Sarah Bonnici loops into victory at Malta Eurovision, set to shine in Malmö

Sarah Bonnici was crowed winner at the Malta Eurovision Song Contest held on Saturday night, earning the right to represent Malta at the forthcoming annual festival in Malmö, Sweden this May.

Bonnici delivered an electrifying performance of her song "Loop," amassing a total of 102 points. 

This secured her victory over Matt Blxck's "Banana," which trailed with 80 points, and Ryan Hili's "Karma," which claimed the third spot with a total of 71 points.

The 25-year-old Gozitan singer's journey in the music scene began in 2009 when she first entered the finals of the Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest, where she secured a respectable third place. 

Her participation continued last year with the song "Heaven."

The voting process involved a combination of professional judgment from a jury panel and the public's input through nationwide televoting. 

Bonnici's performance garnered favour from the judges, earning her the highest score of 79 points. On the other hand, Matt Blxck captured the hearts of the audience, receiving the highest number of televoting votes at 29. Briefly, he took a one-point lead with 80 points.

Despite Blxck's initial surge, Bonnici's substantial lead in judges' votes, along with an additional 23 points from the audience, secured her a comfortable win. 

Ryan Hili, a former X-Factor Malta winner, maintained a steady performance in third place, accumulating 51 points from the judges and 17 votes from televoting.