Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Encyclopedia
The Netherlands were present at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, sending their 50th entry. Nederlandse Omroep Stichting
(NOS), the Dutch broadcaster, sent De Toppers
to Moscow after they were internally selected. The competing song was selected at Nationaal Songfestival contest on 1 February, where "Shine
" was announced the winner.
However, in September 2008, Nederlandse Omroep Stichting
(NOS) announced that De Toppers
would represent the Netherlands in Moscow. The trio, consisting of René Froger
, Jeroen van der Boom
and Gordon
(Dutch national final contestant in 1990 and 2003), are highly popular in the Netherlands, and NOS hoped that they would boost Eurovision figures in the Netherlands, as well as ratings of the national final.
Disagreements between the band and TROS over the planned docusoap "Op weg naar Moskou" have become the main reason for the row in the band. The main reason for no agreement between the two bodies is due to the band's manager, Benno de Leeuw, being hospitalised for a week.
Since the disagreement started, Gerard Joling has since stated that he has pulled out of the band, and NOS would have to look for a new Dutch representative. NOS has stated that they are trying to patch things up between the band, and if it cannot be solved then NOS will have to look for another entrant: "We made a choice for De Toppers, and that means all three of them or none of them."
On November 11th 2008, it was confirmed that Jeroen van der Boom
will take Gerard Joling's place in the group, and that De Toppers will still represent The Netherlands in Moscow with the national song selection taking place on February 1st 2009.
was held on 1 February 2009. An open call for songs was held until 31st October 2008. Due to the public feud between the band members, the deadline was extended to 23 November.
A total of 330 songs were submitted to TROS, which De Toppers listened to without knowing the composers, removing possible bias that may arise. It was announced on 5th December that De Toppers had selected the songs that will be sung in February. The six songs selected and their titles and authors were released on 18th December 2008. The group has said that they are all "happy and powerful compositions".
During the show, the past representatives Saskia & Serge
, Ben Cramer, Heddy Lester
, Getty Kaspers from Teach-In
, Bill van Dijk
, Frizzle Sizzle
's Laura Vlasblom, Rosina Brochard from Harmony
and Marcha
acted as the jury.
The winning song was "Shine
", written by Bas van den Heuvel and Gordon
(under the pseudonym Ger van de Westelaken). The song was preferred by the televoting public, which made up two-thirds of the votes, however the second placed song, "Angel of the Night", was preferred by the jury members which made up the remaining one-third of the result.
. However the group failed to qualify The Netherlands to the final for the fifth successive contest.
Nederlandse Omroep Stichting
The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system...
(NOS), the Dutch broadcaster, sent De Toppers
De Toppers
- History :The group was formed in 2005 by Dutch singers Gordon, René Froger and Gerard Joling. In 2008, Joling was replaced by Jeroen van der Boom....
to Moscow after they were internally selected. The competing song was selected at Nationaal Songfestival contest on 1 February, where "Shine
Shine (De Toppers song)
"Shine" is a song by De Toppers and was the Dutch entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The song was composed by Bas van den Heuvel and Gordon ....
" was announced the winner.
Rumoured artists
Dutch Eurovision fans set up an internet poll in July 2008 with the intent of selecting the best artist to sent for the Netherlands. Anouk was selected by the poll, and she has also stated that she would represent the Netherlands in 2009, but would prefer not to participate in a national final.However, in September 2008, Nederlandse Omroep Stichting
Nederlandse Omroep Stichting
The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system...
(NOS) announced that De Toppers
De Toppers
- History :The group was formed in 2005 by Dutch singers Gordon, René Froger and Gerard Joling. In 2008, Joling was replaced by Jeroen van der Boom....
would represent the Netherlands in Moscow. The trio, consisting of René Froger
René Froger
René Froger is a Dutch singer.He was born and spent his first years in the Jordaan, a neighbourhood in Amsterdam. His father, Bolle Jan, had a cafe that Froger started performing in. He began with Ted de Braak and Mini en Maxi and in 1987 he released his first single, Love Leave Me...
, Jeroen van der Boom
Jeroen van der Boom
Jeroen van der Boom is a Dutch singer who rose to fame in 2007 with his #1 hit single Jij bent zo.-Biography:...
and Gordon
Gordon Heuckeroth
Cornelis Willem Heuckeroth is a Dutch performer and radio and television personality, better known by his nickname Gordon...
(Dutch national final contestant in 1990 and 2003), are highly popular in the Netherlands, and NOS hoped that they would boost Eurovision figures in the Netherlands, as well as ratings of the national final.
Possible withdrawal
Since De Toppers were announced as the Dutch representatives for Eurovision 2009, complications within the band and with TROS and NOS have resulted in their entry to Eurovision coming under threat.Disagreements between the band and TROS over the planned docusoap "Op weg naar Moskou" have become the main reason for the row in the band. The main reason for no agreement between the two bodies is due to the band's manager, Benno de Leeuw, being hospitalised for a week.
