The announcment of the 36 semi-finalists brought some surprises of newcomers and others that from year to year submits their entries to the Maltese selection. One can imagine that it was not an easy task for the jury to select 36 songs from 122 submitted. 

The list includes two former Maltese Eurovision representatives i.e. Mike Spiteri and Miriam Christine Warner who represented the island in the Eurovision Song Contest 1995 and 1996 respectively. Miriam Christine also competed in the 1998 and 2009 national finals.

Singers like Claudia Faniello, Klinsmann, J. Anvil, Eleanor Spiteri, Roger Tirazona, Pamela Bezzina, Eleanor Cassar and Glen Vella are also in the list. These singers were amongst the hot favourite to go to the Eurovision Song Contest in the recent editions. Roger Tirazona and Eleanor Spiteri will compete as soloists and not as part of Trilogy. Pamela & Glen that in 2008 performed as a duo and in the last edition performed with the group Q will also compete as a solo artists.

The next Maltese selection phase will also feature Lawrence Gray who returned after his last appearance in the Malta Song 2004. Promising singers like Jessica Muscat, Aldo Busutil and Raquela who made a name in their recent participations in the Maltese national final also qualified to the second phase.

Rosman Pace who successfully competed in the Maltese national selection since 2003 with the exception of missing the national final in 2004 and 2006 also qualified while Nadine Axisa is there again. She will perform in a duet with Clifford Galea who is quite established in the local music scene. 

Josef Tabone who in 2006 took one of the wildcards in the opportunity challenge and Dario Bezzina made it to the list too. Dario wil compete in the second phase for the second consecutive year. Wayne Micallef that performed as part of The Mics in the national finals of 2003 & 2005 and a solo singer this year made it to the final 36. Dorothy Bezzina who in the last edition performed with Vittorio Gauci passed to the second phase. 

Cynthia Attard is a teenage singer who competed in singing competitions broadcasted on TV. Ruth Portelli competed in the second phase of the last Malta Eurosong with two songs. Godwin Lucas returns to the selection along with his singing partner Eve Daly that worked on an album with him. Francesca Borg also competed with one song in the second phase of the Malta Eurosong 2009.

Priscilla who is also established in the local scene will sing with Kurt in the second phase. Claire Galea, a blues and jazz singer is in the semi-final too. The second phase also will present Baclava that competed in the last national final. Petra Zammit that successfully debuted in the Malta Song for Europe in 2007 returns to the selection. In the semi-final phase there is also the Gozitan established artist Audrey Marie Bartolo that also competed in past pre-selections and Thea Garret that last month performed along with Gigi D’Alessio in Rome.

In the semi-final we will see the popular puppets that were screened on TV. These will be stage acted by members from the ZOO team under the stage name Ryan Dale & Duminka. Guitarist and singer Richard Edwards qualified to the next phase. Ally who happens to be Alison Ellul that competed in the past as a duo or a solo singer in the national final was also short-listed. Tiziana Calleja that currently co-hosts a TV show every Friday made it to the semi-final.

The group Silver Clash is a duo composed of Kristina Camilleri Burlo’ and Trinity. Camilleri Burlo’ competed in the junior national selection in 2005. Close sources to ESCMALTA.com reported that Foxy Federation is composed of a trio including Andreana that participated in the past national finals.

Meanwhile writers like Paul Abela, Ray Aguis Paul Giordimania, Philip Vella, Chan Vella, Fleur Balzan, Gerard James Borg are believed to have their songs in the second phase. Stay Tuned and keep on following the latest updates related to the Malta Eurosong 2010.