In a letter to the Association of Icelandic songwriters, Páll Magnússon, the managing director of Icelandic television broadcaster RÚV has announced that all entries to Söngvakeppnin 2011 shall be performed entirely in Icelandic, claiming that it's an Icelandic song contest intended for the entertainment of Icelandic television viewers. The statement has received mixed feelings amongst the Icelandic public, who for the most part support and prefer the Icelandic Eurovision entries to be performed in English.
Format
Fifteen songs in total competed in where the winner was determined after three semi-finals and a final. Five songs competed in each semi-final and the top two songs from each semi-final, as determined by public televoting, qualified to the final which took place on 12 February 2011. The winning entry in the final was determined once again by televoting.
Competing entries
Composers can submit their entries until midnight on 18 October 2010. The selection process is open only to residents of Iceland. Icelandic composers are however allowed to collaborate with composers residing outside Iceland and each composer may enter a maximum of three songs.
Shows
Semi-final 1
The first semi-final took place on 15 January 2011 where five of the competing acts performed. The top two entries decided solely by televoting advanced to the final.
Semi-final 2
The second semi-final took place on 22 January 2011 where five of the competing acts performed. The top two entries decided solely by televoting advanced to the final.
Semi-final 3
The third semi-final took place on 29 January 2011 where five of the competing acts performed. The top two entries decided solely by televoting advanced to the final. Sigurjón Brink was expected to compete in the semi-final, however Brink died unexpectedly on 17 January in Garðabær. Therefore, 3 songs were allowed to qualify from the semi-final.
Final
The final was held on 12 February 2011. The winner was decided solely by televoting.
At Eurovision
Iceland sang in fourteenth position in the first semi-final of the contest, on 10 May, qualifying for the final. Alexandru Busa of Esctoday.com regarded the Icelandic song as one of the darkest horses in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest. In the final, the group got 20th, but also Hungary gave it 12 points.
Split results
In the Semi-final 1 Iceland came 4th with 100 points: the public awarded Iceland 6th place with 79 points and the jury awarded 3rd place with 104 points.
In the Final Iceland came 20th with 61 points: the public awarded Iceland 19th place with 60 points and the jury awarded 19th place with 72 points.
