Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest

Malta has been represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 37 times since its debut in Template:Escyr. The current Maltese participating broadcaster in the contest is the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). Malta has yet to win the contest, but is the only non-winning country to have achieved four top three results.

Malta finished last on its first two attempts in Template:Escyr and Template:Escyr, and had a 16-year absence from the contest between Template:Escyr and Template:Escyr, when it returned. Malta has participated every year since. Malta's return proved more successful, reaching the top 10 in 12 out of 15 contests from 1991 to 2005, including third-place results with "Little Child" performed by Mary Spiteri (Template:Escyr) and "The One That I Love" by Chiara (Template:Escyr) and second-place results with "7th Wonder" by Ira Losco (Template:Escyr) and "Angel" by Chiara (Template:Escyr). Since finishing last for the third time in Template:Escyr, Malta has struggled to make an impact, having achieved only two top 10 results in recent years: first being an eighth-place with "Tomorrow" by Gianluca Bezzina in Template:Escyr, and a seventh-place with "Template:Lang" by Destiny Chukunyere in Template:Escyr.

History

Malta first participated at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971, although its history with the contest dates farther back. The Maltese Broadcasting Authority (MBA) gained associate European Broadcasting Union (EBU) membership on 1 January 1964 and it wrote a letter to the EBU enquiring about if it could participate as an associate member, but received no response.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, MBA still broadcast the 1964 contest.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The MBA once again wrote to the EBU in 1965 asking if it could participate. This time the EBU responded but did not allow the MBA to participate in the contest as an associate member.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 1 January 1970, the MBA became an active member of the EBU and participation in the Eurovision Song Contest was possible for the first time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The MBA once again wrote to the EBU enquiring about its participation, but were informed that "Since arrangements for the contest were already in an advanced stage" they could not participate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The MBA successfully participated at the contest for the first time in Template:Escyr. The format for Malta's national finals in the 70s consisted of the Malta Song Festival, which had been held annually in the country since 1960, acting as a semi-final with the highest placing songs going to the Song For Europe contest, where the winner would be chosen by a combination of jury and public votes. Malta's first entry to Eurovision was "Marija l-Maltija" performed by Joe Grech. It scored 52 points and finished last out of 18 countries. Malta participated again in Template:Escyr with "L-imħabba" by Helen & Joseph. It scored 48 points and Malta came last for the second year in a row. The MBA had originally planned to participate in Template:Escyr but due to complications behind their national final where the MBA deemed the participating songs to be "below the European standard", it withdrew as they feared getting last for a third year in a row. Malta never applied for the Template:Escyr contest as they feared getting another low result.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Malta returned in Template:Escyr and participated with the song "Singing This Song" by Renato. They scored 32 points and came 12th out of 19 countries. This was considered a success for Malta and enthusiasm for the contest in the Maltese music industry increased drastically.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 11 September 1975, the MBA announced their intention to participate in the Template:Escyr and opened song submissions for their national final which closed on 15 October.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However on 4 November, the MBA announced their withdrawal from the contest, citing that the participation fee had been drastically increased and Malta could not afford to participate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In a statement released on 20 November, the MBA said that it felt it was "Under no obligation to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest year after year" and Malta did not participate in the contest again until 1991.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Malta's return to the contest by the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) in Template:Escyr, after a 16-year absence, proved to be more successful, with eight consecutive top 10 placings (1991–1998) and finishing in the top 10 in 12 out of 15 contests from 1991 to 2005. These results included third-place finishes in Template:Escyr for Mary Spiteri and in Template:Escyr for Chiara and second-place finishes in 2002 for Ira Losco and in Template:Escyr for Chiara, who in Template:Escyr became the first performer to represent Malta at three contests, finishing 22nd.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Malta's two second-places and two third-places make it the most successful country not to win the contest.

In the last 15 contests, Malta has only reached the top 10 twice, with Gianluca Bezzina finishing eighth in Template:Escyr, and Destiny Chukunyere finishing seventh in Template:Escyr. Fabrizio Faniello, who had previously finished ninth in Template:Escyr, finished last in the Template:Escyr final, and since then the country has failed to qualify from the semi-final round ten times, in Template:Escyr, Template:Escyr, Template:Escyr, Template:Escyr, Template:Escyr, Template:Escyr, Template:Escyr, Template:Escyr, Template:Escyr, and Template:Escyr;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> of these non-qualification, it finished bottom 3 in the semi-final in Template:Escyr and Template:Escyr, and last place in Template:Escyr and Template:Escyr.

