Coming Home (lyrics and music by Richard Micallef) won the Malta Eurovision Song Contest tonight and the group Firelight will represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest in Denmark in May.

The group took a commanding lead in voting, winning the maximum 12 points from four of the five (mostly foreign) judges. The televoting vote, representing one judge, went to Hypnotika.

The winner's trophy was presented by PBS chairman Tonio Portughese.

14 finalists took part in the final night, held at the convention centre in Ta'Qali.

Gaia Cauchi  opened the show with The Start, the song which took her to the top of the Junior European Song Contest and brought the festival to Malta.

The show was presented by Moira Delia and singers and former winners Ira Losco and Guabluca Bezzina who also jointly sang their interpretations of all-time favourites L-Ahhar Bidwi f'Wied il-Ghasel and Xemx.

Gianluca had six of his siblings on hand as he then sang a number of cover versions.  He thanked the Maltese people for the support they had given him throughout the year and then sang last year's winner Tomorrow.

Losco belted out one of her lively numbers and then comedians Gorg and Pawlu in top hats and tails helped the contest participants relieve some of the rising tension in the Green Room as they performed with dancers wearing masks of ministers, MPs, MEPs and other personalities.

The tempo slowed down as Winter Moods performed their new number Everlasting with lead singer Ivan Grech on the piano, but picked up again with Days of My Life, the group's 2013 success.

The Swiss entry, Sebalter oresented their entry and then last year's Eurovision Song Contest winner, Emmelie De Forest of Denmark took the stage barefoot and sang Rainmaker after a small glitch.

The show was presented by PBS.