Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest explained

Portugal
Contest:ESC
Broadcaster:Portuguese: [[Rádio e Televisão de Portugal]]|i=no (RTP; 2004–present)
Apps:55 (46 finals)
Highest:1st:
Related:Portuguese: [[Festival da Canção]]|i=no
Current:2024

Portugal has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 55 times since its debut at the . Since then it has missed five contests (and). The current Portuguese participant broadcaster in the contest is Portuguese: [[Rádio e Televisão de Portugal]]|i=no (RTP), which select its entrant with the national selection Portuguese: [[Festival da Canção]]|i=no. Portugal won the contest for the first time in and hosted the contest in Lisbon.

Portugal finished last on its debut in 1964 and again in, before achieving its best result of the 20th century in, with "Portuguese: [[O meu coração não tem cor]]|i=no" performed by Lúcia Moniz finishing sixth. The country then finished last for the third time in . Having not appeared in the final since and as holders of the record for most appearances in the contest without a win, Portugal won at the 49th attempt, when "Portuguese: [[Amar pelos dois]]|i=no" by Salvador Sobral won the 2017 contest, Portugal's first top-five result in the contest. As hosts in 2018, the country finished last in the contest for a fourth time.

History

Portuguese: [[Radiotelevisão Portuguesa]]|i=no (RTP) was a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), thus eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. It participated in the contest representing Portugal since its in 1964. Since 2004, after a restructuring that led to the incorporation of RTP into the current Portuguese: [[Rádio e Televisão de Portugal]]|i=no (RTP), it is the latter who participates representing Portugal.

Portugal's debut entry was "Portuguese: [[Oração]]|i=unset" by António Calvário. It was not a successful debut for the country, with Calvário coming last in the contest. Since then, Portugal has come last on three further occasions, in with "Portuguese: [[E depois do adeus]]|i=unset" by Paulo de Carvalho, in with "Portuguese: [[Antes do adeus]]|i=unset" by Célia Lawson, and in as a host country. Despite its last-place finish in the contest, "E depois do adeus" gained notability for being used as the radio musical signal to begin the Carnation Revolution against the Estado Novo regime, being played at 22:55 on 24 April 1974.[1] Prior to its sixth-place finish for "Portuguese: [[O meu coração não tem cor]]|i=no" by Lúcia Moniz in, Portugal's best result in the contest was two seventh-place finishes, for Carlos Mendes in and José Cid in . Despite prior poor results, the 1990s were the most successful decade for the country, with four recorded finishes in the top 10. Portugal was relegated in 2000 due to insufficient points accrued, and withdrew in 2002 due to financial difficulties (allowing Latvia, who ultimately won, to compete).

Since semi-finals were introduced in, Portugal has failed to reach the final eight times, including from 2004 to 2007. In, "Portuguese: [[Senhora do mar (negras águas)|Senhora do mar]]|i=no" by Vânia Fernandes finished 13th, Portugal's best result since 1996. The country continued to be present in the final until 2010. In, Portugal reached the finals with "Portuguese: [[Amar pelos dois]]|i=no" by Salvador Sobral, ending a 6-year non-appearance in the finals, as it did not participate in the contest in 2013 and 2016 and did not qualify for the finals in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015, finally winning the contest for the first time ever, earning 758 points, setting the record for the highest number of points in the history of the competition, topping both the televoting and jury voting for the first time since 's "Rise Like a Phoenix" in . It was the first winning song entirely performed in a country's native language since 's "Serbian: [[Molitva]]|i=unset" in . As the host country in, Portugal came last for the fourth time in the contest, and for the first time in a non-joint last position. This was the third instance of a host country placing in the bottom five since . Following a non-qualification in, Portugal recorded a 12th-place finish in, a ninth-place finish in, a 23rd-place finish in, and a tenth-place finish in .

