Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Encyclopedia
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade
, Serbia
after Marija Šerifović
won the 2007 Contest
in Helsinki
, Finland
. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008. The shows were hosted by Jovana Janković
and Željko Joksimović
at the Belgrade Arena
which had a total capacity of more than 20,000 seats. The host broadcaster was RTS
.
After a total of 272 points. Dima Bilan
representing Russia
was declared the winner, with the song "Believe
" written by Jim Beanz
and Bilan
himself. So far this has been the only time Russia
has won the contest.
Ukraine
were runners up, with 3rd place going to Greece
, 4th to Armenia
seeing their best result so far and 5th to Norway
.
2008 also saw for the first time ever, Eurovision.tv streamed national finals live on ESCTV with broadcasters' permission.
On 30 January 2008, Eurovision.tv revealed the theme of the Contest: "The Confluence
of Sound", which was inspired by Belgrade's location at the confluence of the Sava
and Danube
rivers.
Serbia gained the right to host the Contest after Marija Šerifović
won the 2007 Contest
in Helsinki
, Finland
. Since Serbia was the winner of the preceding contest, the 2008 contest was subsequently held there. The Belgrade Arena
was chosen as the venue for the contest, and is among the largest indoor arenas in Europe, with a total capacity of more than 20,000 seats. On 14 September 2007, the Mayor of Helsinki
handed over the "Eurovision keys" to the Deputy of Belgrade. This ceremony is meant to be a tradition from the 2008 contest and onward, and the ring contains a key from every city that has ever hosted the competition.
Due to problems and riots in Belgrade following the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo
on 17 February 2008, the EBU held a phone conference to decide if the contest should be moved to a different country. Ukraine was considered an option since they came second in Eurovision Song Contest 2007
. YLE were another option, as they hosted the previous year's competition in Helsinki
, Finland
. Greece's Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi
(ERT) also offered the EBU to host the contest in Athens
, Greece
again. It was later decided that the contest would stay in Belgrade, with the EBU giving support. RTS would gain a guarantee of safety and security from the government of Serbia for all visitors and participants of the contest. The delegations of Albania
, Croatia
and Israel
had special security.
RTS
ran a competition that led to the creation of the 2008 Contest's branding, logo and the stage. The theme of the Contest was based around the "confluence of sound". This was symbolic as Belgrade lies on the confluence of two European rivers, the Sava
and Danube. The logo chosen, a treble clef
, formed the graphical basis of the design created by Boris Miljković
.
The postcards in the first and second semi-final were based around the creation of the flag of the nation that was to perform next. Each post card had a short story related to each country and its people. During each postcard a short letter was displayed. All were in the national language of the artist's country, with the exception of the Serbian postcard, which consisted of "Welcome to Belgrade" and "Welcome to Serbia" in various languages. The postcards were brought to an end by a stamp with this year's Eurovision logo.
According to RTS the stage represented native identities, history and modern themes, symbols and universally recognised messages. The confluence-themed stage also contained a large number of television and LCD display screens
. The stage had settings for all new electronic possibilities including some movable parts of the stage. It was designed by Chicago-based David Cushing
.
The first semi-final was created around a city theme. The contest opened with a panorama of the city of Belgrade forming in the stage's background with two waves sliding down the stage to meet in the centre - at the confluence, the overall theme of the contest.
The second semi-final was based around the theme of water, which was enhanced by the look of the stage during the interval act where the water formed the main colours of the stage.
The final was based on the theme of the confluence. Construction of the stage lasted several days and was carried out by various teams from across Europe. Pyrotechnics
were heavily used for the entries from Armenia
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, Finland
, Germany
, Turkey
, the Czech Republic
, Bulgaria
and Switzerland
. The stage received positive feedback from the media and fans describing it as "one of the best looking stages in the history of the competition".
At a press conference in Helsinki in May 2007, Svante Stockselius
, executive supervisor of the Contest for the EBU, announced that the competition's format may be expanded to two semi-finals in 2008 or 2009. On 28 September 2007 it was announced that the EBU had approved the plan of hosting two semi-finals in 2008.
Based on research conducted by the EBU's tele-voting partner Digame, the semi-finalists were sorted into the two heats through the drawing of lots, which was seeded to keep countries that have a significant history of voting for each other apart. Each broadcaster had to broadcast the semi-final in which they took part, with the broadcasting of the other semi-final being optional. The draw for the semi-final allocation occurred in the Belgrade City Hall on Monday 28 January 2008 at 13:00 CET and was conducted by dancers from the National Dance Ensemble KOLO. First, two envelopes with 'Semi-Final 1' and 'Semi-Final 2' were drawn. Then, three countries from each pot were chosen randomly to take part in the first semi-final and the other three in the second one. The country left in Pot 5 took part in the first envelope that is drawn. While, the country left in Pot 6 in the second one.
The automatic finalist countries chose whether they would broadcast both semi-finals or just one, but viewers from these countries could only vote in one. From the draw conducted, it was decided which of the five finalist countries would broadcast and have voting rights in either of the events. The semi-finals were webcast live through Eurovision.tv. The top nine songs from the televoting qualified for the final, and a tenth was determined by the back-up juries. Twenty-five songs competed in the final.
, as well as the newest EBU member, Azerbaijan
, made its debut at the 2008 contest. Austria
did not compete; its broadcaster, ORF
, said "we've already seen in 2007 that it's not the quality of the song, but the country of origin that determines the decision." Italy, which has not competed since 1997, and which would have been an automatic finalist, was again absent. Slovakia was absent due to budget problems.
The following countries competed in two semi-finals which were broadcast live on Tuesday 20 May and Thursday 22 May 2008. In addition to this, automatic finalists Germany
and Spain
exercised voting rights at the first semi-final. France
, the United Kingdom
and Serbia exercised voting rights at the second semi-final. Spain and France each broadcast only the semi-final in which they participated; Germany, Serbia and the UK screened both semi-finals (with Germany broadcasting on a delay).
The final was held on 24 May 2008 and was won by Russia.
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
after Marija Šerifović
Marija Šerifovic
Marija Šerifović is a singer from Serbia. She won the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with the song "Molitva". Šerifović was born in Kragujevac, Socialist Republic of Serbia, Yugoslavia and is the daughter of Verica Šerifović, also a notable singer...
won the 2007 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008. The shows were hosted by Jovana Janković
Jovana Jankovic
Jovana Janković is a Serbian television personality. In May 2008, together with Željko Joksimović, she was the host of the 53rd edition of Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade.-Career:Janković started her early television career at the age of 19 while attending university...
and Željko Joksimović
Željko Joksimovic
Željko Joksimović or often credited Zeljko Joksimovic is a popular Serbian singer, songwriter and producer. He is also well known in Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Germany, Austria and other European countries...
at the Belgrade Arena
Belgrade Arena
The Belgrade Arena is an indoor arena located in Novi Beograd, Belgrade. It is designed as a universal hall for sport, cultural events and other programs. With a total space that covers 48,000 square metres, and an official total capacity of 19,982 seats , it is one of the largest indoor arenas in...
which had a total capacity of more than 20,000 seats. The host broadcaster was RTS
Radio Television of Serbia
Radio Television of Serbia or Serbian Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster in Serbia. It broadcasts and produces a variety of news, drama, and sports programming through radio, television and the Internet. RTS is, since July 2001, a member of the European Broadcasting Union. RTS is...
.
After a total of 272 points. Dima Bilan
Dima Bilan
' is a Russian actor and pop singer . Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008 in Belgrade, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits....
representing Russia
Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
In 2008, a national final, "Евровидение 2008" was held to select Russia's Eurovision entry. The announcement was made during the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007 on December 8th, 2007, which was shown on Russia TV - Russia's host broadcaster for the contest in 2008,Evrovidenie 2008 was held on...
was declared the winner, with the song "Believe
Believe (Dima Bilan song)
"Believe" is the winning Russian entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest sung by Dima Bilan. The song was composed and written by Jim Beanz & Dima Bilan. On 20 May 2008 Bilan sang in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, and the song was voted into the final by public vote...
" written by Jim Beanz
Jim Beanz
James David Washington, better known under his stage name Jim Beanz, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, musician, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, now working out of Philadelphia, signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Entertainment Group...
and Bilan
Dima Bilan
' is a Russian actor and pop singer . Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008 in Belgrade, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits....
himself. So far this has been the only time Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
has won the contest.
Ukraine
Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Ukraine competed in the second semi-final on the 22 May 2008, in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and won a place in the final. The country chose their singer by choosing an internal selection. Therefore they selected the young and talented singer Ani Lorak to be their representative for Eurovision...
were runners up, with 3rd place going to Greece
Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Greece entered the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Secret Combination", written by Konstantinos Pantzis with lyrics by Poseidonas Giannopoulos. The song was performed by Kalomoira, an American singer of Greek descent who had previously won a Greek talent show...
, 4th to Armenia
Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Armenia competed in the first semi-final on 20 May 2008 in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. The country chose their singer by an internal selection. They selected Sirusho to be their representative for this year's Eurovision.-National Selection:...
seeing their best result so far and 5th to Norway
Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Norway was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 by Maria Haukaas Storeng, performing the song "Hold On Be Strong". Storeng was chosen through the Norwegian national final, Melodi Grand Prix, organised by the Norsk rikskringkasting ....
.
2008 also saw for the first time ever, Eurovision.tv streamed national finals live on ESCTV with broadcasters' permission.
On 30 January 2008, Eurovision.tv revealed the theme of the Contest: "The Confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of Sound", which was inspired by Belgrade's location at the confluence of the Sava
Sava River
The Sava is a river in Southeast Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube river at Belgrade. Counting from Zelenci, the source of Sava Dolinka, it is long and drains of surface area. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia....
and Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
rivers.
Venue
Marija Šerifovic
Marija Šerifović is a singer from Serbia. She won the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with the song "Molitva". Šerifović was born in Kragujevac, Socialist Republic of Serbia, Yugoslavia and is the daughter of Verica Šerifović, also a notable singer...
won the 2007 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Since Serbia was the winner of the preceding contest, the 2008 contest was subsequently held there. The Belgrade Arena
Belgrade Arena
The Belgrade Arena is an indoor arena located in Novi Beograd, Belgrade. It is designed as a universal hall for sport, cultural events and other programs. With a total space that covers 48,000 square metres, and an official total capacity of 19,982 seats , it is one of the largest indoor arenas in...
was chosen as the venue for the contest, and is among the largest indoor arenas in Europe, with a total capacity of more than 20,000 seats. On 14 September 2007, the Mayor of Helsinki
Jussi Pajunen
Jussi Ilmari Pajunen is a Finnish politician of the National Coalition Party and mayor of Helsinki since 2005....
handed over the "Eurovision keys" to the Deputy of Belgrade. This ceremony is meant to be a tradition from the 2008 contest and onward, and the ring contains a key from every city that has ever hosted the competition.
