Country Malta Selected song "Tomorrow" | Selected entrant Gianluca | |
 | ||
Selection process Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2013
7/8 Jury
1/8 Televoting Selection date(s) Semi-final:
1 February 2013
Final:
2 February 2013 Semi-final result Qualified (4th, 118 points) | ||
Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden. The Maltese entry was selected through a national final format consisting of a semi-final and a final, organised by the Maltese broadcaster PBS. Gianluca represented Malta with the song "Tomorrow", which qualified from the second semi-final of the competition and finished in 8th place in the final, scoring 120 points.
Contents
National selection
On 14 September 2012, PBS called for entries to be submitted for the national final, with the submission period closing on 31 October 2012. Both Maltese and international composers were eligible to submit entries, however performers must hold Maltese citizenship. On 14 November 2012, PBS announced that out of 181 submissions, 69 entries were long-listed for the second phase of the selection, including submissions from former Maltese Eurovision entrants Miriam Christine (1996), William Mangion (1993) and Fabrizio Faniello (2001 & 2006). On 30 November 2012, the 24 semi-finalists were revealed and previewed on a special edition of the Maltese talk show Xarabank. On 21 December 2012, Saska Hunt and the song "Dress Rehearsal" were withdrawn and replaced by Marilena with the song "Overrated".
The semi-final and final evenings were hosted by Elaine Saliba and Gordon Bonello, with backstage commentary and interviews by Rodney Gauci.
Semi-final
The semi-final took place on 1 February 2013 at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta' Qali, where 16 of the 24 entries qualified to compete in the final.
The jury panel that evaluated the songs in the semi-final was
Final
The final took place on 2 February 2013 at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta' Qali, where the 16 finalists presented their songs to the Maltese public again. Seven members of the jury awarded their points from 1-8, 10, and 12 points. The jury vote accounted for 7/8 of the result with the televote accounting for the remaining 1/8. Gianluca Bezzina emerged as the winner with the song "Tomorrow".
The jury panel that evaluated the songs in the final was
Preparation
On 2 March, Bezzina travelled to Armenia to promote the Maltese entry during the Armenian national final.
At Eurovision
Malta was allocated to compete in the second semi-final on 16 May for a place in the final on 18 May. In the second semi-final, the producers of the show decided that Malta would perform 6th, following Finland and preceding Bulgaria. On stage, Gianluca was joined by two backing vocalists, Louise Ann Bugeja Tate and Samaria Bezzina, backing vocalist and ukulele player, Kenny D'Ugo, backing vocalist and bass player, Gabriel Cassar and drummer Chris Tate.
Malta qualified from the second semi-final, placing 4th and scoring 118 points. At the second semi-final winners' press conference, Malta was allocated to perform in the first half of the final. In the final, the producers of the show decided that Malta would perform 9th, following Belarus and preceding Russia. Malta placed 8th in the final, scoring 120 points.