Greece: The 7 artists of ERT’s shortlist have been revealed!

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After the completion of the voting of the public committee – demoscopic jury, the names of the seven artists who remain in the running to represent Greece at Eurovision 2023 were revealed! These are four female and two male solo artists as well as a female duet!

Who are the 7  shortlisted artists?

ERT’s seven-member panel of experts selected the seven songs which were evaluated today by the 70-member demoscopic jury. The lucky eurofans, who were randomly selected by an electronic draw among approximately 3,000 applicants, had the opportunity to listen to the seven songs, one of which is the 43rd Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Immediately after the voting was over, ERT, in order to prevent any leaks, revealed the names of the seven artists who are in the final phase of the selection process.

But let’s see in detail who are the seven artists who are still hoping to represent Greece in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool next May!

(The names are in alphabetical order)

Konstantina Iosifidou

The young singer-songwriter Konstantina Iosifidou, who is part of the Final Touch record label (label of Walnut entertainment), submitted her proposal for Greece’s participation in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest to ERT. Her song is an English pop-rock ballad with lyrics and music by her. It is an anthem for the joy of life, love and freedom of youth.

Konstantina Iosifidou is 22 years old and became known through her participation in The Voice of Greece in 2018 in the team of Panos Mouzourakis. In 2022, the young and talented Konstantina made her recording debut with the song ‘Let you go‘.

Antonia Kaouri & Maria Maragkou

One of the surprises of this year’s shortlist is the female duo of Antonia Kaouri and Maria Maragkou. Apart from her solo entry, Antonia Kaouri also submitted a duet with Maria Maragou, which managed to make it to the final selection phase.

You have been reading about Antonia Kaouri for quite some time on Eurovisionfun, and she was one of our suggestions this summer. Antonia has released two singles since her participation in The Voice of Greece. Kostis Maraveyas described her as one of the best young pop artists of Greece. Antonia is signed by MINOS EMI.

Maria Maragkou is an actress, but she loves singing just as much. Her origin is from the island of Syros, and as you will see, apart from a very beautiful voice, she has a unique look. Undoubtedly, this is a female duet that would not remain unnoticed.

Klavdia

Klavdia Papadopoulou is yet another artist who gained recognition in The Voice of Greece. Klavdia’s submission, with her very special voice and the signature of the ARCADE songwriting and production team, managed to qualify for the final selection phase.

The song she submitted to ERT is an English melodic slow ballad with a build-up, adressing important social issues. The song showcases the young singer’s powerful voice and features emotional explosions. Klavdia is one of PANIK Records‘ proposals.

Leon of Athens

Another one of our summer proposals that shows up in the final shortlist of ERT is Timoleon Veremis aka Leon of Athens. The successful songwriter, who already has Eurovision experience, since he is one of the creators of Greece’s 2019 entry with Katerine Douska, wants to return as a performer this time around.

The creator of the song is himself, together with David Sneddon, and if we could describe his entry we would say that it is a happy uptempo song, with 80s vibes, reminiscent of Harry Styles’ latest releases. The lyrics of the song are in English. Leon of Athens is the proposal of Cobalt Music.

Melissa Mantzoukis

The finalist of German Pop Idol, Melissa Mantzoukis was another one of Eurovisionfun’s suggestions last summer for the Greek representation at Eurovision 2023.

Melissa’s proposal includes a song, written by a team of Greek and Dutch songwriters. Melissa recorded it this summer in Greece during her summer holidays. It is a modern pop dance track, which could easily be played in all the clubs. The song is a female emprowerment anthem, adressing the issue of how each modern woman has to find the confidence and protect herself from all the toxic and offensive behaviors she faces.

Monika

One of the surprises of this year’s Greek Eurovision selection process was the participation of Monika. Monica Christodoulou aka Monica or Monika is undoubtedly one of the biggest names taking part.

She and her team put a lot of thought into the song they submitted. It wasn’t the only one, as they submitted a total of three songs, one of which made it to the final shortlist. Her entry is a mid tempo track in her unique musical style and has English lyrics. Royal Music is the record label that signs her entry.

Victor Vernicos

Victor Vernicos Jorgensen is the youngest participant of this year’s selection process, as he is only 16 years old. Despite his young age, his remarkable talent led him to the final shortlist.

Victor writes, arranges and produces his songs himself.  That was the case with the song he submitted to ERT. His song is an English ballad and can be described as very emotional and powerful. It’s a song that wouldn’t be out of place in a Scandinavian National Final, which is not surprising considering Victor also has Danish roots. Victor Vernicos is a proposal of PANIK Records.

What’s next?