Absences

Portugal has been absent from five contests since their first participation. The country's first absence was in, where Portugal, along with four other countries, boycotted the contest due to the result of the previous year, when four countries were announced the winner.[2]

Portugal missed the due to their poor average results over the past five years. Despite being eligible to enter the 2002 contest, RTP declined to enter, and was replaced by eventual winner Latvia.[3]

The fourth absence was in, when Portugal didn't participate for financial reasons.[4]

The fifth absence was in .[5] RTP stated that this break was needed in order to facilitate a content renewal for its national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, Festival da Canção.[6]

Festival da Canção

See main article: Festival da Canção. Festival da Canção (sometimes referred to as "Festival RTP da Canção") is the Portuguese national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, organized by RTP, and is normally held between February and March of the year of the contest. It is one of the longest-running Eurovision selection methods. Previously a number of regional juries selected the winner, however, the winner has been selected through televoting in recent years. In 2009, 2010 and since 2017, a 50/50 system between regional juries and televoting has been used.

In the years when Portugal does not participate in the contest, Festival da Canção was not held, except in two occasions: in 1970, when Portugal boycotted the contest, and in 2000, when the country was relegated.

Participation overview

+ Table key
1First place
2Second place
3Third place-->
Last place
XEntry selected but did not compete
Upcoming event
YearArtistSongLanguageFinalPointsSemiPoints
António Calvário"Portuguese: [[Oração]]|i=unset"Portuguese13 ◁0rowspan="28" colspan="2"
Simone de Oliveira"Portuguese: [[Sol de inverno]]|i=unset"Portuguese131
Madalena Iglésias"Portuguese: [[Ele e ela]]|i=unset"Portuguese136
Eduardo Nascimento"Portuguese: [[O vento mudou]]|i=unset"Portuguese123
Carlos Mendes"Portuguese: [[Verão]]|i=unset"Portuguese115
Simone de Oliveira"Portuguese: [[Desfolhada portuguesa]]|i=unset"Portuguese154
Tonicha"Portuguese: [[Menina do alto da serra]]|i=unset"Portuguese983
Carlos Mendes"Portuguese: [[A festa da vida]]|i=unset"Portuguese790
Fernando Tordo"Portuguese: [[Tourada]]|i=unset"Portuguese10 80
Paulo de Carvalho"Portuguese: [[E depois do adeus]]|i=unset"Portuguese14 ◁3
Duarte Mendes"Portuguese: [[Madrugada (song)|Madrugada]]|i=unset"Portuguese1616
Carlos do Carmo"Portuguese: [[Uma flor de verde pinho]]|i=unset"Portuguese1224
Os Amigos"Portuguese: [[Portugal no coração]]|i=unset"Portuguese1418
Gemini"Dai li dou"Portuguese175
Manuela Bravo"Portuguese: [[Sobe, sobe, balão sobe]]|i=unset"Portuguese964
José Cid"Portuguese: [[Um grande, grande amor]]|i=unset"Portuguese771
Carlos Paião"Playback"Portuguese189
Doce"Portuguese: [[Bem bom]]|i=unset"Portuguese1332
Armando Gama"Portuguese: [[Esta balada que te dou]]|i=unset"Portuguese1333
Maria Guinot"Portuguese: [[Silêncio e tanta gente]]|i=unset"Portuguese1138
Adelaide"Portuguese: [[Penso em ti, eu sei]]|i=unset"Portuguese189
Dora"Portuguese: [[Não sejas mau para mim|Não sejas mau p'ra mim]]|i=unset"Portuguese1428
Nevada"Portuguese: [[Neste barco à vela]]|i=unset"Portuguese1815
Dora"Portuguese: [[Voltarei]]|i=unset"Portuguese185
Da Vinci"Portuguese: [[Conquistador (Da Vinci song)|Conquistador]]|i=unset"Portuguese1639
Nucha"Portuguese: [[Há sempre alguém]]|i=unset"Portuguese209
Dulce"Portuguese: [[Lusitana paixão]]|i=unset"Portuguese862
Dina"Portuguese: [[Amor d'água fresca]]|i=unset"Portuguese1726
Anabela"Portuguese: [[A cidade (até ser dia)|A cidade até ser dia]]|i=unset"Portuguese1060colspan="2"
Sara"Portuguese: [[Chamar a música]]|i=unset"Portuguese873rowspan="2" colspan="2"
Tó Cruz"Portuguese: [[Baunilha e chocolate]]|i=unset"Portuguese215
Lúcia Moniz"Portuguese: [[O meu coração não tem cor]]|i=unset"Portuguese692 1832
Célia Lawson"Portuguese: [[Antes do adeus]]|i=unset"Portuguese24 ◁0rowspan="5" colspan="2"
Alma Lusa"Portuguese: [[Se eu te pudesse abraçar]]|i=unset"Portuguese1236
Rui Bandeira"Portuguese: [[Como tudo começou]]|i=unset"Portuguese2112
MTM"Portuguese: [[Só sei ser feliz assim]]|i=unset"Portuguese1718
Rita Guerra"Portuguese: [[Deixa-me sonhar (só mais uma vez)|Deixa-me sonhar]]|i=unset"Portuguese, English2213
Sofia Vitória"Portuguese: [[Foi magia]]|i=unset"Portuguese1538
2B"Portuguese: [[Amar (song)|Amar]]|i=unset"Portuguese, English1751
Nonstop"Portuguese: [[Coisas de nada (Gonna Make You Dance)|Coisas de nada]]|i=unset"Portuguese, English1926
Sabrina"Portuguese: [[Dança comigo (vem ser feliz)|Dança comigo]]|i=unset"Portuguese1188
Vânia Fernandes"Portuguese: [[Senhora do mar (negras águas)]]|i=unset"Portuguese13692120
Flor-de-Lis"Portuguese: [[Todas as ruas do amor]]|i=unset"Portuguese1557870
Filipa Azevedo"Portuguese: [[Há dias assim]]|i=unset"Portuguese1843489
Homens da Luta"Portuguese: [[A luta é alegria]]|i=unset"Portuguese1822
Filipa Sousa"Portuguese: [[Vida minha]]|i=unset"Portuguese1339
Suzy"Portuguese: [[Quero ser tua]]|i=unset"Portuguese1139
Leonor Andrade"Portuguese: [[Há um mar que nos separa]]|i=unset"Portuguese1419
Salvador Sobral"Portuguese: [[Amar pelos dois]]|i=unset"Portuguese17581370
Cláudia Pascoal"Portuguese: [[O jardim]]|i=unset"Portuguese26 ◁39colspan="2"
Conan Osíris"Portuguese: [[Telemóveis]]|i=unset"Portuguese1551
Elisa"Portuguese: [[Medo de sentir (Elisa song)|Medo de sentir]]|i=unset"Portuguesecolspan="4" X
The Black Mamba"Love Is on My Side"English121534239
Maro"Portuguese: [[Saudade, saudade]]|i=unset"English, Portuguese92074208
Mimicat"Portuguese: [[Ai coração (Mimicat song)|Ai coração]]|i=no"Portuguese2359974
Iolanda"Portuguese: [[Grito (song)|Grito]]|i=no"Portuguese10152858

