In December 2018, Mahmood was one of 24 acts selected to compete in "Sanremo Giovani", a televised competition aimed at selecting two newcomers as contestants of the 69th Sanremo Music Festival. Competing acts were split in two separate groups, which performed in different live shows. A winner from each group was declared, and Mahmood placed first in the second episode of the show, with his entry "Gioventù bruciata". Mahmood also received the Critics' Award among acts performing in the second final.