Followed by the announcement of the confirmed finalists for Melodi Grand Prix 2026 (MGP), the race for the very last spot in this year’s line-up is now underway, as Norwegian broadcaster NRK unveils the eight artists set to compete in the MGP Cup, going head-to-head over the coming week in a series of duels.
Among the contenders, there are plenty of familiar faces. After competing with 'Love Again' in MGP 2023, Skrellex returns to the selection, alongside Emmy, who previously took part in MGP 2021 with 'Witch Woods' and went on to win Ireland’s national selection Eurosong last year with 'Laika Party'. Gothminister is also back after appearances in both 2013 and 2024, while Raylee returns once again after reaching the MGP final in 2020 and 2021.
The MGP Cup is a radio competition broadcast on NRK’s Nitimen, and it will be the platform through which the public ultimately decides who claims the final place in Melodi Grand Prix 2026. But how exactly does it work?
The MGP Cup will play out through a series of daily head-to-head duels. Each day, two artists will go up against one another, with the entry receiving the highest number of public votes moving on to the next round.
For each duel, voting will remain open for 24 hours, running from 10:00 CET until 10:00 the following day, giving fans a full day to support their favourite. The winners of the quarter-final duels, taking place from Tuesday through to Friday, will move on to the semi-final stage, with new duels scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
The competition will culminate in a final duel beginning on Monday morning. The last remaining spot in the Melodi Grand Prix final will be decided on Tuesday, 27 January, when the overall winner of the MGP Cup is revealed.
First duel (Tuesday, 20 January)
Emmy – 'Sykt fin' vs Skrellex – 'Into the Wild'
Second duel (Wednesday, 21 January)
Gothminister – 'The Spell' vs Vika Anonymous – 'Have You Ever Seen the Tot Before?'
Third duel (Thursday, 22 January)
Aranja – 'Pajamas Song' vs Sander Silva & Victorjus – 'Free Fall'
Fourth duel (Friday, 23 January)
Raylee – 'Where Did Your Friend Go?' vs Thomas Jenssen – 'Smalltown'
Voting is now open on delta.nrk.no, where all of the songs competing in this wildcard round are also available to listen to.
