Aiming for a second final in a row? Denmark’s national broadcaster DR has unveiled the eight contestants for “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026” set for February 14th. Sissal returns to try her luck again!
Denmark has unveiled the eight contestants competing in “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026”, and judging by the list, last year’s success — the country’s first qualification to the final since 2019 — seems to have rekindled its Eurovision ambitions.
“Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026”: Full Lineup
- Emil Otto – “Copenhagen Noir“
- Ericka Jane – “Death Of Me“
- Lasse Skriver – “Roaring Hearts“
- Late Runner – “Can U Feel It?“
- Myrkur – “Touch My Love And Die“
- Sander Sanchez – “Two Spirits“
- Sissal – “Infinity“
- Søren Torpegaard Lund – “Før vi går hjem“
Click on the song title to listen!
Among The Contestants – Few Familiar Names:
-
Sissal Hansen, Denmark’s Eurovision 2025 representative with the song “Hallucination” — she reached the final and finished 23rd.
-
Søren Torpegaard Lund, who took part in “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2023”.
-
Sander Sanchez, who competed in “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2020” and placed second.
“Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026”: Meet the Participants
Emil Otto – “Copenhagen Noir”
Young jazz singer Emil Otto is ready for his debut at “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix” with the song “Copenhagen Noir”, an elegant pop tune inspired by crooner tradition, old Hollywood, and classic film noir aesthetics. The song draws from the cinematic darkness of Hollywood, but its story unfolds in Copenhagen.
“It sounds like Michael Bublé created the theme song for a dark James Bond movie set in Copenhagen”.
Says Emil Otto about the track. The son of a blues drummer and a show dancer, Emil Otto grew up surrounded by music. In 2017, he traveled through New Orleans and California, where he immersed himself in the world of jazz and fell deeply in love with it. Today, he’s an active member of Denmark’s jazz scene and already proud of a nomination for the DMA Jazz award.
Songwriters: Emil Otto, Marcus Winther-John, Joachim Ersgaard.
Ericka Jane – “Death of Me”
It’s not every year that a church organ makes its way onto “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix” stage – but this year, it does. With her song “Death of Me”, Ericka Jane takes listeners on a bombastic musical journey from the sacred space of the church to the crowded dance floor. The song isn’t about God or Jesus, but about a different kind of “religion”: love for music and celebration.
“When I listen to the song, I picture myself taking that last hour on the dance floor. It’s ugly dancing without fear of judgment. Just me, the music, and a room full of people in the same ecstasy”.
Says Ericka. Ericka Jane already boasts an impressive catalog of successful singles and has spent several years as a radio host on station P3.
Songwriters: Ericka Jane, Ole Bjørn, Daniel Scheffmann, Johannes Bruun.
Lasse Skriver – “Roaring Heart”
He first melted Danish hearts in 2022 when he appeared on X Factor, and now Lasse Skriver returns to do it again – this time on the “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix” stage. He’s competing with the song “Roaring Heart”, an intimate pop ballad about finding calm when life moves too fast.
“It’s a song about love that strikes like lightning and makes you pause”.
explains Lasse Skriver. When he made his television debut four years ago, Lasse was working as a carpentry apprentice. Since then, the Jutland-born singer devoted himself fully to music, releasing a string of singles that have collectively gathered millions of streams.
Songwriters: Lasse Skriver, Karl-Frederik Reichhardt, August Møller Fogh, Thomas Baxter.
Late Runner – “Can U Feel It?”
The duo Late Runner enters “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026” with the song “Can U Feel It?” — an upbeat pop song about dance, community, and optimism. Behind the project are Asger Tarpgaard and Tanja Forsberg Simonsen, who have been making music together for nearly 30 years and previously produced hits as part of Superheroes and Private. They describe “Can U Feel It?” as:
“A celebratory shot of vitamins C and D in a dark time”.
Their goal in joining “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix” is simple: “to create a party and a singalong”. The song was written in collaboration with Jesper Mortensen of Junior Senior, and produced by Anders Bønløkke of Alphabeat.
Songwriters: Asger Tarpgaard, Jesper Mortensen, Tanja Simonsen, Christian Vagn Madsen.
Myrkur – “Touch My Love and Die”
Black metal may not be the first genre that comes to mind when thinking of “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix”, but that’s about to change. This year, Myrkur brings darkness to the stage with her song “Touch My Love and Die”.
