Sweden: P4 Nästa 2021 will not include a Melodifestivalen 2022 wildcard for one of the finalists

Sweden: P4 Nästa 2021 will not include a Melodifestivalen 2022 wildcard for one of the finalists
Thursday, 27 May 2021

  • The Swedish national broadcaster, SVT, has confirmed that this year's  P4 Nästa radio song contest will not grant a wildcard for Melodifestivalen 2022 to one of the finalists. 

    Swedish blog ESC Panelen, discovered that the rules released for P4 Nästa 2021 did not include any prediction for a Melodifestivalen wildcard. The P4 Nästa project manager Maths Broborg, confirmed that the wildcard will not be availiable for 2021 contestants with SVT later confirming that the wildcard had indeed been “paused” for this year contest.

     

     

    About P4 Nästa

    P4 Nästa is a music competition program in Sweden's Radio P4 and a nationwide talent hunt since 2008 . The aim of the competition is to find new artists and new music for the future. All 25 P4 districts participate in the competition where each of the districts nominates a winner. Thereafter, a jury, appointed by the Swedish Radio, selects eight of these grants to compete in a final. 

    In addition to the winning artist being airplayed on radio, since 2012 a slot in the Swedish national selection, Melodifestivalen, is also offered to one of the finalists. However, the act granted with the wildcard must write a new contribution (or receive a newly written contribution) for the Melodifestivalen, since the winner radio contest can not be used in the Melodifestivalen because it must comply with EBU rules that want all entries released after September 1. 

    Here are all the past winners of P4 Nästa , the Melodifestivalen wildcards and their placing in the Swedish national selection.

    YearArtistEntryThe artist's placement
    in the Melodifestivalen    		Remark
    2008 Camilla Wallin "By your side" No joker was appointed
    2009 Martin Häggström "A way back"
    2010 Staffan Stridsberg "Black Crow"
    2011 Manuel Fervenza "The Lucky One"
    2012 Terese Fredenwall "Drop the Fight" Five in competition Eliminated
    2013 Eco "Yellow" Eight in competition Eliminated
    2014 Kalle Johansson "That day" Six in competition Eliminated
    2015 Michael Fannon "With time comes advice" Did not become a joker 
    Smiling Swedes "Goosebumps" Five in competition 
    		 Eliminated
    2016 Noomi Thorstensson "Intoxicated" Did not become a joker
    Les Gordons "Need to Feel" Six in competition Eliminated
    2017 Stiko Per Larsson "Companions (We are like)" Six in competition Eliminated
    2018 Spring City "Back on Our Streets" Did not become a joker
    The Lovers of Valdaro "Lost Forever" Seven in competition Eliminated
    2019 Tim Lööv "All I Need Is You" Did not become a joker
    Amanda Aasa "Go home" Six in competition Eliminated
    2020 Hilde & Erik "As it is" Did not become a joker
    Julia Alfrida "Dark Doom" Seven in competition Eliminated
    2021 Not decided No joker appointed 

     

    Notably, not a single P4 Nästa contestant that has been given a wildcard to the Melodifestivalen has achieved to pass the semi final stage. Last year, Julia Alfrida placed 6th in P4 Nästa with her song “Dark Doom”, was selected to compete in Melodifestivalen 2021, in which she was  placed 7th in the second heat with her entry “Rich”.

     

    News Source: ESCXrta/ESC Panelen