Let's take a look back at the ESC Globe crew enjoying their time in Portugal.
This Year's Marcel Bezençon Awards Go to France, Cyprus, and Bulgaria
In addition to the overall and most well known victory price of the Eurovision Song Contest decided by the viewers at home and music industry professional from each participating country, three more awards are officially awarded to outstanding musical acts. The Marcel Bezençon Awards, named after the founder of the contest, was first handed out in 2002 in Tallinn. Initiated by Christer Björkman (Sweden's representative in Eurovision, 1992) and Richard Herrey (member of the Herreys, 1984 Eurovision winner from Sweden), awards are granted in three categories - the Press Award, Artistic Award, and Composer Award. Awards are traditionally handed out backstage, shortly before the Grand Final. Here are this year's winners.
Press Award
The press award is give to the best entry voted for by the accredited media. This year it was awarded to France with Madame Monsieur and their entry Mercy. The song explored a story about a girl named Mercy who was born to Nigerian refugees on a boat, travelling across the Mediterranean Sea in the midst of the European migrant crisis. Overall the act finished on the 13th position at the Grand Final.
Artistic Award
The artistic award is presented to the best artist voted for by the commentators. This year's award went to Cyprus's representative Eleni Foureira, and her entry Fuego. The catchy song and flawless performance earned 2nd position as part of the Grand Final.
Composer Award
Composer award is granted by a jury consisting of the participating composers who vote for the most original composition. This year the award went to Bulgaria's entry Bones, performed by Equinox.
Don't forget to check out a list of former winners at Eurovision.TV
Cyprus' first ever 2nd place at Eurovision
Last night’s voting board was in flames when Cyprus’ entry Fuego and Israeli’s Toy were head to head fighting for the top spot. As surprise to many, first time in history, Cyprus managed to achieve second place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.
Cyprus made its debut at Eurovision in 1981 finishing sixth. While managing to reach the top 10 a number of times, Cyprus has never managed to gain a top 3 position. This was changed this year when Eleni Foureira with a song “Fuego” achieved an honorable second place and a Marcel Bezençon Artistic Award.
Eleni Foureira is an Albanian-born Greek singer, actress, dancer, and fashion designer. Her music career dates back to 2007 when she was a member of a Greek girl group Mystique. In 2009, she signed a solo contract with Universal Music Greece and in 2010 released her self-titled debut album, which received a platinum certification in Greece. Currently she is a successful performer in Grreece and Cyprus, with four studio albums all which were well-received in both countries.
Fuego by Eleni Foureira was the smashing hit to place second at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 grand-final. The song was composed by Greek-Swedish producer and songwriter Alex P, and the music video premiered on 2 March 2018. The melody employs the millennial whoop pattern. Prior to the official announcement of Foureira representing Cyprus, there were various rumors of other artists, including the two-time singer of Greece and one-time Eurovision winner Helena Paparizou. A demo of Papariziou singing Fuego leaked prior to the announcement, which was soon after removed but reuploaded by fans after the official announcement.
Fuego has been a commercial success reaching top 10 in four countries and top 100 in numerous others. Foureira has continued promoting the single across Europe, performing it as part of Mad VMA 2018 award show, Super Music Awards 2018, Barcelona Pride, Madrid Pride, and many others.
#Shook, Eurovision Week's Shocking Moments
The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was filled with various shocking moments, some intended by its organizers, some spontaneous and unexpected. The hosting country definitely had some entertaining moments up their sleeves such as various interval acts showcasing the merge of traditional music and dance combined with modern interpretation and technology, or the pre-recorded sequence giving a humorous looking into the life of the Portuguese. Here are some of the most shocking moments from this year's show.
