Little over two weeks ago, they won Dansk Melodi Grand Prix in front of an empty audience. But now — after the cancellation of Eurovision 2020 — Denmark‘s Ben & Tan have revealed they are interested in taking another shot at Eurovision.
Danish broadcaster DR has not confirmed anything about the next edition of the national final. However, in a recent interview, Ben & Tan’s manager revealed that the duo would be interested in entering Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2021.
Will Ben & Tan return to Melodi Grand Prix 2021?
Speaking to Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet, Ben & Tan’s manager Anders Fredslund-Hansen confirmed that he has asked for the duo to be invited back.
He explained, “I have discussed it with Ben & Tan, and what I have called for on their behalf is that Ben & Tan will be invited to the Danish Melodi Grand Prix next year with a wildcard so that they can participate in the competition with a new song.”
Fredslund-Hansen also revealed that the duo understood why they couldn’t take “YES” back to Eurovision. “They also understand that it is not interesting for anyone in 2021 to hear a song that is one year old. But we really hope they can have a chance if DR runs the competition the same way this year.”
Earlier this month, Ben & Tan’s song song “YES” won the Danish selection by a landslide, earning 61% of the votes. However, with Eurovision 2020 cancelled and songs from 2020 unable to be held over for 2021, Ben & Tan no longer have a ticket to Eurovision.
While some broadcasters have invited back their internally selected acts, the situation for artists chosen with a national final is more complicated.
Estonian broadcaster ERR has already invited back its 2020 act Uku Suviste to compete in Eesti Laul 2021. He has been guaranteed a place in the show’s semi-finals with whatever new song he enters.
Ekstra Bladet notes that DR has not yet decided what Melodi Grand Prix will look like next year, including the next roster of participants.
Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest
While the Danish broadcaster has not confirmed anything about their 2021 selection, it seems very likely that they will stick with a national final. Since Denmark’s debut in 1957, they have never selected a song internally. They are one of only five countries — alongside Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Romania — to hold this record.
Denmark most recently competed at Eurovision 2019. There, Leonora performed “Love Is Forever”, which placed 12th in the grand final.
Should DR “say yes” and give Ben & Tan a place in DMGP 2021? Or should the broadcaster break tradition and internally select the duo? Sound off in the comments below!
Of course they should come back but considering how little they appeared to care for each other when performing this year, I wonder how strained it would be one year later? 😉
Internally select them . They deserve it
Simone for Denmark 2021
Ben & Tan for 2021. All of the 41 artists that should have competed in 2020 edition should be selected for 2021. That’s what I call respect.
Nah, they are not good enough. Sorry
Hum… I think they would have been good enough to make the left part of the scoreboard this year. Not an impressive song but very efficient. It was a top 10 public.
Any other year they would have stayed in the semi but maybe you are right. This year was very weak so they probably would have been left side of the scoreboard
2020 was not weak
“Yes” could have been Top 10 televoting in the final ala Switzerland 2014
Why do people on this site always compare completely different entries to eachother.. You could just as well have said “this will win ala Ukraine 2016”. Really?
It’s sad they have to “confirm interest” in the national final instead of being picked to represent Denmark again.
Yep, that’s what I want. This is the least that broadcasters could do for the artists.
Every single national final could change formats and do what Romania did this year: give the 2020 artist a few songs that viewers can choose from. This is not rocket science. Furthermore, most of these national finals don’t even have a strong brand like Melodifestivalen, so the broadcasters could easily scrap them and select internally. In case a 2020 artist is not chosen again by their broadcaster, it probably means they didn’t like how they were perceived in the first place so they rather choose someone else.
No please its so mank sorry
Are you ok?
Fine thank you, and yourself?
Lets break the rules…..Ben and Tan for Danemark 2021 or i will throw my danish roots
I’m here for the National Final that will make me gasp and say Yes, we are sending this act because they won the right!! Don’t think it’ll happen but hoping it will because it would be fair.. And being fair is what counts not the money that you can make with a National Final..
On the one-hand, this is not the first time a DMGP winner wasn’t able to take part in Eurovision that same year, although through different circumstances. That winner’s song was revamped and became global hit by the songwriter’s band.
I guess that you’re referring to Kun med dig/Paint My love from 1996. That was another circumstance as It didn’t recieve enough points from the juries to qualify for the ESC in Oslo. This time it’s a global virus that has destroyed Ben & Tan’s and All other artists this year’s chances. That’s something different imo. Btw Martin Loft actually took part in DMGP 1997 as part of the group Stay Tuned and came second last.
what was song and year was that? i’m danish so i should know it lol
Kun med dig fra 1996.
I feel really bad for the artists who are not getting to go to Eurovision next year. I don’t see why there couldn’t be a Dansk Melodi Grand Prix or a Melodifestivalen next year but the winner just doesn’t go to Eurovision? They would still win their NF so get the kudos from that and they know from the start they won’t be going to Eurovision so everybody is clear from the outset. The 2020 artists worked so hard to get there, it seems so harsh to take it away from them.
I’m sorry but what is there to sing for. There’s no incentive to take part. Maybe for Mefest because it’s such a huge TV event in Sweden but for other countries I can’t see it working.
I guess this could work in Albania and Italy and would have worked in Estonia too
So your logic is to screw over next year’s contestants so that this year’s contestants dont get screwed over?
I don’t understand the sensitivity around this years artists not being automatically granted participation next year ..
A series of events have happened and unfortunately Eurovision this year is not happening .. if they want to compete next year submit internally along with all other internal submissions or compete in national finals .. this is a competition !!
If anything many of the competing countries will improve on chosen acts, it won’t be too hard as many this year were mediocre
Cue the thumbs downs towards this comment from many of you ..
Agree!
Word!
What’s that + button for?
It’s a form of wishful thinking extremely common among Europeans: If I think this very hard maybe reality will bend to match my wishful thinking.
Eurofans don’t want Eurovision to be cancelled, they want it postponed. so If the majority of singers from 2020 return in 2021, it’s almost “as if” Eurovision was postponed by one year and wasn’t cancelled. so they will do everything to encourage countries to re-send the artists so they can have their illusion of “posponed Eurovision”.
obviosuly, this is nothing more than a heart wish.