Over the last five months, countries that are participating in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 have been announcing their acts. They were either chosen through internal selection by each corresponding broadcaster, or through a national selection show. They will all compete against one another on the Eurovision stage at the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine. The theme of this year’s Eurovision is “Celebrate Diversity”.
What Is The Eurovision Song Contest?
For those of you who don’t know, Eurovision is an annual singing contest held every year, in May. It has been going for over 60 years and draws in over 180 million viewers. It is the longest-running annual international TV song competition.
Eurovision first launched in 1956, where only seven countries participated. Each country performed two songs, some from the same act. It has since expanded to many countries outside of Europe, even as far as Australia, who debuted most recently in 2015. The winning country goes on to host the contest the following year.
Ireland has won it the most times, coming in 1st place a total of seven winning entries. Sweden is just behind with six; and joint third with five is the United Kingdom, France, and Luxembourg – the latter of which hasn’t competed since 1993.
The contest is split into two semi-finals, where competing countries battle it out to make it to the Grand Final. Only the Big Five countries automatically qualify to the Grand Final, along with the host country. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, make up the Big Five, due to them being the five biggest contributors to the EBU (European Broadcasting Union).
For more information on this contest, check out this comedic Semi-Final 2 opening song by Eurovision 2016 presenters Petra Mede & Måns Zelmerlöw:
Now that Eurovision 2017 is just around the corner, with less than two months to go; it’s about time you start listening to the entrants and deciding who your favourites are.
Below are the 43 competing entrants with some extra information on the artist as well as statistics about the country they are representing. Only ten countries from each semi-final will make it through to the Grand Final, so make sure you vote for your favourites on the night.
Eurovision Semi-Final 1 Contestants:
Albania: Lindita – World
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Lindita.
Full Name: Lindita Halimi
Previous Experience: American Idol, Top 10 in Ethet (Albanian Idol), Competed in Top Fest and won once, third in Festivali i Këngës 53.
Albania Debuted At Eurovision In: 2004
Albania Has Competed: 14 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Albania’s Best Placing: 5th place in 2012 with Rona Nishliu’s “Suus”
Last Year Albania Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 16th in Semi-Final with Eneda Tarifa’s “Fairytale”
Australia: Isaiah – Don’t Come Easy
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Isaiah.
Full Name: Isaiah Firebrace
Previous Experience: Winner of the eighth series of The X Factor Australia in 2016.
Australia Debuted At Eurovision In: 2015
Australia Has Competed: 3 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Australia’s Best Placing: 2nd place in 2016 with Dami Im’s “Sound of Silence”
The Year Before Australia Placed: 5th with Guy Sebastian’s “Tonight Again”
Azerbaijan: Dihaj – Skeletons
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Dihaj.
Real Name: Diana Hajiyeva
Previous Experience: Attempted to represent Azerbaijan in 2011 in national selection show Milli Seçim Turu 2010.
Azerbaijan Debuted At Eurovision In: 2008
Azerbaijan Has Competed: 10 times
Eurovision Wins: 1 – in 2011 with Ell & Nikki’s “Running Scared”
Azerbaijan’s Best Placing Since Winning: 2nd in 2013 with Farid Mammadov’s “Hold Me”
Last Year Azerbaijan Placed: 17th with Samra’s “Miracle”
Belgium: Blanche – City Lights
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Blanche.
Real Name: Ellie Delvaux
Previous Experience: Competed in The Voice Belgique where she was eliminated in week two of the live shows.
Belgium Debuted At Eurovision In: 1956
Belgium Has Competed: 59 times
Eurovision Wins: 1 – in 1986 with Sandra Kim’s “J’aime la vie”
Belgium’s Best Placing Since Winning: 2nd in 2003 with Urban Trad’s “Sanomi”
Last Year Belgium Placed: 10th with Laura Tesoro’s “What’s The Pressure”
Finland: Norma John – Blackbird
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Norma John.
Duo Consists Of: Lasse Piirainen & Leena Tirronen
Previous Experience: Leena Tirronen took part in Finland’s first and only series of The X Factor in 2012, and went on to release an album under Leena Ihmemaassa. Lasse Piirainen has been in music for 30 years.
Finland Debuted At Eurovision In: 1961
Finland Has Competed: 51 times.
