Poland: Artist announcement postponed by one week

Telewizja Polska (TVP) has delayed the announcement of the artist who will fly the Polish flag at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv due to the massive number of received submissions. While the initial plan included the artist’s announcement today, February 8, the presentation of the Polish representative and song is now scheduled to take place on February 15.

Earlier on in January, TVP announced its plans to go internal this year instead of holding a national final like in the 3 previous years. Songs could be submitted until February 5 by songwriters and artists without any nationality restrictions, out of which a special committee will choose the representative of Poland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

Internal selections were common in the country’s history at the Eurovision Song Contest in the ’90s and 2000s (1994-99, 2001, 2005). The most recent internal selections by TVP were in 2014 and 2015: After a number of rather poor results at the Eurovision Song Contest, Donatan & Cleo’s “My Slowianie – We Are Slavic” made Poland qualify for the final in 2014. Poland had only managed to qualify once between 2004 and 2011. Donatan & Cleo reached the 14th place in overall, while Monika Kuszyńska finished 23rd with her song “In The Name Of Love” in the 2015 final.

Last year TVP organised the national final “Krajowe Eliminacje 2018”. Out of ten entries, “Light Me Up” by Gromee and Lukas Meijer was selected as the winner. It finished 14th in the second semi-final of the Lisbon edition with 81 points and, hence, failed to qualify for the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.