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Australia to compete in Eurovision as “Wild Card!”

Australia will compete -officially- in the Eurovision Final for the very first time, complete with voting rights and a Live feed.

SBS - Eurovision 2013 Photo shoot with Sam Pang and Julia Zemiro on 26th March 2013 in SydneyI never thought I would see the day.

Australia will compete in the 60th Eurovision Song Contest final, embraced by the European Broadcasting Union and the 2015 host broadcaster ORF as a “Wild Card” entry.

SBS has secured the television history moment to take place in Vienna, Austria in late May.

The extraordinary deal follows the success of Jessica Mauboy’s performance last year in Denmark.

SBS will provide a Live feed in Australia on Sunday morning and then on Sunday evening on SBS ONE, hosted by Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang.

This year as Australia is an official competitor, the Australian public will be also eligible to vote in the contest for the very first time (timezone disadvantaged, much?), although details about how Australia votes are currently under negotiation with the EBU’s international televoting partner and Australian telecom operators. An Australian jury will also be pre-selected.

The historic means also means Australia skips the Semi-Final stage and is automatically through to the Final alongside the “Big 5” countries.

SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said: “We are very excited to have secured this historic opportunity for Australia to be represented on the world’s biggest stage at the 60th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest and are honoured that the European Broadcasting Union has supported us to achieve this ambition.

“SBS has been broadcasting Eurovision for over 30 years and we have seen how Australians’ love of the song contest has grown during those years. Jessica Mauboy’s performance last year was a truly momentous occasion and achievement. This year we are thrilled to be advancing our involvement by sending an Australian artist to compete for the first time, and presenting Australia with our first opportunity to vote in the contest.”

Executive Supervisior of the Eurovision Song Contest Jon Ola Sand said on behalf of the EBU: “At the very heart of the Eurovision Song Contest is the importance of bringing countries together to celebrate diversity, music and culture. We have admired and respected SBS’s support of the contest for many years now and wanted to extend the invitation for Australia to join us in this special 60th anniversary.”

SBS Eurovision host Julia Zemiro says: “Sam Pang and I have witnessed some pretty incredible Eurovision performances over the years from Conchita’s perfectly groomed beard, to the Russian grannies, but having an Australian compete on the world’s biggest stage is going to be the best douze points moment of this year’s contest. Am I biased? Yes. I can’t wait to get to Vienna and be part of this momentous 60th anniversary celebration.”

Eurovision will be broadcast on SBS from Wednesday May 20 to Sunday May 24.

What happens in 2016 if we win?!!!!

44 Responses

  1. The way the voting works is you can’t vote for your own country! So anyone hoping to get up early and hit the phone voting up Australia will be disappointed.

    1. I think most Eurovision tragics would know that agent x. Personally I have always wanted to be able to vote for the performers I love. Knowing I can is incredible.

  2. Need I remind people to take a look at an atlas? We’re not in Europe! We’ve got as much business entering this as…. Japan! This competition is totally irrelevant to Australia! The show itself only serves as a gap-filler in a schedule when there’s nothing else better available for the timeslot.

  3. I would love to see Tina Arena as our entrant. She would be a great choice, especially with her European connections. If they were to go with someone different I think that Dan Sultan would be an excellent representative. He is an amazing Aussie artist. I was so proud to see how well Jess Mauboy did last year. Can’t wait for Eurovision.

  4. I read with glee a campaign to get TISM to reform and represent us which I would love. However their masks would probably be unfortunately misconstrued in our terror conscious climate.

  5. Confirming broadcast live early morning on TV with live commentary from Julia and Sam. But the packaged broadcast led by Julia and Sam with behind the scenes interviews and social tv will be in the evening.

  6. “I never thought I would see the day.”
    Cripes…me either….someone come and pick me up off the floor….
    I love everything about Eurovision…good and bad…I loved what Jess did ….
    Bring it on….whatever happens….always fun viewing….. 🙂

  7. What a shame we can’t host! David Campbell’s put his hat into the ring via Facebook. As a long-time fan I’d love to see him do it, such a versatile performer who’s got a history of theatrics. Dami Im would also be a great choice. So we’re not actually going to screen it live? I’m going to have to work out a way to vote for this without getting spoilers if that’s the case!