Eurovision Wins: 1 – in 2006 with Lordi’s “Hard Rock Hallelujah”
Finland’s Best Placing Since Winning: 11th in 2014 with Softengine’s “Something Better”
Last Year Finland Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 15th in Semi-Final with Sandhja’s “Sing It Away”
Georgia: Tamara “Tako” Gachechiladze – Keep The Faith
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Tamara “Tako” Gachechiladze.
Previous Experience: Previously would’ve represented Georgia in 2009 as one-quarter of pop group Stephanie & 3G; but the song, “We Don’t Wanna Put In”, was disqualified for political reasons.
Georgia Debuted At Eurovision In: 2007
Georgia Has Competed: 10 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Georgia’s Best Placing: 9th in 2010 and 2011 with Sopho Nizharadze’s “Shine” and Eldrine’s “One More Day” respectively
Last Year Georgia Placed: 20th with Nika Kocharov & Young Georgian Lolitaz’s “Midnight Gold”
Montenegro: Slavko Kalezic – Space
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Slavko Kalezic.
Previous Experience: Competed in Series 1 of The X Factor Adria making it to the Judges’ Houses.
Montenegro Debuted At Eurovision In: 2007
Montenegro Has Competed: 9 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Montenegro’s Best Placing: 13th in 2015 with Knez’s “Adio”
Last Year Montenegro Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 13th in Semi-Final with Highway’s “The Real Thing”
Portugal: Salvador Sobral – Amar pelos dois
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Salvador Sobral.
Previous Experience: Came seventh in the third series of Ídolos, the Portugal version of Pop Idol.
Portugal Debuted At Eurovision In: 1964
Portugal Has Competed: 49 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Portugal’s Best Placing: 6th in 1996 with Lúcia Moniz’s “O meu coração não tem cor”
Last Year Portugal Placed: Didn’t participate, but in 2015 they didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 14th in the Semi-Final with Leonor Andrade’s “Há um mar que nos separa”
Sweden: Robin Bengtsson – I Can’t Go On
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Robin Bengtsson.
Previous Experience: Came third in the fifth series of Sweden’s Idol in 2008, fifth in Melodifestivalen 2016 with “Constellation Prize”.
Sweden Debuted At Eurovision In: 1958
Sweden Has Competed: 57 times
Eurovision Wins: 6 – in 1974 with ABBA’s “Waterloo”; 1984 with Herreys’ “Diggi-Loo Diggi-Lei”; 1991 with Carola’s “Fångad av en stormvind”; 1999 with Charlotte Nilsson’s “Take Me To Your Heaven”; 2012 with Loreen’s “Euphoria”; and 2015 with Månz Zelmerlöw’s “Heroes”.
Sweden’s Best Placing, Other Than Winning, In The Last 10 Years: 3rd in 2011 and 2014 with Eric Saade’s “Popular” and Sanna Nielsen’s “Undo” respectively
Last Year Sweden Placed: 5th with Frans’ “If I Were Sorry”
Armenia: Artsvik – Fly With Me
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Artsvik.
Full Name: Artsvik Harutyunyan
Previous Experience: Contestant on Season Two of Golos, the Russian version of The Voice, in 2013 she was eliminated in the battle rounds.
Armenia Debuted At Eurovision In: 2006
Armenia Has Competed: 11 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Armenia’s Best Placing: 4th in 2008 and 2014 with Sirusho’s “Qélé, Qélé” and Aram Mp3’s “Not Alone”
Last Year Armenia Placed: 7th with Iveta Mukuchyan’s “LoveWave”
Cyprus: Hovig – Gravity
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Hovig.
Full Name: Hovig Demirjian
Previous Experience: Came seventh in the second season of The X Factor Greece in 2009. Competed to represent Cyprus in their national selection process in 2010 and 2015 coming third and fourth respectively with songs “Goodbye” and “Stone In A River”.
Cyprus Debuted At Eurovision In: 1981
Cyprus Has Competed: 34 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Cyprus’ Best Placing: 5th in 1982, 1997, and 2004, with Anna Vissi’s “Mono i agapi”, Hara & Andreas Constantinou’s “Mana mou”, and Lisa Andreas’ “Stronger Every Minute”
Last Year Cyprus Placed: 21st with Minus One’s “Alter Ego”
Czech Republic: Matina Bárta – My Turn
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Martina Bárta.