Due to problems and riots in Belgrade following the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
on 17 February 2008, the EBU held a phone conference to decide if the contest should be moved to a different country. Ukraine was considered an option since they came second in Eurovision Song Contest 2007
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
. YLE were another option, as they hosted the previous year's competition in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Greece's Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi
Elliniki Radiofonia Tileorasi
The Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation is the Greek state-owned public radio and television broadcasting corporation. It is a member of EBU.Since 70's ERT is part of the Eurovision Song Contest, organized by EBU...
(ERT) also offered the EBU to host the contest in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
again. It was later decided that the contest would stay in Belgrade, with the EBU giving support. RTS would gain a guarantee of safety and security from the government of Serbia for all visitors and participants of the contest. The delegations of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
had special security.
Visual design
Radio Television of Serbia
Radio Television of Serbia or Serbian Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster in Serbia. It broadcasts and produces a variety of news, drama, and sports programming through radio, television and the Internet. RTS is, since July 2001, a member of the European Broadcasting Union. RTS is...
ran a competition that led to the creation of the 2008 Contest's branding, logo and the stage. The theme of the Contest was based around the "confluence of sound". This was symbolic as Belgrade lies on the confluence of two European rivers, the Sava
Sava River
The Sava is a river in Southeast Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube river at Belgrade. Counting from Zelenci, the source of Sava Dolinka, it is long and drains of surface area. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia....
and Danube. The logo chosen, a treble clef
Clef
A clef is a musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of written notes. Placed on one of the lines at the beginning of the staff, it indicates the name and pitch of the notes on that line. This line serves as a reference point by which the names of the notes on any other line or space of the staff...
, formed the graphical basis of the design created by Boris Miljković
Boris Miljkovic
Boris Miljković , is a prolific Serbian artist of many talents - TV and theatre director, video artist, creative director in advertising, writer and a lecturer at the Belgrade University of Arts. He is also the creative director at RTS, Serbia's public television broadcaster...
.
The postcards in the first and second semi-final were based around the creation of the flag of the nation that was to perform next. Each post card had a short story related to each country and its people. During each postcard a short letter was displayed. All were in the national language of the artist's country, with the exception of the Serbian postcard, which consisted of "Welcome to Belgrade" and "Welcome to Serbia" in various languages. The postcards were brought to an end by a stamp with this year's Eurovision logo.
According to RTS the stage represented native identities, history and modern themes, symbols and universally recognised messages. The confluence-themed stage also contained a large number of television and LCD display screens
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
. The stage had settings for all new electronic possibilities including some movable parts of the stage. It was designed by Chicago-based David Cushing
David Cushing
David Henry Cushing FRS was an English born fisheries biologist, who is credited with the development the match/mismatch hypothesis as an explanation for reduced fish stocks as associated with climate change. As opposed to other important fisheries biologists, such as Daniel Pauly and Carl J...
.
The first semi-final was created around a city theme. The contest opened with a panorama of the city of Belgrade forming in the stage's background with two waves sliding down the stage to meet in the centre - at the confluence, the overall theme of the contest.
The second semi-final was based around the theme of water, which was enhanced by the look of the stage during the interval act where the water formed the main colours of the stage.
The final was based on the theme of the confluence. Construction of the stage lasted several days and was carried out by various teams from across Europe. Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
were heavily used for the entries from Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The stage received positive feedback from the media and fans describing it as "one of the best looking stages in the history of the competition".
Format
Svante Stockselius
Stig Svante Stockselius is a Swedish journalist and television executive, former Head of Song Contests at the European Broadcasting Union, executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest and the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.Svante Stockselius grew up in Ockelbo, a small town in central...
, executive supervisor of the Contest for the EBU, announced that the competition's format may be expanded to two semi-finals in 2008 or 2009. On 28 September 2007 it was announced that the EBU had approved the plan of hosting two semi-finals in 2008.
Based on research conducted by the EBU's tele-voting partner Digame, the semi-finalists were sorted into the two heats through the drawing of lots, which was seeded to keep countries that have a significant history of voting for each other apart. Each broadcaster had to broadcast the semi-final in which they took part, with the broadcasting of the other semi-final being optional. The draw for the semi-final allocation occurred in the Belgrade City Hall on Monday 28 January 2008 at 13:00 CET and was conducted by dancers from the National Dance Ensemble KOLO. First, two envelopes with 'Semi-Final 1' and 'Semi-Final 2' were drawn. Then, three countries from each pot were chosen randomly to take part in the first semi-final and the other three in the second one. The country left in Pot 5 took part in the first envelope that is drawn. While, the country left in Pot 6 in the second one.
The automatic finalist countries chose whether they would broadcast both semi-finals or just one, but viewers from these countries could only vote in one. From the draw conducted, it was decided which of the five finalist countries would broadcast and have voting rights in either of the events. The semi-finals were webcast live through Eurovision.tv. The top nine songs from the televoting qualified for the final, and a tenth was determined by the back-up juries. Twenty-five songs competed in the final.
Semi-final allocation
On 24 January 2008, all 38 countries in the semi-finals were separated into the following pots based on voting history and geographical location:| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Pot 4 | Pot 5 | Pot 6 |
Running order
The draw to decide the running order of the songs in each Semi-Final and the Final was conducted at the Heads of Delegation meeting on 17 March 2008.Participating countries
On 21 December 2007, the EBU confirmed that 43 countries would be present in Belgrade. San MarinoSan Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest
San Marino has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, since debuting in the 2008 Contest.-2008 debut:In June 2007, Radiotelevisione della Repubblica di San Marino , the Sammarinese public service broadcaster, indicated interest in joining the contest in the near future, all depending on...
, as well as the newest EBU member, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest
Azerbaijan made its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008, after İctimai Televiziya became an active member of the European Broadcasting Union...
, made its debut at the 2008 contest. Austria
Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest
Austria has appeared frequently at the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has won once, in 1966, with the song "Merci Chérie".In recent years, Austria's entries have tended towards the humorous, in contrast with the dance-pop achieving success. 2003 saw comedian and personality Alf Poier perform...
did not compete; its broadcaster, ORF
ORF (broadcaster)
Österreichischer Rundfunk, ORF, is the Austrian national public service broadcaster.Funded from a combination of a television licence fees and revenue from limited on-air advertising, ORF is the dominant player in the Austrian broadcast media...
, said "we've already seen in 2007 that it's not the quality of the song, but the country of origin that determines the decision." Italy, which has not competed since 1997, and which would have been an automatic finalist, was again absent. Slovakia was absent due to budget problems.
The following countries competed in two semi-finals which were broadcast live on Tuesday 20 May and Thursday 22 May 2008. In addition to this, automatic finalists Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
exercised voting rights at the first semi-final. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Serbia exercised voting rights at the second semi-final. Spain and France each broadcast only the semi-final in which they participated; Germany, Serbia and the UK screened both semi-finals (with Germany broadcasting on a delay).
Semi-final 1
- The first semi-final was held on 20 May 2008.
- Germany and Spain voted in this semi-final.
- FlaxFlax (color)Flax is a pale yellowish-gray color named after flax seeds. It is similar to the color mustard.-Flax in culture:...
denotes the entry chosen by the jury to go to the final.
