Why Cant Uk Vote In Eurovision Semi Final?

Why can’t the UK vote by text in Eurovision?

5. Why are you offering voting via Mobile Short Dial Codes instead of Text Voting? – Text voting cannot be included in the Eurovision Song Contest UK vote due to the relatively short periods in which the vote is open and during which the result needs to be provided and verified.

There is the risk of potential delays within the mobile networks at busy times which could result in text votes not being received within the period the vote is open. With a phone call, if the exchange is busy you will hear an engaged tone, however with text/SMS you would not know if there is any late delivery of your vote (causing it to not be registered).

There are no such potential network delays with Mobile Short Dial Codes other than busy tones at local exchange level with heavy traffic. In addition, call attempts to Mobile Short Dial Codes outside of the vote open period, or to numbers no longer in use, are non-chargeable to callers, unlike text where charges may still apply.

• The advantage of using telephone calls for voting rather than text voting is that the caller knows at the time of the call that their vote has been counted and also that they have been charged for their vote.
• They will also know from receiving an engaged tone if they did not get through and that they can then just press redial to try again.

The same is not true of text voting as the texter has to wait for a confirmation message back from their mobile network operator which may take some time to arrive or which may not arrive at all.

Can UK viewers vote Eurovision?

Can UK viewers vote in the Eurovision final? – The good news is that viewers in all countries can vote with voting opening after all countries have performed and staying open for 40 minutes.

Paul O’Grady’s Eurovision cameo with beloved dog leaves viewers in tears

Fans can use the official Eurovision App or go directly to the new voting hub for the Eurovision Song Contest, which can be found at www.esc.vote. People watching can also vote over the phone or by text, with each person can vote up to 20 times. The catch is that voters in participating countries will be unable to select their own country’s entry. Eurovision has a new voting system. Picture: Getty The share of the vote will be converted into a score, with the top 12 from each country given the points.

Why does UK go straight to Eurovision final?

United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
Participating broadcaster	British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Participation summary
Appearances	65
First appearance	1957
Highest placement	1st: 1967, 1969, 1976, 1981, 1997
Host	1960, 1963, 1968, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1998, 2023
Related articles
UK national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest
External links
BBC page
United Kingdom’s page at Eurovision.tv
For the most recent participation see United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023

The United Kingdom has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 65 times. It first took part in the second contest in 1957 and has entered every year since 1959, Along with Sweden and the Netherlands, the UK is one of only three countries with Eurovision victories in four different decades.

• It is one of the ” Big Five ” countries, along with France, Germany, Italy and Spain, that are automatically prequalified for the final each year as they are the biggest financial contributors to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
• The British national broadcaster, the BBC, broadcasts the event and has, on multiple occasions, organised different national selection processes to choose the British entry.

The United Kingdom has won the Eurovision Song Contest five times, and has finished as runner-up on a record sixteen occasions. The UK has hosted the contest a record nine times, four times in London ( 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1977 ) and once each in Edinburgh ( 1972 ), Brighton ( 1974 ), Harrogate ( 1982 ), Birmingham ( 1998 ), and Liverpool ( 2023 ).

The United Kingdom’s five winners are Sandie Shaw with the song ” Puppet on a String ” ( 1967 ), Lulu with ” Boom Bang-a-Bang ” ( 1969 in a four-way tie), Brotherhood of Man with ” Save Your Kisses for Me ” ( 1976 ), Bucks Fizz with ” Making Your Mind Up ” ( 1981 ) and Katrina and the Waves with ” Love Shine a Light ” ( 1997 ).

The UK has also achieved a record sixteen second-place finishes, the first in 1959 and the most recent in 2022, The United Kingdom finished outside the top ten on only three occasions prior to 2000 ( 1978, 1987 and 1999 ). In the 21st century, the United Kingdom has had a considerably poorer record in the competition, only reaching the top ten three times, with Jessica Garlick third ( 2002 ), Jade Ewen fifth ( 2009 ), and Sam Ryder second ( 2022 ), compounded by 12 non-top 20 finishes, including Jemini ‘s 2003 nul points result, which was the first time that the country had come last in the contest.

Why can the UK only vote in one semi final?

Traditionally in Eurovision, the countries who do not take part in the semi-finals are not allowed to vote. Voting is limited to only the countries that are taking part in that particular heat.

Can you vote in the semi final in Eurovision?

Voting in the Grand Final – Viewers in all 37 countries taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 can vote for the 26 songs in the Grand Final (10 qualifiers from Semi-Final 1 and 2 and THE 6 pre-qualified countries) Those watching in the participating countries can vote using the official Eurovision Song Contest app, or by telephone and/or SMS.

