The confetti has settled, the ticker tape has been swept away, and now Danish broadcaster DR can finally turn its attention in earnest to the selection of a home entry to defend Emmelie de Forrest’s title in 2014. Today, the hunt began.

The last time Denmark selected a home entry, Rollo & King achieved a sparkling second place at the Copenhagen contest in 2001. This fact is not lost on DR’s entertainment editor, Rasmus Ladefoged, and he is well aware of the pressure to equal – or better – this record. Today, DR kicked the process off with a call for song submissions, with Ladefoged aiming straight for gold, stating unequivocally “we want to win again“.

Originality sought

Initial noises from DR suggest that originality, rather than familiarity, is the order of the day. “We want both massive hits and songs that break with tradition and help to develop Dansk Melodi Grand Prix“, says Ladefoged. And with a large pot of entries to choose from, expected to exceed the very healthy 692 songs submitted to the 2013 contest, it shouldn’t be hard for DR to discover a few gems in the pile.

Like the process which selected Emmelie de Forrest, there will be an open selection of 6 songs for the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2014 national final. The remaining 3 or 4 entries will be provided by composers invited by the broadcaster. If you fancy yourself as the next winning writer, the full rules and details of submission can be found at this link on the DR website.