Sweden: SVT to launch Melodifestivalen Hall of Fame, will celebrate iconic moments

The first semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2020 is due to take place in just over two weeks. And with it comes the news that this year Swedish broadcaster SVT will launch a Melodifestivalen Hall of Fame. The honour will celebrate the all-time great moments of the broadcaster’s flagship song contest.

Six decades after the contest was launched in 1959, SVT will look back at the most memorable moments of previous editions of Melodifestivalen. And the Hall isn’t just open to singers. SVT says that any memorable achievement — such as choreography — can be nominated for the Hall.

Melodifestivalen senior producer Christer Björkman says that the Hall of Fame is a way of honouring the festival’s history. He explained, “The winners are not always remembered in the festival’s history. There is so much else we want to honour.”

The Melodifestivalen Hall of Fame will be launched at the Melodifestivalen 2020 andra chansen show on 29 February. There, in a special extended show, Swedish viewers will be introduced to the inaugural 48 honorees who will be inducted into the hall. Their Mello moments will be presented during the show in different ways, suggesting a mix of live performances and video flashbacks.

Among the 48 will be Sweden’s previous Eurovision winners, as they all automatically get a place in the hall. This means that ABBA, Herreys, Carola, Charlotte Perrelli, Loreen and Måns Zelmerlöw will be among that first group.

The 48 were chosen by the Melodifestivalen management team: Christer Björkman, Karin Gunnarsson, Anette Helenius and Christel Tholse Willers. Their picks were guided by recent a audience survey made on the Melodifestivalen app.

In subsequent years, a jury will select 18 nominees to be considered for the Hall each year, across the entire Melfest history. Melodifestivalen viewers will vote and the top six nominees will be inducted into the Hall of Fame that year.

All people inducted into the hall will receive a Guldstjärna — gold star — trophy. The trophy is inspired by the rays of a star and is said to represent combined efforts forming a whole.

At the moment the Hall of Fame is only figurative, but Christer Björkman says that they would eventually like to have a physical space.

Melodifestivalen Hall of Fame Nomination Criteria

Nominated moments must have happened at least ten years ago. SVT says this is to ensure that the experience has made “a lasting impression in the collective memory”.

This means that modern Melodifestivalen moments like Eric Saade’s “Popular” glass smash, Robin Stjernberg’s surprise win — or indeed Samir & Viktor’s shirtless paddling pool romp — won’t be eligible yet. But anything prior to this is a possibility.

SVT wants moments that have “aroused emotions, been innovative, have originality but above all have a broad and lasting impact.”

But despite all these stipulations, the broadcaster also says there can be exceptions to these rules. The jury may nominate an act if they decide it has been unforgettable in other ways.

The first semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2020 begins on Saturday 1 February.

What do you think? Who else should be inducted into the Hall of Fame? What moments would you like to see honoured? Tell us your thoughts below!

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