After the completion of the voting by the demoscopic jury, the shortlisted artists will meet privately with the 7-member panel of experts and the ERT management.

The artists and their teams will get to present their plans and vision for their participation, if they are selected. The professional team who will accompany them in Liverpool, their plans for directing and staging, promotion etc will be discussed. These meetings are very important, as last year they played a pivotal role in the selection of Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord and Die Together.

After the completion of the meetings, the ERT panel – expert’s jury will convene again to give their own rating. The final result will be decided by the public – demoscopic jury’s rating (50.6%) and the expert jury’s rating (49.4%), the same way the results of Eurovision 2023 final will be determined.

A final decision and announcement of the artist and the song that will represent Greece in the upcoming song contest is expected by mid-January.

Who will get to fly the Greek flag in Liverpool? Tell us in the comments below!

We would like to wish all 7 (+1, as we have a duet) artists good luck! May the best song win and he, she or they bring us the best result in Liverpool!

Congratulations to each and every one the artists who continue to hope for the Greek representation, and to all those who submitted entries but weren’t chosen to be in the shortlist.

Don’t miss our YouTube live at 20.00 CET, where we’ll be talking all about everything, commenting on today’s announcements and the voting process of the public committee!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for real-time developments about Greece in Eurovision 2023!

Greece: The demoscopic jury vote takes place today!

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The Greek Public Broadcaster ERT, announced that the Greek entry for Eurovision 2023 will be selected by a combined vote of a demoscopic jury counting for 50,6% and a professional jury counting for 49,4%, a voting pattern similar to the new system which was announced a few months ago by EBU, to be used at the Grand Final of Eurovision 2023.

After a public invite for interested audience members to be part of the jury, almost 3000 people submitted an application. 70 people were selected after an online draw and the demoscopic jury will vote today, Wednesday 28th of December. Participants are split based on their age groups as follows:

  • 18 – 25 years old: 25 jury members
  • 26-35 years old: 20 jury members
  • 36-45 years old: 15 jury members
  • 46 years old or older: 10 jury members

The demoscopic jury will give their scores for the 7 shortlisted songs chosen by the professional jury, at the headquarters of ERT in Athens.

What comes next?

Once the demoscopic jury vote is done, meetings will be held with the artists that are part of the shortlist. The management team of ERT and the professional jury will meet with their artists and their teams, allowing them to present their plans and vision for their song, in case they are selected to represent Greece at Eurovision 2023. Then, the professional jury will meet and give their scores for the entries. Scores will be combined based on the before mentioned percentages, and the entry for Greece in Eurovision 2023 will be determined.

The Greek representative and title of its entry will be announced until mid January.

 

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates about the Greek Eurovision entry!

Greece: 7 songs on ERT’s final shortlist!

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A short while ago, during a broadcast on Greek public television, more details were revealed about the process that will be followed from now on for the final selection of the country’s participation in Eurovision 2023. The most important thing that was revealed is that seven songs were selected for the shortlist, as opposed to last year’s five.

As it was said in the broadcast the “Public Committee”, a number of Greek civilians that will be involved in the final song selection, has already been completed through the electronic lottery held at ERT’s radio building yesterday.

The members of the committee will listen on Wednesday 28/12 with headphones and in small groups, but also in different rooms, to the seven songs that remain in the process and have been selected by the creative committee.

Furthermore, ERT’s legal department has drawn up specific confidentiality protocols, which the 70 members of the Public Committee will be asked to follow. so that none of the songs are leaked.

Immediately after the evaluation of the seven songs by the Public Committee, the names of the seven artists who continue to compete for the Greek representation in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest will be publicly announced.

After the audition and scoring of the seven songs by the Public Committee, the artists will have separate appointments with their teams and the ERT committee, in order to present their plans for the contest, in case they are selected.

The final decision on the artist and the song that will represent Greece will be announced in early January.

Which seven artists do you think are on ERT’s final shortlist? Let us know in the comments below!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates!

Eurovision 2023: The odds after the Ukrainian national final!

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A few hours have just passed since the first national final of this season and as expected, there are not a few rearrangements in the betting tables. That’s why your favorite column is here again, to give you a first taste of the betting odds ahead of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

While you are preparing for your Christmas break and a “hot” Eurovision winter, the bookers are already busy, with the Eurovision 2023 winner section already being offered to some companies. So, we’re taking this opportunity to present to you what we have so far for the next contest.

Winner and Top 5

Despite the dominance of an underdog in yesterday’s Ukrainian national final, TVORCHI, the Eastern European country still remains at the top of the betting tables. Nevertheless, the odds for a possible fourth Ukrainian victory are “rising”, approaching 4.40 in some companies.