Malta is one of the few countries that has not missed a contest since 1991, together with France, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. All of Malta's entries since 1975 have been sung in its other official language, English, which it was one of the few countries allowed to use in the contest between 1977 and 1999, being a former British colony which (as seen below) has had a close relationship with the UK within the contest. The only use of the Maltese language have been three lines in the 2000 entry "Desire" by Claudette Pace. Also, along with Croatia and Sweden it was the only country never to be relegated, under the previous rules of the contest, that was not a part of the "Big Four".

Selection process

Template:See also Malta uses a televised national final to select its entry. From its debut in 1971 through 1976, Malta Song Festival, an existing song festival that had been created in 1960 was used to select the entrant, with the winner going to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest. 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 (Template:Langx), Malta Eurovision Song Contest, and Malta Eurosong. During this time period, the organization of the event was taken over by the PBS.

A typical Maltese national final would consist of: the rules for submissions by composers, authors, and singers being published in October, first elimination rounds in December, and semi-finalists announced in January. The semi-final would then be held in February, followed two days later by a final to choose Malta's representative at the contest. In 2009, a new format of the contest was introduced, the Malta Eurosong contest, with eight semi-finals held over November 2008 to January 2009, and a final of 20 songs competing in February.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2010 six semi-finals were held over December 2009 and January 2010, and a final was once again held in February 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This format was discontinued for the 2019 and 2020 contests, with PBS instead using X Factor Malta to select the artist. The national final format returned for the 2022 contest with a mixed voting system combining judges votes, as well as audience votes.

Participation overview

Table key

1	First place
2	Second place
3	Third place
◁	Last place
X	Entry selected but did not compete
†	Upcoming event

Year	Artist	Song	Language	Final	Points	Semi	Points
Template:Escyr	Joe Grech	"Template:Lang"	Maltese	18 ◁	52	rowspan="5" colspan="2" Template:N/A
Template:Escyr	Helen and Joseph	"Template:Lang"	Maltese	18 ◁	48
Template:Escyr	Renato	"Singing This Song"	English	12	32
Template:Escyr	Paul Giordimaina and Georgina	"Could It Be"	English	6	106
Template:Escyr	Mary Spiteri	"Little Child"	English	3	123
Template:Escyr	William Mangion	"This Time"	English	8	69	colspan="2" Template:N/A
Template:Escyr	Moira Stafrace and Christopher Scicluna	"More Than Love"	English	5	97	rowspan="2" colspan="2" Template:N/A
Template:Escyr	Mike Spiteri	"Keep Me in Mind"	English	10	76
Template:Escyr	Miriam Christine	"In a Woman's Heart"	English	10	68	4	138
Template:Escyr	Debbie Scerri	"Let Me Fly"	English	9	66	rowspan="7" colspan="2" Template:N/A
Template:Escyr	Chiara	"The One That I Love"	English	3	165
Template:Escyr	Times Three	"Believe 'n Peace"	English	15	32
Template:Escyr	Claudette Pace	"Desire"	English	8	73
Template:Escyr	Fabrizio Faniello	"Another Summer Night"	English	9	48
Template:Escyr	Ira Losco	"7th Wonder"	English	2	164
Template:Escyr	Lynn Chircop	"To Dream Again"	English	25	4
Template:Escyr	Julie and Ludwig	"On Again... Off Again"	English	12	50	8	74
Template:Escyr	Chiara	"Angel"	English	2	192	colspan="2" Template:N/ATemplate:Efn
Template:Escyr	Fabrizio Faniello	"I Do"	English	24 ◁	1	colspan="2" Template:N/ATemplate:Efn
Template:Escyr	Olivia Lewis	"Vertigo"	English	colspan="2" rowspan="2" Template:N/A	25	15
Template:Escyr	Morena	"Vodka"	English	14	38
Template:Escyr	Chiara	"What If We"	English	22	31	6	86
Template:Escyr	Thea Garrett	"My Dream"	English	colspan="2" rowspan="2" Template:N/A	12	45
Template:Escyr	Glen Vella	"One Life"	English	11	54
Template:Escyr	Kurt Calleja	"This Is the Night"	English	21	41	7	70
Template:Escyr	Gianluca	"Tomorrow"	English	8	120	4	118
Template:Escyr	Firelight	"Coming Home"	English	23	32	9	63
Template:Escyr	Amber	"Warrior"	English	colspan="2" Template:N/A	11	43
Template:Escyr	Ira Losco	"Walk on Water"	English	12	153	3	209
Template:Escyr	Claudia Faniello	"Breathlessly"	English	colspan="2" rowspan="2" Template:N/A	16	55
Template:Escyr	Christabelle	"Taboo"	English	13	101
Template:Escyr	Michela	"Chameleon"	English	14	107	8	157
Template:Escyr	Destiny	"All of My Love"	English	colspan="4" Template:N/ATemplate:Efn X
Template:Escyr	Destiny	"Template:Lang"	English	7	255	1	325
Template:Escyr	Emma Muscat	"I Am What I Am"	English	rowspan="3" colspan=2 Template:N/A	16	47
Template:Escyr	The Busker	"Dance (Our Own Party)"	English	15 ◁	3
Template:Escyr	Sarah Bonnici	"Loop"	English	16 ◁	13
Template:Escyr	Miriana Conte	"Serving"	English	17	91	9	53
Template:Escyr	Confirmed intention to participate †<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Awards