Awards

Marcel Bezençon Awards

YearCategorySongComposerPerformerFinalPointsHost city
Press Award"Portuguese: [[Senhora do mar (negras águas)]]|i=unset"Andrej Babić, Carlos CoelhoVânia Fernandes1369 Belgrade
Artistic Award"Portuguese: [[Amar pelos dois]]|i=unset"Luísa SobralSalvador Sobral1758 Kyiv
Composer Award

Barbara Dex Award

YearPerformerHost city
Nonstop Athens
Conan Osiris Tel Aviv

Related involvement

Conductors

YearConductorNotes
Kai Mortensen[7]
Fernando de Carvalho
Jorge Costa Pinto
Armando Tavares Belo
Joaquim Luis Gomes
Ferrer Trindade
Jorge Costa Pinto[8]
Richard Hill
Jorge Costa Pinto
Jose Calvario
Pedro Osorio
Thilo Krasmann
Jose Calvario
Thilo Krasmann
Jorge Machado[9]
Shegundo Galarza
Luis Duarte
Mike Sergeant
Pedro Osorio
Jose Calvario
Colin Frechter
Jaime Oliveira
Jose Calvario
Luis Duarte
Carlos Alberto Moniz
Fernando Correia Martins
Carlos Alberto Moniz
Armindo Neves
Thilo Krasmann
Pedro Osorio
Thilo Krasmann
Mike Sergeant

Additionally, there was an orchestra present at the Portuguese national final in 1999 and 2001, where the winning entries were conducted by José Marinho and Rui Filipe Reis, respectively.

