Malta have had quite a long history at Junior Eurovision, and they first made their debut when the contest made their debut, back in 2003. They participated year after year with varying levels of success, however for the most part, found themselves towards the back end of the results table. In 2011, the nation took a break from the contest, and returned in 2013. Since their return, their results have been incredible with two wins within three years. Today we’re going through the good, the bad, and the interesting of Malta at Junior Eurovision, and then it will be up to you to vote for your Junior Best of the Bunch!
We’re starting in 2003 today, where Malta selected Sarah Harrison to perform the upbeat tune Like A Star. It was an energetic debut to the contest, with the performance full of dancing by Sarah and her backing team. The song finished in 7th place with a total of 56 points.
The following year, it was the Young Talent Team who were chosen to represent the island nation with the entry Power of a Song. Similar to the previous year, the entry had a catchy chorus and was full of energy and plenty of dancing! The song finished in 12th place with a total of 14 points.
In 2005, Thea and Friends were the representatives of the nation with the song Make It Right. It was another high energy pop song, but the performance had the added gimmick of a BMX rider on stage, who ditched the bike halfway through to join the dancing! Unfortunately for Malta, it wasn’t a successful entry, with the nation finishing in last place with just 18 points.
It was up to Sophie Debattista to turn the results around for Malta with her extra cute performance of her song Extra Cute. Perhaps you’d expect the performance to be bubblegum pop, but in fact it was more of a rock song, which was something new for Malta at Junior Eurovision! Although it didn’t grace the top 5, the song still achieved better results than previous years, finishing in 11th place with 48 points.
From Extra Cute to just Cute – that’s right, Malta sent the group called Cute to the contest with the very nondescript song title, Music. With their matching outfits, the girls were indeed cute, but beyond that, their performance was lively, especially during the choruses. The song finished in 12th place with 37 points.
In 2008, Daniel Testa was the nation’s representative. You may recognise the name, and that’s because in recent years Daniel has actually competed to be a part of the big Eurovision! He hasn’t yet made it to Eurovision, but nevertheless, he’s had the experience at Junior Eurovision with the song Junior Swing. It was the most successful Maltese entry up until that point, with the nation finishing in 4th place with 100 points!
The following year, it was the duo Francesca and Mikaela singing the song Double Trouble. The girls brought the sass to the stage, and once again Malta was sending a song which a very catchy hook! It wasn’t as successful as the previous entry, but it still found a place in the Top 10, finishing in 8th with 55 points.
In 2010, Nicole Azzopardi performed the song Knock Knock!…Boom Boom! There were some questionable costumes for this one, but when that song breaks into that pop beat, you forget it all and enjoy the melody! Again, it wasn’t the most loved Maltese entry, finishing in 13th place with 35 points.
Malta then took a break from the contest between 2011 and 2012.
2013 was the year for Malta. They were returning from a brief break, and they were refreshed and ready to win the contest. Win they did, with Gaia Cauchi, who performed her ballad The Start, blowing away audiences with her incredible vocals. Malta won the contest with 130 points.
The following year saw Malta hosting the contest for the first time, and as the host nation, they wanted to send someone spectacular to back up the winning entry from the previous year. Federica Falzon was the performer who fit the requirements perfectly with her song Diamonds, which was another hit with the European audiences. Malta finished in 4th place with a total of 116 points.
In 2015, Malta were on a mission to continue the run of good results, and it was up to Destiny Chukunyere with the song Not My Soul. The catchy and soulful song captured the audiences, and although wasn’t a clear favourite before the contest, it sure became a fan favourite afterwards, with Malta winning the contest again! This time they finished with a total of 185 points.
That brings us to 2016, the final entry we will be discussing today! The contest was once again held in Malta, so the home town representative was Christina Magrin with the unique song Parachute! It was another strong entry from Malta, finishing in 6th place with a total of 191 points!
Now it’s time for you to vote for your Best of the Bunch!