1. Relevant numbers will be displayed on screen by each participating broadcaster.
2. Those watching in any other eligible non-participating country can vote via a secure online platform – www.esc.vote Voting will open after the last song is performed for approximately 40 minutes.
3. When the vote closes the Top 10 most popular songs in each participating country will be allocated points from 1 to 8, 10 and 12 points.

The 10 songs that have received the most votes from the “Rest Of The World” will be allocated points using the same scale and have the weight of one additional voting country. The Audience in each participating country will award a total of 58 points (1 – 8, 10 and 12).37 countries x 58 points = 2,146 points from the national audiences of the participating countries.

The Audience voting online from non-participating countries (Rest of The World) will also award a total of 58 points (1 – 8, 10 and 12). The total number of points that will be distributed from the Audience will be 2,204 (37 participating countries + 1 Rest of the World “country”). The Jury in each of the 37 participating countries will also award a total of 58 points (1 – 8, 10 and 12) Each Jury will watch and cast their votes based on Dress Rehearsal 2 which will take place in the evening of Friday 12 May.

The total number of points that will be distributed by the 37 national Juries will be 2,146. In the event that a valid national audience vote cannot be recorded in a participating country the points allocated from that country will be determined using an aggregated result which shall be calculated automatically on the basis of the results of a pre-selected group of countries.

1. In the unlikely event that an aggregated result is not available, it will be replaced by the results of the National Jury of the country concerned.
2. If a valid Jury result is not recorded in any of the participating countries, the result of the respective national Audience shall be doubled.
3. At the end of the televoting window, the results of each National Jury will be presented live one by one by a spokesperson in each participating country and appear on a scoreboard.

During this time, the EBU, its Voting Partner and Independent Voting Observer will count and verify the audience results. After all the Jury points are given, the combined total points from the Audiences of the participating countries and the Rest of the World are presented.

The cumulative points total for each country in the Grand Final is then added to the scoreboard, country by country, beginning with the country that was ranked last by the Jury and working up the scoreboard to the country that was ranked first. The country at the top of the scoreboard at the end of this sequence is the winner.

In the event of a tie, after all points are distributed from the Audience and Jury vote, the winner shall be the song which has which has obtained the highest rank from all the National Audiences and the ROTW Audience. PLEASE NOTE: The national Audiences and national Juries cannot vote for the country they represent.

Who can vote in Eurovision semi finals?

Voting from Participating Countries – Viewers are able to cast their votes via the official Eurovision Song Contest app (or by following instructions on screen) during the live Semi-Finals and Grand Final. The app is available for your iOS, Android or Windows device, and if you vote via the app you will receive a special video message from your favourite artists.

Download for Android Download for iOS

In addition, those watching in participating countries can vote by telephone and/or SMS. Relevant numbers will be displayed on screen by each participating broadcaster and on www.esc.vote, You can only vote in the Semi-Final your country takes part in, or the Semi-Final assigned to your country if you’re watching from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom or Sweden.

Can non Europeans vote for Eurovision?

Worldwide popularity – ” Throughout its 67-year history the Eurovision Song Contest has constantly evolved to remain relevant and exciting, These changes acknowledge the immense popularity of the show by giving more power to the audience of the world’s largest live music event,” said when the change was announced.

• The European Broadcasting Network may be trying to expand the audience of the show and by allowing voters from around the world, more people may be enticed to tune in.
• In 2023 only Eurovision Song Contest viewers will decide which countries make it to the Grand Final and, reflecting the global impact of the event, everyone watching the show, wherever they live in the world, can cast their votes for their favourite songs,” added,

: Can non-Eurovision countries vote and how is the vote counted?

How many public votes did UK get in Eurovision?

Final – Ryder took part in technical rehearsals on 5 and 7 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 11, 12 and 13 May. This included the semi-final jury show on 11 May, where an extended clip of the British performance, was filmed for broadcast during the live show on 12 May, and the jury final on 13 May, where the professional juries of each country watched and voted on the competing entries.

• After technical rehearsals, the “Big Five” countries held a press conference.
• As part of this press conference, the artists took part in a draw to determine which half of the grand final they would subsequently participate in.
• The United Kingdom was drawn to compete in the second half.
• Following the conclusion of the second semi-final, the shows’ producers decided upon the running order of the final.

The running order for the semi-finals and final was decided by the shows’ producers rather than through another draw, so that similar songs were not placed next to each other. The United Kingdom was subsequently placed to perform in position 22, following the entry from Australia and before the entry from Poland,

1. The British performance featured Ryder performing on a predominately black and white stage theme, with smoke effects on the floor, whilst wearing trainers and a skydiver jumpsuit with intricate patterns, with an astronomical theme linking back to the meaning of “Space Man”.
2. The United Kingdom brought the largest prop of the contest, which was formed of three metal wings, while Ryder performed on a circular plinth in the centre.