Previous Experience: Part of German band 4 To The Bar.
The Czech Republic Debuted At Eurovision In: 2007
The Czech Republic Has Competed: 6 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
The Czech Republic’s Best Placing: 25th in 2016 with Gabriela Guncíková’s “I Stand”
The Year Before The Czech Republic Placed: Didn’t qualify for Grand Final, 13th in Semi-Final with Marta Jandová & Václav Noid Bárta’s “Hope Never Dies”
Greece: Demy – This Is Love
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Demy.
Real Name: Dimitra Papadea
Previous Experience: A professional singer from Greece with number one albums and EPs behind her. She has won various awards over the past few years.
Greece Debuted At Eurovision In: 1974
Greece Has Competed: 38 times
Eurovision Wins: 1 – in 2005 with Helena Paparizou’s “My Number One”
Greece’s Best Placing Since Winning: 3rd in 2008 with Kalomira’s “Secret Combination”
Last Year Greece Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 16th in Semi-Final with Argo’s “Utopian Land”
Iceland: Svala – Paper
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Svala.
Full Name: Svala Björgvinsdóttir
Previous Experience: Daughter of Icelandic pop singer Björgvin Halldórsson, she was part of duo Scope who had an Iceland number one with “Was That All It Was”, she then joined Bubbleflies. She is currently one-third of house band Steed Lord where she is known as Kali.
Iceland Debuted At Eurovision In: 1986
Iceland Has Competed: 30 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Iceland’s Best Placing: 2nd in 1999 and 2009 with Selma’s “All Out Of Luck” and Yohanna’s “Is It True?” respectively
Last Year Iceland Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 14th in Semi-Final with Greta Salóme’s “Hear Them Calling”
Latvia: Triana Park – Line
Check out our Artist 101 on Triana Park.
Band Consists Of: Agnese Rakovska, Arturs Strautinš, Edgars Vilums, and Kristaps Erglis
Previous Experience: The band has attempted to represent Latvia through their national selection shows in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Their songs were “Bye Bye”, “Call Me Any Time You Need A Problem”, “Lullaby For My Dreammate (Diamond Lullaby)”, “Upside Down”, and “Stars Are My Family”.
Latvia Debuted At Eurovision In: 2000
Latvia Has Competed: 18 times
Eurovision Wins: 1 – in 2002 with Marie N’s “I Wanna”
Latvia’s Best Placing Since Winning: 5th in 2005 with Walters and Kazha’s “The War Is Not Over”
Last Year Latvia Placed: 17th with Justs’ “Heartbeat”
Moldova: SunStroke Project – Hey, Mamma!
Check out our Artist 101 profile on SunStroke Project.
Band Consists Of: Sergei Yalovitsky, Anton Ragoza, and Sergey Stepanov
Previous Experience: Represented Moldova back in 2010 in collaboration with Olia Tira with the song “Run Away”. They placed 22nd and became famous with a viral meme of Sergey Stepanov’s saxophone solo known as “Epic Sax Guy”. They also previously attempted to represent Moldova in 2009, 2012, and 2015, with songs “No Crime”, “Superman”, and “Day After Day” respectively.
Moldova Debuted At Eurovision In: 2005
Moldova Has Competed: 13 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Moldova’s Best Placing: 6th in 2005 with Zdob si Zdub’s “Bunica Bate Toba”
Last Year Moldova Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 17th in Semi-Final with Lidia Isac’s “Falling Stars”
Poland: Kasia Mos – Flashlight
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Kasia Mos.
Real Name: Katarzyna Mos
Previous Experience: She was a part of The Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Revue in 2011, she also came third on the third series of Poland’s version of Must Be The Music. She attempted to represent Poland in 2006 where she came joint 10th with “I Wanna Know”. Then again she tried in 2016 with “Addiction” where she placed 6th.
Poland Debuted At Eurovision In: 1994
Poland Has Competed: 20 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Poland’s Best Placing: 2nd in 1994 with Edyta Górniak’s “To nie ja!”
Last Year Poland Placed: 8th with Michal Szpak’s “Color Of Your Life”
Slovenia: Omar Naber – On My Way
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Omar Naber.
