After two years out of the Eurovision Song Contest final, the Danes hope for a change. Getting a record of 1115 submitted entries, the shortlisted ten participants who will participate in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix are now known.

The ten participants of Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2017 were revealed in a press conference held by the Danish broadcaster DR. They are (in brackets – composers and lyricists):

1. Ida Una – One (Peter Bjørnskov, Lene Dissing)
2. Thomas Ring – Vesterbro (Thomas Ring)
3. Rikke Skytte – Color my world (Mads Løkkegaard, Joël Pagiël MacDonald, Mohamed Alitou, Laura Kloos)
4. Anja – Where I am (Anja Nissen, Angel Tupai, Michael D’Arcy)
5. Calling Mercury – Big little lies (Thomas Sardorf, Rune Braager, Martin Luke Brown)
6. Anthony – Smoke in my eyes (Kim Nowak-Zorde, Kasper Larsen, Hans Petersen, Ollie Marland, Phil Plested)
7. René Machon – Warriors (Astrid Cordes, Alexander Grandjean, Hans Petersen, Lars Andersen)
8. Sada Vidoo – Northern lights (Christoffer Lauridsen, Andreas Öhrn, Alessandra Günthardt)
9. Jeanette Bonde – Hurricane (Jeanette Bonde, Alexander Grandjean, Jeppe Pilgaard Ulrichsen, Nermin Harambasic)
10. Johanna Beijbom – A.S.A.P. (Peter Wallevik, Daniel Heløy Davidsen, Patrick Devine, Dimitri Stassos, Freja Jonsson Blomberg, Christian Fast)

The participating artists come from a big range of experience. This year’s lineup features no less than two X Factor Denmark winners: Thomas Ring (Season 3, 2010) and Anthony (Season 7, 2014). Two comebacks for DMGP are listed as well: Anja Nissen, who finished second in last year’s contest, and René Machon who participated two years ago with Mi amore. The Swedish Johanna Beijbom was a backing singer in Eurovision three times: Sweden 2012, Georgia 2013 and Denmark 2015. Rikke Skytte and Ida Una both broke through via YouTube and now will get a go on the big stage.

“The song which will to the Eurovision Song Contest, will perform really well – I’m quite sure! The Boxen is also a perfect setting for Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, and with Johannes and Annette in front, I can promise that it will be both highly professional and highly entertaining”, says Jan Lagermand Lundme, head of entertainment in DR.

The winner of DMGP 2017 will be decide in a special way: the expert jury will be replaced with a fan jury, made of five Danish fan-experts. They will be responsible for 50% of the votes, both during the first round of voting as well as in the superfinal. Televotes will make the other 50% in both voting rounds.

The participating entries are still a secret but will be released for listening on 20 February.

Dansk Melodi Grand Prix will take place on 25 February in the Jykse Bank Boxen Arena in Herning, hosted by Annette Heick & Johannes Nymark.

Stay tuned to ESCToday for more news regarding Dansk Melodi Grand Prix and Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017!