#ESC2016: 41 COUNTRIES IN STOCKHOLM - BUT WHAT ABOUT THE AUSSIES?

At least 41 countries will be represented in Eurovision 2016 - and the full line-up is set to be revealed very soon.. so the big question is - will Australia stay? Their 2015 representation was pretty awesome. Some would argue it gave a new lease of life to the contest.. Personally, I wouldn't object to them remaining a permanent fixture. Australia's HoD was teasing about sending an even bigger name next year should they be invited. Apparently even Conchita supports Australia's participation. Time will tell if it happens. But if Australia aren't invited back - who is is 41st country? Kazakhstan have wanted to debut for some years now. Will 2016 be the year they succeed? Bosnia will apparently make a decision next week and Croatia's announcement is due very soon. Exciting times :-)

NuVidz: Il Volo, Malú, Sia, Edurne!

Il Volo's new album is out today and the leading track is L'amore si muove. Thoughts? Meanwhile Malú also released Quiero today and will release her 10th studio album in November. It would be wonderful to see her represent Spain next year. During my time in Tenerife, I kept hearing Me Fui and now I love that song. Yesterday, the incredibly talented Sia presented Alive and the song has almost 1.5 million hits already. If Australia do continue to participate, SBS promised a big name.... and finally, Edurne's new single has an offcial video-clip. Basta.

WHO WILL AND WON'T PARTICIPATE IN EUROVISION 2016?

The deadline for countries to apply for participation was 15th September although it's still possible to withdraw up until 10th October without a financial penalty. Ukraine, Bulgaria and Bosnia & Herzegovina have all expressed an interest to return however Bosnia said this last year so I'm trying not to get too excited... but of course it would be awesome to have 'em back. I am thrilled to see Bulgaria and Ukraine return too. Israel will defiantly participate after some doubts and have been allocated to perform in the 2nd semi final, as the 1st semi clashes with Israel's memorial day.

Portugal, Russia and San Marino all remain silent but are expected to be in Stockholm. Maybe. Interestingly, Montenegro announced a few days ago their participation is uncertain. We still don't know what's happening with Croatia but for some reason, I'm not so optimistic.. even though it's been hinted The Voice winner, Nina Kraljic, could fly the Croatian flag.

Liechtenstein defiantly won't compete due to not having the funds to apply for EBU membership. A shame but I'm not surprised. And then we have Australia. Are the Aussies going to become a permanent fixture.. It would be nice for them to stick around but EUROvision? If they stay, there's going to be uproar. Maybe the EBU will invite someone else? China wants to enter and what about Kazakhstan? Will 2016 be the year they debut? Or someone else? Kosovo? Who knows what's going to happen. There's still so many unanswered questions and lot's of uncertainty. It would be awesome to have a record breaking amount of participants next year.

SWEDEN WINS EUROVISION 2015!

Måns Zelmerlöw won the 60th Eurovision Song Contest last night with a very impressive 365 points. Russia and Italy came 2nd and 3rd respectively. Throughout the majority of the voting, Russia's Polina was leading. This blogger would've loved to have seen Polina win. Yeah, it would've caused problems but I just adored her and the song... Her performance was one that touched me. She did a beautiful job. I wouldn't say I disliked the Italian song but I didn't want them to win. However Il Volo did win the televote it seems but the juries only placed them 6th. Hmm.. No doubt this will raise the question - do we need juries?

The Makemakes and Ann Sophie both got the dreaded nil points. Underserved in both cases but especially for Germany.. That song deserved so much better! Don't even get me started on Edurne's placing! Jaja!! Her performance was flawless both visually and vocally but it could've been worse. Electro Velvet only managed 24th. The irony is that I'm rather chuffed with this. We did better than France, Germany and Austria.. even though we didn't really deserve to. What else can one say about last night's results? I'm delighted for Belgium and Latvia. Both countries who rarely do well in the contest but did last night as they sent daring and interesting entries. I think Serbia were a bit overrated. France and Romania a bit underrated. Georgia managed 11th place, which is more than respectable, however Nina has said that she's disappointed. Azerbaijan came 12th. Shocked. Maybe the dancers were too much? Maybe. And Elhaida was 17th. Could've been worse.. I'm proud of her. The Aussies did very well though, didn't they? Now let's wait to see if the EBU invites them back.. I wouldn't complain if they did. The full results can be found here:

