Melodifestivalen 2019 was the 59th edition of the Swedish music competition Melodifestivalen and was held from 2 February to 9 March 2019. Presenters were Sarah Dawn Finer, Kodjo Akolor, Marika Carlsson and Eric Saade. Edward af Sillén returned as a consultant and adviser, producing various interval acts for the hosts. The winner of the contest is John Lundvik with the song "Too Late for Love". He represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel, finishing in 5th place.
Format Melodifestivalen 2019, organised by (SVT), was the eighteenth consecutive edition of the contest in which the competition took place in different cities across Sweden. The four heats were held at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg (2 February), the Malmö Arena in Malmö (9 February), the Tegera Arena in Leksand (16 February) and the Sparbanken Lidköping Arena in Lidköping (23 February). The Second Chance round took place at the Rosvalla Nyköping Eventcenter in Nyköping on 2 March while the final was held at the Friends Arena in Stockholm on 9 March. An initial 28 entries competed in the heats, with seven entries taking part in each show. The top two entries from each heat advanced directly to the final, while the third and fourth placed entries advanced to the Second Chance round. The bottom three entries in each heat were eliminated after two rounds of voting. An additional four entries qualified for the final from the Second Chance round, bringing the total number of competing entries in the final to 12.
+ Competition Schedule Show Date City Venue Heat 1 2 February 2019 Gothenburg Scandinavium Heat 2 9 February 2019 Malmö Malmö Arena Heat 3 16 February 2019 Leksand Tegera Arena Heat 4 23 February 2019 Lidköping Sparbanken Lidköping Arena Second Chance 2 March 2019 Nyköping Rosvalla Nyköping Eventcenter Final 9 March 2019 Stockholm Friends Arena
Presenters In October 2018, Sarah Dawn Finer, Kodjo Akolor, Marika Carlsson and Eric Saade were announced as the presenters for Melodifestivalen.
Voting The public vote previously used a simple majority to decide the places, but concerns had been raised over a growing bias through the way votes were cast: that votes cast through the app were giving an unfair weight to younger voters, as older voters tended to cast theirs though the telephone vote. For 2019, SVT changed to a system of eight groups: those using the app voted within one of seven age groups, and telephone votes were in the eighth group.
These groups were weighted equally against each other: for the heats, each group's vote would carry a score of 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 1; for the final, 12, 10, 8–1 (thus entries in 11th and 12th receiving no points); for the second chance round, each group gave one point to the most popular entry of each duel. The scores within each round were then added together to decide the places. In the final, to ensure equal weight was given to the public vote and the international jury vote, the number of countries involved was reduced from eleven to eight.
2019's edition also saw an end to voting by SMS, due to a decline in usage.
Competing entries The twenty-eight competing entries were announced to the public during a press conference on 27 November 2018. Artist Song Songwriter(s) Andreas Johnson "Army of Us" Andreas Johnson, Jimmy Jansson, Sara Ryan, Andreas ”Stone” Johansson, Sebastian Thott Ann-Louise Hanson "Kärleken finns kvar" David Lindgren Zacharias, Josefin Glenmark, Olof "Ollie" Olsen Anna Bergendahl "Ashes to Ashes" Thomas G:son, Bobby Ljunggren, Erik Bernholm, Anna Bergendahl Anton Hagman "Känner dig" Gusten Dahlqvist, Oliver Forsmark, Anton Hagman, Jakob Hjulström Arja Saijonmaa "Mina fyra årstider" Göran Sparrdal, Arja Saijonmaa Arvingarna "I Do" Nanne Grönvall, Mikael Karlsson, Casper Jarnebrink, Thomas “Plec” Johansson Bishara "On My Own" Markus Sepehrmanesh, Benjamin Ingrosso, Robert "Deadbeat" Habolin Dolly Style "Habibi" Jimmy Jansson, Palle Hammarlund, Robert Norberg Hanna Ferm & Liamoo "Hold You" Jimmy Jansson, Anton Hård af Segerstad, Fredrik Sonefors, Hanna Ferm, Liam Pablito Cacatian Thomassen High15 "No Drama" Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Kate Tizzard Jan Malmsjö "Leva livet" Anderz