Stat lovers, get ready: the Melodifestivalen 2018 results have just been published by SVT. With them, we can have a look and see just how the competition progressed — and how close it was to coming out differently.

This year’s results show just how easy it was for the eventual winner, Benjamin Ingrosso. Benjamin received the highest number of votes of all acts in the four heats — with 1,295,155 votes cast in his name. That’s the highest number of votes ever awarded in the heats, y’all!

He followed this up in the final with an even bigger total of 1,469,808. That put him nearly 70,000 votes clear of his nearest rival, Felix Sandman. With the jury vote ranking him first, his victory was never in doubt.

But looking further at the results does show some much closer results:

Heat One

Benjamin’s dominance overshadows the close fight for the second spot in the final. John Lundvik only narrowly pipped Renaida to that spot: in the first round of voting, John only achieved 11,000 votes more than Renaida (1,048,501 vs. 1.037,549).

By the second round of voting, however, John pulled a little further away. Sigrid Bernson finished a safe 4th in the heat, albeit still with over 1 million votes cast. This marks the first time all four acts in a heat polled over that magic million mark — could it have been easier for them in another heat?

The closest contest comes with the bottom two: Kamferdrops only finished 312 votes ahead of Kikki Danielsson in the first round.

Heat Two

Unsurprisingly, Samir & Viktor won Heat Two, with 21.09% of the total votes. Whilst they didn’t get more votes than Benjamin did in Heat One, that’s actually a higher percentage. LIAMOO was a clear second place behind them.

Margaret places 3rd, around 52,000 votes clear of Mimi Werner. Mimi briefly looked under threat from Ida Redig in the first round of voting, but eventually finished 33,200 votes ahead by the end.

Heat Three

Perhaps to the surprise of some, it was Martin Almgren who won Heat Three — not Jessica Andersson! Martin finished 54,000 votes clear, pulling well ahead in the first round of voting. Jessica might have briefly been favourite after the contest, but it looks like that might have been false fan hope.

Mendez’s “Everyday” was always destined for Andra Chansen based on the results. Moncho was only 19,000 votes clear of Kalle Moraeus & Orsa Spelman in 4th, with the duo polling much better in the second round of voting.

Pre-contest favourite Dotter was eliminated by 26,000 votes in the first round: something to truly “cry” about!

Heat Four

The absolute closest result of the heats is found in Heat Four. Olivia Eliasson only just eliminated Elias Abbas to reach Andra Chansen by just under 3,000 votes. Elias in fact lead Olivia in the first round, only for the second round of voting to prove important.

The rest of the results were much more obvious. Mariette easily won, albeit with the lowest votes for a heat winner at 901,585. Rolandz were over 50,000 votes clear of Felix Sandman by the end of voting.

Andra Chansen

The majority of Andra Chansen duels were fairly one-sided. Renaida received the most votes of all acts with 884,188, although Felix Sandman had a better winning percentage in his duel against Mimi Werner.

The closest contest came between in the true battle of backing vocals: Sigrid Bernson vs. Mendez. Mendez only won by 26,000 votes, in what was effectively a 49% vs. 51% final result.

Grand Final

As previously mentioned, Benjamin’s victory was really a foregone conclusion looking at the stats. There’s some interesting results still in the final, however.

The Andra Chansen winners relatively outperformed the Heat winners: 4,775,296 votes vs. 4,763,419. Clearly, the extra week of performing might have had a boost for some acts!

Martin Almgren and Jessica Andersson, meanwhile, were the only two acts to poll less in the final than they did in their heats.

So, what do you think about the Melodifestivalen 2018 results in detail? Would you have rather seen Elias in Andra Chansen instead of Olivia? What do you think SVT can do about the jury-public vote split? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Read more Sweden Eurovision news here

72 Comments
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Liz Bean
6 years ago

Incredibly dissapointed. This is very 2010. Sweden. Just not want to win.

