Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest fifty-four times since its first entry in . Norway had won the contest on three occasions: in 1985 with the song "La det swinge" performed by Bobbysocks!, in 1995 with the song "Nocturne" performed by Secret Garden and in 2009 with the song "Fairytale" performed by Alexander Rybak. Norway also had the two dubious distinctions of having finished last in the Eurovision final more than any other country and for having the most "nul points" (zero points) in the contest, the latter being a record the nation shared together with Austria. The country
Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the contest’s organisers, and so a withdrawal of Macedonia from the contest would have been inevitable. Despite this, MKRTV confirmed Macedonia’s participation at the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. MKRTV officially revealed that they were looking for a new selection method for the country for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. Weekly debate programs were held by MKRTV on television, which were used as a platform for discussion between MKRTV and the Macedonian public on how the selection process for the Macedonian entry can be fair and successful. In November 2008, MKRTV revealed the new format of