Previous Experience: He won Bitka talentov (the Slovenian version of Battle of the Talents). He then went on to represent Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song “Stop” – where he failed to qualify for the Grand Final but came 12th in his Semi-Final. Omar Naber then, later, unsuccessfully attempted to represent Slovenia again in 2009, 2011, and 2014, with the songs “I Still Carry On”, “Bistvo skrito je ocem”, and “I Won’t Give Up” respectively. He also took part in the Swiss national selection to Eurovision in 2016 with “Take Me Far”.
Slovenia Debuted At Eurovision In: 1993
Slovenia Has Competed: 23 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Slovenia’s Best Placing: 7th in 1995 and 2001 with Darja Švajger’s “Tih dezeven dan” and Nuša Derenda’s “Energy”
Last Year Slovenia Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 14th in Semi-Final with ManuElla’s “Blue and Red”
Eurovision Semi-Final 2 Contestants:
Austria: Nathan Trent – Running On Air
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Nathan Trent
Real Name: Nathanaele Koll
Previous Experience: Previously released a debut single titled “Like It Is”. He was also shortlisted for the German national selection show Unser Song 2017, but was automatically eliminated since he had been confirmed as Austria’s representative.
Austria Debuted At Eurovision In: 1957
Austria Has Competed: 50 times
Eurovision Wins: 2 – in 1966 and 2014 with Udo Jürgens’ “Merci, Chérie” and Conchita Wurst’s “Rise Like A Phoenix”
Austria’s Best Placing, Other Than Winning, In The Last 20 Years: 6th in 2003 with Alf Poier’s “Weil der Mensch zähit”
Last Year Austria Placed: 13th with Zoë’s “Loin d’ici”
Denmark: Anja Nissen – Where I Am
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Anja Nissen.
Previous Experience: She won the third series of Australia’s version of The Voice. She came second in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2016, Denmark’s nationals selection to Eurovision
Denmark Debuted At Eurovision In: 1957
Denmark Has Competed: 46 times
Eurovision Wins: 3 – in 1963, 2000, and 2013, with Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann’s “Dansevise”, the Olsen Brothers’ “Fly on the Wings Of Love”, and Emmelie de Forest’s “Only Teardrops”
Denmark’s Best Placing, Other Than Winning, In The Last 10 Years: 4th in 2010 with Chanée & N’evergreen’s “In a Moment Like This”
Last Year Denmark Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 17th in Semi-Final with Lighthouse X’s “Soldiers of Love”
Hungary: Joci Pápai – Origo
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Joci Pápai.
Real Name: József Pápai
Previous Experience: He took part in the second season of Megasztár in 2005.
Hungary Debuted At Eurovision In: 1993
Hungary Has Competed: 15 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Hungary’s Best Placing: 4th in 1994 with Frederika Bayer’s “Kinek mondjam el vétkeimet?”
Last Year Hungary Placed: 19th with Freddie’s “Pioneer”
Ireland: Brendan Murray – Dying To Try
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Brendan Murray.
Previous Experience: He was one-fifth of boy band Hometown, who had two number ones in Ireland with “Where I Belong” and “Cry For Help”.
Ireland Debuted At Eurovision In: 1965
Ireland Has Competed: 51 times
Eurovision Wins: 7 – in 1970 with Dana’s “All Kinds of Everything”; 1980 with Johnny Logan’s “What’s Another Year?”; 1987 with Johnny Logan’s “Hold Me Now”; 1992 with Linda Martin’s “Why Me?”; 1993 with Niamh Kavanagh’s “In Your Eyes”; 1994 with Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids”; and 1996 with Eimear Quinn’s “The Voice”
Ireland’s Best Placing Since Winning: 2nd in 1997 with Marc Roberts’ “Mysterious Woman”
Last Year Ireland Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 15th in Semi-Final with Nicky Byrne’s “Sunlight”
Macedonia: Jana Burceska – Dance Alone
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Jana Burceska.
Previous Experience: She came fifth on the first and only series of Macedonian Idol in 2011.
Macedonia Debuted At Eurovision In: 1998 (attempted in 1996 but didn’t qualify)
Macedonia Has Competed: 17 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Macedonia’s Best Placing: 12th in 2006 with Elena Risteska’s “Ninanajna”
Last Year Macedonia Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 11th in Semi-Final with Kaliopi’s “Dona”
Malta: Claudia Faniello – Breathlessly
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Claudia Faniello.
