National selection refer to the process in which a participant broadcaster of the annual Eurovision Song Contest select the song and artist(s) that will represent its country in the contest.[1]
The two principal ways for broadcasters to select their entries are open selections (national finals) and closed selections (internal selections). Since the introduction of semi-finals in the – due to the extensive amount of participants – and the rule of the "Big Five" countries (applied to the broadcasters from,,,, and the),[2] [3] a wide range of broadcasters have often alternated between national finals and internal selections based on final placing at the previous contests.
National finals are the process in which the participant broadcaster of a country gives its national audience the opportunity to choose either the song, or the artist(s), or even both, that will represent them in the contest, often combining public televoting with the vote of an expert jury.
These national finals (consisting of one or more shows) can be televised or non-televised, however, most of the time they are televised as prime-time television events.[1] On many occasions, the artist is selected internally and the audience chooses a song for them through a national final. Alternatively, the broadcaster can select a song and make the public choose the artist that will perform the song through a national final.
Among the most well-known national finals is, organised by (SVT) in, which features six live shows (four heats, a "Second Chance" show and a final in Stockholm) in different cities across the country.[4] In 2012, over an estimated four million people in Sweden watched the final, almost half of the Swedish population.[5] [6]
Another example of a long-running national final format is (UMK) organised by Yle in ; in 2018 and 2019, each participant wanting to represent Finland sent three songs to Yle, which would select the entrant, and the audience would then choose one song among the three that the selected entrant had presented to the broadcaster previously, through a televised final.[7] [8] [9] [10] In 2020, this format was abandoned in favour of a return to the open format seen between 2012 and 2017.[11] [12]
The broadcasters from,, and (RTSH, DR, and ETV/ERR respectively) are the only participants that have always selected their entries via a national final. The broadcaster from (LTV) has selected all of its entries via a national final, except in 2021, when it internally selected its intended entrant for the cancelled 2020 contest. Yle has selected all of its songs via a national final, but in 2018 and 2019, the artist was chosen internally. The broadcasters from (JRT) and (UJRT) also selected all of their entries via a national final during their existence.
Internal selections are the process in which the participant broadcaster of a country appoints a committee or expert panel to select either the song, or the artist(s), or even both, without holding a public vote.
Even though the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) "strongly" encourages broadcasters to hold their own national finals, participants from several countries such as,[13] [14] and [15] are among those that have opted for internal selections for most of their entries in the contest. Choosing this method is also a common strategy for broadcasters after having failed to qualify for the final on several occasions.[16] [17]
See main article: List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest. broadcasters from fifty-two countries have participated in the Eurovision Song Contest at least once, and a record forty-three participated in 2008, 2011, and 2018.[18] [19] [20]
| Inactivecountries which participated in the past but did not appear in the most recent contest, or will not appear in the upcoming contest | ||
| Ineligiblecountries whose broadcasters have been suspended from the European Broadcasting Union and are therefore ineligible to participate | ||
| Formercountries which previously participated but no longer exist |
| +class="nowrap" | Selection history of the participating countries | ||||||
| Country | Debut year | Latest entry | National final | Internal selection | Absent years | Broadcaster(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 2024 | Eurosong
Total: 51 |
Total: 14 |
Total: 4 | VRT (Dutch) RTBF (French) | ||
| 1956 | 2024 |
Destination Eurovision
Total: 22 |
Total: 42 |
Total: 3 | RTF (1956–1964) ORTF (1965–1974) TF1 (1975–1981) A2F (1983–1992) France Télévisions (1993–present) | ||
| 1956 | 2024 |
Total: 57 |
Total: 12 |
Total: 2 | HR (1956–1976) (ARD) BR (1977–1991) (ARD) MDR (1992–1995) (ARD) ARD/NDR (1996–present) | ||