Russia failed to qualify to the Grand Final
Within the past two years, Russia has been making headlines. Last year due to the withdrawal from the contest and this year failing to qualify to the grand final. In 2017, Julia Samoylova was selected to represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine but later the national delegation withdrew from the contest. The singer was banned from entering the hosting country, Ukraine, but was allowed to perform through various digital and live broadcasted forms. The national delegation decided to withdraw and instead send begin preparing for a new entry next year. This year the Russian delegation sent last year's winner to the Eurovision with a new song "I Won't Break", but surprising to everyone failed to gain enough points. This was the first time since the introduction of semi-finals in 2004, that Russia failed to qualify.
Funny and odd gimmicks
Due to the hosting country's decision to not use LED screens as part of the stage design, many countries began to creatively approach their performances. This resulted in various props being used and unseen choreography. Some countries handled it well, others received a more critical response, but one of the most memorable moments included San Marino's little robots, Moldova's Punch-and-Judy-style modular background wall, Ukraine's staircase in flames, and Slovenia's intentional technical glitch.
Chinese broadcaster censors Eurovision
Blurring LGBT flags from the audience, and modifying transmissions in two performances to hide tattoos and LGBT dancers.
In 2014, officially for the first time, the Eurovision Song Contest was brought to the Chinese viewers. The same year an Austrian recording artist and drag queen Conchita Wurst won the contest, speaking out for the LGBT rights, and becoming the most Googled person of the year.
This year marked a much more controversial year due to censorship imposed by the Chinese broadcaster Mango TV. During the first semi-final the China's top TV operator, a member of the Hunan Television group, edited the transmission of the semi-final to remove gay elements. Ireland's performance was transmissions were modified in order to hide the two men dancing. A similar tactic was used during the Albanian performance, to hide body tattoos. Finally, the broadcaster also blurred out rainbow flags, symbols of LGBT pride, and other images of performers with tattoos.
European Broadcasting Union canceled the contract with China’s Mango TV
After various censorship during the broadcasting of the first semi-final, the European Broadcast Union released a statement canceling the contract to screen the grand final of Eurovision Song Contest 2018. According to the EBU, the decision to censor content was taken by Mango TV and wasn't in line with values "of universality and inclusivity and our proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music."
“It is with regret that we will therefore immediately be terminating our partnership with the broadcaster and they will not be permitted to broadcast the second semifinal or the Grand Final.”
UK's SuRie was interrupted by a stage invader
In the middle of the UK's entry a man, dressed in a black and red bandana and slogan t-short promoting a book on Amazon, ran on stage and grabbed the microphone from SuRie's hands. The stage invader is known as Dr. ACactivism who has previously interrupted the National Television Awards, and The Voice.
“For the Nazis of the UK media, we demand freedom.”
SuRie was given an opportunity to repeat her performance which she later declined. The singer recovered quickly and went on performing her song "Storm" with an astonishing support from the crowd.
Israel brings home a grand victory
While not a surprise to numerous fans, the early bookies favorite had some fierce from initially unexpected entries from Cyprus and Austria. Up until the final seconds viewers were kept on their toes due to very close voting results. Finally the feminist anthem "Toy" won the overall voting and came first in public vote.
Netta representing Israel Wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2018
This year's Grand Final ended with a big surprise and celebration when Israel won the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. It was Israel's fourth time winning, exactly 20 years after that last victory in 1998 by Dana Internation.
The winning song Netta Barzilai's "Toy" has been bookies favorite for weeks, up until the last weeks prior to Eurovision when countries like Cypus and Austria seemed to take ahead and challenge the long time bookies favorite.
Barzilai is a 25-year-old Israel-born singer known for her looping singing technique and arrangements. Last year she won the "Hakokhav Haba," qualifying her to represent Israel the the most watched entertainment show in the world. As part of the final performance she was accompanied by dancers and her signature looping machine delivering a summer anthem with a strong message.
