Marcel Bezençon Award - an introduction

Marcel Bezençon Award - what is it?

This year, a new category in the Marcel Bezençon Awards is introduced. The Marcel Bezençon Gylleneskor Fan Award is an award where all fans of Melodifestivalen and the Eurovision Song Contest are allowed to vote for their favorite debuting artist in Melodifestivalen and the Eurovision Song Contest.

This page in Swedish

Rules

The voting is now open for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. You can only vote on the competing artist's in this year's Eurovision that are under the age of 25 and competes for the very first time in the Eurovision Song Contest.

We would especially encourage people to vote on their personal favourite and for someone who you believe deserved more attention at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.

How do I vote?

You have to register as a member on Gylleneskor first. Membership is free and it´s open for everyone who loves Melodifestivalen, Swedish music and the Eurovision Song Contest. It’s fun!

Instructions on how to register can be found here

When you are registered you can click on this link.

You easily cast your votes by using the star-scale that goes one to five. You are able to go back and change your voting or correct them as many times you want until the voting for Eurovision Song Contest 2008 is closed. The voting closes during the day on the 24th of May.  

The winner will receive his prize under a special ceremony on the 24th of May  and the winner will also be honored during the afterparty following the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.

The winners receive a magnificent and unique handmade Swedish-crystal prize – designed by the famous Swedish glass-artist and sculptor Karin Hammar.

(This picture is for the MB Awards in Melodifestivalen. The winners of MB Eurovision Award recieves a glass sculpture that is based on the Eurovision heart).

Short history of the Marcel Bezençon Award

The Marcel Bezençon award was founded by Christer Björkman (Melodifestivalen winner and Swedish ESC-participant 1992) and Richard Herrey – (Swedish ESC – winner 1984). In 2008 the new category called “Gylleneskor Fan Award” is introduced by initiative of the website’s editor-in chief Alexander Borodin – who wanted to give the fans of Melodifestivalen and the ESC an extra opportunity to take part as well.

The prize is named after the founder of Eurovision Song Contest - Marcel Bezençon. In this way the prize is also a chance to honor the founder of the competition.

The Marcel Bezençon Award has been given since 2002 in both Swedish Melodifestivalen as well as at the Eurovision Song Contest.

There are four categories: 

• The Press Award where members of the media and press are allowed to vote on the best entry.
• The Artistic Award where earlier winners of Melodifestivalen and the Eurovision Song Contest vote on the best artist.
• The Composer Award where this year’s composers vote on each other in order to vote forward the winner of the best composition and lyrics in this year’s Melodifestivalen and ESC.
• Gylleneskor Fan Award - where the fans of Melodifestivalen and Eurovision Song Contest vote on their favorite debuting artist.

Earlier winners of the Marcel Bezençon Awards

Melodifestivalen 2007

Pressens pris tilldelades Sonja Aldén och Bobby Ljunggren för För att du finns.
Artisternas pris tilldelades Sonja Aldén.
Kompositörernas pris tilldelades Sarah Dawn Finer och Peter Hallström för I Remember Love.

Melodifestivalen 2006

Press Award tilldelades gruppen BWO för deras Temple of Love
Composer Award gick till Andreas Johnson för sin sång Sing For Me
Artistic Award gick till Carola för hennes framförande av Evighet.

Ett specialpris - ett Contribution Award tilldelades Melodifestivalens huskör som i så många år hjälpt till att köra i Melodifestivalen.

Melodifestivalen 2005

Composer Award gick till A different kind of loves upphovsmän Sam McCarthy, Joachim Dubbelman och Martin Landh.
Press Award gick till Shirley Clamp och upphovsmännen till hennes bidrag Att älska dig dvs. Sonja Aldén, Shirley Clamp, Bobby Ljunggren, Robert Olausson och Henrik Wikström.
Artistic Award; Gick till Nanne Grönwall för hennes framförande av Håll om mig.

Tidigare vinnare av Marcel Bezencon Award i Eurovision Song Contest

ESC 2006 Athens

Artistic Award: Carola (Sweden)
Press Award: "Hard Rock Hallelujah" with Lordi (Finland)
Composer Award: "Lejla" with Hari Mata Hari, by Zeljko Joksimovic (Bosnia Herzegovina)

ESC 2005 Kiev

Artistic Award: Helena Paparizou (Greece)
Press Award: "Angel" with Chiara (Malta)
Composer Award: "Zauvijek Moja" with No Name, by Slaven Knezovic & Milan Peric (Serbia Montenegro)

ESC 2004 Istanbul

Artistic Award: Ruslana (Ukraine)
Press Award: "Lane Moje" with Zeljko Joksimovic (Serbia Montenegro)
Composer Award: "Stronger Every Minute" with Lisa Andreas, by Mike Connaris (Cypress)

ESC 2003 Riga

Artistic Award: Esther Hart (Holland)
Press Award: "Everyway That I Can" with Sertab Erener (Turkey)
Fan Award: "Dime" with Beth (Spain)

ESC 2002 Tallin

Artistic Award: Afro-Dite (Sweden)
Press Award: "Il faut de temps" with Sandrine Francois (France)
Fan Award: "Addicted To You" with Laura (Finland)

Prisets grundare och initiativtagera är Christer Björkman (Melodifestivalvinnare 1992) och Richard Herrey vinnare av Melodifestivalen och Eurovision Song Contest 1984.

Visit Christer Björkmans homepage

Richard Herreys profile at Let's Dance (TV4)