Norway 2011: Stella Mwangi

With almost 700 submitted entries, this year's edition of the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix was looking stronger and better than ever. An internal selection narrowed it down to 21 competitors spread over 3 qualifying heats. From each heat, the two acts with the most televotes went directly onto the final, and the next two acts in third and fourth place progressed to a second chance round, Siste Sjansen. From here, a final two acts were chosen to complete the line up of the Norwegian final held in Oslo Spektrum on the 12th of February.

8 acts fought for the right to represent Norway in Düsseldorf, and although Stella Mwangi had been a firm favourite from the offset, she was definitely given a run for her money by amongst others, The Blacksheeps. Four acts were revealed as having qualified for the evening's superfinal, with another round of voting ensuing, the final two acts of the four being Sie Gubba and The Lucky Bullets, both making for the biggest suprises on the night.

The interval act was quite subdued this year, compared to previous years, with Didrik Solli Tangen giving a reprise of his winning song from 2010, My Heart Is Yours, which had been given a Gregorian makeover especially for the occasion. NRK chose instead to lavish more of their budget on a spectacular opening act instead, which consisted of a short film with an amusing storyline revolving around
Alexander Rybak and featuring many other former Norwegian participants, including Norway's first entrant, Nora Brockstedt in a tongue in cheek mafioso style role. The film suddenly spilt over onto the stage culminating in some of the artists performing a dance routine.

After the second round of voting, Stella Mwangi was proclaimed the winner by a convincing margin, with over 130,000 votes more than The Blacksheeps who came in second place.