The Swedish music awards, Rockbjörnen, took place last Thursday, celebrating a strong victory for Eurovision and Melodifestivalen artists. Who are the winners and what is their connection to Eurovision?
Sweden is renowned as a music powerhouse, particularly in Eurovision, boasting 7 contest victories and Europe’s largest national selection, Melodifestivalen, which spans six glittering broadcasts. Many artists participating in these competitions come with impressive backgrounds in the local music industry, while others gain momentum through their involvement.
Highlights from the Rockbjörnen Awards Ceremony
Last Thursday, the Rockbjörnen awards ceremony for pop-rock music, presented annually by the Aftonbladet newspaper, took place. The ceremony, divided into several categories, was almost exclusively dominated by Eurovision and Melodifestivalen artists.
The “Group of the Year” award went to none other than Marcus & Martinus, the 22-year-old Norwegian twins who represented Sweden at Eurovision this year with “Unforgettable,” finishing ninth. The duo nearly represented Sweden in the previous contest as well, placing second in Melodifestivalen with “Air.” Although they are known for international hits since childhood, they’ve become especially popular in Sweden in recent years, with their two Melodifestivalen participations and victory in the Swedish version of “The Masked Singer.”
Gunilla Persson, a 65-year-old model, TV personality, and star of “Swedish Hollywood Wives,” won “Breakthrough of the Year.” Persson broke through as a singer this year, participating in the latest Melodifestivalen with “I Won’t Shake (La La Gunilla).” While the song didn’t reach the final, it became a massive hit in Sweden.
Benjamin Ingrosso, who represented Sweden at Eurovision 2018 with “Dance You Off” and finished seventh, is one of Sweden’s most popular artists today. He even performed at the recent Eurovision in Malmö as an interval act with a medley of his songs. Ingrosso won two awards – “Male Artist of the Year” and “Fans of the Year” (an award given to a fan group showing exceptional support for a specific artist or band).
Another dual award winner was Swedish-Venezuelan singer Omar Rudberg, who has participated in Melodifestivalen three times. In 2017 as part of FO&O with “Gotta Thing About You,” in 2019 with “Om om och om igen,” and in 2022 with “Moving Like That.” Despite not advancing to the final in his last two participations, Rudberg is highly regarded in Sweden and won “Swedish Song of the Year” (with his song “Red Light“) and “Live Performance of the Year.”
Notable Wins Beyond Eurovision
The only two non-Eurovision or Melodifestivalen artists to win awards were international Swedish star Zara Larsson, who won “Female Artist of the Year,” and Beyoncé, who won “International Song of the Year” with “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM.”
This impressive showing at the Rockbjörnen awards demonstrates the significant impact that Eurovision and Melodifestivalen have on the Swedish music industry, producing and promoting artists who go on to dominate the national music scene
Sweden in Eurovision 2024
“Unforgettable” is the name of the song performed by the duo Marcus & Martinus in the grand final of Eurovision 2024. The duo was chosen to represent Sweden at Eurovision after winning the Swedish pre-selection, Melodifestivalen. Sweden finished ninth in the final with 174 points.
Source:Aftonbladet
Eurovision 2025: This will be Sweden’s 63rd participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Sweden joined the competition in 1958 and has won it seven times over the years. Sweden’s most recent victory was at Eurovision 2023 with the song “Tattoo,” performed by the singer Loreen.
