We from escgo proudly announce the launch of SongHunt 2016: The first heat will be launched next Sunday, 31 January!

Once again, it’s time for us to find the best song of the national final season. Just a few weeks ago, “Nefelibata” from Latvia won the first prize in the SongHunt 2015 final. And as the new Eurovision season has started in the meantime, it’s also time for the new SongHunt season! In the upcoming weeks and months, we will again rate all NF songs in the chat, send a total of 96 songs into the heats, continue sorting the wheat from the chaff in quarter-finals and semi-finals – and ultimately find the best national final song from 2016 in the SongHunt final. Again, the ultimate winner will be announced as part of the ChatAwards 2016. The dates for the 2016 poll launches are listed towards the end of this post.

All rated songs of all shows so far have already been counted (Albania, Belgium, Belarus, Malta).

Last year, we already published detailed rules here, but for this year, a few things will change. No Eurovision entrants are allowed in SongHunt 2016, there will be eight heats (instead of 12) and more power to you, and a few other changes besides – you can find out more below the table!

You can find all rules for SongHunt 2016 here – a page with all results is available here.

SongHunt 2016 links
(available once poll is lauched)

So what’s new? 

Change #1: No Eurovision entries

Last year, any song from the national selections could enter SongHunt.

This year, SongHunt turns into a 2nd chance contest, which means that winners of national selections won’t be able to enter SongHunt. Only songs that didn’t qualify from a NF heat, or didn’t win a final, can enter. Thus, songs can only enter a SongHunt heat once they are technically no longer able to be their country’s Eurovision entry. In the rare case that a country might replace their Eurovision entry with a song that is already competing in SongHunt, this song will be disqualified with no replacement. (For example, Lithuania’s “Happy You” would have been disqualified without substitution in a hypothetical SongHunt 2002.)

Change #2: Eight heats (instead of 12)

Last year, we had 12 heats each with 8 songs. This means – to put it simply – the eight best rated songs of each week would qualify for the upcoming heat. The four songs with the most votes in a poll qualified for the quarter-finals in spring.

This year, we have 8 heats each with 12 songs; now six songs qualify for the quarter-finals from each heat. That’s why SongHunt 2016 is starting later than the previous year’s edition (as well as the fact that we didn’t have several pre-Christmas national finals to deal with this year!). The first heat will feature the best rated songs of those that have competed in any national final show so far.

Change #3: One qualification list (instead of several qualification periods)

Last year, each regular heat was only open for the best rated songs of the past week.

This year, every heat will be open for the best rated songs so far that haven’t qualified for a heat yet. Instead of eight qualification lists, we are keeping one big ranked list from which the top (previously not qualified) songs will make it into the next heat. This means, for example, that a song from January can – technically – still sneak into a heat in March.

Change #4: You have more votes

Last year, in any of the 19 polls, you had only one vote to give to your one favourite song.

This year, in each of the 8 heats, you will have three votes that you can cast for your three favourite songs (the later SongHunt rounds might be further restricted; this will be decided and announced at a later point).

Change #5: Simultaneous polls

Last year, we launched the quarter-final polls, and then the semi-final polls, one after another.

This year, all of the quarter-final polls, and later all of the semi-final polls, will be open at the same time.

DATES for 2015 (poll launches)

Winter: Preselection Heats

Heat 1 – 31 January

Heat 2 – 7 February

Heat 3 – 14 February

Heat 4 – 21 February

Heat 5 – 28 February

Heat 6 – 6 March

Heat 7 – 13 March

Heat 8 – 20 March

Spring: Quarter Finals

Quarter Final 1, 2, 3 and 4 – 27 March

Summer: Semi Finals

Semi Final 1 and 2 – 19 June

Autumn: FINAL

The Final poll will be launched on 11 September and will close on the day of the ChatAwards 2016.