Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest


Norway has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 58 times since making its debut in and has only been absent twice since then. In 1970, the country boycotted the contest over disagreements about the voting structure, and in 2002, they were relegated. The contest is broadcast in Norway by NRK, which also broadcasts Norway's national selection competition, Melodi Grand Prix.
Before 1985, Norway's best result in the contest was Åse Kleveland's third-place in. Norway's three victories in the contest were achieved by Bobbysocks in, Secret Garden in and Alexander Rybak in. Norway also finished second at the contest, with former Bobbysocks member Elisabeth Andreassen. Norway has finished last in eleven Eurovision Song Contest finals, of which four times with "nul points". Norway has a total of eleven top-five results in the contest, the latest being Margaret Berger's fourth place in.

History

Norway's first entrant in the contest in 1960 was Nora Brockstedt, who finished fourth. Åse Kleveland then finished third in. Following Kleveland's result, Norway would fail to reach the top ten in 14 out of their next 15 attempts, the exception being Bendik Singers seventh place in.
Before, Norway had only reached the top five in two out of 24 attempts and had finished last six times. In 1985, Bobbysocks gave the country its first victory with the song "La det swinge". Norway went on to achieve two more top five results over the next ten years, with both Karoline Krüger in and Silje Vige in, finishing fifth.
Norway's second victory came in 1995 with Secret Garden's mainly instrumental, Celtic-influenced ethno-piece "Nocturne". In, Elisabeth Andreassen, who had won the contest as one half of Bobbysocks, returned to finish second. In, Jostein Hasselgård was fourth.
Norway won for the third time in 2009, with Alexander Rybak's smash hit "Fairytale". The 2009 winning score of 387 points being the highest ever winning total under the voting system used between 1975 and 2015. It also achieved the biggest ever margin of victory. 492 points were able to be rewarded in 2009. That's 78.7% of the total points that could be rewarded.
In, Norway finished last in the final for the 11th time. Norway has the two dubious distinctions of having finished last in the Eurovision final more than any other country and for having the most "nul points" in the contest, failing to score a point four times, in,, and. Austria has also scored "nul points" four times.
Since the introduction of the semi-final round in 2004, Norway has finished in the top ten seven times. Wig Wam finished ninth with the song "In My Dreams" in, Maria Haukaas Storeng was fifth in 2008 with "Hold On Be Strong", Alexander Rybak won in 2009, Margaret Berger was fourth in 2013 with "I Feed You My Love", Carl Espen finished eighth in 2014 performing "Silent Storm", Mørland & Debrah Scarlett finished eighth in with "A Monster Like Me", Jowst featuring Aleksander Walmann finished tenth with the song "Grab the Moment" in and Keiino finished sixth with the song "Spirit in the Sky" in . Norway has a total of 11 top five and 24 top ten results in the contest.

Contestants

Hostings

YearLocationVenuePresenters
BergenGrieghallenÅse Kleveland
OsloOslo SpektrumIngvild Bryn and Morten Harket
OsloTelenor ArenaNadia Hasnaoui, Haddy N'jie and Erik Solbakken

Songs of Europe

YearLocationVenuePresenters
1981MysenMomarkenRolf Kirkvaag and Titten Tei

Awards

Marcel Bezençon Awards

YearCategorySongComposer
lyrics / music 		PerformerFinalPointsHost city
Press Award"Fairytale"Alexander Rybak Alexander Rybak1387 Moscow
Composer Award"A Monster Like Me"Kjetil Mørland Mørland & Debrah Scarlett8102 Vienna

Winner by OGAE members

YearSongPerformerPlacePointsHost city
"Fairytale"Alexander Rybak1387 Moscow

Related involvement

Heads of delegation

Commentators and spokespersons

YearCommentatorSpokesperson
Erik Diesen:no:Kari Borg Mannsåker|Kari Borg Mannsåker
Leif RustadMette Janson
Odd GrytheKari Borg Mannsåker
:no:Øivind Johnssen |Øivind JohnsenRoald Øyen
Odd Grythe:no:Sverre Christophersen|Sverre Christophersen
Erik Diesen:no:Sverre Christophersen|Sverre Christophersen
Sverre ChristophersenErik Diesen
Erik DiesenSverre Christophersen
Roald ØyenSverre Christophersen
Sverre Christophersen:no:Janka Polanyi|Janka Polanyi
Sverre Christophersenrowspan="3"
Roald Øyen-
John Andreassen-
John AndreassenSverre Christophersen
John AndreassenSverre Christophersen
:no:Jo Vestly|Jo VestlySverre Christophersen
John AndreassenSverre Christophersen
Bjørn Scheele:no:Egil Teige|Egil Teige
Egil TeigeSverre Christophersen
Knut AunbuRoald Øyen
Knut AunbuSverre Christophersen
Bjørn ScheeleErik Diesen
:no:Ivar Dyrhaug|Ivar DyrhaugErik Diesen
Roald ØyenEgil Teige
:no:Veslemøy Kjendsli|Veslemøy KjendsliErik Diesen
Knut BjørnsenNina Matheson
John Andreassen and Tor PaulsenSverre Christophersen
John Andreassen:no:Andreas Diesen|Andreas Diesen
John AndreassenSverre Christophersen
Leif Erik ForbergSverre Christophersen
John Andreassen and Jahn TeigenSverre Christophersen
John AndreassenSverre Christophersen
Leif Erik ForbergSverre Christophersen
Jostein PedersenSverre Christophersen
Annette GrothSverre Christophersen
Jostein PedersenRagnhild Sælthun Fjørtoft
Jostein PedersenRagnhild Sælthun Fjørtoft
Jostein PedersenRagnhild Sælthun Fjørtoft
Jostein PedersenRagnhild Sælthun Fjørtoft
Jostein Pedersen:no:Marit Åslein|Marit Åslein
Jostein PedersenRoald Øyen
Jostein Pedersen
Jostein PedersenRoald Øyen
Jostein PedersenIngvild Helljesen
Jostein PedersenIngvild Helljesen
Jostein PedersenIngvild Helljesen
Per SundnesSynnøve Svabø
Per Sundnes and :no:Hanne Hoftun|Hanne HoftunStian Barsnes-Simonsen
Synnøve SvabøStian Barsnes-Simonsen
Olav Viksmo-SlettanAnne Rimmen
Olav Viksmo-SlettanNadia Hasnaoui
Olav Viksmo-SlettanNadia Hasnaoui
Olav Viksmo-SlettanTooji
Olav Viksmo-SlettanMargrethe Røed
Olav Viksmo-SlettanMargrethe Røed
Olav Viksmo-SlettanElisabeth Andreassen
Olav Viksmo-SlettanMarcus & Martinus
Olav Viksmo-SlettanAleksander Walmann and Jowst
Olav Viksmo-SlettanAlexander Rybak
Marte Stokstad
Marte Stokstad

Supervisors

List of supervisors of Melodi Grand Prix, better known as MGP-general or GP-general in Norway: