Malta was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "My Dream", written by Jason Cassar and Sunny Aquilina, and performed by Thea Garrett. The Maltese participating broadcaster, Public Broadcasting Services (PBS), selected its entry through the national final The GO Malta Eurosong 2010. The competition consisted of a semi-final round and a final, held between 9 December 2009 and 20 February 2010, where "My Dream" performed by Thea Garrett eventually emerged as the winning entry after scoring the most points from a five-member jury and a public televote.
Malta was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 25 May 2010. Performing during the show in position 11, "My Dream" was not announced among the top 10 entries of the first semi-final and therefore did not qualify to compete in the final on 29 May. It was later revealed that Malta placed twelfth out of the 17 participating countries in the semi-final with 45 points.
Background
Prior to the 2010 contest, the Maltese Broadcasting Authority (MBA) until 1975, and the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) since 1991, had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Malta twenty-two times since MBA's first entry in 1971. After competing in , Malta was absent from the contest beginning in 1976. The country had, to this point, competed in every contest since returning in 1991. Their best placing in the contest thus far was second, which it achieved on two occasions: with the song "7th Wonder" performed by Ira Losco and with the song "Angel" performed by Chiara. In , "What If We" performed by Chiara qualified to the final and placed 22nd.
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, PBS organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. The broadcaster confirmed its intentions to participate at the 2010 contest on 9 September 2009. The Maltese broadcaster had selected their entry consistently through a national final procedure, a method that was continued for its 2010 participation.
Before Eurovision The GO Malta Eurosong 2010 The GO Malta Eurosong 2010 was the national final format developed by PBS to select the Maltese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. The competition consisted of a semi-final held between 8 December 2009 and 13 January 2010, and a final held on 20 February 2010. All shows were broadcast on Television Malta (TVM), while the final was also broadcast on the official Eurovision Song Contest website eurovision.tv.
Format The competition consisted of thirty-six songs competing in the semi-final which consisted of six shows with six songs each between 8 December 2009 and 13 January 2010, broadcast during the TVM talent show L-Isfida. The first show was initially scheduled to take place on 9 November 2009, but was delayed due to legal disputes between PBS and former chairwoman of the Maltese Eurovision selection Grace Borg regarding the prohibition of submissions from foreign songwriters. The top twenty entries qualified to compete in the final on 20 February 2010. Five judges evaluated the songs during the shows and each judge had an equal stake in the final result. In the semi-final, an additional two set of votes were the results of the votes submitted by the public via telephone and SMS, each having a weighting equal to the votes of a single judge. In the final, the results of the public televote had a weighting equal to the total votes of the judges.
Competing entries Artists and composers were able to submit their entries between 1 and 30 October 2009. Both artists and songwriters were required to be Maltese or possess Maltese citizenship. Songwriters were able to submit as many songs as they wished, however, artists were only able to submit a maximum of one song. 123 entries were received by the broadcaster. The thirty-six songs selected to compete in the semi-final were announced on 4 December 2009. Among the selected competing artists was former Maltese Eurovision entrant Mike Spiteri who represented Malta in 1995 and Miriam Christine who represented Malta in 1996. The jury panel that selected the thirty-six semi-finalists consisted of Michelle Abela (Malta), Christian Axiak (Malta), Mariella Spiteri (Malta), Joe Tanti (Malta), Munro Forbes (Cyprus), Johanna van Lent-Singles (Netherlands) and Jeff Simpson (United Kingdom).
