WHEN?: Friday 8 October 2021
WHERE?: Royal Vauxhall Tavern, London
Eurovision winner Charlotte Perrelli could only finish 8th in 2021’s Melodifestivalen but she is our pick of the bunch to win next month’s coveted Second Cherry.
We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2020 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2021 so far and what’s to come. Previous winners in this category are 2020 Redemption by Hurts, 2019: C U Next Tuesday by Shakespears Sister, 2018: Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae , 2017: New Rules by Dua Lipa, 2016: Can’t Stop The Feeling by Justin Timberlake, 2015: Goodbye To Yesterday by Elina Born and Stig Rästa
WHEN?: Saturday 20 February 2021
WHERE?: H3 Arena, Fornebu, Oslo
HOW TO WATCH?: NRK link
Sweden’s Melodifestivalen may be the average Eurovision fan’s favourite national pre-selection show but the quality on display in Norway’s 2021 Melodi Grand Prix means it is fast following in the must-see footsteps of its rival.
* Read on for reasons including who we think will win and how each song would do at Eurovision
Spraggan won our gig of the year monsta in 2020 and we said then: ‘Her warmth and empathy really shine bright in the guitar-based, folk-influenced material that she writes and performs.’ Her 6th album Choices is released 26/2/21 and includes Sober, a song of the month for us in November. Tickets were on sale for an April tour which has now been cancelled because of Covid-19 but you can watch that gig of the year. Details
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
OUT: 15/1/21
Eurovision 2021 is already shaping up to be a song contest like no other and with Norway’s selection show Melodi Grand Prix kicking off tonight the 20/2/21 final will feature 2019 entrants KEiiNO.
We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Florence and The Machine’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Lady Gaga’s Joanne, Lorde’s Melodrama, Saara Aalto’s Wild, Wild Wonderland and Sigrid’s Sucker Punch are previous winners in this category.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: now
TRACKLIST: Take Me Home; Black Leather; Would I Lie To You?; Spirit In The Sky; Dancing In The Smoke; Roar Like A Lion; Praying; Colours; Louder; Bed With The Wolf
A year ago in Tel Aviv Norwegian trio KEiiNO won the Eurovision Song Contest televote eventually finishing sixth overall with our favourite song of that year’s competition, the soaraway pop smash Spirit In The Sky.
BBC Eurovision host Graham Norton (pictured above) won’t be in Rotterdam in the Netherlands on 16/5 when the Eurovision Song Contest was due to take place but UK fans will have a show to watch at 6.30pm – Eurovision: Come Together. The one-off special promises a celebration of the most unforgettable performances in the contest’s 65-year history along with the greatest songs from the modern contest. Read our predictions for who would have qualified from Semi 1, Semi 2 and how the pre-qualified finalists would have done.
It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2019? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2019.
McAvoy won our inaugural Best Theatre Actor monsta in 2015 for The Ruling Class and reunites with director Jamie Lloyd for this take on Cyrano de Bergerac running at the Playhouse 27/11 through 29/2/20. Tickets McAvoy also stars in BBC1’s His Dark Materials from 3/11/19 and you can read our Q&A with cast and author.
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