18 7 4
18  Estonia 2 8 10 8 11 9 2 3 8
19  Belarus 20 18 20 20 20 24 19
20  Azerbaijan 13 3 5 6 12 7 4 6 5
21  France 22 15 6 17 17 15 14
22  Italy 8 16 1 9 18 10 1 8 3
23  Serbia 16 22 15 12 19 19 24
24   Switzerland 6 4 13 4 6 5 6 5 6
25  Australia 18 17 21 15 13 22 9 2
26  Spain 15 14 24 19 14 20 10 1

References

  1. ^ "Denmark Country Profile". EBU. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  2. ^ Strachan, Chloe (10 August 2018). "Denmark: Denmark: Confirmed Participation for Eurovision 2019". Eurovoix. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Regler for Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2019". dr.dk (in Danish). 1 August 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  4. ^ Granger, Anthony (15 January 2019). "Denmark: Johannes Nymark and Kristian Gintberg To Host Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2019". Eurovoix. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Denmark: DR confirms Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2019 will be held in Herning on February 23". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  6. ^ Uldum, Simon (19 February 2019). "Se Melodi Grand Prix direkte på KNR". knr.gr (in Danish). Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  7. ^ Menéndez, Hugo Carabaña (11 March 2020). "1.194.000 daneses siguieron el Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2020". ESCplus (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  8. ^ Hyldal, Christine (23 February 2019). "Nina Kreutzmann: Vi vil vinde i aften!". knr.gl (in Danish). Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  9. ^ Dupont, Nicolai (7 February 2019). "Danmarks største Grand Prix-fan får plads i årets jury". DR (in Danish). Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  10. ^ Grønbech, Jens (22 August 2018). "DR blæser til konfetti-kamp: Nu kan du indsende din sang til Dansk Melodi Grand Prix". dr.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Eurovision 2019 - Leonora (Denmark)". ESCKAZ. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  12. ^ Herbert, Emily (31 January 2019). "Denmark: DMGP 2019 Songs and Artists Revealed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  13. ^ Fokus, Ritzau (31 January 2019). "Der er flere celebre deltagere i årets felt, der skal kæmpe om at repræsentere Danmark til Eurovision". newsbreak.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Leonora is Denmark's hopeful for Tel Aviv!". eurovision.tv. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  15. ^ Jensen, Charlotte (23 February 2019). "Melodi Grand Prix 2019: Leonora wins Danish Eurovision ticket". EuroVisionary. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  16. ^ "This was Eurovision in Concert 2019 in Amsterdam". Eurovision.tv. 6 April 2019.
  17. ^ "18 Eurovision 2019 acts to perform in London on Sunday 14 April". Eurovision.tv. 13 April 2019. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  18. ^ Escudero, Victor M. (25 April 2019). "This was PrePartyES 2019 in Madrid". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  19. ^ "Moscow Eurovision Pre Party 2019: Record number of participants confirmed for April 24 concert". Wiwibloggs. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
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  21. ^ "Exclusive: This is the Eurovision 2019 Semi-Final running order!". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
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  23. ^ "Eurovision 2019: Rehearsal Schedule in Tel Aviv". eurovisionworld.com. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  24. ^ Cobb, Ryan (6 May 2019). "LIVE DAY 3 REVIEW: 🇩🇰 A five-person chair sway for Denmark's Leonora 🇩🇰". escXtra. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  25. ^ Luukela, Sami (10 May 2019). "🇩🇰 LIVE DAY 7 REVIEW: Leonora spread positivity on her second rehearsal 🇩🇰". escXtra. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
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  27. ^ Granger, Anthony (6 May 2019). "Denmark: Leonora's Backing Singers & Dancers Revealed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
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  29. ^ "Second Semi-Finalists share nerves and excitement before the Grand Final". Eurovision.tv. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  30. ^ "Eurovision 2019: This is the running order of the Grand Final!". Eurovision.tv. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
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  34. ^ a b c "Results of the Grand Final of Tel Aviv 2019". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.

External links