Artist Song Songwriter(s) Aldo Busuttil "Pizzicato" Philip Vella, Alfred C. Sant Ally "Curiosity" Elton Zarb, Gerard James Borg Audrey Marie Bartolo "Good Intentions" Miriam Christine Borg, Rita Pace Baklava "Euphoria" Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg Claire Galea "Ole Satchmo Blues" Claire Galea, Erin Stewart Tanti, Claire Galea Claudia Faniello "Samsara" Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg Cynthia Attard "If I Knew" Miriam Christine, Gerard James Borg Dario Bezzina "Grave Dancers" Chan Vella, Alexia Schembri Dorothy Bezzina "Moments" Chan Vella, Alexia Schembri Eleanor Cassar "Choices" Paul Giordimaina, Fleur Balzan Eleanor Spiteri "Velvet Ocean" Paul Abela, Joe Julian Farrugia Foxy Federation "Fired Up" Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg Francesca Borg "I Surrender" Dominic Cini, Mario J. Caruana Glen Vella "Just a Little More Love" Paul Giordimaina, Fleur Balzan Godwin Lucas and Eve Daly "The Best Years" Carm Fenech J. Anvil "Mirage" Andrew Zahra, Deo Grech Jessica Muscat "Fake" Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg Josef Tabone "Who Cares?" Elton Zarb, Rita Pace Klinsmann "Her Name Was Anne" Jonathan Spiteri, Klinsmann Coleiro, Aldo Spiteri Lawrence Gray "Stories" Ray Agius, Godwin Sant Mike Spiteri "Twenty Thousand Leagues" Ray Agius, Alfred C. Sant Miriam Christine "Beautiful Contradiction" Miriam Christine Borg, Gerard James Borg Nadine Axisa and Clifford Galea "Once in a Lifetime" Jason Paul Cassar, Mario Farrugia Pamela Bezzina "Hold On" Paul Giordimaina, Fleur Balzan Petra Zammit "All I Need" Andrew Zammit, Keith Zammit Priscilla and Kurt "Waterfall" Mark Debono, Rita Pace Raquela "Here I Am" Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg Richard Edwards "Change" Richard Micallef Roger Tirazona "Silver Rain" Paul Abela, Joe Julian Farrugia Rosman Pace "Hypnotized" Rosman Pace Ruth Portelli "Three Little Words" Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg Ryan Dale and Duminka "One 4 U" Ryan Dale, Jon Lukas Silver Clash "Broken" Robert Parde Thea Garrett "My Dream" Jason Paul Cassar, Sunny Aquilina Tiziana Calleja "Words Are Not Enough" John David Zammit, Paul Callus Wayne Micallef "Save a Life" Wayne Micallef
Shows
Semi-final The semi-final phase took place over six shows between 9 December 2009 and 13 January 2010, all held at the Audiovision TV Studios in Hamrun and hosted by former Maltese Eurovision entrant Claudette Pace who represented Malta in 2000. Thirty-six songs competed for twenty qualifying spots in the final, which were announced on 16 January 2010. The allocation of the six entries competing in each show was announced on 8 December 2009. + Semi-final – 9 December 2009 – 13 January 2010 Broadcast Artist Song Result 9 December 2009 1 Raquela "Here I Am" 2 Ally "Curiosity" 3 Richard Edwards "Change" 4 Foxy Federation "Fired Up" Qualified 5 Klinsmann "Her Name Was Anne" Qualified 6 J. Anvil "Mirage" 16 December 2009 1 Aldo Busuttil "Pizzicato" 2 Claudia Faniello "Samsara" Qualified 3 Claire Galea "Ole Satchmo Blues" Qualified 4 Godwin Lucas and Eve Daly "The Best Years" 5 Josef Tabone "Who Cares?" 6 Glen Vella "Just a Little More Love" Qualified 23 December 2009 1 Miriam Christine "Beautiful Contradiction" 2 Thea Garrett "My Dream" Qualified 3 Tiziana Calleja "Words Are Not Enough" Qualified 4 Eleanor Spiteri "Velvet Ocean" Qualified 5 Francesca Borg "I Surrender" 6 Eleanor Cassar "Choices" Qualified 30 December 2009 1 Audrey Marie Bartolo "Good Intentions" Qualified 2 Wayne Micallef "Save a Life" Qualified 3 Ryan Dale and Duminka "One 4 U" Qualified 4 Mike Spiteri "Twenty Thousand Leagues" 5 Cynthia Attard "If I Knew" 6 Dario Bezzina "Grave Dancers" 6 January 2010 1 Petra Zammit "All I Need" Qualified 2 Pamela Bezzina "Hold On" Qualified 3 Nadine Axisa and Clifford Galea "Once in a Lifetime" Qualified 4 Priscilla and Kurt "Waterfall" Qualified 5 Baklava "Euphoria" 6 Rosman Pace "Hypnotized" 13 January 2010 1 Ruth Portelli "Three Little Words" Qualified 2 Roger Tirazona "Silver Rain" 3 Jessica Muscat "Fake" 4 Silver Clash "Broken" Qualified 5 Lawrence Gray "Stories" Qualified 6 Dorothy Bezzina "Moments" Qualified
Final The final took place on 20 February 2010 at the Malta Fairs & Convention Centre in Ta' Qali, hosted by Keith Demicoli and Pauline Agius with backstage commentary and interviews conducted by Owen Bonnici. The twenty entries that qualified from the semi-final were performed again and the 50/50 combination of votes of a five-member jury panel and the results of public televoting determined the winner. The show was opened with a guest performance of "What If We" performed by 1998, 2005 and 2009 Maltese Eurovision entrant Chiara, while the interval act featured performances by 1992 Maltese Eurovision entrant Mary Spiteri, 2008 Armenian Eurovision entrant Sirusho, the Dancel Dance Studio dance troupe and the local bands Chasing Pandora and Winter Moods. After the votes from the jury panel and televote were combined, "My Dream" performed by Thea Garrett was the winner.