The prop moved during the course of the performance, and gradually lit up and opened. The performance also featured a guitar solo by Ryder, an adaptation of the studio cut of “Space Man”. The United Kingdom placed second in the final, behind eventual winners Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine,

What 5 countries pay for Eurovision?

How much does it cost to enter Eurovision? – The cost to enter Eurovision varies from country to country, but the countries known as the “Big Five” – the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain – pay the most to enter. This is why we, along with the other four “Big” countries, don’t have to go through qualifying and are automatically put through to the final each year.

1. However, all 37 countries must pay a fee to enter, and the total for all entrants comes to around £5 million combined.
2. On top of the entry fee, each country then has to part with cash to put together a Eurovision-worthy performance, including paying the performer themselves, as well as paying for hair and make-up and any fancy staging they might want to use.

Information on how much each country spends on their performances is limited, but according to Eurovision Fun, Spain spent a staggering €680,000 on its entry in 2022 – where their act, Chanel, finished third with her song SloMo. It was reported that around €302,000 went on the participation fee, while the remaining €380,000 was spent on expenses including payments for the stage performance and hotel accommodation.

Has the UK ever won Eurovision song?

The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 is fast approaching with the grand final airing live from Liverpool, who are hosting on behalf of Ukraine, on Saturday, May 13. Mae Muller is the UK entry this year with her track I Wrote A Song. The 25-year-old was announced as the UK entry back in March and she will be hoping to have as much success as Sam Ryder who came in second place with his song Spaceman in 2022.

1. The TikTok star’s performance went down a treat last year and was the UK’s best result since 1998.
2. The UK has finished second a record 16 times and also has the record for the longest-running string of top five placings.
3. But as the song contest prepares to celebrate its 67th anniversary, just how many UK entries have won the competition in its history? Read more: All the Welsh Eurovision acts ever and the one that actually won Despite its long reign, the UK has only won the Eurovision Song Contest five times, with the last first-place victory being in 1997.

Here’s a full list of previous UK winners. Katrina And The Waves won the competition in 1997 (Image: PA)

Why is Eurovision 2023 in UK?

Why is the UK hosting Eurovision? – Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra won the 2022 Eurovision song contest with their song Stefania. Normally, the winning country hosts the following year’s competition, but the ongoing war in Ukraine makes this impossible. Image source, Reuters Image caption, Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra sold their Eurovision trophy for £712,000 to raise money for the country’s war effort The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the contest, invited the UK to host on Ukraine’s behalf as UK contestant Sam Ryder was the runner up in the 2022 show.

Has England ever made it to the semi-finals?

In 2012, England kit manufacturer Umbro introduced a FA crest completely in red The history of the England men’s national football team, also known as the Three Lions, begins with the first representative international match in 1870 and the first officially-recognised match two years later.

• England primarily competed in the British Home Championship over the following decades.
• Although the FA had joined the international governing body of association football FIFA in 1906, the relationship with the British associations was fraught.
• In 1928, the British nations withdrew from FIFA, in a dispute over payments to amateur players.

This meant that England did not enter the first three World Cups. The Three Lions first entered the World Cup in 1950 and have since qualified for 16 of the 19 finals tournaments to 2022. They won the 1966 World Cup on home soil making them one of only eight nations to have won a FIFA World Cup.

They have reached the semi-finals on two other occasions, in 1990 and 2018, The Three Lions have been eliminated from the World Cup quarter-final stage on seven occasions – more often than any other nation. England failed to qualify for the finals in 1974, 1978, and 1994, England also compete in the UEFA European Championship,

During UEFA Euro 2020, they reached the final of the competition for the first time, finishing as runners-up. England have also reached the semi-final of the competition in 1968 and 1996 with the latter held on home soil. England’s most capped player is Peter Shilton with 125 caps and its top goalscorer is Harry Kane with 58 goals.

When could all men vote UK?

1918 – The ‘Representation of the People’ Act was passed. All males over 21 were now eligible to vote, as were women over 30 who were householders (ie local government electors) or wives of householders. The residential qualification period was reduced to six months.

How did the UK vote in Eurovision 2023?

Over the course of the contest, the UK awarded its 12 points to Lithuania in the second semi-final, and to Sweden (jury) and Finland (televote) in the final.

Why couldn t the UK vote in Eurovision on Tuesday?

Why can’t the UK vote in Eurovision semi-finals? – Quite simply, the UK cannot vote in the Eurovision semi-finals because, like four other countries (as described below), it doesn’t take part in them, Unlike the grand final, which is voted on by viewers in every one of the participating broadcasters, voting in the semis is limited only to people from the countries taking part in that particular heat.

