Third time lucky, Kurt Calleja went from being a Eurovision fan to a Eurovision winner. Flanked by his band and his parents, Kurt, 22, told timesofmalta.com that had been a fan of the eurovision "since I was a kid" and although he had "aspired" for this achievement he had not been expecting it.
He won the 2012 Malta Eurovision Song contest with his song This Is The Night, seducing the audience and the jury panel with a vibrant performance that secured him a ticket to Azerbaijan for the May Eurovision final.
The charismatic young singer was practically in tears as he was confirmed winner after going head-to-head with Claudia Faniello and Amber throughout the voting process.
During an interview with timesofmalta.com just before the start of the concert, Kurt was taken aback when he was told that he was one of the favourites: "Don't say that, you're going to give me a heart attack."
Happily, he survived the ordeal, and actually felt "relieved" that he managed to attain that which he and his band had worked hard for in the past months. "Honestly, this was a gamble," he said, visibly emotional as he thanked runners up Claudia and Amber.
He said he was honoured that the Maltese population trusted him with "this responsibility" and that he "won't take this responsibility lightly".
The winner was announced at the end of a three-hour long show at the MFCC in Ta’ Qali, during which the audience enjoyed performances by all sixteen finalists and by last year’s winner Glen Vella together with the Anime Gospel Choir. Those present at the MFCC, as well as those who were following the live broadcast on TVM, were also treated to a performance by French singer Anggun, best renowned for her 1998 hit, Snow In The Sahara.
Anggun will be representing France in this year’s edition of the Eurovision in Baku, Azerbaijan in May.
Anggun was followed on stage by Ell and Nikki, the winners from last year’s Eurovision song contest.
Kurt, who works for a sales company promoting alternative energy, said that he had no idea how he was going to celebrate: "We were planning to chill out at a mates' flat, now I have no idea what's going to happen".
PBS CEO Anton Attard said that PBS will put in all the necessary resources to ensure the best possible performance in Baku.
This year’s finalists presented a selection of diverse songs that ranged from the typical Eurovision ballads to more contemporary styles like hip-hop and rock and even the odd spot of jazz and soul, genres that are not typically associated with this kind of contest. The festival was produced by PBS.