Melodi Grand Prix 2006

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Christine Guldbrandsen, the winner of MGP 2006, on stage in the Bergen semi final, in a dress created by Queentastic's third, non-participating member, Kårejånni Enderud.

The three hosts of MGP 2006; Synnøve, Jostein (background) and Stian.

The Norwegian selection final for this year's Eurovision Song Contest, the Melodi Grand Prix 2006, was held on February 4th in Oslo Spektrum, Norway's premier concert hall venue with a capacity of 9,700. The event was hosted by Synnøve Svabø & Stian Barsnes Simonsen, two familiar television faces. While Synnøve is a comedian, Stian was one of the two hosts of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004 at the Olympic city of Lillehammer. In addition, the notorious Eurovision commentator for Norwegian television, Jostein Pedersen, who is famous for especially his commentaries on the Swedish entries, played a role as side commentator for all five shows. In the three weeks leading up to the final, four qualification rounds were held. Three semi finals, and a second chance heat where the last two final tickets were given out. All five events were sent live at channel NRK1 [1] from 19:55 CET.

[edit] Swedish dominance

This year, NRK received 586 compositions, one of the highest numbers ever. However, the foreign songs exceed 60% of this total, coming mainly from Swedish composers. And as a result, impressively 13 (!) out of the 18 semi final entries are written by Swedes!

[edit] The semi finals

[edit] A new concept

The three initially semi finals were held in three different Norwegian cities, based on the successful formula that has been used in the Swedish Melodifestivalen since 2002. That is to say, the semi final concept in Norway is new of the year. NRK has decided that those cities which were awarded with the concept this year, will have the right to host one semi final each for the next three years.

[edit] A second chance

In these semi finals, the two most popular songs, according to the televoting, qualified directly to the final. The third and fourth placed songs got a second chance to qualify for the final in the fourth semi-final, the wildcard round, which took place in Oslo Spektrum on the night before the big final.

[edit] Semi final 1

Finnmarkshallen, Alta - January 13th

The three winners of the first MGP 2006 semi final - Trine Rein, Jorun Erdal and Geir Rönning - and their helping hands.

Trine Rein had to perform her song twice, due to sound problems.

[edit] Semi final 2

Bodø Spektrum - January 20th

The four winners of the second semi final; Queentastic and the Cheezy Keys guys.

[edit] Curio

The entry Absolutely Fabulous is written by the same composer who wrote super star Carola's entry Invincible in Melodifestivalen 2006, namely Thomas G:son, in company with Gerard James Borg, the famous Maltese composer who wrote three of Malta's most successful Eurovision entries; Claudette Pace's Desire in Eurovision Song Contest 2000 (finished 8th), Ira Losco's very successful 7th Wonder in 2002 finishing an excellent second, and Julie & Ludwig's On Again...Off Again in 2004 (finishing 12th).

[edit] Semi final 3

Framohallen, Bergen - January 27th

Christine Guldbrandsen and Tor Endresen; winners of the third and last semi final of MGP 2006.

[edit] The second chance round

Oslo Spektrum - February 3rd

[edit] The final

Oslo Spektrum - February 4th

Who will eventually become the lucky holders of flight tickets to Parthenon and Athens?

• The winning glam rock group of Melodi Grand Prix 2005, Wig Wam, made a spectacular entrance on the Spektrum stage and performed several songs before the announcement of the super final participants were done.

[edit] Super final

• A total of 264,693 televotes were counted in the super final.
• Both the top two songs in the super final were composed by Norwegians, despite NRK having only selected five songs with Norwegian composers out of the initial 18 semi final entries.
• Christine Guldbrandsen will represent Norway in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece on May 20th. There she will perform the ethno piece Alvedansen, a Nordic folk ballad with Norwegian lyrics, and where the traditional instruments of fiddle and harmonica are used.

[edit] See also

• Christine Guldbrandsen
• Trine Rein
• Queentastic
• Geir Rönning
• Jorun Erdal
• Birgitte Einarsen
• Jostein Pedersen
• Eurovision Song Contest 2006

[edit] External links

The logo of Melodi Grand Prix 2006.

Official site

• NRK: Melodi Grand Prix 2006

Competing artists

• Christine Guldbrandsen
• Trine Rein
• Queentastic
• Mocci
• Jorun Erdal
• Geir Rönning
• Ovi Martin
• Kathrine Strugstad
• Tor Endresen

The venues

• Oslo Spektrum
• Framohallen, Bergen
• Bodø Spektrum
• Finnmarkshallen, Alta

Other national finals

• 2006 overview