Which Eurovision semi final can the UK vote in?

Voting in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 – Terms – Eurovision Song Contest 2022 1. After all countries have performed, viewers will be invited to vote for their favourite act/s.2. Voting is by telephone only. Voters in the UK can choose either to call from their landline using the long (11-digit) number for the country of their choice or from their mobile phones using the shortcode (7-digit) number for the country of their choice.

Please note that callers from the Channel Islands and Isle of Man should call from their landlines using the long (11-digit) number to avoid higher mobile charges, as the short (7-digit) numbers are not available in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for reasons outside of the BBC’s control. The numbers to be used will be given during the programmes.

Please note that you cannot vote by email, text/SMS or via this website. The only voting by way of mobile app promoted during the programme for UK viewers will be via a mobile phone shortcode launched from the app. No text voting via the app is available in the UK.

• More information about how to telephone vote through the official Eurovision mobile apps on smartphones can be found here,
• The app is distributed by a third party and the BBC does not control nor is responsible for any app content or functionality.3.
• Vote lines are opened and closed as specified in the programmes.

Votes received outside the specified times will not be counted, but may still be charged. Voting times may change.4. UK-based viewers may only vote in the second Semi-Final on Thursday 12th May and the Grand Final on Saturday 14th May. Voting in the Semi-Final 5.

1. Although there are two semi-finals, UK viewers can only vote in the second Semi-Final on 12th May.
2. The six countries who are automatically through to the Grand Final (UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the host, The Netherlands) are featured in the two semi-finals but the public will not be able to vote for them.6.

The scoring for the semi-finals will be the same as the Grand Final. There will be two separate sets of votes awarded; the points from the juries and the points from the televote (see below) from each of the Eurovision countries. The ten highest scoring acts in each Semi Final once all the points have been combined will go through to the Grand Final and are revealed in no particular order.

• Voting in the Grand Final 7.
• In the Grand Final, UK-based callers may NOT vote for the UK act.
• Any votes from the UK for the UK act will not count and the call may still be charged.8.
• In the Grand Final, the final scores of the songs shall be calculated on the basis of both the results of the public televoting and the results of the national juries appointed.

For the national jury vote of each country, the score of each song in each country shall be determined as follows: 12 points shall be allocated to the song having obtained the best rank from the national jury; 10 points to the song having obtained the second-best rank from the national jury, 8 points to the song having obtained the third-best rank from the national jury, 7 points to the next, and so on down to 1 point for the song having obtained the tenth-best rank from the national jury.

In calculating the combined ranks from each jury member ranking, an exponential weight model is used. For more information please see the Eurovision website, Separately, the points awarded from the public vote from each country for each song shall be determined as follows: an additional 12 points shall be allocated to the song having obtained the highest number of votes from the UK televoting; 10 points to the song having obtained the second-highest number of votes from the UK televoting, 8 points to the song having obtained the third-highest number of votes from the UK televoting, 7 points to the next, and so on down to 1 point for the song having obtained the tenth-highest number of votes from the UK televoting.

The jury and public televote points will be presented separately. Each country will award 58 points from the national jury (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12) and 58 points from the public vote (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12). This means that each country will award a total of 116 points.

Therefore the theoretical highest number of points one act could get from any one country is 24 (12 each from the national jury and the televoting).9. The winner of the Grand Final shall be the song which has obtained the highest number of points from the combined calculation of the total points from all of the televoting results and the total points awarded from all of the national juries’ from all participating countries.

National Jury 10. Each national jury will consist of 5 members including a chairperson. The members shall be professionals within the music industry and nationals of the relevant country.11. The members of each national jury will watch the live transmission of the 2nd dress rehearsal for both the Grand Final and the Semi Final in which that country is voting.

After the transmission they will vote in accordance with the European Broadcasting Union Rules. Tie 12. In the event of a tie, the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 Rules prescribe the following: For resolving a tie in the national jury ranking – the system will look at the individual results of the jury members and the overall rank will be determined by firstly looking at these individual ranks and then if necessary the age of the jury members.

For resolving a tie in a country’s televote – the result of that country’s national jury will determine the order: the song having obtained the best rank of the national jury will be ranked highest. For resolving a tie after the points from the result of televotes and the result of the national juries have been combined, the winner in that tie shall be the song that received the most points from all the country televotes.

If there is a tie in the total number of points awarded via the televotes. the winner shall be the song which has obtained points from the highest number of countries. If the tied songs have received points from the same number of countries, the highest number of 12-point scores shall be decisive. If the winner still cannot be determined by this procedure, the number of times ten points have been awarded shall be the deciding factor.