The winning song "Toy" is truly a #metoo anthem covering topics of female empowerment and celebration of differences. As part of her acceptance speech Netta gloriously said "thank you for so much for choosing different". While the Eurovision viewers seems to love her, she has received criticism for her appearance and an odd musical style, which seemed to work in advantage of her, making her highly distinctive and memorable. The quirky electronic tune has already received over 70 million views on YouTube.
Top 10 reasons to watch Eurovision on Saturday
1.
The 3Ds - Dance, Disco, Divas!
Since the 1970s Eurovision has fully embraced disco, adding eccentricity to the contest and making it fun to watch. Disco, electro-pop, or anything else, we truly love some fun along with crazy choreographies, and fierce diva moments.
2.
Culturally Diverse Performances
It's the Olympics of singing, the window on the world which brings together entries from over 40 countries each year. Where else would you see a beautiful Serbian ballad performed right next to an Austrian drag queen?
3.
The Biggest in The World
Bigger than Superbowl, and bigger than any entertainment-focused event in the world Eurovision has been attracting over 200 million viewers to turn in for years. There's simply no reason to ignore the biggest entertainment show in the world, that everyone's watching.
4.
Contest with a Wholesome Message
The Eurovision Song Contest was created to unite a war-torn Europe by sharing our culture and creating a single platform to present European music. In addition to the overall positive ideology each year the hosting country also puts forward a slogan, such as "Building Bridges" in 2015, "Come Together" in 2016, or "Celebrate Diversity" in 2017. This year the slogan is "All Aboard!"
5.
Those LEDs
While it's also a way for the hosting country to show off their wealth and outstanding engineering skills, the stage tends to be one of the most exciting parts of the show. In 2007 for the first time, we saw a transparent screen, that will become completely transparent when turned off. In 2009 Russia gather a third of the world's LEDs to make up that gigantic background and in 2010 they put the LEDs on wheels and made them split into two. There's been a lot of crazy stuff taking place around the screen but LEDs seems to be one of the most exciting characteristics of Eurovision.
6.
TECH, TECHY, TECH
While some of us use our computers to send emails and stalk our ex on Facebook, others create computer animations, live broadcasted digital special effects and 3D holograms. Eurovision has been known for its cutting-edge technology introducing the use of spider cameras in 2006, transparent screens in 2007, fully recyclable staging materials in 2015, 3D holograms in 2016, NFC powered experimental VISA wristbands in 2016, which acted as payment mechanisms but also as a controllable collective audience screen, and oh, there's so much more. Whatever new and cool you're looking for, Eurovision probably has it all!
7.
Attitude & Sass
As mentioned previously we love to see divas on the Eurovision stage, but sometimes it's not only the performers that make us laugh. In 2016 it was the jury voting that turned out to be hilariously entertaining with Ukrainian Verka Serduchka, and the Swedish sassy but humorous greeting "Hallo Europe! ... As you can see we couldn't fit all these crazy Eurovision fans into one arena, so we built two! Because we have the money for it!" and if that wasn't enough, we were educated about an "old" Swedish saying - "if there's room in the heart, there's room in the butt", and the humor definitely will not end there.
8.
Humorous MCs
We will never forget how the beloved Petra guided us to "grab our towers, and cum together" while opening the Eurovision 2016, or how Lynda Woodruff received a promotional email for Viagra. While the MCs are different every year, there's always something to be entertained by.
9.
The hilarious commentators
While this will largely depend on where you will be broadcasting the show, there's no way to turn a fun celebration of European music and culture into anything dull. Most commentators such as the UK's Graham Norton have been doing their job for quite some time now, and we've never been bored.
10.
Interval Acts
* The Bonus D
DRAMA
There's no Eurovision without pre-Eurovision or post-Eurovision drama. No matter if it is some viewers not liking a particular song, complaining about politically oriented voting, or something like Conchita's beard. There's always something to talk and tweet about.
Semi-Final 2: 10 Countries Qualify to Grand Final
The final list of performers for this year's Grand Final is now completed. Listen to the 10 songs that qualified from the second semi-final and don't forget to tune in on Saturday for the Grand Final of Eurovision Song Contest 2018.