Previous Experience: In 2005 she came fourth in TV show Hotspot. She has competed in the Malta national selection shows for many years. She came 12th in 2006 with “High Alert”; 7th in 2007 with “L-Imhabba Ghamja”; 2nd and 3rd in 2008 with “Caravaggio” and “Sunrise” respectively; did not qualify and 4th in 2009 with “Midas Touch” and “Blue Sonata” respectively; 8th in 2010 with “Samsara”; 9th in 2011 with “Movie In My Mind”; 2nd in 2012 with “Pure”; and 7th in 2013 with “When It’s Time”.
Malta Debuted At Eurovision In: 1971
Malta Has Competed: 30 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Malta’s Best Placing: 2nd in 2002 and 2005 with Ira Losco’s “7th Wonder” and Chiara’s “Angel” respectively
Last Year Malta Placed: 12th with Ira Losco’s “Walk On Water”
Netherlands: O’G3NE – Lights And Shadows
Check out our Artist 101 profile on O’G3NE.
Trio Consists Of: Lisa Vol, Amy Vol, and Shelley Vol
Previous Experience: They won Junior Songfestival 2007 and went on to represent the Netherlands at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007 where they placed eleventh with their self-penned track “Adem in, adem uit”. They then went on to compete on season five of The Voice of Holland in 2014, where they went on to win the show.
The Netherlands Debuted At Eurovision In: 1956
The Netherlands Has Competed: 58 times
Eurovision Wins: 4 – in 1957 with Corry Brokken’s “Net als toen”; in 1959 with Teddy Scholten’s “n Beetje”; in 1969 with Lenny Kuhr’s “De troubadour”; and in 1975 with Teach-In’s “Ding-a-Dong”
The Netherlands’ Best Placing Since Winning: 2nd in 2014 with The Common Linnets’ “Calm After The Storm”
Last Year The Netherlands Placed: 11th with Douwe Bob’s “Slow Down”
Romania: Ilinca feat. Alex Florea – Yodel It!
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Ilinca.
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Alex Florea.
Real Names: Maria Ilinca Bacila feat. Alexandru Ionut Florea
Previous Experience: Ilinca competed in the second season of Românii au talent (the Romanian version of Got Talent) in 2012. Then she participated in the third series of Romania’s version of The X Factor. She also participated in season four of Vocea României (the Romanian version of The Voice) in 2014, where she was eliminated in the semi-final. As for Alex Florea, he competed in the fifth season of Vocea României in 2015 where, he too, was eliminated during the semi-final.
Romania Debuted At Eurovision In: 1994 (attempted in 1993 but didn’t qualify)
Romania Has Competed: 18 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Romania’s Best Placing: 3rd in 2005 and 2010 with Luminita Anghel & Sistem’s “Let Me Try” and Paula Seling & OVI’s “Playing With Fire”
Last Year Romania Placed: They were disqualified due to non-payment of debts, they would’ve entered with Ovidiu Anton’s “Moment of Silence”. The year before they placed 15th with Voltaj’s “De la capat (All Over Again)”
Russia: Julia Samoylova – Flame Is Burning
Check out our Artist 101 on Julia Samoylova.
Real Name: Yuliya Samoylova
Previous Experience: She came second in season three of Faktor A (the Russian version of The X Factor) in 2013. She also took part in the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Paralympics.
Russia Debuted At Eurovision In: 1994
Russia Has Competed: 21 times
Eurovision Wins: 1 – in 2008 with Dima Bilan’s “Believe”
Russia’s Best Placing Since Winning: 2nd in 2012 and 2015 with Buranovskiye Babushki’s “Party For Everybody” and Polina Gagarina’s “A Million Voices”
Last Year Russia Placed: 3rd with Sergey Lazarev’s “You Are The Only One”
Russia will no longer be taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, due to Julia Samoylova breaking Ukranian law. She is banned from entering Ukraine for three years, and therefore cannot participate at the contest. The EBU has offered solutions to this problem, both of which were refused by Russia. Subsequently, they have decided to pull out of the 2017 contest and not broadcast the show.
Serbia: Tijana Bogicevic – In Too Deep
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Tijana Bogicevic.
Previous Experience: She competed to represent Serbia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, but only made it to the semi-final of Beovizija 2009. She also was a backing singer for Nina at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.