If necessary, this method shall continue until account has been taken of the number of times one point has been awarded. In the very unlikely case that after applying the above procedure there is still a tie; the tie shall be resolved by giving precedence to the country which was earlier in the running order for the respective show in question.

More information can be found in the published Rules on the Eurovision website, Other Rules 13. Voters in the UK can choose either to call from their landline using the long (11-digit) number for the song(s) of their choice or from their mobile phones using the shortcode (7-digit) number for the song(s) of their choice.

Please note that callers from the Channel Islands and Isle of Man should call from their landlines using the long (11-digit) number to avoid higher mobile charges, as the short (7-digit) numbers are not available in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for reasons outside of the BBC’s control.14.

Calls to the long (11-digit) number from landlines and mobiles cost 15p plus your network’s access charge. To vote from your mobile in the UK, please call the short (7-digit) number announced for your chosen song(s). Calls from mobiles to the short (7-digit) number cost 15p per vote and should cost less than calling the long (11-digit) number from your mobile so please, if you can, dial the short (7-digit) number from your mobile.

You cannot text and you cannot dial the short (7-digit) number from a landline (in some very limited cases, this may result in the call terminating on a subscriber’s number from your same telephone exchange). Telephone calls to the short (7-digit) number initiated via the Eurovision app will be charged as above.15.

1. Voters must obtain permission from the bill payer before voting.
2. Voters aged 16 and under should obtain parent/guardian consent before voting.
3. Votes are only open to individuals as consumers calling from the UK, and not to any agencies, businesses and/or companies.16.
4. The BBC can only guarantee that votes individually entered directly through the telephone numbers promoted on the show will count.

Voting by way of mobile app promoted during the programme is via a connection to these telephone numbers. Text voting within the app will not be available to UK viewers.17. Make sure you carefully dial only the number of the song(s) you wish to vote for.18.

The BBC reserves the right to disqualify votes if it has reasonable grounds to suspect that there has been any deliberate attempt to rig or manipulate the voting.19. The BBC, its sub-contractors, subsidiaries and/or agencies cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for any technical failure or malfunction or any other problem with any telephone network or line, system, server, provider or otherwise which may result in any vote not being properly registered or recorded.20.

The BBC reserves the right to cancel or suspend voting at any time if it considers it has reasonable cause to do so or if there is a technical breakdown of any kind.21. For purpose of verifying any claim for refunds (where offered) or investigating possible voting irregularities, the BBC may need to request the network operator to disclose the telephone number that you are voting from.

• Please note that this will still be required where you have originally opted not to disclose your telephone number (caller’s line identification barring).
• If you do not agree to this, you should not vote.
• Where such investigations are required, the BBC will only ever use your telephone number for the purposes of processing refunds or investigating possible voting irregularities and will not publish or provide it to anyone without permission, except where required for enforcement of these terms.

You can read more about the BBC Privacy Policy at http://www.bbc.co.uk/privacy,22. In the unlikely event of a failure in the telephone votes for technical or similar reasons, a full explanation of how the Contest organisers allocate points in this situation will be made available on the BBC website and Eurovision social media channels after the show.23.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2022 is produced under the auspices of the European Broadcasting Union. The rules are issued by the European Broadcasting Union and are common across all participating countries. More details can be found on the EBU’s website,24. The voting in this programme accords with the BBC’s Code of Conduct for Competitions and Voting, details of which can be found on the BBC’s Standards and Guidelines website,25.

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Can all countries vote in Eurovision?

An Overview – The Eurovision Song Contest is an internationally televised songwriting competition, organised by the European Broadcasting Union and featuring participants chosen by EBU member broadcasters representing their countries from across Europe and beyond.

• Each Participating Broadcaster has until mid-March to choose a song and an artist to perform it.
• The song and artist can be selected through a televised national selection show (or shows), an internal process, or via any other means they decide.
• Participants then compete at the Eurovision Song Contest, traditionally held in May.

The Contest format comprises three live shows: the First Semi-Final (Tuesday evening), the Second Semi-Final (Thursday evening), and the Grand Final (a Saturday night spectacular). Participating Broadcasters work hard to prepare acts that will qualify from the show’s Semi-Finals, hoping for a ticket to the Saturday night Grand Final where they will join the so-called ‘Big Five’ broadcasters and Host Broadcaster (usually the broadcaster of the nation than won the previous year).

Songs must be original and no more than 3 minutes in lengthLead vocals must be performed liveNo more than 6 performers can take to the stage during any one performance

In each show, after all songs have been performed, each country will give two sets of points (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12) to their favourite songs; one set is given by a jury of five music industry professionals from that country, and one set given by viewers watching the show in country.