| Draw | Country | Language | Artist | Song | English translation | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Montenegrin Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... |
Stefan Filipović Stefan Filipovic Stefan Filipović is a Montenegrin pop singer.- Biography :... |
"Zauvijek volim te Zauvijek volim te "Zauvijek volim te" is a song performed by Stefan Filipović, and was the Montenegrin entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. It was performed first in the first semi-final on May 20, 2008 but failed to make it to the final... " |
I love you forever | 14 | 23 | |
| 12 | Hebrew Hebrew language Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such... , English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Boaz Ma'uda Bo'az Ma'uda Boaz Mauda is an Israeli singer and songwriter. He won the fifth season of Kokhav Nolad, the Israeli version of Pop Idol, and represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, finishing in 9th place.... |
"The Fire in Your Eyes The Fire in Your Eyes "The Fire in Your Eyes" is a 2008 single by Boaz Mauda. The song was Israel's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. On 20 May 2008 Boaz performed the song in the first semi-final of Eurovision , and won a place in the final after finishing 5th. It was the 7th song... " |
- | 5 | 104 | |
| 11 | Serbian Serbian language Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries.... , German German language German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union.... , Finnish Finnish language Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a... |
Kreisiraadio Kreisiraadio Kreisiraadio is an established Estonian comedy act, made up of Hannes Võrno, Peeter Oja and Tarmo Leinatamm.They have been around since 1993 with radio and TV sketch shows... |
"Leto svet Leto svet "Leto svet" was Estonia's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, performed in Serbian, German and Finnish by Hannes Võrno, Peeter Oja and Tarmo Leinatamm from the Estonian comedy group Kreisiraadio... " |
Summer light | 18 | 8 | |
| 01 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Geta Burlacu Geta Burlacu Geta Burlacu is a Moldovan jazz singer. Burlacu represented Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "A Century Of Love" but failed to get past the semi-finals... |
"A Century of Love A Century of Love "A Century of Love" was the Moldovan entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, composed by Oleg Baraliuc and Viorica Demici and sung in English by Geta Burlacu.... " |
- | 12 | 36 | |
| 10 | Italian Italian language Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia... |
Miodio Miodio Miodio is a band that consists of three Italian and two Sammarinese members. They represented San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, performing the song Complice. This was the first time San Marino had entered the competition... |
"Complice Complice "Complice" , is a song by pop group Miodio from San Marino. The group was chosen internally to represent this Republic for their first entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade. 50 entries were in the race to represent San Marino in this year's Eurovision... " |
Accomplice | 19 | 5 | |
| 09 | Imaginary Constructed language A planned or constructed language—known colloquially as a conlang—is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised by an individual or group, instead of having evolved naturally... |
Ishtar Ishtar (Belgian band) Ishtar is a Belgian folk band who represented Belgium at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest with the song O Julissi, sung in an imaginary language. They competed in the first semi-final on 20 May 2008.- O Julissi :... |
"O Julissi O Julissi "O Julissi" also known as "O Julissi Na Jalini" is a song with lyrics in a constructed language by the Belgian six-piece band Ishtar. The swing influenced song represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 first semi-final in Belgrade, but failed to make it to the grand final.This was the... " |
- | 17 | 16 | |
| 18 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Elnur Elnur Hüseynov Elnur Hüseynov is an Azerbaijani pop singer.He was selected as Azerbaijan's representative to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.... and Samir Samir Javadzadeh Samir Javadzadeh is an Azerbaijani pop singer. He was selected as the Azerbaijani representative to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.... |
"Day After Day Day After Day (Elnur Hüseynov and Samir Javadzadeh song) "Day After Day" is a song by Elnur Hüseynov and Samir Javadzadeh which was Azerbaijan's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. The song was released on February 2, 2008, and marked Azerbaijan's debut in this contest.... " |
- | 6 | 96 | |
| 02 | Slovene | Rebeka Dremelj Rebeka Dremelj Rebeka Dremelj is a singer, model, fashion designer, actress and TV presenter... |
"Vrag naj vzame Vrag naj vzame "Vrag naj vzame" is a song by Rebeka Dremelj, composed by Josip Miani-Pipi and written by Amon. The song was the Slovenian entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia.-At Eurovision:... " |
To hell with it | 11 | 36 | |
| 17 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Maria Haukaas Storeng Maria Haukaas Storeng The following article is a discography of albums and singles released by Norwegian artist Maria Mittet.-Albums:2011: , med Oslo Gospel Choir-Singles:-Featured-on albums:*1991 "Annie" - den norske suksessversjonen... |
"Hold On Be Strong Hold On Be Strong "Hold On Be Strong" is a song performed by Norwegian singer Maria Haukaas Storeng, written by Mira Craig. This song was presented by Norway in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia.-Eurovision Song Contest:... " |
- | 4 | 106 | |
| 03 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Isis Gee Isis Gee Tamara Diane Wimer , known by her stage name Isis Gee, is an American pop singer-songwriter, arranger, programer and producer of her own music. She is currently residing in Italy.-Biography:... |
"For Life For Life (Isis Gee song) "For Life" is the name of the song by Isis Gee that was selected to represent Poland in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. On 20 May 2008, it was performed in the first semi-final, and the final on 24 May.-National final:... " |
- | 10 | 42 | |
| 04 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... , French French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... [A] |
Dustin the Turkey Dustin the Turkey Dustin the Turkey is a puppet, "television presenter" and star of RTÉ television's The Den since 1989. A turkey with a strong Dublin accent, Dustin is voiced by John Morrison, brother of Ciaran Morrison who was one of the creators of Zig and Zag. Dustin first appeared on The Den with Zig and Zag in... |
"Irelande Douze Pointe Irelande Douze Pointe is a parody song by the puppet act Dustin the Turkey. The song was composed by Darren Smith and Simon Fine for the competition to select the Irish submission for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. On February 23, 2008, it won against five other entries in Eurosong 2008, held at the University of... " |
Ireland, twelve points | 16 | 22 | |
| 05 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... , Catalan Catalan language Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island... |
Gisela Gisela (singer) Gisela is a Spanish pop singer. She was born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and became famous after placing eighth in the first edition of Operación Triunfo. Before the start of Operacion Triunfo, she was a student at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, studying journalism.-Career after... |
"Casanova Casanova (Gisela song) "Casanova" is a song by Spanish singer Gisela. It was chosen to represent Andorra in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. It is sung in English, although it features one line in Catalan.... " |
- | 15 | 22 | |
| 06 | Bosnian Bosnian language Bosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina.... |
Laka Elvir Lakovic Laka Elvir Laković, also known as Laka, is a Bosnian rock singer-songwriter, born in Goražde, Bosnia and Herzegovina.He attended music school there studying guitar, but he disliked the school's teaching methods and views towards music, and then subsequently quit the school... |
"Pokušaj Pokušaj "Pokušaj" , is a song by the Bosnian singer Elvir Laković Laka. "Pokušaj" is an alternative rock-style song and was composed and written by Laka, who is a popular alternative rock singer from Bosnia and Herzegovina.... " |
Try | 9 | 72 | |
| 07 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Sirusho Sirusho Siranush Harutyunyan , known simply as Sirusho , is an Armenian pop singer. She began her music career singing live in Canada, in the Armenian diaspora music scene, when she was seven years old and, at the age of nine, she received an Armenian Music Award for her song "Lusabats"... |
"Qélé, Qélé" | Let's go, Let's go | 2 | 139 | |
| 08 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Hind Hind Laroussi Hind Laroussi Tahiri , known professionally as Hind, is a Dutch singer.-Biography:Hind Laroussi Tahiri was born on December 3, 1984 in Gouda, Netherlands. She has a Moroccan father and a Dutch mother.... |
"Your Heart Belongs to Me Your Heart Belongs to Me (Hind song) "Your Heart Belongs To Me" is an English language pop song by Dutch singer Hind, released as a single on April 14, 2008. The song is composed by Hind, Tjeerd van Zanen, and Bas van den Heuvel. The lyrics are written by Hind and Tjeerd van Zanen.... " |
- | 13 | 27 | |
| 19 | Finnish Finnish language Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a... |
Teräsbetoni Teräsbetoni Teräsbetoni is a Finnish heavy metal band. Their first album, Metallitotuus was released in 2005 and has so far sold more than 32,000 copies. Teräsbetoni has been strongly influenced by bands such as Manowar... |
"Missä miehet ratsastaa Missä miehet ratsastaa "Missä miehet ratsastaa" is a song by Teräsbetoni which was the Finnish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. As with Lordi in 2006, Teräsbetoni was chosen as the Finnish entry for Eurovision 2008 by winning the Finnish national song contest, which is decided by popular vote... " |
Where men ride | 8 | 79 | |
| 15 | Romanian Romanian language Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova... , Italian Italian language Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia... |
Nico Nico (Romanian singer) Nicoleta Matei, known by her stage name Nico, is a Romanian singer. She represented Romania along with Vlad in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.-Musical career:Nico started singing since she was a child... and Vlad Vlad Mirita Vlad Miriţă or Vlad is a Romanian pop and opera singer. He represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.... |
"Pe-o margine de lume Pe-o margine de lume "Pe-o margine de lume" is a song performed by the Romanian duet Nico and Vlad Miriţă. The song represented Romania in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia... " |
On an edge of the world | 7 | 94 | |
| 13 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Dima Bilan Dima Bilan ' is a Russian actor and pop singer . Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008 in Belgrade, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits.... |
"Believe Believe (Dima Bilan song) "Believe" is the winning Russian entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest sung by Dima Bilan. The song was composed and written by Jim Beanz & Dima Bilan. On 20 May 2008 Bilan sang in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, and the song was voted into the final by public vote... " |
- | 3 | 135 | |
| 14 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Kalomira | "Secret Combination Secret Combination (song) "Secret Combination" is a song and CD single by Greek singer Kalomira. It was Greece's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and the first single released from Kalomira's fourth studio album titled Secret Combination the Album. It earned third place in the Eurovision final, finishing behind... " |
- | 1 | 156 |
Semi-final 2
- The second semi-final was held on 22 May 2008
- The United Kingdom, France and Serbia voted in this semi-final.
- FlaxFlax (color)Flax is a pale yellowish-gray color named after flax seeds. It is similar to the color mustard.-Flax in culture:...
denotes the entry chosen by the jury to go to the final.
