Denmark in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest
{{Short description|none}}
{{Infobox song contest country
| Name = Denmark
| Contest = JESC
| Broadcaster = Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR)
| Apps = 3
| First = {{Escyr|2003|Junior}}
| Last = {{Escyr|2005|Junior}}
| Best = 4th: {{Escyr|2005|Junior}}
| Host = {{Escyr|2003|Junior}}
| Related = MGP Junior
| Current = 2005
}}
Denmark has competed in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest three times. Danish broadcaster DR hosted the first Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2003, having developed the contest's predecessor MGP Nordic.{{cite web|publisher=junioreurovision.tv|url=http://2006.junioreurovision.tv/content/view/59/59/|title=Copenhagen 2003|access-date=2008-06-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709144735/http://2006.junioreurovision.tv/content/view/59/59/|archive-date=2008-07-09|url-status=dead}}
History
In spring 2000, Danmarks Radio launched a song contest for aspiring singers aged 8 to 15, for which the format proved to be a success and caught the attention of Norway and Sweden two years later, making a pre-Scandinavian song contest known as MGP Nordic, first held in 2002.{{cite web|website=esconnet.dk|date=27 April 2002 |url= http://www.esconnet.dk/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=30&id=440&Itemid=429 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20071025152934/http://www.esconnet.dk/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=30&id=440&Itemid=429 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 25 October 2007 |title= MGP Nordic 2002 |language=da |access-date=3 May 2008}} The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) later picked up on the idea of said format and created a pan-European version, known as the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.{{cite web|publisher=European Broadcasting Union|date=22 November 2002 |url= http://www.ebu.ch/en/union/news/archives/2002/press_song_contest_kids.php |title= First EBU press release on JESC 2003 |access-date=17 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914161834/https://www.ebu.ch/en/union/news/archives/2002/press_song_contest_kids.php|archive-date=14 September 2012}}
Having come in the top five in the first three contests, DR decided not to participate in the contest from {{Escyr|2006|Junior}} onwards to continue with MGP Nordic alongside {{Esccnty|Sweden|Junior}}'s SVT and {{Esccnty|Norway|Junior}}'s NRK.{{cite web|publisher=ESCToday|date=18 April 2006|url=http://esctoday.com/news/read/5926|title=Scandinavian JESC pull-out|access-date=2009-04-19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117203712/http://esctoday.com/news/read/5926|archive-date=17 January 2010}} In 2007, DR revealed that they had no intention to return to the contest, choosing to stick with the MGP Nordic competition.{{cite web|url=http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/6920|title=Denmark: No return to JESC in 2007|last=Viniker|first=Barry|date=2006-12-07|publisher=ESCToday|access-date=2009-06-10}} The EBU had previously been negotiating with commercial broadcasters to replace the absent Nordic broadcasters at Junior Eurovision. TV 2 has however ruled out Junior Eurovision participation.{{cite web|url=http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/5936|title=Junior: 'Commercial channels to take part'|last=Bakker|first=Sietse|date=2006-04-20|publisher=ESCToday|access-date=2009-06-10}}
Shortly before the 2015 edition, DR announced that they would "no longer" participate in further editions of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Jan Lagermand Lundme, the Entertainment President of DR, stated that the reason behind this decision was because the competition had become too much of a copy of the main Eurovision Song Contest and that the contest had strayed from its core idea—"the joy, the humor and the play".{{cite web|last=Granger|first=Anthony|url=http://eurovoix.com/2015/11/22/denmark-dr-explains-why-they-do-not-participate-in-junior-eurovision/|title=Denmark: DR Explains Why They Do Not Participate In Junior Eurovision|website=eurovoix.com|publisher=Eurovoix|access-date=22 November 2015|date=22 November 2015}} On 17 February 2018, it was reported that the EBU is calling on the Danish broadcaster to return to Junior Eurovision after a 12-year break.{{cite web|first=Christian|last=Ellegaard|url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/kultur/film/grand-prix-boss-vil-have-danmark-tilbage-i-omdiskuteret-boerneshow|title=Grand Prix-boss vil have Danmark tilbage i omdiskuteret børneshow|trans-title=Grand Prix boss wants Denmark back in disputed children's show|publisher=DR|language=da|date=16 February 2018|access-date=15 March 2018}} In response to this, Lundme played down the likelihood of Denmark returning to the competition, saying "Now, never say never, but as long as the show is, as it is now, I’m definitely not going to compete again. The values that we put in Denmark in a program for children do not match the values of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest… It seems that the children are on stage and play adults instead of acting as children, and we think that is fundamentally wrong. Children must be children, they should not try to strive to be something they are not. It’s super bad for us, because we really wanted to be part of the show. Participating in a concept like Junior Eurovision would be a natural step for us after MGP, but it does not work when we do not feel the show fits the Danish values."