Viewers can vote by telephone, SMS and through the official app. Out of fairness, you cannot vote for your own country. In the Semi-Finals, only those countries who took part in that specific show can vote (along with 2 or 3 of the ‘Big Five’ who are already in the Grand Final), whereas in the Grand Final, all competing countries can vote.

At the end of the Grand Final, the song that has received the most points wins the iconic trophy, and is performed once more.

Can Russia vote in Eurovision 2023?

Eurovision 2023: Russia will not be able to vote in the ‘Rest of the World’ category! An interesting change coming to Eurovision 2023 is the introduction of the ‘Rest of the World’ category, which means that people from non-participating countries will be able to vote for their favorites in this year’s contest.

Why is Australia in Eurovision?

It’s Called Eurovision. So Why Is Australia Part of It? Australia has been one of the event’s biggest markets outside Europe. Since 2015, it has been a contestant, but that may end after this year’s final. The Australian band Voyager performing at Eurovision, in Liverpool, England, on Thursday. Credit. Martin Meissner/Associated Press is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. to get it by email. The confluence of outlandish costumes, soulful folk ballads and Edgar Allan Poe can only mean that Eurovision, the world’s largest, gaudiest and, perhaps, most eccentric song competition is gracing our screens again.

The event usually carries political undertones, and that has become more overt this year, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine looming large over the proceedings. Eurovision is usually held in the country that won the previous year, but Liverpool, England, is hosting the competition on behalf of last year’s champion, Ukraine.

Liverpool has incorporated symbols of and tributes to Ukraine into its festivities, including, This year’s Ukrainian entry, the pop group Tvorchi, is performing a song that, Australia’s entry, the Western Australia progressive synth-metal band Voyager, has made it through to the finals, much to the delight of fans who either stayed up very late or woke very early to watch it live, at 5 a.m.

Local time. (Strange fact: Voyager’s lead singer is an immigration lawyer during the tennis star Novak Djokovic’s battle to get into the country while unvaccinated against Covid for the Australian Open.) Voyager has a lot riding on its performance, given this is the last year Australia is guaranteed to compete in Eurovision.

While Australia is not the only non-European country to compete in Eurovision — Israel made its debut in 1973 — it is certainly the most distant. Since Australia started participating in 2015, fans and commentators alike have wondered: Why does a country on the other side of the world participate in what is ostensibly a European song contest? The reason involves Australia’s migration history; the role that SBS, which broadcasts Eurovision, plays in the national culture; and a push by Eurovision to tap into new global markets, said Jess Carniel, a senior lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland and a Eurovision expert.

Australia’s invitation to participate in 2015 was intended as a one-off, in recognition of how popular the contest was in Australia, said Dr. Carniel. “At that time, Australia probably constituted one of largest non-European audiences,” she said. SBS, a government-funded broadcaster catering to multicultural and multilingual communities, has aired Eurovision in Australia since 1983, and the show first became popular among the communities of European migrants who had moved to Australia after World War II, she said.

Interest in the competition also grew among migrants from non-European backgrounds who discovered it while watching the channel, she said. Later, interest in the competition widened. In the 1990s, it became a cult hit among young people who tuned in to the channel — which was branding itself as “cool” and “cosmopolitan” — for its foreign movies and television shows.

1. And the contest’s popularity snowballed from there.
2. The other part of the reason for Australia’s involvement was that “we represented an ostensibly Western broadcaster in the middle of the Asia Pacific,” as Eurovision was pushing to tap into new markets, including the Asia Pacific, Dr.
3. Carniel said.
4. In 2016, after Australia participated in the competition for a second time, SBS announced that it secured the rights to develop an Asian version of Eurovision.

It was while this contest was being developed that SBS was given, in 2018, a five-year guarantee that Australia would compete in Eurovision — a guarantee that expires after this year’s event (the 2020 contest was canceled due to the pandemic). But creating a new regional song competition proved to be more difficult than when Eurovision started in 1956.

1. SBS announced in 2021 that its plans for an Asian contest were canceled — although a spinoff competition in the United States was held as a one-off event last year.
2. Through it all, viewership has remained strong here.
3. And overseas, fans have gradually come to accept Australian participation in a European competition, Dr.

Carniel said. “A big part of that is that we’ve taken it so seriously — we’ve taken great effort to send high-quality artists we’re proud of,” she said. That has helped portray Australia as “a young, dynamic, innovative, creative nation, and that’s an important image for us to have out there,” she said.

