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National selections refer to the processes in which the broadcasters of the countries participating in the annual Eurovision Song Contest select the artist and song that will represent them in the contest. [1]
The two principal ways for broadcasters to select their entries are open selections (national finals) and closed selections (internal selections). [1] Since the introduction of semi-finals in the 2004 contest – due to the extensive amount of participating countries – and the rule of the " Big Five" countries ( France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), [2] [3] a wide range of countries have often alternated between national finals and internal selections based on final placing at the contest.
National finals are the process in which the public of a country can choose the artist with their song, often combining public televoting with the vote of an expert jury. [1]
Organised by the broadcaster, these national finals (consisting of one or more shows) can be televised or non-televised, however, most of the time they are televised as prime-time television shows. [1] On several occasions, the artist is selected internally and the public of the country chooses a song for them through a national final. Alternatively, the broadcaster can select a song and make the public choose the artist that will perform the song through a national final. [1]
Among the most well-known national finals is Melodifestivalen in Sweden, which features six live shows (four heats, a "Second Chance" show and a final in Stockholm) in different cities across the country. [6] In 2012, over an estimated four million people in Sweden watched the final, almost half of the Swedish population. [7] [8]
Another example of a long-running national final format is Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) in Finland; in 2018 and 2019, each participant wanting to represent Finland sent three songs to the Finnish public broadcaster Yle, which would select the entrant, and the public of the country would then choose one song among the three that the selected entrant had presented to the broadcaster previously, through a televised final. [10] [11] [12] [13] In 2020, this format was abandoned in favour of a return to the open format seen between 2012 and 2017. [14] [15]
Albania, Denmark and Estonia are the only countries that have always selected their entries via a national final. Latvia has selected all of its entries via a national final, except in 2021, when it internally selected its intended entrant for the cancelled 2020 contest. Finland has selected all of its songs via a national final, but in 2018 and 2019, the artist was chosen internally. Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro also selected all of their entries via a national final during their existence.
Internal selections are the process in which the broadcaster of a country appoints a committee or expert panel to select either the artist and the song, sometimes both, without holding a public vote. [1]
Even though the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) "strongly" encourages countries to hold their own national finals, [1] several countries such as Russia, [17] Azerbaijan [18] and Bulgaria [19] are among those that have opted for internal selections for most of their entries in the contest. Choosing this method is also a common strategy for countries after having failed to qualify for the final on several occasions. [20] [21]
As of 2023, [update] 52 countries have participated in the contest at least once, and a record 43 countries participated in 2008, 2011 and 2018. [22] [23] [24]
†
|
Inactive – countries which participated in the past but did not appear in the most recent contest, or will not appear in the upcoming contest |
◇
|
Ineligible – countries whose broadcasters have been suspended from the European Broadcasting Union and are therefore ineligible to participate |
‡
|
Former – countries which previously participated but no longer exist |
Country | Debut year | Latest entry | National final [a] | Internal selection [a] | Absent years | Broadcaster(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belgium | 1956 | 2023 |
Eurosong
Total: 51 |
Total: 14 |
Total: 4 |
VRT (
Dutch) RTBF ( French) [c] |
France | 1956 | 2023 |
Destination Eurovision
Eurovision France, c'est vous qui décidez !
Total: 22 |
Total: 42 |
Total: 3 |
RTF (1956–1964) ORTF (1965–1974) TF1 (1975–1981) A2F (1983–1992) France Télévisions (1993–present) |
Germany | 1956 | 2023 |
Total: 57 |
Total: 12 |
Total: 2 |
HR (1956–1976) (
ARD) BR (1977–1991) (ARD) MDR (1992–1995) (ARD) ARD/NDR (1996–present) |
Italy | 1956 | 2023 |
Total: 49 |
Total: 10 |
Total: 20 |
RAI |
Luxembourg | 1956 | 1993 |
Luxembourg Song Contest
Total: 5 |
Total: 33 |
Total: 30 |