Serbia Debuted At Eurovision In: 2007
Serbia Has Competed: 10 times
Eurovision Wins: 1 – in 2007 with Marija Šerifovic’s “Molitva”
Serbia’s Best Placing Since Winning: 3rd in 2012 with Zeljko Joksimovic’s “Nije ljubav stvar”
Last Year Serbia Placed: 18th with Sanja Vucic ZAA’s “Goodbye (Shelter)”
Belarus: Naviband – Historyja majho zyccia (Story Of My Life)
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Naviband.
Duo Consists Of: Arciom Lukjanienka and Ksienija Zuk
Previous Experience: They released their first album in 2014. They then went on to compete in Belarus’ national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 placing fourth.
Belarus Debuted At Eurovision In: 2004
Belarus Has Competed: 14 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Belarus’ Best Placing: 6th in 2007 with Dmitry Koldun’s “Work Your Magic”
Last Year Belarus Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 12th in Semi-Final with Ivan’s “Help You Fly”
Bulgaria: Kristian Kostov – Beautiful Mess
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Kristian Kostov.
Previous Experience: He was a finalist in the first season of The Voice Kids Russia in 2014. He then went on to be the runner-up in the fourth season of X Factor Bulgaria.
Bulgaria Debuted At Eurovision In: 2005
Bulgaria Has Competed: 11 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Bulgaria’s Best Placing: 4th in 2016 with Poli Genova’s “If Love Was A Crime”
The Only Other Time Bulgaria Made It To The Grand Final Was: In 2007, where they came 5th with Elitsa & Stoyan’s “Water”
Croatia: Jacques Houdek – My Friend
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Jacques Houdek.
Previous Experience: He competed in Dora 2002, the Croatian nationals selection show to the Eurovision Song Contest 2002, where he placed 13th with the song “Carolija”. He came fourth in the finals of Open Mic UK in 2011 and also appeared on the British TV show The X Factor. He is currently a coach on The Voice – Najljepši glas Hrvatske (the Croatian version of The Voice)
Croatia Debuted At Eurovision In: 1993
Croatia Has Competed: 23 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Croatia’s Best Placing: 4th in 1996 and 1999 with Maja Blagdan’s “Sveta ljubav” and Doris Dragovic’s “Marija Magdalena”
Last Year Croatia Placed: 23rd with Nina Kraljic’s “Lighthouse”
Estonia: Koit Toome & Laura – Verona
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Koit Toome.
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Laura.
Full Names: Koit Toome & Laura Põldvere
Previous Experience: Koit Toome was a part of the successful pop duo Code One. He then represented Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 with “Mere lapsed”, where he came 12th. As for Laura, she was part of the girl group Suntribe who represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, with their song “Let’s Get Loud”, which failed to qualify for the Grand Final, placing 20th in the Semi-Final; she also came second in the national selection for that year with her song “Moonwalk”. She also attempted to represent the country in 2009 and 2016, with “Destiny” which came third in the national selection, and “Supersonic”, which came second, respectively.
Estonia Debuted At Eurovision In: 1994 (attempted in 1993 but didn’t qualify)
Estonia Has Competed: 23 times
Eurovision Wins: 1 – in 2001 with Tanel Padar/Dave Benton/2XL’s “Everybody”
Estonia’s Best Placing Since Winning: 3rd in 2002 with Sahlene’s “Runaway”
Last Year Estonia Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 18th in Semi-Final with Jüri Pootsmann’s “Play”
Isreal: Imri – I Feel Alive
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Imri.
Full Name: Imri Ziv
Previous Experience: He took part in the first series of The Voice Isreal, but was eliminated during the battle rounds. He was also a backing singer for the Isreal’s entries for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 and 2016. Isreal’s national selection show is HaKokhav HaBa L’Eurovizion (which means The Next Star For Eurovision in English, it’s the Isreali version of TV show Rising Star), which Imri won to become the representative for Isreal this year.
Isreal Debuted At Eurovision In: 1973
Isreal Has Competed: 40 times
Eurovision Wins: 3 – in 1978, 1979, and 1998, with Izhar Cohen & the Alphabeta’s “A-Ba-Ni-Bi”, Gali Atari & Milk and Honey’s “Hallelujah”, and Dana International’s “Diva” respectively
Isreal’s Best Placing Since Winning: 4th in 2005 with Shiri Maimon’s “HaSheket SheNish’ar”
Last Year Isreal Placed: 14th with Hovi Star’s “Made of Stars”
Lithuania: Fusedmarc – Rain Of Revolution
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Fusedmarc.