The diverse range of contestants Australia has sent — including artists with migrant and Indigenous backgrounds — “disrupts some of the stereotypical images that people might have of Australia as blond, blue-eyed, Anglo,” she added. Although it’s unclear if Australia will continue participating after this year, Dr.

Carniel hopes it will. “It has been a really fantastic opportunity for so many Australian artists,” she said. “And it’s not like Eurovision is going to go away from our screens.” Now for this week’s news: William Leslie Arnold, center in striped shirt, in 1958.

Can you text vote for Eurovision?

How to vote in Eurovision 2023 and how voting system works

• The Song Contest is well and truly underway in Liverpool, amid a few changes to its already complicated voting system.
• The 2023 grand final is taking place tonight (Saturday 13 May), with the public offered the chance to vote for their favourite contestants.
• This includes with her track “I Wrote a Song”.
• Eurovision is widely known for its fiendishly complex voting system, with the making some tweaks for the 2023 competition.
• How does Eurovision voting work?
• Viewers from all participating countries will be invited to vote for their favourite songs as the grand final gets underway.

Fans can vote over the phone, by text or via the Eurovision app. Each person can vote up to 20 times, but voters will be unable to select their own country’s entry. The public votes make up 50 per cent of the total vote, with the other half determined by a professional jury in each participating country. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial After the presentation of the scores from the juries, the public points from all participating countries will be combined, providing one final score for each song.

What has changed for 2023? UK Eurovision contestant Mae Muller As of 2023, only viewers’ votes will decide which countries will make it through from the semi-finals to the grand final. This means that the acts will not have to face the judges until they reach the final. Thirty-one countries must compete across the two semi-finals, with 20 making it through to Saturday night’s final.

They will then join the six countries who automatically have progressed to the final: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK (the “Big Five”), and last year’s winners Ukraine.

1. In addition, another major change has been brought in to Eurovision this year.
2. For the first time in the competition’s history, people from countries outside the contest will be able to vote online and on the app for both the semi-finals and final.
3. Their votes will be converted into points that have the same weight as one participating country.
4. Follow the,
5. Additional reporting by Press Association.

: How to vote in Eurovision 2023 and how voting system works

What happened with Eurovision voting?

Eurovision to open voting to viewers across the world in major rule change The organisers of the song contest have extended voting to its global audience and reduced the role of juries, following voting irregularities that marred this year’s competition.

1. In the most drastic rule changes in its 67-year history, the winning song will be picked by viewers across the world, in combination with a jury of music professionals, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced on Tuesday.
2. Juries will not, however, be involved in how countries are selected for the final.

Qualifying countries will only be decided by the votes of viewers. The changes, which have been approved by the contest’s reference group, come after “irregular voting patterns”, As a result jury votes were removed from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania and San Marino.

Sietse Bakker, a Dutch member of the reference group and former producer of the event, said the changes were made to ensure fair play in future. he said: “Following the unprecedented voting irregularities we saw this year, we looked at ways to protect the integrity of the competition. The problem occurred in the semi-finals, this was the best way to end it.

Also, difference of who qualifies in public v public+jury vote is minimal.” He added: “I’ve been around in the Eurovision community for over 20 years and I’ve seen uproar and backlash about changes to the format over and over again. And look where the contest stands now; stronger than ever!” Bakker also defended the new system against claims that audience votes would produce unfair results.

1. He tweeted: “It *is* fair, just not objective.
2. No measure is, in a contest that is ultimately judged by people’s personal taste and, in case of the juries, professional evaluation of artistic elements.” This year’s apparent vote rigging was played down by the EBU when it emerged in May.
3. In a statement it said: “The EBU takes any suspected attempts to manipulate the voting at the Eurovision Song Contest extremely seriously and has the right to remove such votes in accordance with the official voting instructions, irrespective of whether or not such votes are likely to influence the results and/or outcome of the voting.” Martin Österdahl, the Eurovision Song Contest’s executive supervisor, said the rule changes were made to reflect the globalisation of an event that drew a global TV audience of 160 million.

He said: “Throughout its 67-year history the Eurovision Song Contest has constantly evolved to remain relevant and exciting. These changes acknowledge the immense popularity of the show by giving more power to the audience of the world’s largest live music event.”

• He added: “Everyone watching the show, wherever they live in the world, can cast their votes for their favourite songs.”
• Österdahl suggested the changes would mean the winner was selected more on musical merit than parochial European concerns.
• He said: “By also involving juries of music professionals in deciding the final result, all the songs in the grand final can be assessed on the broadest possible criteria.”

Introducing global voting is a bigger change than a controversial decision in 2015 to allow. It is likely to fuel speculation that more countries from around the world will be permitted to enter the competition in future.