CLT |
Switzerland | 1956 | 2023 |
Concours Eurovision
Die Grosse Entscheidungsshow
Total: 38 |
Total: 18 |
Total: 5 |
SRG SSR |
Netherlands | 1956 | 2023 |
Total: 48 |
Total: 15 |
Total: 5 |
NTS (1956–1969) NOS (1970–2009) TROS (2010–2013) AVROTROS (2014–present) |
Austria | 1957 | 2023 |
Total: 16 |
Total: 40 |
Total: 12 |
ORF |
Denmark | 1957 | 2023 |
Total: 53 |
— |
Total: 16 |
DR |
United Kingdom | 1957 | 2023 |
Festival of British Popular Songs
The Great British Song Contest
Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up
Eurovision: Your Country Needs You
Total: 57 |
Total: 10 |
Total: 2 |
BBC |
Sweden | 1958 | 2023 |
Total: 62 |
Total: 1 |
Total: 4 |
Sveriges Radiotjänst (1958) SR (1959–1979) SVT (1980–present) |
Monaco † | 1959 | 2006 | — |
Total: 24 |
Total: 42 |
TMC |
Norway | 1960 | 2023 |
Total: 51 |
Total: 1 |
Total: 3 |
NRK |
Finland | 1961 | 2023 |
Euroviisukarsinta
Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK)
Total: 48 |
Total: 2 |
Total: 7 |
Yle |
Spain | 1961 | 2023 |
Operación Triunfo (OT)
Total: 29 |
Total: 38 |
Total: 1 |
RTVE |
Yugoslavia ‡ | 1961 | 1992 |
Opatija Festival
Total: 28 |
— |
Total: 5
|
JRT |
Portugal | 1964 | 2023 |
Total: 54 |
Total: 1 |
Total: 6 |
RTP |
Ireland | 1965 | 2023 |
National Song Contest
Eurosong
Eurosong (as part of The Late Late Show)
Total: 52 |
Total: 6 |
Total: 3 |
RTÉ |
Malta | 1971 | 2023 |
Malta Song for Europe
Malta Eurovision Song Contest
Total: 35 |
Total: 5 |
Total: 18 |
PBS |
Israel | 1973 | 2023 |
HaShir HaBa L'Eurovizion
HaShir Shelanu L'Eurovizion
Total: 35 |
Total: 20 |
Total: 6 |
IBA (1973–2017) IPBC/Kan (2018–present) |
Greece | 1974 | 2023 |
Eurosong - A MAD Show
Total: 22 |
Total: 23 |
Total: 7 |
ERT (1974–2013, 2016–present) NERIT (2014–2015) |
Turkey † | 1975 | 2012 |
Total: 29 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 16 |
TRT |
Morocco † | 1980 | 1980 | — |
Total: 1 |
Total: 44 |
SNRT |
Cyprus | 1981 | 2023 |
Total: 21 |
Total: 21 |
Total: 4 |
CyBC |
Iceland | 1986 | 2023 |
Total: 29 |
Total: 7 |
Total: 3 |
RÚV |
Bosnia and Herzegovina † | 1993 | 2016 |
BH Eurosong
Total: 11 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 13 |
BHRT |
Croatia | 1993 | 2023 |
Dora
Total: 25 |
Total: 5 |
Total: 3 |
HRT |
Estonia | 1994 [g] | 2023 |
Eurolaul
Total: 30 |
— |
Total: 2 |
ERR |
Hungary † | 1994 [g] | 2019 |
Total: 13 |
Total: 5 |
Total: 14 |
MTVA |
Romania | 1994 [g] | 2023 |
Selecția Națională
Total: 26 |
Total: 2 |
Total: 7 |
TVR |
Slovenia | 1993 | 2023 |
Slovenski izbor za Pesem Evrovizije
Evrovizijska Melodija (EMA)
Total: 26 |
Total: 4 |
Total: 3 |
RTVSLO |
Slovakia † | 1994 [g] | 2012 |
Eurosong
Total: 3 |
Total: 5 |
Total: 24 |
STV (1994–2010) RTVS (2011–2012) |
Lithuania | 1994 | 2023 |
Lietuvos Dainų Daina
Eurovizijos atranka
Pabandom iš naujo!
Eurovizija.LT
Total: 23 |
Total: 1 |
Total: 7 |
LRT |
Poland | 1994 | 2023 |
Piosenka dla Europy
Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hit na Eurowizję
Total: 13 |
Total: 12 |
Total: 5 |
TVP |
Russia ◇ | 1994 | 2021 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 18 |
Total: 8 |
VGTRK (1994, 1996, 2008–2022) C1R (1995–2022) [h] Channel One Ostankino |
North Macedonia [j] | 1998 [e] | 2022 |
Nacionalen Evrosong
Za Evrosong
Total: 13 |
Total: 9 |
Total: 6 |
MRT |
Latvia | 2000 | 2023 |
Eirodziesma
Dziesma
Total: 23 |
Total: 1 |
Total: 1 |
LTV |
Ukraine | 2003 | 2023 |
Total: 17 |
Total: 4 |
Total: 3 |
Suspilne |
Albania | 2004 | 2023 |
Total: 20 |
— |
Total: |
RTSH |
Andorra † | 2004 | 2009 |
Total: 3 |
Total: 3 |
Total: 15 |
RTVA |
Belarus ◇ | 2004 | 2019 |
Eurofest
Natsionalny Otbor
Total: 15 |
Total: 3 |
Total: 5 |
BTRC |
Serbia and Montenegro ‡ | 2004 | 2005 |
Evropesma
Total: 3 |
— |
Total: 1
|
UJRT |
Bulgaria | 2005 | 2022 |
Total: 9 |
Total: 6 |
Total: 6 |
BNT |
Moldova | 2005 | 2023 |
O melodie pentru Europa
Finala națională
Etapa națională
Total: 17 |
Total: 3 |
Total: 1 |
TRM |
Armenia | 2006 | 2023 |
Total: 9 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 3 |
AMPTV |
Czech Republic | 2007 | 2023 |
Eurosong
Eurovision Song CZ
Total: 8 |
Total: 5 |
Total: 6 |
ČT |
Georgia | 2007 | 2023 |
Total: 11 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 2 |
GPB |
Montenegro | 2007 | 2022 |
MontenegroSong
Montevizija
Total: 4 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 6 |
RTCG |
Serbia | 2007 | 2023 |
Internally selected composers
Beosong
Total: 12 |
Total: 4 |
Total: 2 |
RTS |
Azerbaijan | 2008 | 2023 |
Land of Fire
Milli Seçim Turu
Böyük Səhnə
Total: 6 |
Total: 12 |
Total: 1 |
İTV |
San Marino | 2008 | 2023 |
1in360
Digital Battle
Una voce per San Marino
Total: 4 |
Total: 11 |
Total: 3 |
SMRTV |
Australia | 2015 | 2023 |
Eurovision – Australia Decides
Total: 3 |
Total: 6 |
Total: 1 |
SBS |
Media related to Eurovision Song Contest selection events at Wikimedia Commons