Malta was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 with the song "The One That I Love", composed by Jason Cassar, with lyrics by Sunny Aquilina, and performed by Chiara. The Maltese participating broadcaster, Public Broadcasting Services (PBS), selected its entry through a national final.
Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) held the national final on 6 and 7 February 1998 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, hosted by Angela Agius, John Demanuele, Denise Mintoff, and Patrick Vella. On the first night, 22 songs were presented, 6 of which were in a special category for newcomers to the contest. Those 6 were reduced to 4 after the first night, so that on the second night there were 20 songs. The 2 songs that were eliminated after the first night were "Come Back Home" performed by Rita Pace and "That Magic In Your Eyes" performed by Tonio Cuschieri. On the second night, all 20 finalists performed, and the winner was chosen by an "expert" jury.[1]
Ahead of the contest, Malta were considered one of the favourites among bookmakers to win the contest, featuring alongside the entries from United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands.[2] The song received 165 points, finishing 3rd.[3] This was Malta's best result along with 1992 up to that point before their second place in 2002 and 2005.
Malta