Marcel Bezençon Awards

Year	Category	Song	Performer	Final	Points	Host city	Template:Abbr
Template:Escyr	Press Award	"Angel"	Chiara	2	192	Template:Flagicon Kyiv	Template:Center

Winner by OGAE members

Year	Song	Performer	Final result	Points	Host city	Template:Abbr
Template:Escyr	"Je me casse"	Destiny	7	255	Template:Flagicon Rotterdam	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Barbara Dex Award

Year	Performer	Host city	Template:Abbr
Template:Escyr	Debbie Scerri	Template:Flagicon Dublin	Template:Center

Related involvement

Commentators and spokespersons

All shows are broadcast live on Television Malta (TVM) and Radio Malta.

Year	Television channel	Radio channel	Commentator	Spokesperson	Template:Abbr
Template:Escyr	MTV	rowspan="5" Template:N/A	Victor Aquilina	rowspan="5" Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr	MTS	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Victor Aquilina	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr			<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr			National Network	rowspan="2" Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Norman Hamilton		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Victor Aquilina		rowspan="2" Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr	Template:N/A			<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr	TVM	Radio Malta	Norman Hamilton	Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr–Template:Escyr	colspan="3" Template:N/A	Template:N/A
Template:Escyr	TVM	Template:N/A	Template:N/A	Dominic Micallef	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Radio Malta 2	Anna Bonanno	Anna Bonanno	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		rowspan="8" Template:N/A	rowspan="3" Template:N/A	Kevin Drake	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		John Demanuele	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Stephanie Farrugia	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Charles Saliba	Ruth Amaira	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		rowspan="5" Template:N/A	Anna Bonanno
Template:Escyr		Stephanie Spiteri	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Nirvana Azzopardi	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Valerie Vella	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr	TVM	Radio Malta	Marbeck Spiteri	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr	TVM	rowspan="18" Template:N/A	John Bundy	Yvette Portelli	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Sharon Borg		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Eileen Montesin	Claire Agius	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr			Valerie Vella	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr			Moira Delia	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Antonia Micallef	Mireille Bonello	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Escyr		Eileen Montesin	Moira Delia	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr		Valerie Vella	Pauline Agius	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr			Chiara Siracusa	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr		Eileen Montesin	Kelly Schembri	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr		Elaine Saliba and Ronald Briffa	Keith Demicoli
Template:Escyr		Gordon Bonello and Rodney Gauci	Emma Hickey	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr		Carlo Borg Bonaci	Valentina Rossi	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr		Corazon Mizzi	Julie Zahra
Template:Escyr		Arthur Caruana	Ben Camille	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr		rowspan="3" Template:N/A	Martha Fenech
Template:Escyr		Lara Azzopardi	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr		Ben Camille	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Default-Final">Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr	colspan="4" Template:N/a
Template:Escyr	TVM	rowspan="5" Template:N/A	rowspan="5" Template:N/A	Stephanie Spiteri	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr		Aidan Cassar	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr		Ryan Hili	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr		Matt Blxck	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Escyr		Ingrid Sammut	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Photo gallery

• 
  Julie and Ludwig in Istanbul (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Olivia Lewis in Helsinki (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Morena in Belgrade (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Thea Garrett in Oslo (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Gianluca Bezzina in Malmö (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Firelight in Copenhagen (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Amber in Vienna (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Ira Losco in Stockholm (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Claudia Faniello in Kyiv (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Christabelle in Lisbon (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Michela Pace in Tel Aviv (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Destiny in Rotterdam (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Emma Muscat in Turin (Template:Escyr)
• 
  The Busker in Liverpool (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Sarah Bonnici in Malmö (Template:Escyr)
• 
  Miriana Conte in Basel (Template:Escyr)

Further reading

• Template:Cite journal