Band Consists Of: Viktorija Ivanovskaja, Denisas Zujevas, and Stasys Zakas.
Previous Experience: They won an award in the Best Lithuanian Electronic Band category. Their EP that they released in 2005 became popular after its release.
Lithuania Debuted At Eurovision In: 1994
Lithuania Has Competed: 18 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
Lithuania’s Best Placing: 6th in 2006 with LT United’s “We Are The Winners”
Last Year Lithuania Placed: 9th with Donny Montell’s “I’ve Been Waiting For This Night”
Norway: JOWST feat. Aleksander Walmann – Grab The Moment
Check out our Artist 101 profile on JOWST.
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Aleksander Walmann.
Real Names: Joakim Steen feat. Aleksander Walmann Åsgården
Previous Experience: JOWST is a Norwegian DJ and producer. Aleksander Walmann took part in season one of The Voice – Norges beste stemme (the Norwegian version of The Voice), where he came joint second place, making it all the way to the final.
Norway Debuted At Eurovision In: 1960
Norway Has Competed: 56 times
Eurovision Wins: 3 – in 1985, 1995, and 2009, with Bobbysocks’ “La det swinge”, Secret Garden’s “Nocturne”, and Alexander Rybak’s “Fairytale” respectively.
Norway’s Best Placing Since Winning: 4th in 2013 with Margaret Berger’s “I Feed You My Love”
Last Year Norway Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 13th in Semi-Final with Agnete’s “Icebreaker”
San Marino: Valentina Monetta & Jimmie Wilson – Spirit Of The Night
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Valentina Monetta.
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Jimmie Wilson.
Previous Experience: Valentina Monetta has competed for San Marino three previous times in 2012 with “The Social Network Song (Oh Oh-Uh-Oh-Oh)” where she failed to qualify for the Grand Final, coming 14th in her Semi-Final; in 2013 with “Crisalide (Vola)” where she again failed to qualify for the Grand Final, coming 11th in her Semi-Final; and 2014 with “Maybe (Forse)”, where she finally made the Grand Final and came 24th. Now she’s back for a fourth time, this time with Jimmie Wilson, who is from America. He previously took part in the third series of the Polish version of Must Be The Music, where he was eliminated during the semi-finals.
San Marino Debuted At Eurovision In: 2008
San Marino Has Competed: 8 times
Eurovision Wins: 0
San Marino’s Best Placing: 24th in 2014 with Valentina Monetta’s “Maybe (Forse)”
Last Year San Marino Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 12th in Semi-Final with Serhat’s “I Didn’t Know”
Switzerland: Timebelle – Apollo
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Timebelle.
Band Consists Of: Miruna Manescu, Samuel Forster, and Emanuel Daniel Andriescu
Previous Experience: They were originally a five-piece band, who attempted to represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with their song “Singing About Love”; but they placed second in the national final, just missing out.
Switzerland Debuted At Eurovision In: 1956
Switzerland Has Competed: 58 times
Eurovision Wins: 2 – in 1956 and 1988 with Lys Assia’s “Refrain” and Céline Dion’s “Ne partez pas sans moi”
Switzerland’s Best Placing Since Winning: 3rd in 1993 with Annie Cotton’s “Moi, tout simplement”
Last Year Switzerland Placed: Didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, 18th in Semi-Final with Rykka’s “The Last of Our Kind”
Eurovision Big Five & Host Contestants:
Ukraine: O.Torvald – Time
Check out our Artist 101 profile on O.Torvald.
Band Consists Of: Yevhen Halych, Denys Myzyuk, Oleksandr Solokha, Mykyta Vasyl’yev, and Mykola Rayda
Previous Experience: Released a number of albums since their debut in 2008. They have also performed at many festivals where other well-known bands also performed at such as Linkin Park and Evanescenece.
Ukraine Debuted At Eurovision In: 2003
Ukraine Has Competed: 14 times
Eurovision Wins: 2 – in 2004 and 2016 with Ruslana’s “Wild Dances” and Jamala’s “1944” respectively
Ukraine’s Best Placing, Other Than Winning, In The Last 10 Years: 2nd in 2008 with Ani Lorak’s “Shady Lady”
The Year Before Last, Ukraine Placed: 6th with Mariya Yaremchuk’s “Tick-Tock”
France: Alma – Requiem
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Alma.