{{cite web|url=https://eurovoix.com/2018/02/17/denmark-ebu-wants-see-countries-return-junior-eurovision/|title=Denmark: EBU Wants To See Country's Return to Junior Eurovision|date=17 February 2018|publisher=Eurovoix|last=Granger|first=Anthony}} In December 2022 Marlene Boel, Head of Children’s Television at DR, stated that Junior Eurovision is "neither a priority for us or something we are interested in participating in" but has "developed over the years" and also addressed some of the criticism that DR had regarding the show when the broadcaster withdrew in 2006.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-12 |title=DR afviser comeback i omdiskuteret børneshow: 'Det er ikke noget, vi er interesseret i at deltage i' |trans-title=DR rejects comeback in controversial children's show: 'It is not something we are interested in participating in' |url=https://www.dr.dk/det-bedste-fra-dr/dr-afviser-comeback-i-omdiskuteret-boerneshow-det-er-ikke-noget-vi-er-interesseret |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=dr.dk |publisher=DR |language=da |archive-date=12 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212123240/https://www.dr.dk/det-bedste-fra-dr/dr-afviser-comeback-i-omdiskuteret-boerneshow-det-er-ikke-noget-vi-er-interesseret |url-status=live }}
In October 2023, the EBU launched a child safety and protection protocol that aims to remove pressure on the participants, in hopes of bringing back the Nordic countries in 2024 and beyond.{{cite web |last=Mancheño |first=José Miguel |date=3 October 2023 |title=La UER pondrá en marcha un nuevo protocolo de protección a la infancia en Eurovisión Junior |trans-title=The EBU will launch a new child protection protocol at Junior Eurovision |url=https://www.escplus.es/eurovision-junior/2023/la-uer-pondra-en-marcha-un-nuevo-protocolo-de-proteccion-a-la-infancia-en-eurovision-junior/ |work=ESCplus España |language=es}}
Participation overview
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Artist ! scope="col" | Song ! scope="col" | Language ! scope="col" data-sort-type="number" | Place ! scope="col" data-sort-type="number" | Points |
|---|
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | {{Escyr|2003|Junior}}
| "{{lang|da|Arabiens drøm|i=unset}}" | Danish | style="text-align:center;" | 5 | style="text-align:center;" | 93 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | {{Escyr|2004|Junior}}
| Cool Kids | "{{lang|da|Pigen er min|i=unset}}" | Danish | style="text-align:center;" | 5 | style="text-align:center;" | 116 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | {{Escyr|2005|Junior}}
| "Shake Shake Shake" | Danish, English | style="text-align:center;" | 4 | style="text-align:center;" | 121 |
Commentators and spokespersons
{{more citations needed section|date=November 2019}}
The contests are broadcast online worldwide through the official Junior Eurovision Song Contest website junioreurovision.tv and YouTube. In 2015, the online broadcasts featured commentary in English by junioreurovision.tv editor Luke Fisher and 2011 Bulgarian Junior Eurovision Song Contest entrant Ivan Ivanov.{{cite web|url=http://www.junioreurovision.tv/page/blog?id=tonight_junior_eurovision_song_contest_2015|title=Tonight: Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015!|last=Fisher|first=Luke James|work=Junior Eurovision Song Contest – Bulgaria 2015|date=21 November 2015|access-date=21 November 2015}} The Danish broadcaster, DR, sent their own commentators to each contest in order to provide commentary in the Danish language. Spokespersons were also chosen by the national broadcaster in order to announce the awarding points from Denmark. The table below list the details of each commentator and spokesperson since 2003.
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" text-align: left;"
! Year(s) ! Commentator ! Spokesperson |
| scope="row"|{{Escyr|2003|Junior}}
|rowspan="3" | Nicolai Molbech | {{N/A|Unknown}} |
|---|
| scope="row"|{{Escyr|2004|Junior}} |
| scope="row"|{{Escyr|2005|Junior}}
| Caroline Forsberg Thybo |
| scope="row"|{{Escyr|2006|Junior}}–{{Escyr|2024|Junior}}
|{{N/A|No broadcast}} |{{N/A|Did not participate}} |
Hostings
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
! Year ! Location ! Venue ! Presenters |
| scope="row"|{{Escyr|2003|Junior}}
| Camilla Ottesen and Remee |
|---|
See also
- Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest – Senior version of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
- Denmark in the Eurovision Young Dancers – A competition organised by the EBU for younger dancers aged between 16 and 21.
- Denmark in the Eurovision Young Musicians – A competition organised by the EBU for musicians aged 18 years and younger.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Junior Eurovision Song Contest}}
{{Denmark in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest}}