Australia: High number of submissions for “Eurovision: You Decide” national final
Just a week before the deadline for submissions to SBS for the country’s first Eurovision national selection, the Australian broadcaster revealed that hundreds of entries have been already submitted so far.
This year the Australian broadcaster opted for the national final, Eurovision: You Decide, as the format to select the country’s Eurovision 2019 entry. The submission window will be closing next Sunday, November 4, while there is no limit to the total number of entries each composer or songwritter submits to the broadcaster.
Commissioning Editor of Entertainmant of SBS, Josh Martin commented on the submissions:
Hundreds of songwriters across Australia have already submitted a diverse mix of songs – from pop to country, ballad to thrash metal, novelty to opera and everything in between. There have been entries from famous songwriters and composers alongside unpublished and emerging songwriters – some as young as 12.
On the other hand Head of Delegation, Paul Clarke stated on the selection’s objectives:
We are looking for songs that will really touch the hearts of Europe. Come on Australia, we need drama, daring, and diversity. That’s what it takes to be noticed at Eurovision. We know a lot of songwriters and producers will be working down to the wire of the deadline next week. It’s worth saying that the song doesn’t have to be finished, it can just be a demo – but it must be in by November 4.
Once the submissions are completed, an evaluation of the entries will lead to the final group of best songs that will compete in the national final shows. These songs will after be matched with appropriate Australian acts, the names of who will be revealed in a future date.
Eurovision-Australia Decides is scheduled to take place on 8 and 9 February at Gold Coast. The national final will take two days and on February 9 a live public voting alongside with a jury will determine Australia’s next Eurovision entry. Hosts of the show will be Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey, both Eurovision Commentators since 2017.
In 2018 Australia internally selected Jessica Mauboy to represent the country with her entry We Got Love in Lisbon which finished in 2oth position.
What do you think of Australia’s new format of national selection? Do you think it can bring back the successful results of the first years? Stay tuned on the INFE Network for more news about the Australian national selection for Eurovision 2019.