Finally, do not forget to also check out the song that have already pre-qualified to the Grand Final.
Grand Final: From Ukraine to Italy - Running Order Revealed!
Moments ago, the producers of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest determined the running order of Saturday's Grand Final.
The running order was proposed by Christer Björkman, Contest Producer from the production team of Host Broadcaster RTP, and approved by the EBU's Executive Supervisor and the Chairman of the Reference Group, the governing body of the contest on behalf of all 43 participating broadcasters.
Curious how it's made? We have all the details:
Each act drew in which half of the Grand Final they would perform. As host country, Portugal drew its exact starting position (8) during the Heads of Delegation meeting in March.
01. Ukraine
02. Spain
03. Slovenia
04. Lithuania
05. Austria
06. Estonia
07. Norway
08. Portugal
— break position
09. United Kingdom
10. Serbia
11. Germany
12. Albania
13. France
14. Czech Republic
15. Denmark
16. Australia
— break position
17. Finland
18. Bulgaria
19. Moldova
20. Sweden
21. Hungary
22. Israel
23. The Netherlands
24. Ireland
25. Cyprus
26. Italy
The running order is being decided to ensure each act has the opportunity to stand out. The producers look at the genre of music, whether a song is performed by a solo singer or group, the use of props, music tempo and various other aspects of each act.
The Grand Final of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest will take place this Saturday, 12th of May, in Lisbon, Portugal.
Semi-Final 1: 10 Countries Qualify to Grand Final
On Tuesday the Eurovision week officially began with the first semi-final. Nineteen countries took part of the first show, out of which 10 got through the the Grand Final taking place on Saturday night. Take a look and listen to the songs that will be joining last year's finner, Portugal, and the big five - UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Semi-finals were introduced back in 2005 due to an increasing number of countries participating in the contest. Initially, the contest only had one semi-final, in order to make the grand final shorter, more entertaining, and competitive. In 2008, the second-semi final was added where 10 countries from each would get through to the Grand Final.
How to watch Eurovision in the US?
Eurovision Song Contest, the largest entertainment show in the world is about to kick off big with it's three major shows starting tomorrow. If you're located in the United States then, unfortunately, you might need some help accessing the European megashow. Here are a few ways in which you can become a part of the world's most outstanding entertainment spectacle while being located in the United States.
Grand Final on Logo TV
For the third year in a row Logo TV will broadcast the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest. The network brought the show to American audience back in 2016 and has stayed committed to broadcasting it ever since. Unfortunately, Logo TV will not be broadcasting the first or second semi-final, so you just have to stay tight and wait for the final show. The Grand Final will air live on Saturday, May 12 at 3PM ET via LogoTV.com and the LogoTV app.
As in 2017, this year the commentators will return. Michelle Visage and Ross Matthews will be providing commentary during the show.
VPN Access: Eurovision YouTube Page
Due to changes in broadcasting and copyright rules, Youtube's Eurovision shows are currently blocked in the US, Canada, Brazil, and South Korea. Making it harder for Americans to broadcast or re-watch Eurovision performances from 2016 onward. That being said, VPN solutions allow viewers to gain access to YouTube content geo-locked in the US, including the official commentary-free live broadcast of the ESC's semi-finals, and grand final. Simply turn on your VPN and visit the official Eurovision Youtube channel to live stream Eurovision shows or re-watch previous performance. Please note that geo-locked videos or videos not available in your country will not be visible without VPN.
Eurovision Screening Party in New York City
As we're kicking off the Eurovision week, don't forget to check out the following event taking place in New York City:
Eurovision Grand Finale Viewing Party at Hardware Bar!