This is a clear increase compared to the previous time period, where a victory of Ukraine barely tripled the money of the bettor. The Ukrainian back-to-back is currently being played at odds between 2.75 and 4.40.

Behind Ukraine, in the Top-3, are Italy and Sweden. The Eurovision 2022 host and the six-time winner of the competition are among the heavy favorites for Eurovision 2023, with bookers relying mainly on the long tradition and quality of entries at Sanremo and Melodifestivalen respectively. Italy’s win is offered at 8 and Sweden’s win at 10.

Spain and the United Kingdom complete the top five. These are two countries that impressed in Turin and in which the betting companies show confidence that they can achieve an equally successful result in Liverpool in May. Bookers give the British victory at odds between 7 and 18, while the corresponding Spanish one between 15 and 16.

Top 10

Greece is seen as the sixth favorite to win Eurovision 2023, with bookers recognizing the positive results of the 2021-2022 biennium and the change of approach by ERT within the current decade. Greek victory is played at odds between 17 and 20.

In seventh and eighth place, with similar odds, Norway and Australia are playing. Both are played at a maximum of 21, making two respectable sizes for our favorite contest. Ninth is France, which is called upon to prove that the 2nd place in 2021 was not a “firework”, while the first ten are jointly completed by Belgium and Serbia. Both the Central European country and the Balkan country return 34 times the money of those who bet on them.

Do you think Ukraine can make it back-to-back and become the first country since Ireland in the early 90s to achieve back-to-back wins in our beloved contest?

Greece: The registration for the demoscopic jury opens tomorrow!

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As previously announced by ERT President Konstantinos Zoulas, the Greek public television invites all interested fans who wish to be a part of the citizens’ committee – demoscopic jury, that will contribute in the selection of the Greek entry in Eurovision 2023, to apply for participation.

According to the new selection method, along with the ERT experts jury, the public will also have a say as to who will represent Greece, through this special demoscopic jury.

Through a platform that opens tomorrow, December 8 at 10.00 am and will remain open until December 10 at 10.00 am, anyone who wishes to participate in the electronic draw that will determine the 70 members of the demoscopic jury can do so by simply filling in some personal details.

The applicants will then be split into 4 age groups and from each age group a certain number of individuals will be randomly selected :

  • 18 – 25 years old: 25 persons
  • 26-35 years old: 20 persons
  • 36-45 years old: 15 persons
  • 46 years old or older: 10 persons

Those who are selected will be invited to visit the ERT headquarters in Agia Paraskevi, Athens (at their own expense) and rank a small amount of songs that have already been shortlisted by the experts jury. The demoscopic jury will determine 50.6% of the final result, with the remaining 49.4% being determined by ERT’s seven-member experts jury.

Participation in the electronic draw is prohibited to ERT employees, employees of record labels and production companies involved in the selection process, as well as to candidate artists and creators and their first and second degree relatives. The prohibition applies to those involved in all 106 songs and not only to the songs on the final shortlist, which will probably be announced after the members of the demoscopic jury cast their votes.

Those interested in helping ERT to select the Greek entry for Eurovision 2023 can register tomorrow and participate in the electronic draw for the selection of the members of the demoscopic jury by clicking HERE.

Source: ERT

Will you register? Tell us in the comments below!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments!

BREAKING NEWS: ERT announced a demoscopic jury for the selection of its Eurovision 2023 entry!

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A few minutes before, the president of ERT, Konstantinos Zoulas, revealed on the Studio 4 show, the way the final selection of the Greek entry in Eurovision 2023 will be made! For the first time in history of the Greek Eurovision selections, a demoscopic jury will be used, with age criteria, which will be drawn by lottery and which, together with the special seven-member committee of ERT, will choose the song that will represent Greece in Liverpool.

  • The changes announced by the President of ERT can be coded as follows:
  • Next week there will be an announcement-invitation to those citizens who are interested in participating in the enlarged citizens’ committee, to select the Greek entry.
  • The members of this jury will be more than 50.
  • The composition of the jury will be based on age criteria.
  • More of the younger age groups and fewer of the older ones will participate.
  • The selection of the members of this committee will be done by electronic lottery, which will also be broadcast live, for reasons of credibility.
  • The final selection of the Greek entry will be made jointly by the citizens’ committee and by the special committee of ERT.
  • The citizens’ committee will go to ERT headquarters to listen to the songs with headphones and evaluate them. (This avoids the risk of leakage)
  • The citizens’ committee will determine 50.6% of the decision and the ERT committee 49.4%, exactly as will now be the case in the Eurovision final.
  • The two committees will evaluate a small number of songs, those selected as the best by the seven-member ERT committee.
  • No ERT employee will participate in the citizens’ committee.