| Draw | Country | Language | Artist | Song | English translation | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Euroband Eurobandið Eurobandið is the name of Icelandic technopop and dance duo Friðrik Ómar and Regína Ósk, who together represented Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. They performed the song "This Is My Life" in the second semi-final, on 22 May 2008 which won them a place in the final... |
"This Is My Life This Is My Life (Eurobandið song) "This Is My Life" is a eurodance song, sung by Icelandic pop duo Eurobandið, that represented Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 placing 14th in a field of 25th.-Background:... " |
- | 8 | 68 | |
| 10 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Charlotte Perrelli Charlotte Perrelli Charlotte Perrelli is a Swedish singer and occasional television host, perhaps most famous for winning the 1999 Melodifestivalen and subsequently that year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Take Me to Your Heaven."Since then she has released six singles and five albums... |
"Hero Hero (Charlotte Perrelli song) "Hero" is a 2008 pop song performed by the Swedish singer Charlotte Perrelli written by Fredrik Kempe and Bobby Ljunggren. It was rumoured the song was going to be sung by Måns Zelmerlöw, but Charlotte was first choice and finally Charlotte was chosen for the SVT. It won the Melodifestivalen 2008... " |
- | 12 | 54 | |
| 19 | Turkish Turkish language Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,... |
Mor ve Ötesi Mor ve Ötesi Mor ve Ötesi is a Turkish alternative rock band from Istanbul. Its four current members are Harun Tekin , Kerem Kabadayı , Burak Güven and Kerem Özyeğen . Former members include Alper Tekin and Derin Esmer... |
"Deli Deli (song) "Deli" is a song performed by Turkish rock group Mor ve Ötesi. It represented Turkey in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia, earning the 7th place in the finals... " |
Crazy | 7 | 85 | |
| 16 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Ani Lorak Ani Lorak Karolina Miroslavivna Kuiek, , popularly known as Ani Lorak , born 27 September 1978, Kitsman, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, is a famous Ukrainian pop singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, and former UN Goodwill Ambassador... |
"Shady Lady Shady Lady "Shady Lady" was the Ukrainian entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. It was sung by Ani Lorak, composed by Philipp Kirkorov and written by Karen Kavaleryan. However, in Greece, around the time of the Contest, there were many rumors stating that popular composer Dimitris Kontopoulos had... " |
- | 1 | 152 | |
| 05 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Jeronimas Milius Jeronimas Milius Jeronimas Milius is a Lithuanian singer. Since 2003 he's the leader of the heavy/power metal band Soul Stealer .... |
"Nomads in the Night Nomads in the Night "Nomads in the Night" was the song that represented Lithuania at Eurovision Song Contest 2008, in Belgrade, Serbia. It was sung by Jeronimas Milius.The authors of the song, were Jeronimas Milius and Vytautas Diškevičius .... " |
- | 16 | 30 | |
| 04 | Albanian Albanian language Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece... |
Olta Boka Olta Boka Olta Boka is an Albanian singer who was chosen to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with her song "Zemrën e lamë peng". She won the Albanian national final, called Festivali i Këngës, and competed in the second semifinal, on May 22 and won a place in the final on May 24 where... |
"Zemrën e lamë peng Zemrën E Lamë Peng "Zemrën e lamë peng" is the song that represented Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. The song was sung by Olta Boka and was selected on 16 December 2007 during the televised show Festivali I Këngës.... " |
Hearts trapped in time | 9 | 67 | |
| 03 | Italian Italian language Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia... |
Paolo Meneguzzi Paolo Meneguzzi Paolo Meneguzzi is an Swiss Italian singer. He is the son of Loredana Pacchiani and Gomez Meneguzzo.-Biography:... |
"Era stupendo Era stupendo "Era stupendo" is a song by Paolo Meneguzzi which was chosen to represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, to be held in Belgrade. The song was publicly unveiled as the Swiss entry on 13 January 2008 at the Swiss Music Awards. The song is a soft rock ballad in Italian. It is... " |
It was wonderful. | 13 | 47 | |
| 13 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Tereza Kerndlová Tereza Kerndlová Tereza Kerndlová is a singer in the Czech Republic. She rose to fame as a member of the trio Black Milk since 2001... |
"Have Some Fun Have Some Fun "Have Some Fun" is the Czech Republic's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and was chosen to represent them on 26 January 2008. The song is sung by Tereza Kerndlová and was performed in the 2nd place on the national final. This song was the second Czech entry for Eurovision, and Tereza... " |
- | 18 | 9 | |
| 01 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... [B] |
Ruslan Alekhno Ruslan Alekhno Ruslan Alekhno is a Belarussian singer who rose to popularity after winning Narodniy Artist 2 , the Russian version of Pop Idol.-Career:... |
"Hasta la Vista" | See You Soon | 17 | 27 | |
| 06 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Pirates of the Sea Pirates of the Sea Pirates of the Sea is a musical project that represented Latvia in Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with their song "Wolves of the Sea". It consists of three members: Italian singer Roberto Meloni who is living in Latvia, dancer Aleksandra Kurusova as well as the TV and radio person Jānis Vaišļa... |
"Wolves of the Sea Wolves of the Sea "Wolves of the Sea" is a song performed by the Latvian musical project Pirates of the Sea. Written by four Swedish composers, the song was chosen to represent Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. It was very popular with the audience in the UK, receiving 10 points from... " |
- | 6 | 86 | |
| 14 | Croatian Croatian language Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries... |
Kraljevi Ulice Kraljevi ulice Kraljevi ulice is a Croatian band founded by Miran Hadži Veljković and Zlatko Petrović Pajo. The band's name translates as "Kings of the Street". They were chosen to represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia... and 75 cents |
"Romanca Romanca "Romanca" was the Croatian entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 held in Belgrade, Serbia. The song is performed by the group Kraljevi ulice and 75 Cents with Mia Lisak dancing wearing a red dress and playing percussion with glass bottles towards the end of the song, Mia is barefoot for the... " |
Romance | 4 | 112 | |
| 02 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Deep Zone and Balthazar | "DJ, Take Me Away DJ, Take Me Away "DJ, Take Me Away" is a song performed by Deep Zone Project and DJ Balthazar. It was selected to represent Bulgaria at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, it went through to the semi-final, but did not reach the final.... " |
- | 11 | 56 | |
| 15 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Simon Mathew Simon Mathew Simon Mathew is a Danish pop singer. He is the brother of teen-pop singers Rebekka Mathew and Sabina Mathew. Mathew won the Danish Melodi Grand Prix 2008, and represented Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, singing "All Night Long".... |
"All Night Long All Night Long (Simon Mathew song) "All Night Long" is a song performed by Simon Mathew, written by Jacob Launbjerg, Svend Gudiksen and Nis Bøgvad. It won the Danish Melodi Grand Prix 2008, and is the Danish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.... " |
- | 3 | 112 | |
| 09 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Diana Gurtskaya Diana Gurtskaya Diana Gudaevna Gurtskaya |Georgia]]) is a blind Georgian singer residing in Moscow, Russia. Following a failed attempt in Belarus the previous year Diana, on March 1, 2008, won the Georgian national final with 39.4% of the vote, therefore she represented Georgia at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest... |
"Peace Will Come Peace Will Come "Peace Will Come" was sung by blind Georgian singer Diana Gurtskaya and represented Georgia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. It qualified from the second semi-final on May 22, 2008 at 7th and eventually finished in 11th place out of the twenty five countries that took part... " |
- | 5 | 107 | |
| 07 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... , Hungarian Hungarian language Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe.... |
Csézy Csézy Csézy, real name Erzsébet Csézi is a Hungarian singer.On February 8, 2008 she was chosen to represent Hungary at the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade with her song Szívverés. She finished last in the second semi-final on May 22 with just six points.-Albums:-External links: — official... |
"Candlelight Candlelight (Csézy song) "Candlelight" is a song performed by the Hungarian singer Csézy. This song was chosen to represent Hungary at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia... " |
- | 19 | 6 | |
| 11 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... [C] |
Morena | "Vodka Vodka (song) "Vodka" was the song that represented Malta at Eurovision Song Contest 2008, in Belgrade, Serbia. It was sung by Gozitan singer Morena.The authors of the song, Gerard James Borg and Philip Vella have had songs in Eurovision five times ."Vodka" won the Malta Song for Europe 2008 with total 78... " |
- | 14 | 38 | |
| 08 | Greek Greek language Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;... |
Evdokia Kadi Evdokia Kadi Evdokia Kadi is a Greek Cypriot singer who represented Cyprus at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, with the song "Femme Fatale". She was eliminated in the second semi-final on May 22 and therefore did not make it to the final.She started her singing career in 2001 at the University of Cyprus... |
"Femme Fatale Femme Fatale (Evdokia Kadi song) "Femme Fatale" was the Cypriot entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, sung by Evdokia Kadi. The song was composed by Nicos Evagelou and was written by Vangelis Evangelou.It performed at the second semi-final Eurovision Song Contest 2008 on 22 May 2008... " |
Fatal woman | 15 | 36 | |
| 12 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Tamara Todevska Tamara Todevska Tamara Todevska , known as Tamara, is a Macedonian pop singer. She was born to a Macedonian father and a Serbian mother from Turkey. Her sister is the well known Macedonian pop singer Tijana Todevska-Dapčević.-Early life:... , Vrčak & Adrian Adrian Gaxha Adrian Gaxha is an Albanian pop musician from the Republic of Macedonia. He started playing the viola at an early age and also graduated from a Music High School... |
"Let Me Love You Vo Ime Na Ljubovta "Vo Ime Na Ljubovta" , is a song by Tamara Todevska, Vrčak and Adrian Gaxha. The trio competed with the song at Skopje Fest 2008. The song won, having been awarded the most televotes by the general public and the 7-member expert jury... " |
- | 10 | 64 | |
| 18 | Portuguese Portuguese language Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095... |
Vânia Fernandes Vânia Fernandes Vânia Fernandes is a Portuguese singer from Funchal, Madeira .Known for her powerful stage presence, as well as her prominent and versatile voice, Fernandes has participated in several singing contests and performed in public in both her home island of Madeira and on the mainland of Portugal since... |
"Senhora do mar (Negras águas) Senhora do Mar (Negras Águas) "Senhora do mar " is a song performed by Portuguese singer Vânia Fernandes, which was chosen to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia... " |
Lady of the sea (Dark Waters) | 2 | 120 |
Final
The finalists were:- the big four FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - the host country SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
- the top nine countries from the first semi-final plus one wildcard from the juries (marked in flax)
- the top nine countries from the second semi-final plus one wildcard from the juries (marked in flax)
The final was held on 24 May 2008 and was won by Russia.
