Today, the Hungarian broadcaster (MTV) revealed the 30 artists who will compete from 2 February for the country’s ticket to the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest. The successful pre-selection will be held in six stages this year.

Thirty artists and songs who will be competing to represent Hungary in the next Eurovision Song Contest were announced today by MTV. The country’s pre-selection will take place in six stages this year. The thirty songs will be divided in three heats to be held on 2, 9 and 16 February. The ones that qualify to the semi finals will compete once again on 23 and 24 February leading up to the final on 2 March. In the national final, all songs will be sung in Hungarian, however, the language could change after the winner is selected.

According to the broadcaster, this year, the public vote will weigh more than last year. In the final, the judges will choose the 4 songs for the ‘super-final’, out of which the public will select one song to participate Hungary in Sweden.

The jury panel will comprise:

• Magdi Rúzsa (Hungarian participant in Eurovision in 2007)
• Csaba Walkó (Lead vocalist of Compact Disco – the band that flew to Baku last year)
• Viktor Rakonczai (Member of VIP, the Hungarian participant in Eurovision from 1997, songwriter of Kati Wolf’s What about my dreams?)
• Jenő Csiszár (Hungarian radio presenter)
• Philip Rákay (M1 and M2 channels Executive)

This is the list of the thirty artists and their songs:

•  Plastikhead feat Laci Gáspár –  A szeretet él
• Peti Puskás – Amíg a tűz ég
• The (hated) Tomorrow zenekar – Anyáddal
• Gergő  Rácz- Csak állj mellém
• Gabi Völgyesi- Csak te légy
• Tamás Palcsó- Ezt látnod kell
• Edina Mókus Szirtes – Ha virág lennék
• Ádám Szabó – Hadd legyen más!
• Tamás Vastag – Holnaptól
• Gergő Baricz – Húz
• Mrs Columbo – Játszd újra
• Egy Másik Zenekar – Katatón dal
• Bye Alex – Kedvesem
• Gyula Éliás – Mindhalálig várni rád
• András Kállay Saunders- My baby
• Ildikó Kersztes – Nem akarok többé játszani
• Fatima Mohamed – Nem baj
• Background – Neonzöld
• Zoltán Fehér – Nincs baj
• Tibor Gyurcsik – Örök harc
• Rami – Puzzle
• Flash Travel – Soha ne add fel az álmaidat
• Szilvi Agárdi & Dénes Pál – Szíveddel láss
• Krisztián Burai – Született szívtörő
• United – Tegnap még más voltál
• Bence Brasch – Túl egyszerű
• Bogi – Tükörkép
• Gigi Radics – Úgy fáj
• Veca Janicsák – Új generáció
• Lilla Polyák – Valami más

The shows will be hosted by:

• Éva Novodomszky (Hungarian spokesperson in Eurovision since the 2007 contest)
• Gábor Gundel-Takács (Host of A Dal in 2011 and Hungarian commentator in Eurovision since the 2007 contest)
• Márton Buda (presenter at Petőfi Rádió) – he will make backstage interviews with the artists.

Last year, Hungary came 24th in the final, with Compact Disco’s Sound of our hearts. The best Hungarian result so far is from the conutry’s début from 1994, when Friderika Bayer sang her song Kinek mondjam el vétkeimet?, and won the 4th place overall.

Stay tuned for more news on the Hungarian selection – A Dal!