Davve
Davve
6 years ago

Renaida and Benjamin were the voting winners of the season

Milla
Milla
6 years ago

It looks like people could bet on a horse fart for all I can see! What is Norway doing up there? Not because of the song, that is pretty much clear. So these bets I don’t give much credit for.

Polegend Godgarina
6 years ago

They should scrap that app vote next year and rely on SMS/televote only–or at least limit the app vote to just 5 votes in TOTAL. Otherwise, the juries will always decide the winner! This year that didn’t happen but the results were once again super close.

ziliam
ziliam
6 years ago

Why are there so many haters on Sweden here? Y’all real petty

Zuzu
Zuzu
6 years ago
Reply to  ziliam

Given that this year’s Swedish entry is basic, derivative rubbish dressed up with some flashing lights, what do you expect?

Malin
Malin
6 years ago
Reply to  Zuzu

Was that a answear. Really?
Zuzu, why are you here om wiwibloggs? There are many people that doesn’t like our entry. That’s ok.
But you call your self a ESCfan and think it is ok to hate us and Benjamin because you have another taste than the majority of the swedich melfest viewers? Do you know anything about the values that esc stands for?

I have a terrible english but I hope you understand me.

Zuzu
Zuzu
6 years ago
Reply to  Malin

Erm… My not liking this year’s Swedish song doesn’t mean I “hate” Sweden, Swedes and / or Benjamin. I just think the song is quite poor. End of story!

Malin
Malin
5 years ago
Reply to  Zuzu

Ok, good. I just read your answear. But … love, love, peace, peace.. from sweden

Jo
Jo
6 years ago
Reply to  Zuzu

That’s not really a reason to hate.

zilliam
zilliam
6 years ago
Reply to  Zuzu

a lot of countries have rubbish songs every year but that’s not a reason to hate. y’all always negative about things

Denis
Denis
6 years ago
Reply to  ziliam

It is s Wiwitradition to hate on Sweden. Even Loreen and Måns got hate. Sweden is the most hated country in Wiwi comments
Yet Swedes get called out when they write something negative about other countries

Jo
Jo
6 years ago
Reply to  ziliam

Just to be fair, there’s a lot of Swedish hate on Twitter, bashing other countries for not being “at the same level”. I remember them mocking other National Finals. Of course there are many good Swedes here, so let’s not generalize.

Malin
Malin
6 years ago
Reply to  Jo

Those sweeds shoud not call themself esc-fans. Shame on them and I think they are louder then those who respect other coutries and their acts even if they dont share the same taste.

Thats the beaty whith esc. Our diferenses.

Fatima
Fatima
6 years ago
Reply to  ziliam

I don’t think they’re haters, ziliam. I think they are fed uppers. There’s a bit too much Swedish influence on the song contest these days, and I myself dislike the way the Melodifestivalen voting template has been forced on to the main contest. So when it comes to Sweden’s own entry, we’ve had enough already.

Malin
Malin
6 years ago
Reply to  Fatima

Well I hope you try to separate things. Yes there has been much about sweden. But hopefully, you can se something good to.

Mattias Sollerman
Mattias Sollerman
6 years ago

Ukraine was at 25 on March 15, 2016.

thespb01
thespb01
6 years ago

It’s a shame Barbi Escobar was last out of everyone – she was better than bloody Jonas Gardell.

Denis
Denis
6 years ago

You can use Youtube and comments, those are good indications. And majority seems positive. Of course OGAE voting is also good
Personally I find Ingrosso better because the song has more substance. It has a 80s vibe like Bruno Mars Robin was more surface than substance. Which showed on the results.

Malin
Malin
6 years ago

Eugene. This is what we like and offcoure we want it to win. I like the song a lot, but I wonder if the sound is a bit more for the us than the europén taste. I was actually surprised that so many likede it in sweden.
I think it is a really god song, bit perhaps not for the Europén market.