    For what it’s worth, I think if Turkey and Israel can compete we can. And let’s not forget that we just won the Asia Cup for soccer. Eurovision, why not?

    1. Turkey and Israel are part of the EBU. I don’t know that we necessarily need a glam or camp act, a Eurovision stereotype. For instance what if Goyte stepped into the middle of an over the top show? It would cut through….

      1. True. The Common Linnets polled so much better than I thought they would last year by really breaking the Eurovision mould. Will be interesting to see which way we go, and how we’ll poll at the end.

  8. Holy crap. At first I was hoping that Kylie would be our entrant as she absolutely ticks all the obvious boxes. However, I feel that her pop icon status might count against us and is perhaps not quite in the spirit of Eurovision.

    It needs to be a relative newcomer, someone that most of the rest of the world doesn’t know. Dani Im would be perfect if she can adjust to the razzle-dazzle that is expected for this comp. Otherwise Samantha Jade.

  9. Isn’t half the fun of Eurovision not having to worry about how our own country performs?

    It was annoying enough having SBS hammer on about Jess Mauboy during last year, hopefully they don’t go stupidly parochial with this.

    (will I nonetheless be up on Sunday morning to watch it live? Oh yes.)

  10. I’m beyond excited about this!

    I’d like to see either Samantha Jade, Ricki-Lee, Anthony Callea or Dami Im be our entry.

    Or, I’d love to see SBS hold some kind of Melodi Grand Prix to find who we’ll send – but I guess it’s a bit late for that now.

  11. I’d hardly call Jessica Mauboy’s performance a “success” – it was pretty dire IIRC. Hey, perhaps that’s why you got in!

    Eurovision quite clever though – no you can’t host if you win, but you can pay for it!

  12. This is awesome!
    Who does everything think should represent Australia?
    If this is our one & only time in the contest it needs to be big, camp & fabulous!
    There’s already a petition going to get Kylie Minogue, who ticks all the boxes.
    Other suggestions – Samantha Jade, Dami Im – maybe Young Divas could reform for it haha!

  13. Seriously? Wow. Never thought i’d see the day we’d actually compete. I wonder who we will send? It had better be someone current and modern. No offence but don’t go sending the likes of Olivia Newton John or someone like that. We want a fresh act.

  14. I’m unsure what to make of this. Huge Eurovision fan, but are we really eligible and should we be allowed to compete? My family in Malta are furious at the decision as I’m sure many other Euro countries. Yes David, what happens if we win…? Does it become AustEuroVision?
    I always thought it was for countries in Europe due to geography! Confused….

    1. Why would they be furious? It’s a special one off for the 60th anniversary. We’re not going to win, and we’re not taking another country’s place in the final. The same number of semi-finalists will get through as usual. It’s just something fun and a bit different.

      p.s yes to Kylie, that would be awesome.

    2. “I always thought it was for countries in Europe due to geography!”

      Nope, membership of the European Broadcasting Union (which is basically a broadcaster trade / standards group). Strictly speaking only full members are allowed to participate in Eurovison, but SBS & the ABC are both associate members (and I believe the ABC has a history of strong involvement on EBU technical committees), so offering Aus a wildcard isn’t totally out there…

  15. Serious answer to a not-so-serious question, David: if Australia wins, SBS will co-host next year’s contest with an EBU Member Broadcaster in a European city. That’s from a Q&A posted with the announcement on eurovision.tv, which also reveals that SBS have until March 16th to submit their candidate.

  16. Even if Australia wins the EBU has already said Australia can’t host in 2016. I suspect because SBS is not a full member of the EBU.

    So it will still have to be held in Europe although SBS can be a production partner.

    eurovision.tv/page/news?id=australia_to_participate_in_the_2015_eurovision_song_contest

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