| 1956 | 2024 | Sanremo Music Festival
Total: 49 |
Total: 10 |
Total: 20 | RAI | ||
| 1956 | 2024 |
Luxembourg Song Contest
Total: 5 |
Total: 33 |
Total: 30 | RTL | ||
| 1956 | 2024 | Concours Eurovision
Die Grosse Entscheidungsshow
Total: 38 |
Total: 18 |
Total: 5 | SRG SSR | ||
| 1956 | 2024 | Nationaal Songfestival
Total: 48 |
Total: 15 |
Total: 5 | NTS (1956–1969) NOS (1970–2009) TROS (2010–2013) AVROTROS (2014–present) | ||
| 1957 | 2024 |
Total: 16 |
Total: 40 |
Total: 12 | ORF | ||
| 1957 | 2024 | Dansk Melodi Grand Prix
Total: 53 |
Total: 16 | DR | |||
| 1957 | 2024 | Festival of British Popular Songs
The Great British Song Contest
Total: 57 |
Total: 10 |
Total: 2 | BBC | ||
| 1958 | 2024 | Melodifestivalen
Total: 62 |
Total: 1 |
Total: 4 | Sveriges Radiotjänst (1958) SR (1959–1979) SVT (1980–present) | ||
| † | 1959 | 2006 |
Total: 24 |
Total: 42 | TMC | ||
| 1960 | 2024 | Melodi Grand Prix
Total: 51 |
Total: 1 |
Total: 3 | NRK | ||
| 1961 | 2024 | Euroviisukarsinta
Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK)
Total: 48 |
Total: 2 |
Total: 7 | Yle | ||
| 1961 | 2024 |
Operación Triunfo (OT)
Total: 29 |
Total: 38 |
Total: 1 | TVE (1961–2006) RTVE (2007–present) | ||
| ‡ | 1961 | 1992 | Jugovizija
Opatija Festival
Total: 28 |
Total: 5
| JRT | ||
| 1964 | 2024 | Festival da Canção
Total: 54 |
Total: 1 |
Total: 6 | RTP | ||
| 1965 | 2024 | National Song Contest
Eurosong
Eurosong
Total: 52 |
Total: 6 |
Total: 3 | RTÉ | ||
| 1971 | 2024 | Malta Song for Europe
Malta Eurovision Song Contest
Total: 35 |
Total: 5 |
Total: 18 | PBS | ||
| 1973 | 2024 | Israel Song Festival
HaShir HaBa L'Eurovizion
HaShir Shelanu L'Eurovizion
Total: 35 |
Total: 20 |
Total: 6 | IBA (1973–2017) IPBC/Kan (2018–present) | ||
| 1974 | 2024 | Ellinikós Telikós
Eurosong - A MAD Show
Total: 25 |
Total: 20 |
Total: 7 | ERT (1974–2013, 2016–present) NERIT (2014–2015) | ||
| † | 1975 | 2012 |
Total: 29 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 16 | TRT | |
| † | 1980 | 1980 |
Total: 1 |
Total: 44 | SNRT | ||
| 1981 | 2024 |
Total: 21 |
Total: 21 |
Total: 4 | CyBC | ||
| 1986 | 2024 | Söngvakeppnin
Total: 29 |
Total: 7 |
Total: 3 | RÚV | ||
| † | 1993 | 2016 | BH Eurosong
Total: 11 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 13 | BHRT | |
| 1993 | 2024 | Dora
Total: 25 |
Total: 5 |
Total: 3 | HRT | ||
| 1994 | 2024 | Eurolaul
Total: 30 |
Total: 2 | ERR | |||
| † | 1994 | 2019 |
Total: 13 |
Total: 5 |
Total: 14 | MTVA | |
| † | 1994 | 2023 | Selecția Națională
Total: 26 |
Total: 2 |
Total: 7 | TVR | |
| 1993 | 2024 | Slovenski izbor za Pesem Evrovizije
Evrovizijska Melodija (EMA)
Total: 26 |
Total: 4 |
Total: 3 | RTVSLO | ||
| † | 1994 | 2012 | Bratislavská lýra
Eurosong
Total: 3 |
Total: 5 |
Total: 24 | STV (1994–2010) RTVS (2011–2012) | |
| 1994 | 2024 |
Lietuvos Dainų Daina
Eurovizijos atranka
Pabandom iš naujo!
Eurovizija.LT
Total: 23 |
Total: 1 |
Total: 7 | LRT | ||
| 1994 | 2024 | Krajowe Eliminacje
Piosenka dla Europy
Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hit na Eurowizję
Total: 13 |
Total: 12 |
Total: 5 | TVP | ||
| ◇ | 1994 | 2021 | Evrovidenie
Total: 8 |
Total: 18 |
Total: 8 | VGTRK (1994, 1996, 2008–2022) C1R (1995–2022) | |
| 1998 | 2022 | Skopje Fest
Macedonian Selection
Nacionalen Evrosong
Za Evrosong
Total: 14 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 6 | MRT | ||
| 2000 | 2024 | Eirodziesma
Dziesma
Total: 23 |
Total: 1 |
Total: 1 | LTV | ||
| 2003 | 2024 |
Total: 17 |
Total: 4 |
Total: 3 | Suspilne | ||
| 2004 | 2024 | Festivali i Këngës
Total: 20 |
Total: | RTSH | |||
| † | 2004 | 2009 |
Total: 3 |
Total: 3 |
Total: 15 | RTVA | |
| ◇ | 2004 | 2019 | Eurofest
Natsionalny Otbor
Total: 15 |
Total: 3 |
Total: 5 | BTRC | |
| ‡ | 2004 | 2005 | Evropesma
Total: 3 |
Total: 1
| UJRT | ||
| 2005 | 2022 |
Total: 9 |
Total: 6 |
Total: 6 | BNT | ||
| 2005 | 2024 | O melodie pentru Europa
Finala națională
Etapa națională
Total: 17 |
Total: 3 |
Total: 1 | TRM | ||
| 2006 | 2024 |
Total: 9 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 3 | AMPTV | ||
| 2007 | 2024 | Eurosong
Eurovision Song CZ
Total: 8 |
Total: 5 |
Total: 6 | ČT | ||
| 2007 | 2024 |
Total: 11 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 2 | GPB | ||
| 2007 | 2022 | MontenegroSong
Montevizija
Total: 4 |
Total: 8 |
Total: 6 | RTCG | ||
| 2007 | 2024 | Beovizija
Internally selected composers
Beosong
Total: 12 |
Total: 4 |
Total: 2 | RTS | ||
| 2008 | 2024 | Land of Fire
Milli Seçim Turu
Böyük Səhnə
Total: 6 |
Total: 12 |
Total: 1 | İTV | ||
| 2008 | 2024 | 1in360
Digital Battle
Una voce per San Marino
Total: 4 |
Total: 11 |
Total: 3 | SMRTV | ||
| 2015 | 2024 | Eurovision – Australia Decides
Total: 3 |
Total: 7 |
Total: 1 | SBS |