Milla
Milla
6 years ago
Reply to  Malin

Yes I agree. But it is also one of the most current in this years Esc I think. That’s why the international juries favoured it. And I hope it will get rewarded in May or else Eurovision really stands still. Because Eurovision rarely produce songs that become hits after the contest. Sweden is good at bringing what’s current and what people listen to outside the Eurovision bubble. Look at Frans in 2016.. It became the biggest success that year. Not the winner. But this is why fans are torn I think. They want something different and a bit odd to… Read more »

Malin
Malin
6 years ago

OK, but this article is about the result of the melfest, so…?

esc freak
esc freak
6 years ago

Not surprised Elias was very close to Olivia. I thought he would make it to Andra Chansen at least.

Justina
Justina
6 years ago

orrrr there could be a surprise third winner just like last year Portugal. bookies predicted Italy would win last year but look what happened

Andy
Andy
6 years ago
Reply to  Justina

How was Portugal a surprise winner? It’s been one of the big favorites ever since their song was chosen.

Kris
Kris
6 years ago

So that makes it the strongest semi no?
John came 3rd and Renaida 9th!

Erik Ekelund
Erik Ekelund
6 years ago

To you who think this was a weak year of Melodifestivalen. With all due respect the entries are doing amazingly well on spotify Sweden, which is the most important chart in Sweden these days. They are maybe doing better than anytime before. There is just so many hits. What Swedish media predominantly has complained about this year is the programme in itself like script, interval acts and things like that. If you think it´s a weak year it´s probably due to that you´re not really into pophits. Me, who is a sucker for a good popsong do like more songs… Read more »

Mattias Sollerman
Mattias Sollerman
6 years ago
Reply to  Erik Ekelund

Also, the final had more viewers than 2016 and 2014.

Malin
Malin
6 years ago
Reply to  Erik Ekelund

Under semi tycker man alltid det är svagt, och funderar om inte det är svagaste året. Sedan står man inför en final och vill att det ska gå bra för många bidrag och kan nästan inte bestämma vem man har som favorit.

Sedan hör man låtar som Edavard Blom som man bara ville gråta över, men upptäcker vad glad man blir att höra den och flera andra låtar växer. Så inser man, det var en knippe riktigt bra låtar, i år igen. : )

Malin
Malin
6 years ago
Reply to  Erik Ekelund

Håller även med om att Benjamins låt är riktigt bra poplåt. Kanske lite för amerikaskt sound för ESC. Men oavsett hur det går, så jäkligt bra låt.

Denis
Denis
6 years ago

Don’t agree that 2018 was a weak year. It’s not worse than other recent years. I think it is in the same League as 2015 .
2013 was a weak year, 2014 too. Going back 2005 was weak. 2018 is better than those.
Neither is Ingrosso a weak choice. Outside Wiwiblogg sphere people seem to like it. It might not be a winner candidate but is any other song a winner candidate? It is a much better song than Robin B last year

Charli Cheer Up
Charli Cheer Up
6 years ago

Not sure which betting odds site you guys were focusing on in another article but it seems like the Swedes didn’t care much about it since their ‘favorite to win’ was Jessica Andersson despite the fact that Benjamin got the highest televotes overall.

Charli Cheer Up
Charli Cheer Up
6 years ago

Also, its actually not that surprising that Martin got the highest votes in SF4. He’s a Swedish Idol winner duh. Even on Lisa Ajax’s Melfest debut she got the highest votes on her heats already. Renaida also very well known because she came 6th on Idol. Jessica Andresson may have won Melfest before but that wasway back in early 2000s..

Denis
Denis
6 years ago

Jessica was never the favourite though. That was a strange betting.

benjelix ingroman
benjelix ingroman
6 years ago

This is stolen from some random Twitter post I saw on the #melfest tag, but…

For the final, to ensure the televote is JUST as split as the jury vote is, why not just divide the televote between each of the havent-been-used-in-melfest-for-years districts of Sweden? Like they each give the same set of points as the jury to their top ranked songs but like ESC, it’s combiend and given all at once? Surely that’d work, right?