Real Name: Alexandra Maquet
Previous Experience: Released debut single in 2014. Set to release her debut album this year.
France Debuted At Eurovision In: 1956
France Has Competed: 60 times
Eurovision Wins: 5 – in 1958 with André Claveau’s “Dors, mon amour”; 1960 with Jacqueline Boyer’s “Tom Pillibi”; 1962 with Isabelle Aubret’s “Un premier amour”; 1969 with Frida Boccara’s “Un jour, un enfant”; 1977 with Marie Myriam’s “L’oiseau et l’enfant”
France’s Best Placing Since Winning: 2nd in 1990 and 1991 with Joëlle Ursull’s “White and Black Blues” and Amina’s “C’est le dernier qui a parlé qui a raison”
Last Year France Placed: 6th with Amir’s “J’ai Cherché”
Germany: Levina – Perfect Life
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Levina.
Real Name: Isabella Lueen
Previous Experience: Has an International Baccalaureate degree before moving to London and earning a bachelor’s degree. She took part in the German national selection titled Unser Song 2017 and became the sole finalist with both her songs “Wildfire” and “Perfect Life”. The public chose the latter song as the Eurovision 2017 song.
Germany Debuted At Eurovision In: 1956
Germany Has Competed: 61 times
Eurovision Wins: 2 – in 1982 and 2010 with Nicole’s “Ein bißchen Frieden” and Lena’s “Satellite”
Germany’s Best Placing Since Winning: 8th in 2012 with Roman Lob’s “Standing Still”
Last Year Germany Placed: 26th with Jamie-Lee’s “Ghost”
Italy: Francesco Gabbani – Occidentali’s Karma
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Francesco Gabbani.
Previous Experience: He won the newcomers’ section of Sanremo Music Festival 2016, he then went on to win the main show the following year becoming Italy’s Eurovision 2017 representative.
Italy Debuted At Eurovision In: 1956
Italy Has Competed: 43 times
Eurovision Wins: 2 – in 1964 and 1990 with Gigliola Cinquetti’s “Non ho l’età” and Toto Cutugno’s “Insieme: 1992”
Italy’s Best Placing Since Winning: 2nd in 2011 with Raphael Gualazzi’s “Madness of Love”
Last Year Italy Placed: 16th with Francesca Michielin’s “No Degree of Separation”
Spain: Manel Navarro – Do It For Your Lover
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Manel Navarro.
Full Name: Manel Navarro Quesada
Previous Experience: He won the second edition of Catalunya Teen Star. He won Spain’s national selection show controversially as he tied with the public vote’s favourite Mirela, but the Jury had the deciding vote.
Spain Debuted At Eurovision In: 1961
Spain Has Competed: 57 times
Eurovision Wins: 2 – in 1968 and 1969 with Massiel’s “La, la, la” and Salomé’s “Vivo Cantando”
Spain’s Best Placing In The Last 10 Years: 10th in 2012 and 2014 with Pastora Soler’s “Quédate conmigo” and Ruth Lorenzo’s “Dancing In The Rain”
Last Year Spain Placed: 22nd with Barei’s “Say Yay!”
United Kingdom: Lucie Jones – Never Give Up On You
Check out our Artist 101 profile on Lucie Jones.
Previous Experience: She took part in the sixth series of The X Factor in 2009 coming eighth.
The United Kindom Debuted At Eurovision In: 1957
The United Kingdom Has Competed: 60 times
Eurovision Wins: 5 – in 1967 with Sandie Shaw’s “Puppet on a String”; 1969 with Lulu’s “Boom Bang-a-Bang”; 1976 with Brotherhood of Man’s “Save Your Kisses For Me”; 1981 with Bucks Fizz’s “Making Your Mind Up”; and 1997 with Katrina and the Waves’ “Love Shine a Light”
The United Kingdom’s Best Placing Since Winning: 3rd in 2002 with Jessica Garlick’s “Come Back”
Last Year The United Kingdom Placed: 24th with Joe and Jake’s “You’re Not Alone”
That’s all the entrants to the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. Who will win? It’s all down to the performance on the night, the staging of the entrants, and the song itself. Make sure you vote for your favourite.