Since the disagreement started, Gerard Joling has since stated that he has pulled out of the band, and NOS would have to look for a new Dutch representative. NOS has stated that they are trying to patch things up between the band, and if it cannot be solved then NOS will have to look for another entrant: "We made a choice for De Toppers, and that means all three of them or none of them."
On November 11th 2008, it was confirmed that Jeroen van der Boom
Jeroen van der Boom
Jeroen van der Boom is a Dutch singer who rose to fame in 2007 with his #1 hit single Jij bent zo.-Biography:...
will take Gerard Joling's place in the group, and that De Toppers will still represent The Netherlands in Moscow with the national song selection taking place on February 1st 2009.
Nationaal Songfestival 2009
Nationaal Songfestival 2009, the Dutch national final used to select the song that De Toppers will sing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
was held on 1 February 2009. An open call for songs was held until 31st October 2008. Due to the public feud between the band members, the deadline was extended to 23 November.
A total of 330 songs were submitted to TROS, which De Toppers listened to without knowing the composers, removing possible bias that may arise. It was announced on 5th December that De Toppers had selected the songs that will be sung in February. The six songs selected and their titles and authors were released on 18th December 2008. The group has said that they are all "happy and powerful compositions".
During the show, the past representatives Saskia & Serge
Saskia & Serge
Saskia & Serge are a Dutch vocal duo consisting of singer Trudy van den Berg and singer-guitarist Ruud Schaap...
, Ben Cramer, Heddy Lester
Heddy Lester
Heddy Lester is a Dutch singer and actress, best known outside the Netherlands for her participation in the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest.- Early career :...
, Getty Kaspers from Teach-In
Teach-In
Teach-In was a Dutch band, best known for winning Eurovision Song Contest 1975 with the song Ding-A-Dong. The band was founded in 1969 and parted in 1980. Throughout this time there were several changes in lineup.-History:...
, Bill van Dijk
Bill Van Dijk
Willem Edsger van Dijk is a Dutch singer and musical performer.He is best known for his rendition of the Wilhelmus , which he performed on countless occasions in football stadiums. Moreover, Van Dijk worked on various musical productions...
, Frizzle Sizzle
Frizzle Sizzle
Frizzle Sizzle were a Dutch teenage girl group of the 1980s. The four members of the group were Karin Vlasblom , Laura Vlasblom , Mandy Huydts and Marjon Keller ....
's Laura Vlasblom, Rosina Brochard from Harmony
Harmony (Dutch band)
Harmony was a Dutch pop band of the '70s. The group represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978 in Paris. There the band performed the song 't Is OK and ended in the 13th place with 37 points ....
and Marcha
Marcha
Marcha , also known as Marga Bult, is a Dutch singer and television presenter, who has been a member of the groups Tulip, Babe and Dutch Divas and is also known for her participation in the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest.- Tulip and Babe :In 1979, Marcha joined forces with former Teach-In singer...
acted as the jury.
The winning song was "Shine
Shine (De Toppers song)
"Shine" is a song by De Toppers and was the Dutch entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The song was composed by Bas van den Heuvel and Gordon ....
", written by Bas van den Heuvel and Gordon
Gordon Heuckeroth
Cornelis Willem Heuckeroth is a Dutch performer and radio and television personality, better known by his nickname Gordon...
(under the pseudonym Ger van de Westelaken). The song was preferred by the televoting public, which made up two-thirds of the votes, however the second placed song, "Angel of the Night", was preferred by the jury members which made up the remaining one-third of the result.
| Draw | Song | Author(s) | Jury | Televote | Total | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Our Night" | Rutger Kanis, Robert Dorn | 28 | 13 | 41 | 6th |
| 2 | "Angel of the Night" | Edwin de Groot, Edwin van Hoevelaak, Bruce R.F. Smith | 60 | 130 | 190 | 2nd |
| 3 | "Everybody Can Be a Star" | Ferdi Bolland | 22 | 21 | 43 | 5th |
| 4 | "Three Is The Magic Number" | Kees Tel, Christiaan Hulsebos | 16 | 34 | 50 | 4th |
| 5 | "No One Loves Me Like You" | Rob le Cardinale | 36 | 21 | 57 | 3rd |
| 6 | "Shine" | Bas van den Heuvel, Ger van de Westelaken | 48 | 201 | 249 | 1st |
At Eurovision
Since the Netherlands was not one of the "Big Four" nor the host of the 2009 contest, The Toppers had to compete in one of the two semi-finals. The Netherlands competed in the second semi-final on 14 May, performing 19th and last in the running order, following EstoniaEstonia
Estonia , 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...
. However the group failed to qualify The Netherlands to the final for the fifth successive contest.