Sanna Nielsen

2.1. Early Life and Background

Sanna Viktoria Nielsen was born on 27 November 1984, and grew up in the town of Edenryd within Bromölla Municipality in Scania, Sweden. Her family background includes Danish ancestry, with her paternal grandfather hailing from Århus, Denmark. Her early exposure to music began with participation in local talent searches. She first entered such competitions in 1992 in Olofström. In 1994, she achieved a significant early victory in a talent search held in Kallinge, where she won after performing a cover of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight". These early experiences laid the foundation for her burgeoning career in music.

2.2. Education

Nielsen pursued formal musical education during her high school years. She studied the Esthetical program, focusing on music, at Helenehoms Gymnastin in Malmö. This academic pursuit complemented her practical performance experience and further honed her musical talents.

2.3. Early Career

Nielsen's career took off rapidly following her early talent show successes. In 1995 and 1996, at the tender age of eleven, she performed with the dance band Mats Elmes. During this period, she achieved a remarkable milestone by reaching the number one spot on the Svensktoppen chart with her debut song, "Till en fågel". This made her the youngest person ever to top the chart, a testament to her prodigious talent.

In September 1996, Nielsen released her debut album, Silvertoner. The album garnered positive attention, with a reviewer for Göteborgs-Posten comparing her vocal abilities to established Swedish and Norwegian singers like Carola Häggkvist and Sissel Kyrkjebø. Following this, she released the Christmas album Min önskejul in 1997 and the single "Time to Say Goodbye" in 1999. Her early career also included participation in various tours, demonstrating her growing presence in the music scene. In December 2001, she embarked on a Christmas tour alongside prominent artists such as Christer Sjögren, Sten Nilsson, and Charlotte Perrelli. The following year, in 2002, she toured with Roger Pontare. She also took part in Christmas concerts with Kalle Moraeus and Tito Beltran in both 2003 and 2004, further solidifying her reputation as a versatile performer.

3.1. Discography

Nielsen has released several studio albums throughout her career, showcasing her versatility across different genres, including pop and Christmas music. Her debut album, Silvertoner, was released in 1996. This was followed by the Christmas album Min önskejul in 1997.

In February 2006, she released her second solo music album, Nära mej, nära dej, featuring lyrics and music by Fredrik Kempe and Marcos Ubeda. In April 2008, she released Stronger, her first album recorded entirely in the English language. The same year saw the release of Our Christmas, a collaborative Christmas album with Shirley Clamp and Sonja Aldén.

In 2011, she released the album I'm In Love. Her seventh studio album, Min jul, which features Christmas music, was released in December 2013. Other notable albums in her discography include Vinternatten (2012 and 2013 versions) and 7 (2014).

3.2. Notable Singles

Throughout her career, Sanna Nielsen has released numerous singles, many of which have become significant hits and marked important phases of her musical journey. Her early breakthrough came with "Till en fågel" in 1996, which became her first number one hit on the Svensktoppen chart.

Her singles from Melodifestivalen participations are particularly notable:

• "I går, i dag" (2001)
• "Hela världen för mig" (2003)
• "Du och jag mot världen" (2005), a duet with Fredrik Kempe
• "Vågar du, vågar jag" (2007)
• "Empty Room" (2008)
• "Nobody Without You" (2008)
• "All I Want for Christmas is You" (2008)
• "My Grown Up Christmas List" (2008)
• "I Can Catch the Moon" (2009)
• "Devotion" (2010)
• "Part of Me" (2010)
• "I'm in Love" (2011)
• "Can't Stop Love Tonight" (2011)
• "Viskar ömt mitt namn" (2012)
• "Undo" (2014) - her winning entry for Melodifestivalen and Eurovision.

3.3. Performances and Tours

Nielsen has maintained an active performance schedule, participating in various concerts and tours. In July-August 2007, she embarked on a new music tour titled Sommar, Sommar, Sommar alongside fellow artists Shirley Clamp and Sonja Aldén. Her participation in Christmas tours with other established artists has been a recurring feature of her career, showcasing her strong vocal abilities in a festive setting.

4.1. Participation History

Nielsen made her debut in Melodifestivalen in 2001. Her subsequent appearances include 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, and finally 2014. Her persistent participation over more than a decade underscores her dedication to the competition and her ambition to represent Sweden at Eurovision.

4.2. Key Entries and Achievements

Nielsen's journey through Melodifestivalen is marked by several memorable entries and near-victories.

• 2001**: She debuted with the song "I går, i dag", finishing in third place.
• 2003**: She returned with "Hela världen för mig", securing fifth place.
• 2005**: She performed "Du och jag mot världen" as a duet with Fredrik Kempe, which finished eighth.
• 2007**: Her entry "Vågar du, vågar jag" qualified for the final after the Second Chance round, ultimately finishing seventh at the Stockholm Globe Arena.
• 2008**: Nielsen participated with "Empty Room", a song written and composed by Bobby Ljunggren and Aleena Gibson. She qualified for the final from the Västerås semifinal. In the final, held at the Stockholm Globe Arena, "Empty Room" won the public televote by a significant margin, receiving 18.7% of the votes and beating Charlotte Perrelli's "Hero" by over 50,000 votes. However, due to the combined jury and public vote system, she finished second overall after the jury vote favored Perrelli. Despite this, "Empty Room" went on to win the OGAE Second Chance Contest 2008, an international fan poll for non-winning national final entries, with a 91-point lead over the runner-up from Spain.
• 2011**: After a three-year break, Nielsen returned with "I'm in Love". She won her second semi-final in Gothenburg, but ultimately finished fourth in the final.

• 2014 Victory with "Undo"**: On her seventh attempt, Nielsen returned to Melodifestivalen in 2014 with the song "Undo". She competed in the second semifinal on 8 February, qualifying directly for the final held at the Friends Arena in Stockholm on 8 March. In a highly anticipated final, she won the competition. Although she placed second in the international jury vote, her strong performance in the public televote, where she garnered 25.8% of the votes, secured her the overall victory. This win finally earned her the right to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014.

5.1. 2014 Representation

After winning Melodifestivalen 2014 with "Undo", Sanna Nielsen represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. She performed in the first semifinal on 6 May, successfully qualifying for the Grand Final. In the final, Nielsen achieved an impressive third-place finish with 218 points. This result positioned her as the second-highest scoring Swedish participant at Eurovision, surpassed only by Loreen's victory in 2012. Her song "Undo" also gained international traction, becoming her first song to reach the UK Top 40 singles chart, peaking at number 40.

5.2. Related Broadcast Activities

Nielsen's connection to Eurovision extended beyond her 2014 performance. On 10 April 2015, it was announced that she, alongside Edward af Sillén, would serve as a commentator for SVT's broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. She also played a significant role in the 2016 contest, hosting Eurovision The Party at the Tele2 Arena on the night of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 final. Her involvement continued in 2018 when she traveled to Lisbon to provide commentary for SVT for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.

6.1. Melodifestivalen 2015 Host

On 29 September 2014, it was announced that Sanna Nielsen would co-host Melodifestivalen 2015 alongside comedian Robin Paulsson. This role saw her transition from a contestant to a key figure in the presentation of Sweden's most watched music competition.

6.2. Allsång på Skansen Host

In August 2015, SVT announced that Nielsen would become the new presenter for the highly popular Swedish sing-along show Allsång på Skansen, held at Skansen in Stockholm. She began her tenure as host in the summer of 2016, a role that further cemented her status as a beloved public personality and a symbol of Swedish summer entertainment.