Earlier this year, Finland’s broadcaster YLE confirmed that its national final UMK 2020 would revert to open entry. Now the broadcaster has confirmed that of the 426 entries received, six songs have been selected to compete at the grand final in March 2020.
The upcoming edition of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) will revert to open entry, after two years of using an internally selected artist.
And despite the disappointing results of Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman in Tel Aviv, it seems that interest in UMK is stronger than ever.
The broadcaster confirmed that it has received 426 entries. That’s significantly higher than the “over 300” entries received for UMK 2018 — before the public entries were scrapped in favour of internally selecting Saara Aalto.
The high number of entries follows a months-long campaign from UMK to get the Finnish music industry interested and involved in UMK 2020. The television broadcaster has teamed up with the youth-focused radio network YleX. The competition aims to attract young, new talent (Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu literally means “New music competition”) and help boost the career of the competing acts
Tapio Hakanen — YleX’s music manager and head of the UMK 2020 selection jury — spoke positively about the selection process: “The music industry’s response to the return to an open competition was really positive. The participating songs featured some of Finland’s best songwriters, composers and producers. The finalists were selected by a jury of ten, featuring music experts from inside and outside of YLE.”
Hakanen also promises that the finale will be of a “very high standard” with tracks that are “varied in terms of style and performers.”
The six UMK 2020 finalists will be announced at a special event on Tuesday 21 January 2020. At the same time, the names of the ten UMK selection jury members will be released.
The grand final of UMK 2020 will be held on Saturday 7 March 2020. The winner will be selected by the votes of the public televote and an expert jury.
What do you think? Who would you like to see compete in UMK 2020? What sort of entry should Finland send to Rotterdam? Tell us your thoughts below!
It would be nice if someone popular will participate, like Sunrise Avenue, ALMA or maybe Emma (2017 UMK) again.
This year’s UMK sounds promising, much more so than the two precedent flop years, in spite of all the love Saara Alto receives here. Good luck to Finland that was robbed big time in 2017
Aikuinen probably? He come back for the first time since 2015 releasing a song
Just 6 songs scares me, this will be the smallest Finnish NF in 20 years but if what YLE promises that all entries are diverse in styles and are retrospectively decent then I’ll look forward to UMK 2020. Though I do miss the 2013-6 years where so many good songs were in the selection!
I want to see rock/metal bands in the UMK final again!
I just loved blackbird and still do.. it’s in my top 5 songs of past 10 years at Eurovision .. atmospheric masterpiece ..
I’m kind of happy they’re turning the process back to how it was. Could be great. and praying to see Mikael Saari back
Please…………Mikael SAARI FOR FINLAND
Not super related: rumor mill says that Hungary pulled out because Eurovision is getting too gay.
You know what that means, right? They’re gonna start Magyarvision! (I kid but it’s also very Turkey-ish, and I’ll be very sad if they go down the same road and it’s more than a year out of the game.)
It would be interesting to know what’s going on behind the scences. Would Orban really care about Eurovision? I am not convinced. Poland is competing in both Eurovisions, wouldn’t their regime despise it just as much as Orban presumably/ allegedly does?
Thing about Poland is that we won JESC. Twice already. Right after Viki won, TVP had an interview with her AND head of TVP for some reason. They tried hard to make it looks like like Viki won because TVP is awesome, I’m not even kidding. I was shocked when I saw “reporter” asking Viki something like “don’t you agree that we could say that you owe this win to TVP?”. Like WTF. Do they use it to make them look good. Hungary cant do that od they don’t qualify. But don’t be surprised if Poland actually withdraw from ESC… Read more »
Blackbird, blackbird, come sing for me.
Blackbird was finals-ready. How on earth did that boring Australian song beat it out? Still feeling that pain.
5 other songs beat it too lol
Don’t sing below my window….
Kinda getting Helsinki 2021 vibes.
lol
Maybe we should hear the songs first?
It’s just intuition. I have a feeling Finland will succeed even without hearing the songs.