Kris
Kris
6 years ago

I love that idea really!!

Colin
Colin
6 years ago

Melfest app voting system is a slippery slope which can give way more power to the jury compared to the televote. Sure, THIS TIME, Benjamin actually won on both fronts, but even if he didn’t win the televote, he would have won. He got 114 points from the juries compared to only 67 from the televote. Mendez was third in the televote and still ended-up last in overall score. The app differences are incredibly small: Benjamin got just under 11%, while lowest placed Jessica got over 5%. The differences are way too small to significantly push someone over the jury… Read more »

Mattias Sollerman
Mattias Sollerman
6 years ago
Reply to  Colin

The app vote, which basically is a form of cardinal voting system, is arguably the most democratically sound form of televote imaginable. Cardinal voting/range voting is the method most likely to elect a condorcet winner, resulting is the highest level of satisfaction among the voters. Almost all other selections have a straight plurality vote, which probably is the worst system, in terms of fairness. The problem is not the app vote in itself, but rather as you say the combination of app vote and jury vote. The juries use a type of Borda count voting system, which inherently creates a… Read more »

Malin
Malin
6 years ago
Reply to  Colin

I like that we have the app.

I början var jag emot det, men inser nu fördelarna med appen. Vad tycker andra från Sverige. Mer intresserad av vad ni tycker.

Mattias Sollerman
Mattias Sollerman
6 years ago
Reply to  Malin

“In a political election it is one person one vote, could you imagine if each member of the public had 2, 3, or 5 votes each? It would be utter chaos.” It’s unclear what you mean by one person one vote in this context, since the app doesn’t violate this principle. Approval voting is used all over the world for different kinds of elections. Although never tested in countrywide general elections, both theory and empricial evidence clearly suggest it is superior to plurality/first past the post. There are many other examples of systems which give the voter ‘more than one… Read more »

Malin
Malin
6 years ago

Har ni läst, blir så stol över att vara svensk när jag läste inlägget på FB och artikeln i expressen. Har kommit långt när svenska hetrokillar agerar så här!

This is what I am proud abot as a Sweed. Which I could explain this article in english.

https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/augusts-24-starka-inlagg-efter-kyssen-i-tv/

Har ni läst, blir så stol över att vara svensk när jag läste inlägget på FB och artikeln i expressen. Har kommit långt när svenska hetrokillar agerar så här!

Lolek
Lolek
6 years ago

Still sad about Dotter not making AC or the finals tbh…

Troy
Troy
6 years ago

I think this is likely just a reflection of the lack of other decent entries in the competition this year rather than anything particularly great about Dance You Off. Votes are always going to be more evenly distributed when there’s more competition.

Denis
Denis
6 years ago
Reply to  Troy

Oh please. This year wasn’t worse than other years. It was the same as 2015. Måns won huge that year even though he had competeition

Marc
Marc
6 years ago
Reply to  Denis

Heroes was at least the most successful chart song that year.
Dance you off isn’t. Every Single Day is the Hit showing Swedes good taste.
Benjamin’s win in the televote was not big compared to Måns or Frans.
Agree it wasn’t the worst melfest of the decade for sure.

Malin
Malin
6 years ago
Reply to  Marc
Malin
Malin
6 years ago
Reply to  Malin

Om du kan svenska, : )

Denis
Denis
6 years ago

More votes than both Loreen, Måns and Frans, three of our biggest winners? That’s impressive. Could it mean something?

Malin
Malin
6 years ago
Reply to  Denis

Ja, jag tror vi har stor chans, men vi ska nog inte andas det. Bäst om escfansen inte retar upp sig på oss svenskar så det slår tillbaka mot bidraget genom hat skriverier på bloggar, youtube etc. Men hoppas och tror, har jäkligt bra känsla.