May 12, 2018 | 2PM-7PM
The event is organized by EurovisioNYC. A live viewing of the grand finale of the Eurovision Song Contest directly from Lisbon, co-hosted by Hardware Bar NYC and DJ ohRicky! Come root for your favorite entries, bring a flag and be a part of what will surely be an unforgettable final! Seating is first-come-first-serve, so be sure to arrive early.
Live from Lisbon, it’s the Grand Final, Saturday, May 12th @ Hardware
The Grand Final is almost here and EurovisioNYC is hosting its biggest ever party, Saturday, May 12th (2pm-7pm) at Hardware Bar (48th&10th).
We are gearing up and super excited for this year's Grand Final and we cannot wait to found out who will take the trophy home (or will Portugal pull a double?). NYC’s hottest DJ and Eurovision lover, DJ OhRicky, will warm us up with his Eurovision playlist before the live show starts at 3pm sharp.
Be sure to also invite your friends and other Eurovision lovers to our new community page.
Hey New York! It's the Grand Final, Saturday, May 12th @ Hardware
The Grand Final is almost here and EurovisioNYC is hosting its biggest ever party, Saturday, May 12th (2pm-7pm) at Hardware Bar (48th&10th).
We still can't believe a year has passed since that magical moment in Kyiv when Portugal, for the first time, won the contest with Salvador Sobarl's beautiful Ama pelos Dois.
But we are gearing up and super excited for this year's Grand Final, and we cannot wait to found out who will take the trophy home (or will Portugal pull a double?).
The party kicks off at 2pm when NYC’s hottest DJ and Eurovision lover, DJ OhRicky, warms us up with his Eurovision playlist before the live show starts at 3pm sharp.
Be sure to also invite your friends and other Eurovision lovers to our new community page.
NYC, All Aboard! Celebrate Eurovision this Saturday, 4/21 @ Hardware
The April edition of the NYC monthly Eurovision party, EurovisioNYC, is taking place this coming Saturday, the 21st (3pm-7pm) at Hardware Bar (48th&10th).
NYC’s hottest DJ and Eurovision lover, DJ OhRicky, is finalizing his playlist which also includes your requests as posted on our Facebook page this past week. We will also get to dance and party to this year’s entries as well as some of our ESC favorites and classics. Judging by our previous events, you definitely don’t want to miss this one!
Be sure to also invite your friends and other Eurovision lovers to our new community page.
Conchita Wurst just reminded us how brave she is and how much we ❤️ Her!
Earlier today, Conchita Wurst, who won the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, took to Instagram and went public with her HIV status.
Conchita, the alter ego of Austrian artist Tom Neuwirt, shared with her followers that she has been HIV+ for many years, and decided to come out with this news following a threat by one of her ex boyfriends to out her.
In a very emotional statement the 2014 ESC winners writes: “Today is the day I am free from the Sword of Damocles for the rest of my life: I have been HIV positive for many years. This is actually irrelevant to the public, but an ex-boyfriend threatens to go public with this information, and I will not give anyone the right to frighten me and influence my life in the future. Since I received the diagnosis, I am in medical treatment, and for many years without interruption under the detection limit [undetectable], so not able to pass on the virus.”
Conchita continues to say: “ Coming out is better than being outed by someone else. I hope to have the courage to fight stigmatization of people who have become infected by HIV, either through their own behaviour or through no fault of their own.
‘To my fans: the information about my HIV status may be news to you – my status is not! I’m well and I’m stronger, more motivated and liberated than ever. Thank you for your support!’‘
Conchita’s statement is a good reminder of how much we love her, and how brave she is. HIV, despite becoming a controlled and manageable chronic disease, is still stigmatized in our society. Find out how you can help break the stigma by clicking HERE and don’t forget to FOLLOW Conchita on IG and LIKE her post.
Eurovision in concert brings the house down!
Amsterdam’s Eurovision in Concert celebrated its Tenth Anniversary big time. Or should we say, in XL Size! More than 2,000 fans and music lovers from all across Europe gathered last night to welcome thirty two of the forty three 2018 Eurovision artists. And they brought the House down!