| Draw | Country | Language | Artist | Song | English translation | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Romanian Romanian language Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova... , Italian Italian language Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia... |
Nico Nico (Romanian singer) Nicoleta Matei, known by her stage name Nico, is a Romanian singer. She represented Romania along with Vlad in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.-Musical career:Nico started singing since she was a child... and Vlad Vlad Mirita Vlad Miriţă or Vlad is a Romanian pop and opera singer. He represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.... |
"Pe-o margine de lume Pe-o margine de lume "Pe-o margine de lume" is a song performed by the Romanian duet Nico and Vlad Miriţă. The song represented Romania in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia... " |
On an edge of the world | 20 | 45 | |
| 02 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Andy Abraham Andy Abraham Andrew Abraham is an English singer. He was the runner-up in the second UK series of TV talent show The X Factor in 2005 to Shayne Ward, and also represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.Before applying for The X Factor, Abraham was a refuse collector... |
"Even If Even If "Even If" sung by Andy Abraham, was the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, Belgrade, Serbia. It was released on 19 May 2008, stated by his official website.... " |
- | 25 [D] | 14 | |
| 03 | Albanian Albanian language Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece... |
Olta Boka Olta Boka Olta Boka is an Albanian singer who was chosen to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with her song "Zemrën e lamë peng". She won the Albanian national final, called Festivali i Këngës, and competed in the second semifinal, on May 22 and won a place in the final on May 24 where... |
"Zemrën e lamë peng Zemrën E Lamë Peng "Zemrën e lamë peng" is the song that represented Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. The song was sung by Olta Boka and was selected on 16 December 2007 during the televised show Festivali I Këngës.... " |
Hearts trapped in time | 17 | 55 | |
| 04 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
No Angels No Angels The No Angels are an all-female pop trio from Germany, consisting of band members Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, and Jessica Wahls. Critically acclaimed, the band has won dozen of awards and prizes since their establishment in the early 2000s, including three ECHOs, a World Music Awards, a NRJ... |
"Disappear Disappear (No Angels song) "Disappear" is a pop song recorded by German pop band No Angels. It was written by Scandinavian songwriters Remee, Hanne Sørvaag, and Thomas Troelsen and co-produced by Remee and Troelsen. The track served as Germany's entry for the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, having earned tight... " |
- | 23 [D] | 14 | |
| 05 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Sirusho Sirusho Siranush Harutyunyan , known simply as Sirusho , is an Armenian pop singer. She began her music career singing live in Canada, in the Armenian diaspora music scene, when she was seven years old and, at the age of nine, she received an Armenian Music Award for her song "Lusabats"... |
"Qélé, Qélé" | Let's go, Let's go | 4 | 199 | |
| 06 | Bosnian Bosnian language Bosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina.... |
Laka Elvir Lakovic Laka Elvir Laković, also known as Laka, is a Bosnian rock singer-songwriter, born in Goražde, Bosnia and Herzegovina.He attended music school there studying guitar, but he disliked the school's teaching methods and views towards music, and then subsequently quit the school... |
"Pokušaj Pokušaj "Pokušaj" , is a song by the Bosnian singer Elvir Laković Laka. "Pokušaj" is an alternative rock-style song and was composed and written by Laka, who is a popular alternative rock singer from Bosnia and Herzegovina.... " |
Try | 10 | 110 | |
| 07 | Hebrew Hebrew language Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such... , English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Boaz Ma'uda Bo'az Ma'uda Boaz Mauda is an Israeli singer and songwriter. He won the fifth season of Kokhav Nolad, the Israeli version of Pop Idol, and represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, finishing in 9th place.... |
"The Fire in Your Eyes The Fire in Your Eyes "The Fire in Your Eyes" is a 2008 single by Boaz Mauda. The song was Israel's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. On 20 May 2008 Boaz performed the song in the first semi-final of Eurovision , and won a place in the final after finishing 5th. It was the 7th song... " |
- | 9 | 124 | |
| 08 | Finnish Finnish language Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a... |
Teräsbetoni Teräsbetoni Teräsbetoni is a Finnish heavy metal band. Their first album, Metallitotuus was released in 2005 and has so far sold more than 32,000 copies. Teräsbetoni has been strongly influenced by bands such as Manowar... |
"Missä miehet ratsastaa Missä miehet ratsastaa "Missä miehet ratsastaa" is a song by Teräsbetoni which was the Finnish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. As with Lordi in 2006, Teräsbetoni was chosen as the Finnish entry for Eurovision 2008 by winning the Finnish national song contest, which is decided by popular vote... " |
Where men ride | 22 | 35 | |
| 09 | Croatian Croatian language Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries... |
Kraljevi Ulice Kraljevi ulice Kraljevi ulice is a Croatian band founded by Miran Hadži Veljković and Zlatko Petrović Pajo. The band's name translates as "Kings of the Street". They were chosen to represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia... and 75 cents |
"Romanca Romanca "Romanca" was the Croatian entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 held in Belgrade, Serbia. The song is performed by the group Kraljevi ulice and 75 Cents with Mia Lisak dancing wearing a red dress and playing percussion with glass bottles towards the end of the song, Mia is barefoot for the... " |
Romance | 21 | 44 | |
| 10 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Isis Gee Isis Gee Tamara Diane Wimer , known by her stage name Isis Gee, is an American pop singer-songwriter, arranger, programer and producer of her own music. She is currently residing in Italy.-Biography:... |
"For Life For Life (Isis Gee song) "For Life" is the name of the song by Isis Gee that was selected to represent Poland in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. On 20 May 2008, it was performed in the first semi-final, and the final on 24 May.-National final:... " |
- | 24 [D] | 14 | |
| 11 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Euroband | "This Is My Life This Is My Life (Eurobandið song) "This Is My Life" is a eurodance song, sung by Icelandic pop duo Eurobandið, that represented Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 placing 14th in a field of 25th.-Background:... " |
- | 14 | 64 | |
| 12 | Turkish Turkish language Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,... |
Mor ve Ötesi Mor ve Ötesi Mor ve Ötesi is a Turkish alternative rock band from Istanbul. Its four current members are Harun Tekin , Kerem Kabadayı , Burak Güven and Kerem Özyeğen . Former members include Alper Tekin and Derin Esmer... |
"Deli Deli (song) "Deli" is a song performed by Turkish rock group Mor ve Ötesi. It represented Turkey in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia, earning the 7th place in the finals... " |
Crazy | 7 | 138 | |
| 13 | Portuguese Portuguese language Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095... |
Vânia Fernandes Vânia Fernandes Vânia Fernandes is a Portuguese singer from Funchal, Madeira .Known for her powerful stage presence, as well as her prominent and versatile voice, Fernandes has participated in several singing contests and performed in public in both her home island of Madeira and on the mainland of Portugal since... |
"Senhora do mar (Negras águas) Senhora do Mar (Negras Águas) "Senhora do mar " is a song performed by Portuguese singer Vânia Fernandes, which was chosen to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia... " |
Lady of the sea (Dark waters) | 13 | 69 | |
| 14 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Pirates of the Sea Pirates of the Sea Pirates of the Sea is a musical project that represented Latvia in Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with their song "Wolves of the Sea". It consists of three members: Italian singer Roberto Meloni who is living in Latvia, dancer Aleksandra Kurusova as well as the TV and radio person Jānis Vaišļa... |
"Wolves of the Sea Wolves of the Sea "Wolves of the Sea" is a song performed by the Latvian musical project Pirates of the Sea. Written by four Swedish composers, the song was chosen to represent Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. It was very popular with the audience in the UK, receiving 10 points from... " |
- | 12 | 83 | |
| 15 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Charlotte Perrelli Charlotte Perrelli Charlotte Perrelli is a Swedish singer and occasional television host, perhaps most famous for winning the 1999 Melodifestivalen and subsequently that year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Take Me to Your Heaven."Since then she has released six singles and five albums... |
"Hero Hero (Charlotte Perrelli song) "Hero" is a 2008 pop song performed by the Swedish singer Charlotte Perrelli written by Fredrik Kempe and Bobby Ljunggren. It was rumoured the song was going to be sung by Måns Zelmerlöw, but Charlotte was first choice and finally Charlotte was chosen for the SVT. It won the Melodifestivalen 2008... " |
- | 18 | 47 | |
| 16 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Simon Mathew Simon Mathew Simon Mathew is a Danish pop singer. He is the brother of teen-pop singers Rebekka Mathew and Sabina Mathew. Mathew won the Danish Melodi Grand Prix 2008, and represented Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, singing "All Night Long".... |
"All Night Long All Night Long (Simon Mathew song) "All Night Long" is a song performed by Simon Mathew, written by Jacob Launbjerg, Svend Gudiksen and Nis Bøgvad. It won the Danish Melodi Grand Prix 2008, and is the Danish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.... " |
- | 15 | 60 | |
| 17 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Diana Gurtskaya Diana Gurtskaya Diana Gudaevna Gurtskaya |Georgia]]) is a blind Georgian singer residing in Moscow, Russia. Following a failed attempt in Belarus the previous year Diana, on March 1, 2008, won the Georgian national final with 39.4% of the vote, therefore she represented Georgia at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest... |
"Peace Will Come Peace Will Come "Peace Will Come" was sung by blind Georgian singer Diana Gurtskaya and represented Georgia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. It qualified from the second semi-final on May 22, 2008 at 7th and eventually finished in 11th place out of the twenty five countries that took part... " |
- | 11 | 83 | |
| 18 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Ani Lorak Ani Lorak Karolina Miroslavivna Kuiek, , popularly known as Ani Lorak , born 27 September 1978, Kitsman, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, is a famous Ukrainian pop singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, and former UN Goodwill Ambassador... |
"Shady Lady Shady Lady "Shady Lady" was the Ukrainian entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. It was sung by Ani Lorak, composed by Philipp Kirkorov and written by Karen Kavaleryan. However, in Greece, around the time of the Contest, there were many rumors stating that popular composer Dimitris Kontopoulos had... " |
- | 2 | 230 | |
| 19 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... , French French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... |
Sébastien Tellier Sébastien Tellier Sébastien Tellier is a French singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is currently signed to Record Makers, a French independent record label. He sings in English, French and Italian.-Biography:... |
"Divine Divine (Sébastien Tellier song) "Divine" is a song by Sébastien Tellier from his 2008 album Sexuality. The song represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. The song is in English, with a few verses in French... " |
- | 19 | 47 | |
| 20 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Elnur Elnur Hüseynov Elnur Hüseynov is an Azerbaijani pop singer.He was selected as Azerbaijan's representative to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.... and Samir Samir Javadzadeh Samir Javadzadeh is an Azerbaijani pop singer. He was selected as the Azerbaijani representative to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.... |
"Day After Day Day After Day (Elnur Hüseynov and Samir Javadzadeh song) "Day After Day" is a song by Elnur Hüseynov and Samir Javadzadeh which was Azerbaijan's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. The song was released on February 2, 2008, and marked Azerbaijan's debut in this contest.... " |
