2009 New Cambria National Song Contest

The 2009 New Cambria National Song Contest will the the sixth running of New Cambria Television's popular annual music competition. It will likely take place over six successive Saturdays in November and December 2009, with the proposed date of the Grand Final set at 12 December. Charles W. Frazier, Executive Director for NCT, commented that preparations for the 2009 edition of the contest would begin in January 2009. Frazier also stated that a number of changed to the contest's format were being discussed, including increasing the number of songs selected to participate and the way the finalists are selected.

Prospective Timetable

 * 17 April: The winning logo and theme will be announced.
 * 22 May: The venues for the Semi-Finals, Wild Card Semi-Final and Grand Final Gala will be announced.
 * 29 June: NCT will begin accepting song submissions.
 * 7 August: Song submissions deadline.
 * 28 August: Organizing committee will select approximately 100 songs to present to the judging committee.
 * 22 - 25 September: Semi-Final songs will be announced.
 * 2 October: Semi-Final performers will be announced.
 * 2 October: Starting positions draw.
 * 7 November: Semi-Final One.
 * 14 November: Semi-Final Two.
 * 21 November: Semi-Final Three.
 * 28 November: Semi-Final Four.
 * 5 December: Wild Card Semi-Final.
 * 12 December: Grand Final Gala.

Logo and Theme
NCT commissioned proposals for the logo and theme to be used during the contest, and also opened up the selection process. The last date to submit logo designs was 20 March. NCT published some of the candidate entries received on its website, a few of which are shown below.

Format
On 30 January 2009, the 2009 edition's first press conference was held at television centre in Arvant. At the conference, the official rules were made public for the first time. The rules for the 2009 contest feature several fundamental changes to the format of the shows.
 * The number of songs selected to compete in the contest will be 40, rather than the traditional 24.
 * Four songs will be given automatic qualification into the Grand Final, and will not participate in the Semi-Finals. Previously, every song in the Grand Final was required to qualify from the Semi-Final round.
 * Thirty-six songs will compete in four Semi-Finals, with nine songs in each event rather than six or eight as in previous contests.
 * A ten-member jury will provide 50% of the total scores in the Grand Final. The jury will be composed entirely of entertainment industry professionals, unlike the eight-member mixed professional/amateur jury panel featured in 2007 and 2008.  Televoting will contribute the remaining 50%.
 * The qualifiers from the Semi-Final rounds will be selected by televoting only. There will be no jury panel in the Semi-Final or Wild Card rounds.
 * Each Semi-Final will have two rounds of televoting. The six highest-voted songs in the first round will move onto the second round, while the three lowest-voted songs will be eliminated.  The four highest-voted songs in the second round will qualify for the Grand Final, and the two lowest-voted songs will perform in the Wild Card Semi-Final.
 * The Grand Final will feature the four highest-voted songs from each Semi-Final, the four highest-voted songs from the Wild Card Semi-Final, and the four automatic qualifying songs. A total of 24 songs will perform in the Grand Final.

Entries
A few artists have already confirmed that they will submit a song or songs for consideration for this year's contest.
 * Danielle Branson, child star.
 * Jurnee Bunton, Arvant-based DJ
 * Jacqueline Clayson, runner-up in the 2006 Contest.
 * Brian Trask, who came in third place in the 2004 Contest.
 * Popular Canadian-New Cambria rock band Velocity.

Grand Final Gala
The Grand Final is expected to be broadcast live at 8:00pm on Saturday, 12 December. The Final will be staged at the National Indoor Arena in Southport.

Semi-Finals
The Semi-Final rounds will be held on 7, 14, 21 and 28 November. It is expected that 2009's Semi-Finals will be held in more or less the same venues as the 2008 contest's Semi-Finals. The Wild Card Semi-Final is expected to he held on 5 December at the Brock Carter Memorial Arena in Arvant.