This friday, 28 January, NDR's head of entertainment Dr. Jürgen Meier-Beer will name 9 of the 12 participants of the national final Germany 12 Points!. Three wildcards will be given to chart acts right before the final on 12 March.

On NDR's Eurovision homepage, Meier-Beer promised an “interesting mix”. Apart from the nine participants to be named this friday, up to three last-minute wildcards will be given to artists which have to qualify by placing a hit single into the German charts. In 2004, Max Mutzke qualified only days before the national final by scoring a number one hit with his entry Can't wait until tonight. He then won the televoting with 92%.

TV show host and sports reporter Reinhold Beckmann will host Germany 12 Points!. Unlike last year, there will be no female co-host. The final will take place in the Treptow Arena in Berlin again, tickets for the final are on sale now. A CD compilation will be on sale as of 25 February.

Three artists already confirmed their participation in Germany 12 Points!: former soap star and singer-songwriter Mia Aegeter (born in Switzerland), Ellen ten Damme from the Netherlands and female singer Villaine from Cologne.