- | 8 | 132 | |
| 21 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Kalomira | "Secret Combination Secret Combination (song) "Secret Combination" is a song and CD single by Greek singer Kalomira. It was Greece's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and the first single released from Kalomira's fourth studio album titled Secret Combination the Album. It earned third place in the Eurovision final, finishing behind... " |
- | 3 | 218 | |
| 22 | Spanish Spanish language Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the... , English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Rodolfo Chikilicuatre Rodolfo Chikilicuatre Rodolfo Chikilicuatre ; is a Spanish comedic character played by David Fernández Ortiz and first introduced in the Spanish late night show Buenafuente as an improvisational act. Rodolfo was interviewed as the inventor of the vibrator-guitar... |
"Baila el Chiki-chiki Baila el Chiki-chiki "Baila el Chiki-chiki" is a song by Rodolfo Chikilicuatre and Spain's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, in Belgrade, Serbia... " |
Dance the Chiki-chiki | 16 | 55 | |
| 23 | Serbian Serbian language Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries.... |
Jelena Tomašević Jelena Tomaševic Jelena Tomašević is a Serbian pop singer famed for her strong vocal performances. She has won numerous awards for her songs and represented Serbia at 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, coming sixth with the song "Oro".- Music career :Jelena started her way to stardom at the young age of 8 when she won... feat. Bora Dugić Bora Dugic Bora Dugić is a Serbian musician and flautist having released a number of CD's and records as well as having performed at countless concerts.- Early and professional life :... |
"Oro Oro (song) "Oro" was the Serbian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 being held in Belgrade, Serbia. The song was sung by Jelena Tomašević and was supported on stage by flautist Bora Dugić. That year Serbia was directly qualified in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest thanks to previous year's... " (Оро) |
Hora | 6 | 160 | |
| 24 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Dima Bilan Dima Bilan ' is a Russian actor and pop singer . Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008 in Belgrade, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits.... |
"Believe Believe (Dima Bilan song) "Believe" is the winning Russian entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest sung by Dima Bilan. The song was composed and written by Jim Beanz & Dima Bilan. On 20 May 2008 Bilan sang in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, and the song was voted into the final by public vote... " |
- | 1 | 272 | |
| 25 | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Maria Haukaas Storeng Maria Haukaas Storeng The following article is a discography of albums and singles released by Norwegian artist Maria Mittet.-Albums:2011: , med Oslo Gospel Choir-Singles:-Featured-on albums:*1991 "Annie" - den norske suksessversjonen... |
"Hold On Be Strong Hold On Be Strong "Hold On Be Strong" is a song performed by Norwegian singer Maria Haukaas Storeng, written by Mira Craig. This song was presented by Norway in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia.-Eurovision Song Contest:... " |
- | 5 | 182 |
Voting during the final
Countries revealed their votes in the following order:
Semi-final 1
Televoting Results 
Montenegro 23 1 10 12 Israel 104 5 2 7 10 4 10 4 7 5 7 6 10 6 8 5 4 4 Estonia 8 1 7 Moldova 36 5 5 1 6 10 5 4 San Marino 5 2 3 Belgium 16 6 10 Azerbaijan 96 3 5 4 10 5 10 5 8 3 2 4 5 7 10 7 8 Slovenia 36 10 2 2 1 2 0 10 4 1 2 2 Norway 106 4 6 8 3 7 1 7 2 7 8 10 4 8 5 12 4 7 1 2 Poland 42 10 3 2 12 1 2 3 1 5 3 Ireland 22 1 3 7 4 1 2 1 2 1 Andorra 22 4 3 1 1 1 12 Bosnia and Herzegovina 72 12 1 6 4 12 12 3 7 8 7 Armenia 139 6 10 2 5 8 12 5 3 12 2 3 6 12 4 5 12 12 10 10 Netherlands 27 1 3 8 2 7 3 3 Finland 79 2 12 8 4 2 3 6 5 6 12 1 4 6 2 6 Romania 94 8 12 6 6 6 6 5 3 7 6 5 3 1 1 8 3 8 Russia 135 8 12 10 7 3 8 7 8 8 4 4 7 12 2 6 8 10 6 5 Greece 156 7 7 5 4 12 10 12 8 4 6 10 5 8 10 8 3 12 6 12 7
Semi-final 2
Televoting Results 
Iceland 68 10 3 1 2 5 4 1 2 10 7 5 1 5 8 4 Sweden 54 8 2 3 1 3 12 1 7 4 3 1 3 6 Turkey 85 6 5 12 7 3 7 8 5 4 8 10 10 Ukraine 152 6 3 12 7 1 12 12 6 7 12 7 12 8 8 10 6 12 3 8 Lithuania 30 12 10 8 Albania 67 1 7 8 3 10 1 5 10 12 2 5 3 Switzerland 47 10 5 5 12 7 1 7 Czech Republic 9 1 2 1 5 Belarus 27 10 6 5 4 2 Latvia 86 7 8 2 12 5 6 6 1 6 6 6 4 10 2 5 Croatia 112 4 4 5 7 5 3 6 3 7 7 6 3 8 10 6 10 6 2 10 Bulgaria 56 5 6 6 1 2 2 1 1 3 2 8 7 1 6 5 Denmark 112 12 12 4 8 4 5 10 4 8 3 2 3 12 4 5 3 8 4 1 Georgia 107 2 1 10 12 10 8 10 10 4 2 10 12 2 7 7 Hungary 6 1 1 4 Malta 38 3 8 6 4 4 3 4 4 2 Cyprus 36 4 2 2 8 2 5 1 12 Macedonia 64 2 7 7 8 4 12 10 2 12 Portugal 120 10 5 8 4 6 12 7 8 3 8 5 7 6 3 3 12 6 7
Final
Televoting Results Romania 45 6 4 4 12 12 1 3 3 United Kingdom 14 6 8 Albania 55 1 8 1 1 10 7 3 4 8 12 Germany 14 2 12 Armenia 199 4 2 6 6 8 12 1 10 2 12 7 12 12 10 5 12 1 2 8 12 5 12 12 7 8 10 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina 110 5 6 12 6 10 2 2 3 12 10 10 10 2 7 7 1 5 Israel 124 6 4 3 6 5 8 2 5 3 5 6 7 1 7 6 3 5 6 10 5 3 3 3 1 4 2 3 2 Finland 35 2 7 1 7 4 10 4 Croatia 44 1 2 2 10 3 5 1 1 3 1 2 8 3 2 Poland 14 4 10 Iceland 64 6 4 7 7 2 8 12 4 8 6 Turkey 138 8 8 10 10 8 4 4 6 4 10 12 2 2 4 10 10 6 3 5 5 7 Portugal 69 4 3 6 3 8 8 1 5 6 10 5 10 Latvia 83 10 4 4 8 3 6 2 2 3 7 12 2 10 3 7 Sweden 47 3 1 5 3 8 1 2 7 2 1 1 12 1 Denmark 60 3 12 5 7 5 12 3 2 1 2 2 2 4 Georgia 83 10 2 4 1 8 8 4 4 7 5 3 5 4 6 5 7 Ukraine 230 3 5 8 5 3 10 3 7 10 5 8 12 10 7 10 10 6 7 6 8 4 4 7 1 2 6 6 6 8 10 7 6 10 6 4 France 47 2 4 2 1 8 3 4 5 1 6 3 8 Azerbaijan 132 2 1 3 7 12 4 7 10 3 10 8 7 1 7 2 7 10 8 3 12 8 Greece 218 12 12 12 12 8 7 5 5 3 7 1 3 4 2 3 6 3 8 3 6 1 4 12 8 6 4 8 6 5 5 2 10 8 2 12 3 Spain 55 1 1 1 1 3 10 1 5 8 4 12 4 4 Serbia 160 7 5 8 3 12 10 4 2 6 7 2 5 4 6 12 1 12 8 12 6 1 4 7 1 5 10 Russia 272 10 6 7 12 4 12 10 6 6 5 6 12 8 12 1 8 7 5 10 5 8 12 10 3 7 5 5 1 12 7 12 6 10 8 8 6 Norway 182 5 7 7 7 2 7 12 1 8 10 2 2 6 12 10 5 6 5 2 6 4 5 8 5 7 2 7 1 4 4 5 1 4 3 The table is ordered by appearance in the final, then by appearance in the semi-finals.
12 points
Below is a summary of all 12 points in the final:
N. Recipient nation Voting nation 8 Armenia ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
Belgium BelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (country)Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...7 Russia RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Armenia ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, BelarusBelarusBelarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, LithuaniaLithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...6 Greece GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Albania AlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, San MarinoSan MarinoSan Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...4 Serbia SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, MontenegroMontenegroMontenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....2 Azerbaijan AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
Hungary HungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
Croatia CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...Denmark DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Iceland IcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...Norway NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Finland FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....Romania RomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
Moldova MoldovaMoldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...1 Albania AlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
Macedonia Republic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...Germany GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Bulgaria BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...Iceland IcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
Denmark DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...Latvia LatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
Ireland IrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...Spain SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Andorra AndorraAndorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...Sweden SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Malta MaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...Turkey TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Azerbaijan AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...Ukraine UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
Portugal PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Semi-finals broadcasts
As stated above, a country only has to broadcast the final and the semi-final when it is one of the competitors or voters. The United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, San MarinoSan MarinoSan Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
, GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, Serbia, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, LithuaniaLithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, the Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, AndorraAndorraAndorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
, AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
confirmed they would broadcast both semi-finals (some in delay and some live).
International broadcasts
Australia: Although Australia is not eligible to enter, the contest was broadcast on SBSSpecial Broadcasting ServiceThe Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
. The first semi-final was broadcast on Friday 23 May at 19:30 local time, with the second semi-final on Saturday 24 May 2008 at 19:30 local time, and the Final on Sunday 25 May 2008 at 19:30 local time, amongst a weekend of Eurovision-themed programming. SBS local host, Julia ZemiroJulia ZemiroJulia Zemiro is an Australian television presenter, radio host, actor, singer and comedian.- Early life :...
, provided introductory and concluding segments with SBS otherwise broadcasting the BBC's coverage and commentary. In recent years the contest has been one of SBS'sSpecial Broadcasting ServiceThe Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
highest-rating programmes in terms of viewer numbers. The final rated well for SBS with 427,000 viewers tuning in for the final with 421,000 for the second semi-final and 272,000 for the first semi-final.
Austria: In Austria, ORFORF (broadcaster)Österreichischer Rundfunk, ORF, is the Austrian national public service broadcaster.Funded from a combination of a television licence fees and revenue from limited on-air advertising, ORF is the dominant player in the Austrian broadcast media...
broadcast the contest live and received extremely high TV ratings, despite its withdrawal. However, it did not broadcast the semifinals on 20 and 22 May, though Austrians were able to watch these on German television via ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
.
Italy: No Italian broadcaster proper showed the contest, but San Marinese SMRTV, which broadcast live the full event on both TV and radio, is available in some parts of Italy: RomagnaRomagnaRomagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to the east, and the rivers Reno and Sillaro to the north and west...
(and a small part of EmiliaEmilia (region of Italy)Emilia is a historical region of northern Italy which approximately corresponds to the western and north-eastern portions of today’s Emilia-Romagna region...
, including BolognaBolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
), northern MarcheMarcheThe population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, and southern VenetoVenetoVeneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, including VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
.
Worldwide: A live broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest was available worldwide via satellite through European streams such as TVRiTVRITelevisi Republik Indonesia Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) (formerly known as Televisi Indonesia (Indonesian Television in English) and Radio Indonesia (Indonesian Radio in English) is a state-owned television station, the oldest television station in...
, ERT World, ARMTV, TVE InternacionalTVE InternacionalTVE Internacional is an internationally-broadcast Spanish language channel run by Spain's national broadcaster, TVE. Programming includes a mix of news, discussion-based programmes and drama and documentaries from TVE's La 1 and La 2 Spanish networks. It was launched in 1989...
, TRT InternationalTRT InternationalTRT INT is a Turkish television station part of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation.-About TRT INT:TRT INT started broadcasting in 1990 as "TRT-INT-AVRASYA", and is now TRT's extensively watched TV station...
, TVP PoloniaTVP PoloniaTVP Polonia is the international channel of the Telewizja Polska . The channel is co-funded by the TVP and the Polish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and broadcasts from the TVP headquarters in Warsaw...
