Australia: Gold Coast will host again “Eurovision: Australia Decides” in 2022
Blink TV, partner and co-production company with SBS for Eurovision has revealed that Australia’s national selection event “Eurovision: Australia Decides” will be returning in 2022 at Gold Coast.
The nation down under after two successful national finals of “Eurovision: Australia Decides” will be skipping national selection event in 2021, since Montaigne has been confirmed for Eurovision 2021 after this year’s hearbreaking cancellation. However, Blink TV has cleared out already, that “Eurovision: Australia Decides” will be returning at Gold Coast in 2022.
Specifically Blink TV has stated the following:
After the unprecedented cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2020 due to Covid-19, Montaigne, the winner of ‘Eurovision – Australia Decides – Gold Coast 2020’ held in February, will still get her shot at Eurovision glory with a new song, when the Eurovision Song Contest returns in May 2021 in host city, Rotterdam.
Although there won’t be a ‘Eurovision – Australia Decides’ show in 2021, Blink and SBS are intending to put on a come-back show for early 2022.
Paul Clarke, Creative Director of Eurovision – Australia Decides and Director of Blink TV, said:
It’s great to know for certain that Australia will be able to cheer for Montaigne at Eurovision 2021, and we’re excited to be working with her on a new song and staging.
And the Blink TV statement goes on saying:
We look forward to showcasing more great Australian musical and song writing talent as they join a growing alumni we can are so proud of including Kate Miller-Heike, Vanessa Amorosi, Courtney Act, Electric Fields, Sheppard, Casey Donovan, Jack Vidgen, iOTA and many more.
The Eurovision Story so Far
Australia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest five times since their debut at the 2015 contest in Vienna. Although Australia’s first participation in the 2015 contest was set to be a single time participation, the country was invited to take part in the following years successively. Last year after an agreement with EBU, Australia secured its participation up to 2023.
The country’s best result in the contest is Dami Im’s 2nd place in 2016. Australia has also finished in the top ten in three of its other appearances in the contest, with Guy Sebastian finishing fifth in 2015, and Isaiah Firebrace finishing ninth in 2017 . In 2019 , Kate Miller Heidke won the first national final to take place in the country and represented the land of Down Under at Tel Aviv with her song “Zero Gravity”. Kate achieved a 9th placing marking the country’s return back in the top 10.
In 2020 Montaigne won the country’s 2nd national final in history. Eurovision: Australia Decides 2020, held in Gold Coast , Queensland last February. Her entry “Don’t Break Me” achieved to top the jury voting and came second in the public vote . The Australian act was confirmed after the ESC 2020 as the country’s representative in 2021 in Rotterdam, but must find a new song to perform in next year’s contest, as EBU has decided that songs that were selected for this year’s contest will not be eligible to compete in Eurovision 2021. Thus we will have to see if SBS will opt for some kind of national selection format or if it will determined internally.
News Source: Blink TV/ ESCToday
Cover Photo: Blink TV