Wrethov, Elin Wrethov, Johan Bejerholm, Ari Lehtonen John Lundvik "Too Late for Love" John Lundvik, Anderz Wrethov, Andreas “Stone” Johansson Jon Henrik Fjällgren "Norrsken (Goeksegh)" Fredrik Kempe, David Kreuger, Niklas Carson Mattsson, Jon Henrik Fjällgren Lina Hedlund "Victorious" Melanie Wehbe, Richard Edwards, Dino Medanhodzic, Johanna Jansson Lisa Ajax "Torn" Isa Molin Malou Prytz "I Do Me" Isa Tengblad, Elvira Anderfjärd, Fanny Arnesson, Adéle Cechal Margaret "Tempo" Anderz Wrethov, Jimmy Jansson, Laurell Barker, Sebastian von Koenigsegg Martin Stenmarck "Låt skiten brinna" Uno Svenningsson, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren Mohombi "Hello" Alexandru Florin Cotoi, Thomas G:son, Mohombi Moupondo, Linnea Deb Nano "Chasing Rivers" Lise Cabble, Linnea Deb, Joy Deb, Thomas G:son, Nano Omar Omar Rudberg "Om om och om igen" Omar Rudberg, Johan Lindbrandt, Robin Stjernberg, Jens Hult Oscar Enestad "I Love It" Emanuel Abrahamsson, Parker James, Oscar Enestad Pagan Fury "Stormbringer" Tobias Gustavsson, Fredrik Thomander, Anders Wikström, Mia Stegmar Rebecka Karlsson "Who I Am" Rebecka Karlsson, Anderz Wrethov, Henric Pierroff The Lovers of Valdaro "Somebody Wants" Peter Boström, Thomas G:son, Erik Gabriel Høiby Vlad Reiser "Nakna i regnet" Lukas Nathansson, John Hårleman, Vladislav Meletjenkov, Chris Enberg Wiktoria "Not with Me" Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Wiktoria Johansson Zeana feat. Anis don Demina "Mina bränder" Thomas G:son, Jimmy Jansson, Anis Don Demina, Pa Moudou Badjie, Robin Svensk
Heats Heat 1 The first heat took place on 2 February 2019 at the Scandinavium arena in Gothenburg. A total of 7,158,333 votes were cast throughout the show with a total of 573,040 SEK collected for Radiohjälpen.
Artist SongTelevote/App Place Result 1Nano "Chasing Rivers" 1,096,66254 4Second chance 2High15 "No Drama"814,839196Out 3Wiktoria "Not with Me" 1,431,95490 1 Final 4Zeana feat. Anis don Demina "Mina bränder"980,354385Out 5 Arja Saijonmaa "Mina fyra årstider"507,727157Out 6 Mohombi "Hello" 1,218,68568 2 Final 7Anna Bergendahl "Ashes to Ashes" 1,108,10260 3Second chance
+ Detailed televoting resultsSongAge groups 39 1015 1629 3044 4559 6074 75+ 1"Not with Me"1212121210101210 2"Hello"81010108868 3"Ashes to Ashes"22481212812 4"Chasing Rivers"488666106 5"Mina bränder"106644242 6"No Drama"64222111 7"Mina fyra årstider"11111424
Heat 2 The second heat took place on 9 February 2019 at the Malmö Arena in Malmö. A total of 6,993,333 votes were cast throughout the show with a total of 522,183 SEK collected for Radiohjälpen.
Artist SongTelevote/App Place Result 1Andreas Johnson "Army of Us" 973,17152 4Second chance 2Malou Prytz "I Do Me" 1,233,97476 2 Final 3Oscar Enestad "I Love It"739,50115 7 Out 4 Jan Malmsjö "Leva livet"630,35915 6 Out 5 Vlad Reiser "Nakna i regnet" 991,53152 3Second chance 6Hanna Ferm & Liamoo "Hold You" 1,531,72094 1 Final 7Margaret "Tempo"892,94540 5 Out
+ Detailed televoting resultsSongAge groups 39 1015 1629 3044 4559 6074 75+ 1"Hold You"1012121212121212 2"I Do Me"1210101088810 3"Nakna i regnet"888444106 4"Army of Us"4268101048 5"Tempo"66466624 6"Leva livet"11111262 7"I Love It"24222111
Heat 3 The third heat took place on 16 February 2019 at the Tegera Arena in Leksand. A total of 6,305,045 votes were cast throughout the show with a total of 662,869 SEK collected for Radiohjälpen.
Artist SongTelevote/App Place Result 1The Lovers of Valdaro "Somebody Wants"637,917137 Out 2Dolly Style "Habibi"819,06240 5 Out 3 Martin Stenmarck "Låt skiten brinna" 862,01746 4Second chance 4 Lina Hedlund"Victorious" 1,051,39976 2Final 5 Omar Rudberg "Om om och om igen"722,215196 Out 6 Rebecka Karlsson "Who I Am" 1,059,41970 3Second chance 7Jon Henrik Fjällgren "Norrsken (Goeksegh)" 1,112,54880 1 Final
+ Detailed televoting resultsSongAge groups 39 1015 1629 3044 4559 6074 75+ 1"Norrsken (Goeksegh)"41012810121212 2"Victorious"1088121210106 3"Who I Am"812101086610 4"Låt skiten brinna"62446888 5"Habibi"126262444 6"Om om och om igen"14621122 7"Somebody Wants"21114211
Heat 4 The fourth heat took place on 23 February 2019 at the Sparbanken Lidköping Arena in Lidköping. A total of 6,810,817 votes were cast throughout the show with a total of 905,041 SEK collected for Radiohjälpen.