As expected, Russia and Sweden won their semi finals. Latvia came 2nd in their semi final. Awesome stuff! Love Injected was brilliant!  Azerbaijan was 10th in the semi final and Malta was 11th. Poor Amber. Switzerland came last - how? Not the greatest song but Melanie deserved more than 4 points.. San Marino was 2nd to last. Czech Republic came 13th. And they would've qualified if it was 100% televote. Oh well. Maybe next year? In the first semi final, Albania just scrapped though and Moldova - yes, Moldova - came 11th. Eeeeek! I would've been so mad if Elhaida lost out to Moldova. Finland came last, but would've made the final with 100% televoting. Macedonia was last with the televote but did manage 15th overall. Sigh. How did Estonia come 10th with the juries in the semi? San Marino's jury even ranked them last. The juries from Montenegro and Macedonia "have been excluded after consultation of PwC, the contest's independent voting observer, and upon the decision of the Executive Supervisor and the Chairman of the Reference Group." Aka something dodgy is going on there....

Overall, it was a fantastic contest once again. Many awesome songs. There were some technical problems during the voting though.. Also correct me if I'm wrong, but is Russia's entry the only one to exceed 300 points and not win? Conchita's performances were excellent and my favourite moment of the contest was this... words cannot describe how beautiful it is! And people boo her?

See y'all in Sweden next year if my bank balance allows. What's another year....

Photos from Eurovision.tv

EUROVISION 2015 FINAL TONIGHT!

Andres Putting (EBU)

It's tonight! It's that time of year we've all been waiting for. The grand final of Eurovision 2015 will take place tonight live from Vienna, Austria. 27 participants are in the running to take the trophy. It's going to be a marathon of a show. 3 hours 45 minutes apparently although we're promised an epic show as it's the 60th contest.. The bookies are backing Sweden and Russia the most. I would rather see a Russian win but Sweden winning tonight wouldn't disappoint me. I hope Spain and Albania, my two favourties, manage to achieve top ten. The draw can be found below:

1. SLOVENIA

2. FRANCE

3. ISRAEL

4. ESTONIA

5. UNITED KINGDOM

6. ARMENIA

7. LITHUANIA

8. SERBIA

9. NORWAY

10. SWEDEN

11. CYPRUS

12.AUSTRALIA

13. BELGIUM

14. AUSTRIA

15. GREECE 

16. MONTENEGRO

17. GERMANY

18. POLAND

19. LATVIA

20. ROMANIA

21. SPAIN

22. HUNGARY

23. GEORGIA

24. AZERBAIJAN

25. RUSSIA

26. ALBANIA

27. ITALY

France's Lisa Angell has the dreaded #2 slot. Paris 2016 was never likely but now it's almost impossible. Will she be overlooked? Slovenia opening the show will be great. The UK performs 5th. Sigh. Electro Velvet apparently gave a very impressive performance last night during the jury final though so let's hope we won't be last. ESDM performed 5th in 2013 for Spain and look what happened... Even a result like 20th would be great. Is this really the best us Brits can hope for? I think Estonia's chances of winning are gone. They're performing 4th but let's hope they'll make the top five. I'd be more than happy to be proved wrong though.. Australia, who may or may not be back next year, perform 12th and in between Cyprus and Belgium. This should help Guy. Maybe. Although Belgium is now seen a dark horse.. However Georgia is my dark horse . Nina has an fantastic draw, an amazing stage presence, a great song.. and the president of Georgia has said the country are ready to host Eurovision! Tbilisi 2016? She's already won the battle of the Warriors. ;-)

Germany, UK and Poland are the favourties to come last. Or at least that's what I'm hearing. It's 2008 all over again! I personally think it'll be Poland who come last.. I already feel sorry for whoever ends up in 27th place. Other predictions are saying Hungary will be last although I think that's unlikely. Edurne performs 21st.. this is a brilliant draw! I'm really hyped to see her performance. The bookies and polls are saying Spain are unlikely to reach top ten. Wouldn't it be lovely to prove them all wrong? Azerbaijan and Russia, both big favourites, perform next to each towards the end of the show. I think we're going to Sochi or St Petersberg next year. Albania performs rather late too inbetween two major favourites.. is Elhaida going to flop? Jeez, I hope not! She's getting my vote for sure anyway. Italy's Il Volo will close. Would I be shocked to see them win from this position? Not really but I don't think they'll win. I think top five is very possible though. Actually, I do think they could win. I don't know. Here's my predictions and wishlist for tonight...