Commentators and spokespersons

YearTelevision commentatorRadio commentatorSpokesperson
Federico Gallo rowspan="9"
Gomes Ferreira Maria Manuela Furtado
Henrique Mendes
rowspan="3"
Amadeu Meireles
Henrique Mendes
Amadeu Meireles Ana Zanatti
José Côrte-Real
Eládio Clímaco Isabel Wolmar
rowspan="7" João Abel da Fonseca
Isabel Wolmar Teresa Cruz
Eládio Clímaco Margarida Andrade
Fialho Gouveia
Eládio Clímaco João Abel Fonseca
Fialho Gouveia Eládio Clímaco
Eládio Clímaco Maria Margarida Gaspar
Fialho Gouveia Fialho Gouveia Margarida Andrade
Maria Margarida Gaspar rowspan="12" Ana Zanatti
Margarida Andrade Maria Margarida Gaspar
Ana Zanatti Margarida Andrade
Ana do Carmo João Abel Fonseca
Maria Margarida Gaspar
Eládio Clímaco Ana Zanatti
Isabel Bahia Margarida Mercês de Mello
Eládio Clímaco Isabel Bahia
Ana do Carmo
Maria Margarida Gaspar Cristina Rocha
Carlos Ribeiro
Rui Unas
João David Nunes
Eládio Clímaco rowspan="9"
Margarida Mercês de Mello
Margarida Mercês de Mello Helena Ramos
Eládio Clímaco Isabel Angelino
Cristina Alves
Francisco Mendes
Hélder Reis rowspan="9" Helena Coelho
Sérgio Mateus Ana Galvão
Joana Teles
Pedro Granger
Sílvia Alberto
Joana Teles
Hélder Reis, Ramon Galarza
Hélder Reis, Nuno Galopim
José Carlos Malato, Nuno Galopim
Hélder Reis, Nuno Galopim Noémia Gonçalves, António Macedo, Tozé Brito Pedro Fernandes
José Carlos Malato, Nuno Galopim rowspan="4" Inês Lopes Gonçalves
Nuno Galopim Pedro Tatanka
José Carlos Malato, Nuno Galopim

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Fernandes . Alex . 2024-04-21 . How Portugal’s 1974 Eurovision entry toppled the country’s fascist regime . 2024-04-21 . The Observer . en-GB . 0029-7712.
  2. O'Connor, John Kennedy. The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History. Carlton Books, UK. 2007
  3. Web site: Bakker. Sietse. EBU confirmed: Portugal resigns, Latvia is in. 29 November 2002. esctoday.com. ESCToday. 29 November 2002. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053912/http://esctoday.com/121/ebu_confirmed_portugal_resigns_latvia_is_in/. 4 March 2016.
  4. Web site: Jiandani. Sanjay. Portugal will not participate in Eurovision 2013. esctoday.com. ESCToday. 22 November 2012. 22 November 2012. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130608064558/http://www.esctoday.com/39164/portugal-will-not-participate-in-eurovision-2013. 8 June 2013.
  5. Web site: Jiandani. Sanjay. Portugal: RTP will not participate in Eurovision 2016. esctoday.com. ESCToday. 7 October 2015. 7 October 2015.
  6. Web site: Antunes. Rui Pedro. Portugal: Preparem o MEO Arena. E 30 milhões. Vem aí a Eurovisão. Observador. Observador. 15 May 2017. 15 May 2017.
  7. Book: Roxburgh . Gordon . Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest . 2012 . . Prestatyn . 978-1-84583-065-6 . 93–101 . One: The 1950s and 1960s.
  8. Book: Roxburgh . Gordon . Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest . 2014 . . Prestatyn . 978-1-84583-093-9 . 142–168 . Two: The 1970s.
  9. Book: Roxburgh . Gordon . Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest . 2016 . . Prestatyn . 978-1-84583-118-9 . Three: The 1980s.