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SBS not proceeding with Eurovision: Australia Decides in 2023

SBS will revert to choosing Australia's official Eurovision act through an internal process.

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SBS will not be proceeding with Eurovision: Australia Decides in 2023 and will instead return to an internal selecion process for an Australian act to perform in Liverpool next May.

An SBS spokesperson told TV Tonight, “We are thrilled to confirm that Australia will once again compete in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest next year, with hosts Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey at the helm. However, after three years of celebrating and working with local music artists through our Eurovision selection show, Eurovision: Australia Decides, we’ve made the difficult decision not to go ahead with the program in 2023.”

SBS has staged three Eurovision: Australia Decides produced by Blink TV on the Gold Coast, with Kate Miller-Heidke, Montaigne and Sheldon Riley all winning, but also chose acts internally from 2015 – 2018.

TV Tonight understands recent contract negotations prevented the event’s inclusion at SBS Upfronts two weeks ago.

“Over the past few months, we have been exploring ways we could deliver the event to Australian audiences next year however, a variety of factors contributed to us coming to this decision,” they continued.

“We are proud to continue to be the home of the Eurovision Song Contest and we look forward to celebrating 40 years of broadcasting Eurovision to all Australians in the coming year.”

There is no word as yet on a Song Portal for song submissions being publicly opened.

The selection of representatives varies from country to country, with some staging national finals, similar to Australia Decides and others where the host broadcaster chooses acts internally.

13 Responses

  1. Why can’t they just show the songs online and have us vote that way? Doesn’t have to be a broadcast show. It’s bad enough hearing Myf and Joel’s groveling on the night. But don’t know who’s got worst taste the panels that choose or the public?

  3. Thank god! ‘Australia decides’ is usually just the usual Australian Idol/The Voice cohort of voters voting for an act with absolutely no understanding of what is required in a Eurovision performance. Quite obvious in the poor results Australia has received since Australia started ‘deciding’ on who should represent us.

      1. And Sheldon even came second in his semi this year! We have been spoiled for excellent results and one average year or the unfortunate situation Montaigne found herself in means everyone piles on. Australia is one of the best performing nations at Eurovision this decade without a doubt.

  5. Eurovision – Australia Decides is an expensive production for a broadcaster with such a small budget.

    While an amazing show, there were diminishing returns on viewership locally (although a draw card for high viewing figures across the television season). And the blatant rigging of the show was rubbing people the wrong way.

    Hopefully Australia Decides comes back, but I think SBS needs to take some time and have a few years without Paul Clarke’s involvement.

  6. The production would have carried substantial cost. Production values were quite high and they used a production tool on this year’s performances called CuePilot which allowed a Eurovision director situated in Europe to direct the Gold Coast show in real time (an Aussie director was used for the hosted elements). That doesn’t come cheap.

      1. They’ve always used Cue Pilot. It’s just software and not expensive. Other Aussie shows use it too even though it was invented for Eurovision.

        I suspect the axing is more to do with Executive changes at SBS of which they’ve been many in the last year or so. The old school SBS, institutional knowledge and support of things like Eurovision is disappearing (along with the ratings). It’s sad but inevitable.

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