, RTP InternacionalRTP InternacionalRTP Internacional is the international television service of Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, the Portuguese public broadcaster...
, RTS Sat and SVT EuropaSVT EuropaSVT World is an international television channel from the Swedish broadcaster Sveriges Television. The channel is available on satellite in Europe and much of Africa, Australia and Asia, terrestrially in the whole of Finland and IPTV in North America....
. The official Eurovision Song Contest website also provided a live stream without commentary via the peer to peer medium OctoshapeOctoshapeOctoshape is a proprietary streaming media platform. It uses throughput optimization technology to deliver HD quality streams and to break through congestion in the last mile to provide more resilient delivery...
.
High-definition broadcasts
RTS broadcast the event in 1080i high-definitionHigh-definition televisionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
(HD) and 5.1 Surround Sound. The new high-definition television system was in place at the Belgrade ArenaBelgrade ArenaThe Belgrade Arena is an indoor arena located in Novi Beograd, Belgrade. It is designed as a universal hall for sport, cultural events and other programs. With a total space that covers 48,000 square metres, and an official total capacity of 19,982 seats , it is one of the largest indoor arenas in...
by April 2008. This is the second year that the event was broadcast live in HD. BBC HDBBC HDBBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
broadcast the contest in High Definition in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Swedish broadcaster SVT broadcast both the semi-final and the final on their HD-channel SVT HDSVT HDSVT HD is a high-definition television channel from Swedish public broadcaster Sveriges Television . The channel broadcasts high-definition simulcasts of programmes from the other SVT channels, where available.-History:...
. Lithuanian broadcaster LRTLithuanian National Radio and TelevisionLithuanian National Radio and Television is the national public broadcasting company of Lithuania. The company operates the two national public television channels LTV, LTV2 and LTV World . LRT also broadcasts three national public radio stations...
broadcast both the semi-final and the final in 1080i high-definitionHigh-definition televisionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
(HD) on their channel LTV. The same occurred on Swiss HD channel HD suisseHD suisseHD suisse is a Swiss high-definition television channel operated by the public service broadcaster SRG SSR. This is the 8th channel launched by SRG SSR, and currently the only Swiss television channel available in high definition....
; on this channel viewers were able to choose the language of the commentary while viewing a semi-final or final of the Eurovision Song Contest. However, all other countries broadcast the show only in standard definition, and the event will only be available to buy on a standard-definition DVD; it will not be released on Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
.
Returning artists
Artist Country Previous year(s) Roberto Meloni (part of Pirates of the Sea Pirates of the SeaPirates of the Sea is a musical project that represented Latvia in Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with their song "Wolves of the Sea". It consists of three members: Italian singer Roberto Meloni who is living in Latvia, dancer Aleksandra Kurusova as well as the TV and radio person Jānis Vaišļa...
)2007 Eurovision Song Contest 2007The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
(part of Bonaparti.lvBonaparti.lvBonaparti.lv is a sextet consisting of Latvian tenors, that participated in Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with their song "Questa Notte".In 2006 Swedish composer Kjell Jennstig composed a song named "Tonight", which he handed in to Eirodziesma 2007 - the Latvian national qualification for the...
)Dima Bilan Dima Bilan' is a Russian actor and pop singer . Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008 in Belgrade, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits....2006 Eurovision Song Contest 2006The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...Charlotte Perrelli Charlotte PerrelliCharlotte Perrelli is a Swedish singer and occasional television host, perhaps most famous for winning the 1999 Melodifestivalen and subsequently that year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Take Me to Your Heaven."Since then she has released six singles and five albums...1999 Eurovision Song Contest 1999The Eurovision Song Contest 1999 was the 44th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 29 May 1999 in Jerusalem, Israel after Dana International won the contest the previous year in the United Kingdom. The venue for the contest was the International Convention Center...
(winner)
Commentators
- Meri Picart & Josep Lluís Trabal - Felix Khacatryan & Hrachuhi Utmazyan - Andi KnollAndi KnollAndreas Knoll is a Austrian Radio and television presenter.Since the 1999 Contest, Knoll following Ernst Grissemann has been the Austrian commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest and since 2002 Knoll has hosted the Austrian Heat for the Eurovision...
(ORF2ORF2ORF2 is an Austrian television channel owned by ORF.ORF2 was launched on 11 September 1961 as a technical test programme. Since 1970, ORF2 broadcasts on seven days a week. Today it is one of the three public TV channels in Austria.Where as ORF1 focuses on tv series and movies, ORF2 broadcasts...
) - Isa Melikov & Hüsniyyə Məhərrəmova (İctimai Televiziya və Radio Yayımları Şirkəti) - Bart PeetersBart PeetersBart Peeters is a Belgian singer, drummer, television presenter and actor. Peeters studied Germanic philology and drama in Antwerp. There, he met Jan Leyers and Hugo Matthysen, with whom he worked later...
& André VermeulenAndré VermeulenAndré Leopold Adiel Vermeulen is a Belgian/Flemish journalist and television personality for VRT.Since the 1991 Contest, Vermeulen following Luc Appermont has been the Flemish commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest...
(DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
), (éénEENEEN may refer to:* Eastern Educational Television Network, the original name for American Public Television.* Elemental Energy, a Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game booster pack.* Emerald Energy, an oil company...
), Jean-Louis Lahaye & Jean-Pierre HautierJean-Pierre HautierJean-Pierre Hautier is a Belgian television presenter and broadcaster for RTBFHautier is known for his long time commentary for RTBF viewers on the Eurovision Song Contest which he has done since the 1994 Contest after the regular commentator Claude Delacroix got promoted to the head of Belgian...
(FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
), (La UneLa UneLa Une is a Belgian national television channel, owned and operated by RTBF.- INR :The Institut National de Radiodiffusion began experimental television in Belgium on 2 June 1953, with the crowning of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom...
) - Dejan Kukrić (BHT1) - Elena Rosberg & Georgi Kushvaliev - Duško Ćurlić - Melina Karageorgiou (RIK 1Cyprus Broadcasting CorporationThe Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation ) or CyBC is Cyprus's public broadcasting service, transmitting island-wide on four radio and two television channels. CyBC is a non-profit organization that utilises its entire income for the promotion of its main mission, which is the objective provision of...
) - Kateřina Kristelová - Nicolaj Molbech (DR1DR1DR1 is a Danish national television channel, produced by the public service broadcaster, DR. It was the first television station to be established in Denmark, and began broadcasting in 1951 – at first only for an hour a day three times a week....
) - Marko Reikop - Jaana PelkonenJaana PelkonenJaana Pelkonen is a Finnish member of parliament and former television hostess.-Career:Pelkonen's media career started as a radio presenter for Radio 99 in Lahti in 1995–1997. She became famous in Finland as the host of the video gaming show Tilt in 1997–2005 and the youth program Jyrki in 1998...
, Mikko Peltola & Asko Murtomäki (FinnishFinnish languageFinnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
), (YLE TV2YLE TV2YLE TV2 is a Finnish television channel owned and operated by YLE.TV2 launched in 1964, and broadcasts public service programming, children's, youth, sport and music programmes.-Own Productions:* Ajankohtainen kakkonen* Akuutti* Jopet Show* Kummeli...
) / Thomas Lundin (SwedishSwedish languageSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
), (YLE FST5) - Peggy Olmi & Yann Renoard (semi-final, France 4France 4France 4 is a french public channel owned by France Télévisions, dedicated to the entertainment. At first named Festival, the channel took its current name in 2005, to mark better its membership to the group France Télévisions...
), Jean-Paul GaultierJean-Paul GaultierJean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....
& Julien LepersJulien LepersJulien Lepers is the stage name of Ronan Lepers, a French television and radio host.He was born in Paris.He is known for hosting Questions pour un champion since 1988, the French version of Going for Gold.-Notes:...
(final, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
), François KevorkianFrançois KevorkianFrançois Kevorkian, alias François K, is a French DJ of Armenian origin, remixer, producer and record label owner. Having started his career in renowned clubs such as the Paradise Garage and Studio 54, the New York City resident is widely considered as one of the forefathers of house...
(final, France BleuFrance BleuFrance Bleu is a network of 43 local and regional radio stations in France. National programming from Paris is relayed by local and regional stations supplemented with local news and content. It is part of the public broadcaster Radio France...
) - Peter UrbanPeter UrbanPeter Urban is a German musician and radio host.Since the 1997 Contest, Urban following Jan Hofer has been the German commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest. Due to illness in 2009, Urban was unable to commentate on the 2009 Contest, with Tim Frühling filling in, however returning to...
(Das ErsteDas ErsteErstes Deutsches Fernsehen , marketed as Das Erste , is the principal publicly owned television channel in Germany...
) and Tim FrühlingTim FrühlingTim Frühling is a German disc jockey and Radio personality for Hessischer Rundfunk.Between 1998 and 2003 hr XXL before working for You FM and between the years of 2000 and 2003 and from 2005 and 2008 Frühling was news broadcaster for the breakfast show...
(NDR Radio 2Norddeutscher RundfunkNorddeutscher Rundfunk is a public radio and television broadcaster, based in Hamburg. In addition to the city-state of Hamburg, NDR transmits for the German states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein...
/hr3Hessischer RundfunkHessischer Rundfunk is the public broadcaster for the German state of Hesse. The main offices of HR are in Frankfurt am Main. HR is a member of the ARD.- Studios :...
, Final)
- Maggira SistersMaggira SistersBetty and Mathildi Maggira also known as "The Maggira sisters" are two Greek television presenters, and a comedy act. They are known for hosting the Greek Eurovision Song Contest selections and also being the commentators at the Eurovision Song Contest for ERT, the Greek network broadcasting the...
(NETNew Hellenic TelevisionNew Hellenic Television , branded as NET, is the second television network of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation , the public broadcaster of Greece. It is mainly a news and information channel that broadcasts daily newscasts with national and international news, documentaries, talkshows, current...
) - Gábor Gundel Takács - Sigmar Guðmundsson (Sjónvarpið) - Marty WhelanMarty WhelanMartin 'Marty' Whelan is a Jacob's Award-winning Irish radio and television personality currently working for Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Frequently seen and heard on RTÉ radio and television, he has presented a variety of shows...
(RTÉ OneRTÉ OneRTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
) and Larry GoganLarry GoganLaurence 'Larry' Gogan is an Irish broadcaster working for Raidió Teilifís Éireann . He is a disc jockey on RTÉ 2fm. His show is The Golden Hour, during which Larry plays old favourites and classic songs from yesteryear. Gogan spun the first disc on Radio 2, Like Clockwork by The Boomtown Rats...
