Australia: SBS switches to an internal selection for Eurovision 2023

• The Australian national broadcaster, SBS, has announced that they will be going internal in order to select their Eurovision 2023 hopeful. 

  In the previous year's the Aussies got us used in having news on their national selection format musch more earlier. With the confirmed news in delay it became more obvious that for the next Eurovision Song Contest the land down under will be opting for a different format to select their representative for Liverpool. 

  SBS, gave an send to all assumptions moving round the previous period and confirmed that the country will be selecting their Eurovision 2023 representative internally and for next year the national final format of 'Eurovision: Australia Decides' will not be taking place. 

  The SBS statements reads a following: 

  “We are thrilled to confirm that Australia will once again compete in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest next year, with hosts Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey at the helm. However, after three years of celebrating and working with local music artists through our Eurovision selection show, Eurovision – Australia Decides, we’ve made the difficult decision not to go ahead with the program in 2023.

  Over the past few months, we have been exploring ways we could deliver the event to Australian audiences next year however, a variety of factors contributed to us coming to this decision.

  We are proud to continue to be the home of the Eurovision Song Contest and we look forward to celebrating 40 years of broadcasting Eurovision to all Australians in the coming year.”

   

  Australia In Eurovision 

  Australia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest seven 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. However due to the covid-19 outbreak the contest was cancelled and Montaigne never had the chance to compete in Rotterdam. 

  Nevertheless, SBS internally selected Montaigne to represent the country in Eurovision 2021 with her song "Technicolour". The Australian hopeful once again wasn't able to travel to Rotterdam because of the ongoing travel restrictions. She competed in the first semi final with her live on tape performance but failed to qualify to the Grand final. 

  This year's national final winner Sheldon Riley flew the flag in Turin singing 'Not the same' which finished 15th in the Grand final with a total of 125 points ( 123 from the jury and 2 from televoting).

  
  

   

  News Source: SBS/ Aussievision

  Image: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett

   

   

AUTHORS

Angelos D.
Loyal follower of the Eurovision Song Contest since 1987, I've made the competition one of the stories of my life. After attending as accredited press the event for 13 consecutive years along with the 2017-2024 JESC editions, I also enjoy the last three years sharing more Eurovision music through the Eurofans radio's project.