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Söngvakeppnin (known from 1986–1989 as Söngvakeppni sjónvarpsstöðva and in 1981, 1983 and 1990–2012 as Söngvakeppni sjónvarpsins, lit. 'the Television's Song Contest') is an annual music competition organised by Icelandic public broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) to determine its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Format

The contest was first organised in 1981, although neither it nor its subsequent 1983 edition were used to determine any representatives for the Eurovision Song Contest until Iceland made its debut in the 1986 contest. Since then, RÚV has used Söngvakeppni sjónvarpsins to select the Icelandic entry, but has also used an internal selection at times, between 1995 and 1999, and in 2004, 2005, and 2021.

Söngvakeppni sjónvarpsins has consisted of a multi-artist competition, with between five and ten songs competing. Most contests in the past have been a one-night event. Since 2006, the contest has consisted of a number of semi-finals aired before a final.

It was known for RÚV to change the performers for Eurovision. This can be seen in 1986, when winner Pálmi Gunnarsson was joined by Eiríkur Hauksson and Helga Möller to form ICY for Eurovision. In 1994, RÚV was not happy with the winning song, and so enlisted Frank McNamara to rearrange the entry and select a new singer.

Songs at Söngvakeppni sjónvarpsins were previously only allowed to be performed in Icelandic. However, the winning songs were normally translated into English for Eurovision. This rule was abolished in 2008, when English-language songs were allowed to compete for the first time. The rules were later changed again in 2015, and the same is still used at present. The rules now require that in the semi-finals, the songs must be performed in Icelandic. In the final, the finalists will be asked to determine the language they will perform their song in Eurovision.

Winners

The winners of Söngvakeppnin since 1986 have gone on to represent Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest. Iceland has never won the contest, being the only Nordic country never to do so, but it has finished second twice: in 1999 (when an internal selection was used), losing to Sweden, and in 2009, when it lost to Norway.

2020 was the first time in history where the winner of Söngvakeppnin, in this case Daði og Gagnamagnið, did not advance to Eurovision, as that event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, RÚV internally re-selected Daði og Gagnamagnið to represent the country in 2021, with the song also chosen internally.

Performers and songwriters with multiple wins

The following individuals have won Söngvakeppnin as a performer or songwriter more than once.

Söngvakeppnin Hall of Fame

Heiðurshöll Söngvakeppninnar or the Söngvakeppnin Hall of Fame was introduced in 2024 to acknowledge artists who have outstanding contributions to the competition.

See also

• Dansk Melodi Grand Prix
• Melodifestivalen
• Melodi Grand Prix
• Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu
• Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Notes

1. Iceland did not compete in Eurovision until 1986.
2. The contest was a classical singing competition.
3. Competed as ICY.
4. Competed as Beathoven.
5. Competed as Stjórnin.
6. Competed with the song "Nína" as Stefán and Eyfi.
7. Competed as Heart 2 Heart.
8. Competed as Inga.
9. The song was performed by Sigga.
10. Competed with the song "Tell Me!" as August and Telma.
11. Competed with the song "Angel" as Two Tricky.
12. Competed with the song "Open Your Heart".
13. Competed with the song "Congratulations" as Silvia Night.
14. Competed with the song "Valentine Lost".
15. Competed as Yohanna.
16. Competed with the song "Coming Home" as Sjonni's Friends.
17. Competed with the song "Never Forget".
18. Competed as Eythor Ingi.
19. Competed as Maria Olafs.
20. The 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
21. Competed as Systur.

References

1. Kristjánsson, Jónas (7 March 1981). "Bikarúrslitaleikurinn í körfu og svigkeppni". Timarit.is (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
2. Icelandic National Final 1994
3. "Iceland: Songvakeppnin running order and language rules revealed". eurovoix.com. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
4. "Participants of Jerusalem 1999". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
5. "Participants of Moscow 2009". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
6. "Official EBU statement & FAQ on Eurovision 2020 cancellation". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
7. Smith, Thomas (10 November 2020). "Daði Freyr on Iceland Airwaves, Hot Chip's influence and next year's Eurovision song". NME. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
8. "BBC Cardiff Singer of the World - Performers A-Z". BBC. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
9. Björnsdóttir, Anna María (18 February 2024). "VÆB og Aníta áfram í úrslit Söngvakeppninnar" [VÆB and Aníta continue to the finals of Söngvakeppninn]. ruv.is (in Icelandic). RÚV. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
10. Björnsdóttir, Anna María (22 February 2024). "Sigga Beinteins heiðruð á Söngvakeppninni" [Sigga Beinteins honored at Söngvakeppninn]. ruv.is (in Icelandic). RÚV. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
11. Aradóttir, Júlía (25 February 2024). "Hera, Bashar og Sigga Ózk komin í úrslit Söngvakeppninnar" [Hera, Bashar and Sigga Ózk have reached the finals of Söngvakeppninn]. ruv.is (in Icelandic). RÚV. Retrieved 25 February 2024.

External links

• Official website

• Söngvakeppnin
• Eurovision Song Contest selection events
• Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest
• Music of Iceland
• Annual events in Iceland