Malta | Tonight Malta's Search For It's Next Eurovision Star Begins

Malta's search for its next Eurovision star begins tonight, as the 'X Factor' Malta will begin. The show which is a brand new one to the Mediterranean island will hope to find a winner that will see Malta qualify for its first Eurovision grand final since 2016.

The show which is the first of it's kind there, and replaces the old national final will begin at around 20:50 CET. As with the X Factor that everyone knows it will begin showing contestants auditioning for the first time in front of the judges, in a bit to qualify for the next round. The panel is made up of four music professionals and they are:

Howard Keith Debono

Howard has been around in the industry for over twenty years, and is well respected in both the local and international music industry, where he has been responsible for promoting artists outside of Malta. His Eurovision connection comes in the form of Ira Losco who he has managed.

Ira Losco

Ira is no stranger to Eurovision, having represented her home nation on two occasions. She first sang for Malta back in 2002, where here song, "7th Wonder" gave her country its best ever position ever coming a very close second. In 2016, she became the last act to qualify for Malta at Eurovision where her song, "Walk On Water" finished a respectable 12th place. Her experience should help her root out the singer with the 'X Factor'.

Ray Mercieca

He is well-known for his music in the eighties, he inspired many local artists and younger generations, and is known as a pioneer of local music. Many people remember him through his unforgettable songs with The Characters and The Riffs. Mercieca has a range of experience and good knowledge on the music industry.

Alexandra Aiden

The young judge is the second female panellist. She is an accomplished singer, songwriter, guitarist and also a tutor. She currently resides in Netherlands where she has graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree. Alexandra has had two number one songs, and recently released her first album, "Wild Honey" which has gained her many fans.

This year Malta has completely opted to overhaul its national final. Since their debut in 1971, the country had used the Malta Song Festival to decide its Eurovision entrant. As it evolved, it lost its semi final stages, but in more recent years introduced a televote procedure to include its viewers to help decide the next Eurovision act. After two years of failing to reach the grand final, Malta has opted for this brand new show to find its next Eurovision star.

The link for TVM.Malta can be found here.

Last year Malta sent Christabelle with the song, "Taboo" which languished in the second semi-final. Can the change of show bring Malta back to the final? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

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