PREDICTED TOP FIVE

1st - Russia

2nd - Italy

3rd - Sweden 

4th - Australia 

5th - Azerbaijan 

MY TOP FIVE

1st - Albania 

2nd - Spain 

3rd - Estonia

4th - Russia

5th - Australia 

Valentina Monetta will read out San Marino's votes. Will the queen of San Marino return to the contest next year? Elsewhere we have Suzy for Portugal, Basim for Denmark, Tanja for Estonia, Krista for Finland, Tinkara for Slovenia, Andrea for Montenegro, Cleo for Poland, Teo for Belarus.. Many familiar faces indeed. And of course the UK has the lovely Nigella!! Enjoy the show tonight my friends and I'd just like to say - thank you for following this little blog throughout the year. :-)

Good luck to everyone!!!!

EUROVISION 2015 IS HERE!

Yihuu - omg Eurovision is here!! The first semi final of Eurovision 2015 will be held live from Vienna tonight! This blogger is beyond excited - but then, who isn't? An important note - I won't be able to blog during the week as I'm going on a mini break but I'll still watch the shows, naturally, however I won't be able to post anything until the weekend. Most likely on Saturday but let's see. Anyway, below you can find the countries who will participate in tonight's semi and with my predictions and hopes... (* = I predict they will qualify, BOLD = I want them to qualify). 

1.  Moldova 
2.  Armenia *
3.  Belgium
4.  The Netherlands *
5.  Finland *
6.  Greece *
7.  Estonia *
8.  FYR Macedonia
9.  Serbia 
10.  Hungary *
11.  Belarus 
12.  Russia *
13.  Denmark *
14.  Albania *
15.  Romania *
16.  Georgia 

...and here is the line-up for semi final two. I doubt I'll get these right but hey, it's a lot of fun :-)

1.  Lithuania *
2.  Ireland
3.  San Marino
4.  Montenegro *
5.  Malta
6.  Norway *
7.  Portugal
8.  Czech Republic 
9.  Israel *
10.  Latvia 
11.  Azerbaijan *
12.  Iceland *
13.  Sweden *
14.  Switzerland
15.  Cyprus *
16.  Slovenia *
17.  Poland *

I really hope everyone enjoys the shows! And good luck to all the participants!! But especially Elhaida, Polina, Trijntje, Elnur, Stig and Elina, Guy, Nina and Edurne ;-) 

...aaaaaand Nigella Lawson will announce the UK's points! Amazing choice!! I love her. She's fantastic and I don't think the BBC could've picked someone better.  If you're not familiar with Nigella, watch this! She's fab! 

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: AUSTRALIA!

Australia's participation in Eurovision divided people. Some people the fact that they're competing in Eurovision, whereas others didn't take too kindly to the announcement. Personally, I'm thrilled the Aussies are competing. Guy Sebastian will be hoping to win the contest and ensure Australia compete next year too... Although some say they'll be back regardless of Guy's result. We'll see. Here's what we think of Australia's first ever Eurovision entry...

