Hera Björk has been chosen to represent Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with her song “Scared of Heights.” Björk won the Söngvakeppnin 2024, Iceland’s national selection for Eurovision, on Saturday, March 2nd.
In a two-round voting process, Hera Björk emerged victorious, receiving the most points from a combination of jury and televote. In the first round, she and Bashar Murad advanced to the superfinal, where Björk ultimately prevailed. “Scared of Heights” is a powerful ballad that showcases Björk’s soaring vocals and emotive lyrics. The song is about overcoming fear and finding strength in the face of adversity.
Björk is a seasoned performer with a wealth of experience. She has released two studio albums and has toured extensively throughout Iceland and Europe. Iceland has a long and successful history at Eurovision, almost winning the competition in 1999. In recent years, Iceland has consistently placed in the top half of the scoreboard, with Hatari finishing in 10th place in 2019.
The long-awaited moment arrived as Iceland crowned its representative for the Eurovision 2024. The renowned Söngvakeppnin held its grand finale this Saturday, with Hera Björk triumphing with “Scared Of Heights” over Bashar Murad’s “Wild West,” which also made it to the superfinal.
Despite the Icelandic broadcaster RÚV initially distancing the competition from the European event earlier this year, the artist reiterated her intention to participate in the contest in several interviews. However, the public broadcaster confirmed that the final decision regarding her presence in Malmö 2024 would be officially announced, taking into account the winner’s opinion.
Moments after the grand finale concluded, the official RÚV website confirmed that Hera Björk would be Iceland’s flagbearer at Eurovision 2024.
The grand finale was broadcast live from 20:40 CET on RÚV 1 and was hosted by Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir, Sigurður Þorri Gunnarsson, and Unssteinn Manuel Stefánsson. Five artists who qualified from the semifinals participated in the event.
Recap of Söngvakeppnin 2024 Grand Final Results
The Söngvakeppnin 2024 grand final comprised two phases. In the first phase, a 50/50 combination of jury and televoting determined the two superfinalists, Bashar Murad and Hera Björk. In the final phase, viewers’ votes were reopened, adding to the previous round’s results. Thus, Hera Björk was declared the competition’s winner.
Here are the complete results of the Söngvakeppnin 2024 grand final:
| Artist | Song | Superfinalist |
|---|---|---|
| Bashar Murad | “Wild West” | Superfinalist |
| Hera Björk | “Scared Of Heights” | Superfinalist |
| Anita | “Downfall” | |
| VÆB | “Biómynd” | |
| Sigga Ózk | “Into The Atmosphere” |
1st Place: Hera Björk – “Scared Of Heights” 2nd Place: Bashar Murad – “Wild West”
Söngvakeppnin 2024 returned to the grand stage of Laugardalshöll after two years in a small studio. The Icelandic competition received 118 songs to participate in this edition, as announced by RÚV last October.
Out of these, only 10 managed to advance in the contest and competed to represent the country in the Eurovision 2024, set to be held in Malmö, Sweden. This follows Loreen’s triumph in Liverpool last May and coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of ABBA’s victory.
Recall that the first semifinal took place on Saturday, February 17, where VÆB and Anita secured spots in the final. The second semifinal was held on Saturday, February 24, where Hera Björk and Bashar Murad emerged as the last finalists chosen by the audience. Meanwhile, Sigga Ózk received the wildcard granted by the Söngvakeppnin organizers.