Artist SongTelevote/App Place Result 1Pagan Fury "Stormbringer" 579,502187Out 2Anton Hagman "Känner dig" 601,113216Out 3 Lisa Ajax "Torn" 1,166,26356 3Second chance 4Arvingarna "I Do" 895,95754 4Second chance 5Bishara "On My Own" 1,497,32684 2 Final 6Ann-Louise Hanson "Kärleken finns kvar" 583,99525 5 Out 7John Lundvik "Too Late for Love" 1,465,23186 1 Final
+ Detailed televoting resultsSongAge groups 39 1015 1629 3044 4559 6074 75+ 1"Too Late for Love"88101212121212 2"On My Own"121212101081010 3"Torn"1010886464 4"I Do"446681088 5"Kärleken finns kvar"12222646 6"Känner dig"66411111 7"Stormbringer"21144222
Second Chance The Second Chance round took place on 2 March 2019 at the Rosvalla Nyköping Eventcenter in Nyköping. A total of 7,244,085 votes were cast throughout the show with a total of 949,238 SEK collected for Radiohjälpen.
Duel Artist Song Televote/App ResultI 1Andreas Johnson "Army of Us"693,1050 Out 2 Anna Bergendahl "Ashes to Ashes"1,174,5318 FinalII 1Vlad Reiser "Nakna i regnet"713,7421 Out 2Nano "Chasing Rivers" 1,147,9987 FinalIII 1Martin Stenmarck "Låt skiten brinna"671,8501 Out 2Lisa Ajax"Torn"1,116,0867 FinalIV 1Rebecka Karlsson "Who I Am"793,7042 Out 2Arvingarna"I Do"933,0696 Final
+ Detailed televoting resultsDuelSongAge groupsTotal 39 1015 1629 3044 4559 6074 75+I 1"Ashes to Ashes"111111118 2"Army of Us"000000000II 1"Chasing Rivers"011111117 2"Nakna i regnet"100000001III 1"Torn"111110117 2"Låt skiten brinna"000001001IV 1"I Do"001111116 2"Who I Am"110000002
Final The Final took place on 9 March 2019 at Friends Arena in Stockholm. A total of 15,757,707 votes were cast throughout the show with a total of 4,273,096 SEK collected for Radiohjälpen.
Artist Song Juries Public Total Place 1Jon Henrik Fjällgren"Norrsken (Goeksegh)"1955744 2Lisa Ajax"Torn"3923629 3 Mohombi "Hello"3242745 4 Lina Hedlund "Victorious"3284011 5Bishara"On My Own"38691072 6Anna Bergendahl"Ashes to Ashes"20365610 7Nano"Chasing Rivers"5410648 8Hanna Ferm & Liamoo "Hold You"48591073 9Malou Prytz "I Do Me"23123512 10John Lundvik "Too Late for Love"96851811 11Wiktoria "Not with Me"3628646 12Arvingarna"I Do"2737647
+ Detailed International Jury Votes Song Total 1"Norrsken (Goeksegh)"1811819 2"Torn"61023561639 3"Hello"527724532 4"Victorious"384431032 5"On My Own"71361010138 6"Ashes to Ashes"256720 7"Chasing Rivers"104108725854 8"Hold You"8665677348 9"I Do Me"455412223 10"Too Late for Love"121212121212121296 11"Not with Me"2311088436 12"I Do"74331027International Jury Spokespersons Carla Bugalho Marvin Dietmann Paul Clarke Evi Papamichael Bruno Berberes Krista Siegfrids Simon Proctor Dana International
+ Detailed televoting resultsSongVotesAge groupsTotal 39 1015 1629 3044 4559 6074 75+ 1"Norrsken (Goeksegh)"1,398,29984765781055 2"Torn"1,164,9977742323 3"Hello"1,349,17110658315442 4"Victorious"883,18721238 5"On My Own"1,719,33712121077510669 6"Ashes to Ashes"1,143,408510104736 7"Chasing Rivers"951,26632112110 8"Hold You"1,592,988610810866559 9"I Do Me"1,010,6004321212 10"Too Late for Love"2,211,8115812121212121285 11"Not with Me"1,173,2761563442328 12"I Do"1,159,367134687837
Gallery Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Heat 4
References
External links Melodifestivalen Official Site