(RTÉ Radio 1RTÉ Radio 1RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
) - Kārlis Streips - Darius Užkuraitis - Milanka Rasic - Eileen MontesinEileen MontesinEileen Montesin is a Maltese actor and television personality who appeared on Super One television's Undercover and KC....
- Lucia Danu & Vitalie Rotaru - Dražen Bauković & Tamara Ivanković (TVCG2RTCGRadio Television of Montenegro is the public broadcasting organization of Montenegro...
) - Cornald MaasCornald MaasCornald Maas is a Dutch television presenter who has been known for presenting talk shows in the Netherlands. He is the brother of Frans Maas-Early career:...
(Nederland 1Nederland 1Nederland 1 is the first national television station in the Netherlands, it was launched on 2 October 1951. It provides public broadcasting and currently exists next to sister channels Nederland 2 and 3. The several broadcasting organisations of the Publieke Omroep deliver programmes. A wide...
) - Hanne Hoftun & Per SundnesPer SundnesPer André Sundnes is a Norwegian journalist and talk show host. He is often described as a trend and pop culture expert with a particular interest for music and fashion.-Eurovision commentator:...
(NRK1NRK1NRK1 is the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation's main television channel. Test broadcasts started on 12 January 1954, regular test broadcasts started on 13 April 1958 and regular broadcasts started in 20 August 1960. It is Norway's oldest and largest television channel...
) - Artur Orzech (TVP1) - Isabel Angelino (RTP1) - Andreea Demirgian & Leonard MironLeonard MironLeonard Miron is a Romanian television and radio presenter and journalist and works for Romanian National Television . He was born in Galaţi, Romania but was brought up in Piteşti and graduated from the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy before starting a career in media...
(TVR1) - Dmitry Guberniev & Olga Shelest (Rossiya 1)
- Lia Fiorio & Gigi Restivo (for both radio and TV) - Dragoljub IlićGeneracija 5Generacija 5 is a Serbian and former Yugoslav hard rock band from Belgrade.-1977—1982:...
& Mladen Popović (RTS1) - Andrej Hofer - José Luis UribarriJosé Luis UribarriJosé Luis Uribarri is a Spanish television presenter and director for TVE.Uribarri was born in Avila, after finishing school at Marist school in Palencia he went on to study law but left to work for Spanish television as a television announcer.He debut as a television presenter in 1958 and has...
(La 1) - Kristian LuukKristian LuukAnts Robert Kristian Luuk is a Swedish comedian and talk show-host of Estonian descent. A graduate of the Stockholm School of Economics, he is currently working for the broadcaster SVT after previous spells at TV4, ZTV and SR public radio...
& Josef Sterzenbach (semi-final), Kristian LuukKristian LuukAnts Robert Kristian Luuk is a Swedish comedian and talk show-host of Estonian descent. A graduate of the Stockholm School of Economics, he is currently working for the broadcaster SVT after previous spells at TV4, ZTV and SR public radio...
, Josef Sterzenbach and a brief appearance by Carl BildtCarl Bildt, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
(SVT1SVT1SVT1 is the primary television station of the Swedish public service broadcaster Sveriges Television in Sweden.-History:The channel began broadcasting in 1956 and was known as Radiotjänst TV, A year later, it was renamed Sveriges Radio TV. In 1969, the second television station TV2 was launched and...
) (final) - Sven EpineySven EpineySven Epiney is a famous Swiss television host TV-moderator, radio moderator and editor, who works for SF DRS and DRS3 Television channels in Switzerland. He speaks German, French, English and Italian. He was the Swiss commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and...
(Final and 2nd Semi-Final) Patrick Hässig (1st Semi-Final) (GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
), (SF zwei) Sandy Altermatt (ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
), (TSI 2) Jean-Marc Richard & Nicolas Tanner (FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
), (TSR 1TSR 1TSR 1 is a Swiss public television channel owned by Télévision Suisse Romande.- History :Launched on 1 November 1954 to succeed Télé Geneva, TSR 1 is the first channel of the two French Swiss networks of television group TSR ....
) - Bülend ÖzverenBülend ÖzverenBülend Özveren is a Turkish television presenter and sport speaker. He completed his secondary education from Lycée Saint-Benoît and higher education from Galatasaray High School. He graduated from Istanbul University, faculty of Law. He started to work at TRT on 31 July 1965. For a long time he...
(TRT 1TRT 1TRT 1 is the first Turkish national television station. It launched on January 31 , 1968.-Introduction:TRT 1, the first television channel in Turkey, started their test transmissions on January 31, 1968, and commenced full national broadcasts in December 1971. It was the only channel in Turkey...
) - Tymur Miroshnychenko (First National Channel) and Olena Zelinchenko (National RadioRadio UkraineThe National Radio Company of Ukraine is the publicly-funded radio broadcaster in Ukraine.- Current broadcasting :The National Radio Company of Ukraine broadcasts 97.5 hours daily on its three home channels and "Radio Ukraine International"...
) - Paddy O'ConnellPaddy O'ConnellGuy Patrick Bennett O'Connell , known as Paddy O'Connell, is an English television and radio presenter, working mainly for the BBC....
& Caroline FlackCaroline FlackCaroline Louise Flack is a British television presenter. She is known for presenting I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! from 2008 to 2010....
(BBC ThreeBBC ThreeBBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
) (semi-finals), Terry WoganTerry WoganSir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
(BBC OneBBC OneBBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
), and Ken BruceKen BruceKenneth Robertson Bruce is a British broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.-Early life and career:...
(BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
) (final)
Spokespersons
- Leon MenkshiLeon MenkshiLeon Menkshi is a famous Albanian TV personality. Leon is a professional Journalist and one of Albania's outstanding and charming news anchors; he is also known as a radio host and interviewer...
- Alfred Llahí - Hrachuhi Utmazyan - Leyla ƏliyevaLeyla AliyevaLeyla Aliyeva is an Azerbaijani author, social activist, youth campaigner and environmentalist.- Heydar Aliyev Foundation :...
- Olga BarabanschikovaOlga BarabanschikovaOlga Barabanschikova is a professional Belarusian tennis player.Barabanschikova highest WTA singles ranking is 49th, which she reached on 2 March 1998. Her career high in doubles was at 81 set at 19 October 1998...
- Sandrine Van Handenhoven - Melina Garibović - Valentina Voykova - Barbara Kolar - Hristina Marouhou - Petra Šubrtová - Maria Montell - SahleneSahleneAnna Cecilia Sahlin, commonly known as Sahlene, Anna Sahlin or Anna Sahlene, is a singer from Sweden. She was born in the Swedish town of Söderhamn on 11 May 1976. She began her career at the young age of eleven when she had a role in the TV-series The Children of Noisy Village, based on a story by...
(singer for Estonia 2002) - Mikko LeppilampiMikko LeppilampiMikko Johannes Leppilampi is a Finnish actor and musician who is the son of Jukka Leppilampi , a Finnish gospel musician. Leppilampi is considered to be one of the most promising stars of Finland's movie industry in the new millennium...
- Cyril Hanouna
- Tika PatsatsiaTika PatsatsiaTika Patsatsia is a Georgian model, singer, TV host. She was Miss Tbilisi, Miss Georgia and got third place in Miss Golden Globe).-Biography:...
- Thomas HermannsThomas HermannsThomas Hermanns is a German TV-presenter, director, TV-author and comedian. He is known for his comedy-show Quatsch Comedy Club....
- Alexis Kostalas - Éva NovodomszkyÉva NovodomszkyÉva Novodomszky is a Hungarian journalist and presenter.She started her career in a journalist school . She became reporter of news of youth in Magyar Televízió. Later she worked for Parlamenti Napló, EuroPercek, Szabadság tér and Híradó. She has been the presenter of Híradó since 2000...
- Brynja Þorgeirsdóttir - Niamh KavanaghNiamh KavanaghNiamh Kavanagh is an Irish singer and winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1993.Kavanagh is perhaps best known for winning Eurovision Song Contest 1993, held in Millstreet, County Cork, Ireland. She sang "In Your Eyes" to clinch a second consecutive win for Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest;...
(Winner of the 1993 Contest) - Noa Barak-Weshler - Kristīne Virsnīte - Rolandas Vilkončius - Ognen Janeski - Moira Delia - Vitalie Rotaru - Nina Radulović - Esther HartEsther HartEsther Hart is a Dutch singer. She entered BBC TV's A Song for Europe contest in 2003 with the song "Wait For Moment". She withdrew from that contest as participating for two countries would not have been acceptable for both BBC and NOS...
- Stian Barsnes SimonsenStian Barsnes SimonsenStian Barsnes Simonsen is a Norwegian actor and television host of Amigo, Midt i smørøyet and Melodi Grand Prix.- As host :*De ukjente *Gullruten...
- Radek Brzózka - SabrinaSabrina (Portuguese artist)Sabrina is the stage name of Teresa Villa-Lobos, a Portuguese singer, from Setúbal. She represented her country and national broadcaster RTP at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, in Helsinki, Finland, after winning the Festival da Canção, the national selection...
(singer for Portugal 2007) - Alina Sorescu - Oksana Fedorova - Roberto Moretti - Dušica Spasić - Peter PolesPeter PolesPeter Poles is a Slovenian television personality, responsible for presenting the Slovenian televote results in various editions of Eurovision Song Contest. Poles first filled this role in 2003, returning in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009...
- Björn GustafssonBjörn GustafssonLars Björn Gustafsson is a Swedish comedian and actor. Björn was born in Romelanda, Sweden. He is known from TV-shows such as Parlamentet and Stockholm Live.-Early and personal life:...
- Ainhoa Arbizu - Cécile Bähler - Meltem Ersan Yazgan - Marysya Horobets - Carrie GrantCarrie GrantCarrie Grant is a British vocal coach and session singer. She is best known for her work on the television talent contests Fame Academy, Comic Relief does Fame Academy and Pop Idol, together with her husband and colleague David Grant. She is also personal voice coach to many successful pop stars...
(singer for UK in 1983 with Sweet DreamsSweet Dreams (band)Sweet Dreams were a British vocal trio comprising teenagers Carrie Gray, Helen Kray and Bobby McVay who represented the UK in Eurovision 1983 with the song "I'm Never Giving Up"....
)
External links