1. Österdahl said: “We can also maintain the tradition of travelling around Europe and Australia to collect points and ensure a thrilling voting sequence with the winner only revealed at the very end of the show.”
2. “Those watching in the rest of the world will be able to vote via a secure online platform using a credit card from their country, and their votes, once added together, will be converted into points that will have the same weight as one participating country in both of the semi-finals and the grand final.”
3. Audiences in all participating countries will be able to vote by text, phone or the contest’s app.

Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra won this year’s contest with their song Stefania, a folk-rap ensemble they dedicated to all the country’s mothers. But Ukraine could not take up their right to host next year’s event because of Russia’s invasion. Liverpool was announced as next year’s host city on behalf of Ukraine after the UK’s was the runner-up in this year’s contest.

What happened with Eurovision votes?

How Eurovision voting scandal shaped the 2023 finals Eurovision 2022 was rocked when it emerged that juries in six countries had apparently fixed their votes. At the semi-final stage, the jury votes from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania and San Marino were scrapped due to “irregular voting patterns”.

• For Eurovision fans, it was a disappointing, frustrating scandal because it reaffirms what a lot of people already think about the contest – that it’s all political and doesn’t really have anything to do with the songs.
• It also brought into sharp focus just how detrimental a scandal can be to the contest’s – and how much controversy can damage the public’s faith in what is, at the end of the day, supposed to be a fun, glittery affair.
• “I think I, along with a lot of fans, were very disappointed that certain countries were trying to game the system and manipulate their way into the Grand Final,” says Anthony Granger, editor-in-chief at Eurovision fan website Eurovoix.

Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra won Eurovision 2022 with their song ‘Stefania’. (Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty)

1. “It does cast a shadow on the results from last year and leave a lot of question marks about what would have happened should those juries not have attempted to game the system.
2. “It is also quite remarkable that these actions would be taken for what ultimately is just a television show, but it really shows what it means to make it to the final for the countries taking part.”
3. Vaughan Staples, president of the UK’s Eurovision fan group, says the 2022 scandal has made it harder for fans to convince the wider public that the voting isn’t all about politics.

“We often say, if you enter a song that’s decent enough, you’ll do well. So when something like that happens last year of course as a fan you think, ‘that’s taken us three steps back on trying to convince people that these sorts of things don’t take place’.” Having said that, Vaughan understands why the voting scandal happened in the first place – juries agreed to vote for each other because winning the Eurovision Song Contest is a big deal. The UK’s Sam Ryder rose like a phoenix during the 2022 Eurovision. (Daniele Venturelli/WireImage) “If you win, you host the next contest so the prize is basically, you get to bring a load of people to your country and show it off,” he says. “That’s a big draw for certain countries, particularly smaller countries where they’re never going to win the World Cup or have the Olympics in their country.

• Eurovision is actually possible because ultimately, if they win the contest, they get the chance to host it.
• That, sadly, is big enough a draw that certain countries go down the route of tactical voting.” Because the semi-finals are now entirely decided by the public, Pedro Santos, a Eurovision fan and reporter with the fan site, fears the grand final could lose out on some of its usual magic.

He says the juries often “save entries that are not so commercial”. “Sometimes the public really likes the fun things, the weird things, the freaky things, whereas the die-hard fans like the quality of the song, so that’s where the jury is important,” he says.

• Removing the jury was a good move in terms of fighting corruption but it’s sad that others now have to pay the consequences for that.
• But they have to do what they have to do to make sure the contest is clean.” To many, the Eurovision Song Contest might seem like a lighthearted affair, but the fallout from the 2022 voting scandal shows just how influential it is – and how important it is for countries to be able to compete and to win.

That’s why it’s governed so strictly, with a complex set of rules, by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Manizha Dalerovna Sangin ‘Manizha’ of Russia during the 65th Eurovision Song Contest grand final. (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty) Over the years, the EBU has worked tirelessly to ensure the contest is watertight – as part of that, they’ve always tried to ensure that Eurovision is non-political so there are no accusations of bias or unfair treatment along the way.

But things are slowly starting to change. Ahead of the 2022 contest, the EBU caved under extraordinary pressure and decided to expel Russia from the contest over its invasion of Ukraine. At the end of the day, the logic was simple: it would be cruel to make Ukraine’s act perform on the same stage as its oppressor.

“The event prides itself on being non-political to quite a fierce degree, and that was the first time ever I’d seen the contest take a stand,” Vaughan points out. “Before then they would not take a stand and actually they were not quick off the mark on making a decision on Russia not being on the contest, they were a lot slower than others might have been.” He thinks the EBU is generally afraid of taking any action that might be seen as a political stance because they could then be expected to take a stand on other issues, such as Israel’s continued participation in the contest.

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