Four singers will be vying to win the first X Factor Malta contest on Saturday night, giving the winner a passport to the Eurovision Song Contest. 

Michela Pace, Petra, Nicole Frendo and Owen Leuellen will go head-to-head, hoping to win X Factor and represent Malta in Israel in May.

The winner, who will also win a Sony contract, will be determined by televoting.

It is the first time that Malta's representative will be selected at the end of a months-long televised contest, which sparked both praise and criticism.

The four judges were Howard Keith, Ira Losco, Alexandra Alden and Ray Mercieca.

The final will be screened live on TVM from the MFCC, Ta' Qali, starting at 8.50pm. Saturday's show will also the winner of last year's British X Factor - Dalton Harris.

X Factor was created by British producer Simon Cowell.