Emsel
Emsel
6 years ago
Reply to  Denis

Not really, since they introduced app voting in the last two years meaning that people can now vote up to 5 times for each song for free.

Denis
Denis
6 years ago
Reply to  Emsel

I think there was app in 2015 too?

Unknown Melody
Unknown Melody
6 years ago
Reply to  Denis

The app didn’t work during the 2015 final

Emsel
Emsel
6 years ago
Reply to  Denis

Oh, yeah, you’re right. God, it’s been around longer than I thought 🙂

But still, you can’t really compare numbers with Måns and Loreen though.

Kris
Kris
6 years ago

Well i clearly saw the heart flicker longer for Olivia than for Renaida during the Andra Chansen duel? App malfunction?

doris
doris
6 years ago
Reply to  Kris

The heart/app voting alone doesn’t indicate on anything, Renaldo probably got more votes from the SMS and phone.

Marc
Marc
6 years ago
Reply to  doris

At the final Benjamin came 4th with the heartbeats behind Mendez, John and Liamoo. I dunno. This whole system is a bit messy xD

doris
doris
6 years ago
Reply to  Marc

I didn’t pay attention to the heartbeats tbh, what you say might be true. But people mostly also vote by calling or texting and that may have been the axe with Benjamin getting more votes through text and calling in

Jerome
Jerome
6 years ago

Chris, didn’t Renaida receive the most votes out of all the Andra Chansen acts? She got 884, 188 votes, right? That’s more than Margaret.

Kris
Kris
6 years ago
Reply to  Malin

What’s the point of writing no if the link you direct us to shows that Renaida had more votes than Margaret in Andra chansen

Malin
Malin
6 years ago
Reply to  Kris

What, have to get glases ; )

Jerome
Jerome
6 years ago
Reply to  Chris Halpin

No problem. Happy to help.

Ari
Ari
6 years ago

Tip for Sweden: If you’re gonna send S&V at some point, you should send them while they’re still young. Otherwise, it’d probably become a Rolandz-kind.of-thing.

Thiago
Thiago
6 years ago

Samir & Viktor would have been a better choice imo.

Bella
Bella
6 years ago

What I still find funny is how Martin Almgren and Jessica Andersson managed to win over Mendez in deltävling 3 but in the final, Mendez was our 3rd televote favorite while the first 2 got the fewest votes by us. Same with Felix coming second at the televote in the finals over Mariette and Rolandz. Samir&Viktor winning deltävling 2 was probably the best thing out of melfest this year. Äntligen Sverige!

Malin
Malin
6 years ago
Reply to  Bella

Tror Mendes fick röster i finalen efter att många fått den som favorit när de lyssnat på studioversionen, samtidigt som det pratades om att han var förkyld vilket kanske gjorde att folk såg mellan fingrarna att inte rösten höll.
Felix behövde nog bara en extra lyssning. : )

Är så kass att uttrycka mig på engelska. Så blir svenska.

bella
bella
6 years ago
Reply to  Malin

Men lite konstigt var det väl att de två finalisterna från deltävling 3 fick lägst röster medan andra chansen deltagaren fick tredje flest? Så skevt hahaha men förstår diin synpunkt och håller med ang. Felix

Cocooo
Cocooo
6 years ago
Reply to  bella

Samma sak hände 2015 när Hasse Andersson gick till andra chansen men sen fick tredje högsta andelen telefonröster i finalen. Låten växte på folk och blev populär, därav de högre rösterna 🙂

Denis
Denis
6 years ago
Reply to  Bella

Well Jessica got the least amount of heartvotes of all DF songs. Her heart was so weak. So it wasn’t that surprising.
It’s more surprising that she was a favourite to win according to some. Det var mer konstigt. Vissa av AC låtarna hade starkare hjärta.

Kris
Kris
6 years ago
Reply to  Bella

Well, Mendez hit three notes in the final which is infinitely more than in the heats!