Ana: Europe gave Australia one chance and they've wasted it. Guy Sebastian composed and sent the song in only 7 days and here we have the result: a correct song with no options in the contest. I don’t feel the Eurovision spirit here, so I guess this is a goodbye. 5/10

Ilkar: I'm not taking sides whether should Australia be in or not but I'm happy they are as their song is one of the best. He's got great vocals, it's catchy, groovy and I love those horns. It's different from all the rest and will drive the audience wild in the arena. I wish them a very good placement (but not a victory!) 9.5/10

Jack: Australia participating in Eurovision has been rather controversial and divided the Eurovision fan community back in February when their pressence in Vienna was confirmed. I was thrilled when I heard the news and Guy's song didn't disappoint. Far from it. I think Australia are possible winners. Maybe. People might just vote for them on the novelty factor alone and to ensure they compete next year - would this song be such a favourite if a European country sent it? Hmm. I like it though. I find it ironic where the lyrics state 'We can do tonight again'... is this a subtle hint to the EBU? ;-) 9.5/10

Jess: I was not sure what to expect from Australia for their debut, but Guy really has delivered by giving us such a brilliant song! I think it will be one to watch in the contest! 8/10

John: I have a sneaking regard for the Australian entry. Infectiously poppy, it's a grower for sure but might suffer from being perceived as a bit of a gimmick on account of being one-off . What if it wins? Will it be Sydney 2016 and Australia as a permanent fixture on the ESC agenda??? It will be interesting to see. 8/10

OUR VERDICT - 40/50
OVERALL SCORE - 8.0/10

Australia: Guy Sebastian reveals 'Tonight Again'!

Australia's entry was released this morning - and it's uptempo! Guy Sebastian will sing Tonight Again in Vienna... The song didn't come from Guy's previous album, as previously stated, but it's a brand new song all together. He only finished the video-clip yesterday. The overall reaction to this has been very positive. A winner? It's very possible...

GUY SEBASTIAN TO REPRESENT AUSTRALIA!

Guy Sebastian will be the first ever Australian participant in Eurovision. This was revealed moments ago during a special press conference at Sydney's Opera House. I think he's amazing and I can't wait to hear his song. The song he'll sing in Vienna is still yet to be decided but there's two songs in the running it seems. Malaysian born Guy is a very big name in Australia. He won Australian Idol back in 2003, and has 3.7 million record sales under his belt. You can read more about him here..

The following songs could be potential entries for Eurovision: Alive, Madness, Elephant,, Light and shade, One of us, Imagine the sunrise, Lighting, Animal In Me or The pause. And if you can't get enough of him, you can enjoy some of his older and most popular songs below:

The song will be presented within the next couple of weeks... Good luck Australia! I knew the Aussies wouldn't let us down :-) 

Australia: Will SBS select The Veronicas or Kylie Minogue for Vienna?

Who will SBS send to Eurovision? Here's a quick look at two artists which I think would be absolutely fantastic.

The Veronicas are an Italian-Australian duo by identical twins and they have tweeted that they're interested in representing Australia in the contest. Listen to their latest single, You Ruin Me, here. Could this be Australia's entry? Such a beautiful song - and they are incredible live! I would be delighted if they were chosen....

I don't think Kylie Minogue needs an introduction, does she? She's arguably the most well-known Aussie in the world and has sold over 70 million records. She would be the ideal choice for Eurovision. Everyone loves her. Kylie's recently worked with Italian producer Giorgio Moroder and their new song can be heard below:

Several petitions are calling for SBS to select Kylie with this song..  Is it Eurovision material? An official announcement is due for early March.

Australia: Drag queen Courtney Act wants to do Eurovision!

It's been little over 24 hour hours since Australia announced their presence in Vienna, and the rumour mill of who will represent the country from Down Under is already in full swing. Of course people are saying Australia should send a big name such as Sia, Kylie Minogue, Jessica Mauboy and Samantha Jade but a more realistic choice could be Courtney Act. ESCToday reports the drag queen is keen to fly the Australian flag in Vienna. She was a semifinalist on Australian Idol in 2003 and also appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race. She posted this on her Facebook page:

Another drag queen to grace the Eurovision stage? After yesterday's shock announcement, anything is possible!

AUSTRALIA TO PARTICIPATE IN EUROVISION 2015!

Yes! You read that right! Australia will indeed participate in the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Jon Ola Sand said:

It’s a daring and at the same time incredibly exciting move. It is our way of saying; let’s celebrate this party together!

Australia therefore bring the amount of countries in Vienna to 40. The managing director of the Australian broadcaster, SBS, 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.

Franky, I don't care that Australia isn't in Europe. This is amazing and I am so excited to see who the Aussies send to Vienna.. Welcome to the party! :-)