All the artists brought their A Game but it was actually the Brit who stole the show. And on French territory. SuRie from the UK was a showstopper when she stepped into the shoes of France’s Emilie Satt. Émilie, the Madame of Madame Monsieur, fell ill just before traveling to Amsterdam, and the French duo performance was in jeopardy. But BLESS SuRie. She took the stage with Mr. Monsieur and together performed a beautiful version of their hit, Merci, in English. We were at awe how quickly SuRie learned the English version by heart, and her performance was spotless and effortless . Kudos.
Last night’s show was a good reminder why we love Eurovision, and how it continues to bring us all together, music lovers, friends, and even rivals.
Update: You can now watch a recap of the three hour show right from the Eurovision.tv official YouTube channel.
Amsterdam brings Eurovision in XL size!
The last pit stop on the journey to Lisbon brings us tonight to Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Organized by a team of dedicated Dutch fans since 2009, the celebratory tenth anniversary of Eurovision in Concert (EiC) secured 32 of the 43 ESC 2018 participating countries, the biggest preEurovision event this season!
And apparently, Eurovision comes in different sizes and tonight it’s going to be an Extra Large one as this concert is hosted in one of the largest venues Amsterdam has to offer. What a fantastic way to mark the show’s tenth anniversary.
Eurovision In Concert is taking place at AFAS Live, The show starts at 8pm local time, (2pm Eastern). You can follow the livestream on Eurovision in Concert Facebook Page .
Jaw dropping! Saara Aalto releases multilingual Monsters. And it’s beautiful.
We woke up this morning to a big surprise. Finnish Ambassador to Portugal, the gorgeous Saara Aalto, who sadly missed Israel Calling, dropped a new piano acoustic version of her hit Monsters. And it’s beautiful!
With Eurovision just a few weeks away (gosh, time is flying), Saara released a new multilingual version of Monsters in all 34 languages represented at ESC this year of all 43 participating countries. Yes! And not only that, the video clip of this version of the song, which leaves no doubt of Saara’s excellent vocals, was shot in one camera take, and she clearly memorized all the words cause we cannot see any notes in front of her!
Finland is participating at the First Semi Final of the Eurovision Song Contest, taking place on May 8th. With Monsters, Saara is one of the favorites to slay her way to the Final in May 12th.
Eurovision Rocks Tel Aviv at the biggest pre-ESC Concert ever!
This was the night! arlier today, the biggest open air pre-Eurovision concert took place in Tel Aviv, israel. 25 of the 43 ESC 2018 participants took the stage with their lisbon entries in front of close to 20,000 eager fans, ESC followers and music lovers.
Netta Barzilai, israel’s delegate to Lisbon, brought the House down with her hit TOY which is currently leading the charts, and is one of the favorites to win it all next month!
The event took place at one of Tel Aviv’s most central locations, Rabin Square, which is adjacent to the iconic Tel Aviv Municipality. The show also paid tribute to Izhar Cohen, the first Israeli Eurovision winner (1978).
You can watch the full show on the Israel Calling Facebook page .
Amsterdam brings Eurovision in XL size!
The last pit stop on the journey to Lisbon brings us tonight to Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Organized by a team of dedicated Dutch fans since 2009, the celebratory tenth anniversary of Eurovision in Concert (EiC) secured 32 of the 43 ESC 2018 participating countries, the biggest pre-Eurovision event this season!
And apparently, Eurovision comes in different sizes and tonight it’s going to be an Extra Large one as this concert is hosted in one of the largest venues Amsterdam has to offer. What a fantastic way to mark the show’s tenth anniversary.
Eurovision In Concert is taking place at AFAS Live, The show starts at 8pm local time, (2pm Eastern). You can follow the livestream on Eurovision in Concert Facebook Page .
Special announcement for the 10th Anniversary of Eurovision In Concert!