The track blends heavy metal sonics and traditional Scandinavian folk. According to Myrkur, she poured “heart, soul, blood, and tears” into its creation. She views “Touch My Love and Die” as a human antidote to an era dominated by speed and artificiality.
Behind the stage name Myrkur, meaning “darkness” in both Icelandic and Faroese, stands musician and singer Amalie Bruun, who has been performing under this alias for over a decade. In recent years, she has appeared at festivals such as Roskilde and Copenhell.
Songwriters: Myrkur, Søren Mikkelsen.
Sander Sanchez – “Two Spirits”
“Two Spirits” is the title of the song performed by Sander Sanchez at this year’s “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix”. The track is inspired by his life story, connecting his queer identity with his Native American heritage. Sander’s father comes from the Lakota tribe in South Dakota, USA, a background that directly influenced the sound of the song. Sander tells about the song”
“For a long time, I wanted to bring more of my culture directly into my music, though I was afraid it might take up too much space, The song is about standing tall and finding your own rhythm. It takes a special look at queer experiences and the courage to choose yourself, but the message is universal: dare to be yourself and don’t let others define you”.
Among the song’s creators is Lise Cabble, who has written countless “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix” entries and won the competition four times — including in 2013 with Emmelie de Forest and her song “Only Teardrops”, which went on to win Eurovision.
Songwriters: Sander Sanchez, Lise Cabble, Marcus Winther-John, Rasmus Rex.
Sissal – “Infinity”
Last year, Sissal took home the grand prize with her song “Hallucination”, earning Denmark its first Eurovision final qualification since 2019. Now she returns to defend her title as Denmark’s Grand Prix darling. This time, she competes with the song “Infinity”, an electro-pop anthem sung in both Danish and English.
“‘Infinity’ is, in some ways, a small magical universe of its own, […] It’s woven with elements of pop and electronic music, but also with something softer and more fragile from Nordic ballad traditions”.
Says Sissal. The song was created by seasoned Grand Prix hitmakers who have previously contributed to major Eurovision successes — including Sweden’s 2015 winning song “Heroes”, Loreen’s “Tattoo” (which earned her a second Eurovision victory in 2023), and Sissal’s own “Hallucination” from last year.
Songwriters: Sissal, Chris Chordz, Malte Johansen, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Jimmy Joker.
Søren Torpegaard Lund – “Før vi går hjem”
“There are no breaks in this song, because it’s one continuous movement. A night that never ends”.
Says Søren Torpegaard Lund of his entry, which he describes as “a candy that’s both sour and sweet”.
A graduate of the Danish National School of Performing Arts, Søren has appeared in numerous major musical productions. In 2022, he played the lead role of Tony in West Side Story at the Copenhagen Opera House. “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix” stage is no stranger to him — he competed in 2023 with the ballad “Lige her”.
Songwriters: Søren Torpegaard Lund, Valdemar Littauer Bendixen, Clara Sofie Fabricius, Thomas Meilstrup.
“Dansk Melodi Grand Prix” Format:
At the beginning of November, during the annual general meeting of the Danish fan club melodigrandprixfans.dk, Erik Struve Hansen, the head of “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix”, shared several new details about the upcoming competition. According to Hansen, this year’s national selection will be a modern, renewed, and innovative musical show that introduces a new stage, updated logo, and fresh visual identity. DR is placing special emphasis on attracting a younger audience — aiming to position the show as a cutting-edge production that can bring Denmark stronger results at Eurovision, following five years without reaching top ranks.
In addition, the structure of the competition will not change. The final results will be determined by a combination of 50% jury vote and 50% public vote. The jury will be composed of professionals with expertise in music and live performance, with connections to the “Dansk Melodi Grand Prix” and Eurovision. Half of the jury members will be from Denmark, and the other half will be international representatives.
Denmark at Eurovision 2025
“Hallucination” is the song performed by singer Sissal, who represented Denmark in the grand final of Eurovision 2025. Denmark qualified for the grand final after placing eighth in the second semi-final with 61 points, marking the country’s first qualification for the final after four consecutive years of remaining in the semi-finals. In the grand final, Denmark received 45 points from the jury and just 2 points from the public, finishing in 23rd place overall.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Denmark’s 54th participation in Eurovision. Denmark joined the competition in 1957 and has won it three times over the years. Denmark’s last victory was in Eurovision 2013 with the song “Only Teardrops” performed by singer Emmelie de Forest.
