Vision Music Awards 2020: Iceland’s Daði & Gagnamagnið win Best Staging Concept

As all Eurovision fans know, the “vision” part of the contest is almost as important as the song itself. With a plethora of lights, effects and pyrotechnics at their disposal, every country dreams of an iconic staging moment that will make the public pick up their phones and impress the juries. In short, the staging can make or break a song.

For Eurovision 2020 of course, those dreams were dashed. All we were left with were staging blueprints, and winks towards staging ambitions from music videos and national selection performances. The thought of what might have been never rang truer, as we were promised some incredible performances.

In previous editions of the Vision Music Awards (VMAs), we’ve given an award for Most Memorable Staging. But for 2020, we asked you to vote for the Best Staging Concept.

After counting 2,493 votes, we have a winner…

VMAs 2020: Daði & Gagnamagnið win Best Staging Concept

With 207 votes (8.30% of the total), Daði & Gagnamagnið have won the 2020 Vision Music Award for Best Staging Concept.

The staging concept for their song “Think About Things” could have been cut from Söngvakeppnin – Iceland’s national final – and pasted onto the stage in Rotterdam, it was ready to go. From the dance that took social media by storm, to the fake instruments and the iconic green jumpers. Not to mention already knowing exactly when to look at which camera on every specific line. We will never know if it would have achieved the potential seen by many to give Iceland their first Eurovision crown. Nevertheless, the touching, funky, retro style song about Daði’s newborn child has gone down in Eurovision folklore without ever stepping foot onto the Eurovision stage.

Technically, this of course is a new category, but Daði Freyr joins an esteemed list of previous VMA winners for the similar category of Most Memorable Staging. It includes Kate-Miller Heidke from 2019, Dihaj from 2017, Sergey Lazarev from 2016, Loïc Nottet from 2015, Donatan & Cleo from 2014 and Cezar Ouatu from 2013.

Runner’s up in this poll were Lithuania’s The Roop, with 192 votes (7.70%). The accompanying dance to their song “On Fire” was another popular staging moment from the national finals. Lead singer Vaidotas Valiukevičius filmed tutorials of the dance on social media so every man, woman, child and their dog could join in.

In third place is Russia’s Little Big, picking up 187 votes (7.50%). Eurovision 2020 could have been the year of quirky dance routines. Just as with Daði & Gagnamagnið and The Roop, the dance routine from their music video went viral. Indeed, the video is now the most watched ever on the official Eurovision YouTube channel with over 178 million views.

Full Results: Best Staging Concept

1. Iceland: Daði & Gagnamagnið – 207 votes (8.30%)
2. Lithuania: The Roop – 192 votes (7.70%)
3. Russia: Little Big – 187 votes (7.50%)
4. Azerbaijan: Samira Efendi – 160 votes (6.42%)
5. Bulgaria: VICTORIA – 150 votes (6.02%)
6. Armenia: Athena Manoukian – 118 votes (4.73%)
7. Switzerland: Gjon’s Tears – 96 votes (3.85%)
8. Australia: Montaigne – 93 votes (3.73%)
9. Romania: Roxen – 83 votes (3.33%)
10. Ukraine: Go_A – 82 votes (3.29%)
11. Greece: Stefania – 80 votes (3.21%)
12. Malta: Destiny – 77 votes (3.09%)
13. Serbia: Hurricane – 75 votes (3.01%)
14. Sweden: The Mamas – 75 votes (3.01%)
15. Italy: Diodato – 73 votes (2.93%)
16. Latvia: Samanta Tīna – 71 votes (2.85%)
17. Albania: Arilena Ara – 68 votes (2.73%)
18. Israel: Eden Alene – 68 votes (2.73%)
19. Norway: Ulrikke Brandstorp – 53 votes (2.13%)
20. Germany: Ben Dolic – 51 votes (2.05%)
21. Spain: Blas Canto – 46 votes (1.85%)
22. United Kingdom: James Newman – 40 votes (1.60%)
23. Ireland: Lesley Roy – 31 votes (1.24%)
24. San Marino: Senhit – 30 votes (1.20%)
25. Netherlands: Jeangu Macrooy 29 votes (1.16%)
26. Poland: Alicja – 28 votes (1.12%)
27. Cyprus: Sandro – 24 votes (0.96%)
28. Finland: Aksel Kankaanranta – 22 votes (0.88%)
29. Croatia: Damir Kedžo – 20 votes (0.80%)
30. Denmark: Ben & Tan – 20 votes (0.80%)
31. Slovenia: Ana Soklič – 20 votes (0.80%)
32. France: Tom Leeb – 19 votes (0.76%)
33. Estonia: Uku Suviste – 15 votes (0.60%)
34. Czech Republic: Benny Cristo – 14 votes (0.56%)
35. Belgium: Hooverphonic – 13 votes (0.52%)
36. Moldova: Natalia Gordienko – 13 votes (0.52%)
37. Georgia: Tornike Kipiani – 11 votes (0.44%)
38. North Macedonia: Vasil – 11 votes (0.44%)
39. Austria: Vincent Bueno – 10 votes (0.40%)
40. Belarus: V.A.L – 9 votes – (0.36%)
41. Portugal – Elisa – 9 votes – (0.36%)

Vision Music Awards 2020

This award is just one of six awards we launched as part of the 2020 Vision Music Awards (VMAs). Our six categories included Most Likely to Succeed Commercially, Best Home Concert, Best Quarantine Couture, Most Uplifting Message, Best Interior Design and Best Staging Concept.

What do you think of the results? Who did you vote for and let us know why in the comments below.

Follow all the Vision Music Awards results here