Malta is set to take part in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Madrid, Spain, with "Stilla ċkejkna" performed by Ramires Sciberras. The Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) organised the national final Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in order to select the Maltese entry for the contest.
| Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country |  Malta | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 | |||
| Selection date(s) | 21 September 2024 | |||
| Selected artist(s) | Ramires Sciberras | |||
| Selected song | "Stilla ċkejkna" | |||
| Selected songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Malta in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
| ||||
Background
editPrior to the 2024 contest, Malta had participated in the contest nineteen times since its first entry in the inaugural 2003 contest. Since then, Malta has won the contest on two occasions: in 2013 with "The Start" performed by Gaia Cauchi, and in 2015 with "Not My Soul" performed by Destiny Chukunyere. The nation opted not to take part in the contest in 2011 and 2012.[1] In 2023, Yulan competed for Malta with the song "Stronger", which ended up in 10th place out of 16 entries with 94 points.[2]
Before Junior Eurovision
editMalta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024
editMalta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was the national final format developed by PBS to select the Maltese entry for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The competition consisted of a final on 21 September 2024, coinciding with Malta's Independence Day,[3] held at the TVM Studios in Pietà, and hosted by Melanie Kelly, and broadcast on Television Malta (TVM) as well as on the broadcaster's streaming platform tvmi.mt.[4][5][6]
Competing entries
editOn 6 May 2024, PBS announced the MESC and MJESC Music Exchange Camp would be held between 17 and 23 June, dedicated to the creation of a total of 60 competing songs for the following two national selections.[7] The camp dedicated to the creation of entries for the Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 featured ten artists aged between nine and fourteen.[8][9]
On 12 July 2024, PBS published the rules of the competition, opening a window for interested artists aged between nine and fourteen and composers to submit their entries until 19 August 2024. Songwriters from any nationality were able to submit songs as long as the artist was Maltese or possessed Maltese citizenship. Artists were able to submit as many songs as they wish, however, they could only compete with one in the final. Yulan, who represented Malta in the 2023 contest, was ineligible to compete due to a rule that prevents the previous winner from entering the following year. A dedicated panel selected the finalist entries, which were announced on 26 August 2024,[4][10][11] with one-minute snippets of the songs published on 5 September.[12]
Final
editThe final took place on 21 September 2024. The winner was determined by a weighed combination of votes from a jury panel (80%) and a public televote (20%), with the former taking precedence in the event of a tie.[4] In addition to the competing entries, Chanel Monseigneur, who represented Malta in the 2020 contest, Gaia Gambuzza, who represented Malta in the 2022 contest, and Yulan performed as the interval acts.[13][14] Ramires Sciberras – a twelve-year-old singer of Cambodian descent, adopted by Maltese parents at a young age – was declared the winner with the song "Stilla ċkejkna", which became the first Maltese entry to be performed entirely in the Maltese language.[15][16]
Key: Winner Second place Third place
| Draw | Artist | Song | Songwriter(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shaz | "Above It All" |
|
| 2 | Andrea | "Gold" |
|
| 3 | Eleny | "Guiding Light" | |
| 4 | Emma Farrugia | "Summertime" |
|
| 5 | Grrlz | "Grrlz" |
|
| 6 | Ilona | "Zip It Up" |
|
| 7 | Anneka Xerri | "Trying to Be Me (Ħeqq le)" |
|
| 8 | Kayleen | "Lalala" | Matthew Borg Brincau |
| 9 | Ramires Sciberras | "Stilla ċkejkna" |
|
| 10 | Maria Curmi | "Għawdex" |
|
| 11 | Keira | "Kif jien" |
|
| 12 | Chanel | "I'll Be Alright" |
|
| 13 | Thomas Casha | "A Little Bit Longer" |
|
| 14 | Daylin Cassar Randich | "Bonafide" |
Preparation
editIn late September 2024, Sciberras additionally revealed that his entry "Stilla ċkejkna" would undergo a revamp ahead of the contest.[18]
References
edit- ^ "Malta". Junioreurovision.tv. EBU. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Final of Nice 2023". Junioreurovision.tv. EBU. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ Farren, Neil (21 September 2024). "Tonight: 🇲🇹 Malta and 🇳🇱 Netherlands Select for Junior Eurovision 2024". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Granger, Anthony (12 July 2024). "🇲🇹 Malta: Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Submission Window Open". Eurovoix. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ Grace, Emily (15 September 2024). "🇲🇹 Malta: Melanie Kelly To Host Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ a b Farren, Neil (21 September 2024). "🇲🇹 Malta: Ramires Sciberras to Junior Eurovision 2024". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ "MESC & MJESC Music Exchange Camp 2024 – Rules & Regulations" (PDF). Eurovision.pbs.mt. PBS. 6 May 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
The compositions (lyrics and music) created during the MEC [The Malta Eurovision Song Contest Music Exchange Camp] 2024 must not be commercially released before the next edition of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2025 and the Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024
- ^ Granger, Anthony (24 June 2024). "🇲🇹 Malta: The Malta Eurovision Song Contest Music Exchange Camp 2024 Held". Eurovoix. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Second edition of Music Exchange Camp opens with eligibility for performers aged between nine and 14". TVMnews.mt. PBS. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 – Regulations" (PDF). Eurovision.pbs.mt. PBS. 12 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (26 August 2024). "🇲🇹 Malta: Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Finalists Announced". Eurovoix. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (5 September 2024). "🇲🇹 Malta: Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Song Snippets Released". Eurovoix. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (9 September 2024). "🇲🇹 Malta: Gaia Gambuzza Guest Performer for the Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (12 September 2024). "🇲🇹 Malta: Chanel Monseigneur to Perform at the Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ "Ramires Sciberras wins Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest". TVMnews.mt. PBS. 21 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ Błażewicz, Maciej (21 September 2024). "Eurowizja Junior: Znamy reprezentantów Malty i Holandii oraz ich piosenki! • W niedzielę wybierają Ukraińcy! • Kolejne odcinki preselekcji w Polsce i w Irlandii" [Junior Eurovision: We know the representatives of Malta and the Netherlands, and their songs! • On Sunday, the Ukrainians will choose! • Next episodes of the pre-selections in Poland and Ireland]. Dziennik Eurowizyjny (in Polish). Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (11 September 2024). "🇲🇹 Malta: Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Running Order Revealed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ Farren, Neil (26 September 2024). "🇲🇹 Malta: "Stilla Ċkejkna" to Undergo Revamp". Eurovoix. Retrieved 27 September 2024.