+ Final20 February 2010 Artist Song Jury Televote Total Place 1 Dorothy Bezzina "Moments" 21 6 27 10 2 Foxy Federation "Fired Up" 0 9 9 18 3 Lawrence Gray "Stories" 21 12 33 7 4 Eleanor Spiteri "Velvet Ocean" 25 14 39 5 5 Claudia Faniello "Samsara" 3 28 31 8 6 Thea Garrett "My Dream" 54 48 102 1 7 Priscilla and Kurt "Waterfall" 6 13 19 12 8 Nadine Axisa and Clifford Galea "Once in a Lifetime" 7 12 19 12 9 Glen Vella "Just a Little More Love" 28 30 58 2 10 Audrey Marie Bartolo "Good Intentions" 7 3 10 17 11 Klinsmann "Her Name Was Anne" 10 16 26 11 12 Claire Galea "Ole Satchmo Blues" 3 6 9 18 13 Wayne Micallef "Save a Life" 27 9 36 6 14 Petra Zammit "All I Need" 7 7 14 15 15 Ryan Dale and Duminka "One 4 U" 7 6 13 16 16 Eleanor Cassar "Choices" 5 11 16 14 17 Silver Clash "Broken" 0 5 5 20 18 Tiziana Calleja "Words Are Not Enough" 13 32 45 3 19 Ruth Portelli "Three Little Words" 19 12 31 8 20 Pamela Bezzina "Hold On" 27 13 40 4 + Song Juror Total12345 1 "Moments" 8 2 8 3 21 2 "Fired Up" 0 3 "Stories" 3 6 5 5 2 21 4 "Velvet Ocean" 4 8 3 10 25 5 "Samsara" 2 1 3 6 "My Dream" 12 12 12 6 12 54 7 "Waterfall" 4 2 6 8 "Once in a Lifetime" 6 1 7 9 "Just a Little More Love" 6 10 1 7 4 28 10 "Good Intentions" 7 7 11 "Her Name Was Anne" 3 7 10 12 "Ole Satchmo Blues" 1 2 3 13 "Save a Life" 4 3 12 8 27 14 "All I Need" 7 7 15 "One 4 U" 1 6 7 16 "Choices" 5 5 17 "Broken" 0 18 "Words Are Not Enough" 5 8 13 19 "Three Little Words" 10 4 5 19 20 "Hold On" 10 7 10 27
Promotion Thea Garrett made several appearances across Europe to specifically promote "My Dream" as the Maltese Eurovision entry. On 15 April, Garrett took part in promotional activities in Slovakia and performed during the Eurovision in Concert event, which was held at the Lexion venue in Zaanstad, Netherlands on 24 April and hosted by Cornald Maas and Marga Bult. On 30 April, she appeared during the TV Limburg talk show Studio TVL and performed during the Pink Nation event which was held in Antwerp, Belgium. In addition to her international appearances, Thea Garrett also completed promotional activities in Malta where she appeared during the TVM talk show programme Xarabank on 21 May and performed the Maltese version of "My Dream", entitled "Ħolma".
At Eurovision