NRK reveals 1,500 entries for Melodi Grand Prix 2027, including up to 50 fully AI-generated songs deemed ineligible for Norway’s Eurovision selection.
Around 1,500 songs have been submitted to Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix 2027, according to reports in the Norwegian media. For the first time, the Norwegian national broadcaster NRK has publicly disclosed the number of entries received for the competition. However, not all submissions will be considered: between 30 and 50 songs were reportedly created entirely using artificial intelligence and will therefore be ineligible to compete.
Mads Tørklep, project manager for Melodi Grand Prix, confirmed that songs generated entirely by AI do not meet the competition’s eligibility requirements. The aim, he explained, is to ensure that the songs competing in the selection are the result of human creativity rather than solely automated systems.
“There is no point in holding a music competition where a computer has done all the work,” Tørklep explained.
According to Tørklep, some songwriters openly admitted to using AI tools to produce their submissions. The selection team, led by music director Tarjei Strøm, is currently reviewing the entries and filtering out songs identified as having been created entirely by AI.
Norway Does Not Ban All Uses of Artificial Intelligence
Despite its strict policy, NRK does not impose a blanket ban on the use of AI in music composition and production. The national broadcaster permits these tools to be used for inspiration, as well as for technical audio adjustments.
Tørklep noted that AI tools are becoming increasingly established in the Norwegian music industry. However, he acknowledged that distinguishing between songs created entirely using the technology and those that incorporate AI only during certain stages of songwriting or production can be difficult.
Norway vs. Sweden: Could AI-Generated Songs Reach Eurovision?
Norway’s decision puts NRK at odds with the Swedish national broadcaster SVT. Ahead of Melodifestivalen 2027, Sweden’s national selection, SVT does not intend to disqualify songs created with AI assistance. This means that approaches to the technology in national selections vary from country to country.
Norway is also adopting an approach similar to that of Greek national broadcaster ERT, which introduced a policy restricting songs created entirely using AI from competing in “Sing for Greece 2027”.
At present, there is no unified policy among Eurovision participating broadcasters regarding the use of AI in songwriting. Eurovision director Martin Green has previously addressed the issue, emphasizing that artificial intelligence will not replace the human element in songwriting, while expressing greater openness to the technology’s use in other areas of television production.
How artificial intelligence will affect the song selection process for Eurovision is likely to remain a key issue for national broadcasters as preparations for the 2027 contest continue.
What to Know About Melodi Grand Prix
Melodi Grand Prix, or MGP for short, is the long-running Norwegian national selection for choosing the country’s Eurovision entry, held continuously since 1960. Since the early 2000s, the format has undergone a significant makeover – featuring preliminary stages, semi-finals, public voting, and live broadcasts from advanced studios.
In recent years, there has been an increasing emphasis on stylistic diversity and representation of different regions in Norway, while NRK maintains significant control over the selection of contestants. Although the public significantly influences the outcome, there are ongoing discussions regarding how much the voting reflects the taste of Europe – or merely local preferences.
Norway at Eurovision 2026
“Ya Ya Ya” is the song that was performed by the singer Jonas Lovv, who represented Norway in the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria. Norway qualified to the final from the second semi final, and finished 14th in the grand final, scoring 134 points. The song was written by Jonas Lovv himself together with Sondre Skaftun.
Eurovision 2027: This will be Norway’s 65th participation in Eurovision. Norway joined the competition in 1960 and has won three times over the years. Their last win was in Eurovision 2009 with the song “Fairytale” performed by Alexander Rybak.