ERT listening fully to the changes decided by the EBU for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, opens the selection process for the first time after 2017, allowing the public to participate in the decision.

It is not a national final, but it is a process quite close to the standards used by other countries, such as Switzerland, Austria, Germany in the past, etc. Spain also uses a demoscopic jury at Benidorm Fest and Italy at Sanremo.

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for more updates!

Eurovision Awards return this December | Start voting now!

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Last year, more than 70,000 votes were casted in the first Eurovision Awards, organized through the Contest’s Instagram account, with 10 categories in a unique voting exclusively for fans!

You can choose the winners for categories such as “Best Look”, “Most Innovative Staging” by voting in the Second Annual Eurovision Awards.

From Wednesday 30 November to Sunday 4 December, stories will be posted daily on the official Eurovision Instagram account, in which you can vote. The results will be announced during the winter holidays.

Categories for Εurovision Awards 2022:

Most Inovative Staging

  • Rosa Linn – Snap / Armenia
  • We Are Domi – Lights Off / Czech Republic
  • The Rasmus – Jezebel / Finland
  • Konstrakta – In Corpore Sano / Serbia

Best Vocals 

  • Nadir Rustamli / Azerbaijan
  • Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord / Greece
  • Ochman / Poland
  • Cornelia Jakobs / Sweden

Best Prop

  • Georgia – Miniature Circus
  • San Marino – Mechanical Bull
  • Slovenia – Giant Disco Ball
  • United Kingdom – Space Cage

 Best Non-Qualifier

  • Ronela Hajati – Sekret / Αlbania
  • Mia Dimšić – Guilty Pleasure / Croatia
  • Andromache – Ela / Cyprus
  • Andrea – Circles / North Macedonia

Best Lyrics

  • Mahmood & Blanco – Brividi / Italy
  • Maro – Saudade, Saudade / Portugal
  • Konstrakta – In Corpore Sano / Serbia
  • Kalush Orchestra – Stefania / Romania

Best Look

  • Sheldon Riley / Australia
  • Monika Liu / Lithuania
  • Subwoolfer / Norway
  • Kalush Orchestra / Ukraine

Best Hair

  • Monika Liu / Lithuania
  • WRS / Romania
  • Chanel / Spain
  • Sam Ryder / United Kingdom

Best Music Video

  • LUM!X feat. Pia Maria – Halo / Ausria
  • Zdob şi Zdub & Advahov Brothers – Trenulețul / Moldova
  • S10 – De Diepte / Netherlands
  • Sam Ryder – SPACE MAN / United Kingdom

Best Choreography

  • Israel
  • Norway
  • Serbia
  • Spain

Best Moment

  • Sam Ryder consoles Marius Bear
  • Alessandro’s green screen segment
  • Laura Pausini sings Nel Blu de Pinto de Blu
  • Ukraine’s televote results

The nominee shortlists were determined by top Eurovision fan sites and podcasts nominating their favourites across each of the 10 categories throughout November, and now fans will have the final say by casting votes via Instagram.

These were the results of last year’s First Eurovision Awards:

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest!

Source: eurovision.tv

2010-2022: How different would the results of the Semi-Finals be with only the Public Voting?

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Α revelation that shook the waters of the competition took place earlier today. The EBU has announced changes to the voting system of the Eurovision Song Contest.

One of the most important changes are that now only the public will choose the finalists in the two semi-finals, while now global viewers from countries all around the world that do not participate in the competition will also be able to vote!

You can see all the changes HERE.

The most important question is, What would have changed in the contest’s Semi-Finals if only the public chose the 10 finalists?

We will answer this question through this article, by seeing which countries would have qualified for the final from 2010 to 2022, if only the public vote was used, and which countries would have ultimately failed to qualify due to the lack of the juries.

Changes in the Results (2010-2022)

2010

In 2010, the system of 50% juries and 50% public vote, was applied for the first time in the Semi-Finals. There we find the first differences.

In the first Semi-Final we would have the qualification of Finland who finished sixth in the public vote, against Bosnia and Herzegovina who finished eleventh and were favored by the jury’s fifth place.

In the second Semi-Final, we would have the qualification of Lithuania and Sweden, against Israel and Ireland. In addition, the winner of the Semi-Final would be Azerbaijan and not Turkey.

Which means Sweden wouldn’t have failed to qualify once in their history at the competition.

2011

In the first Semi-Final, we would have the qualification of Armenia, Norway and Turkey, against Switzerland, Lithuania and Serbia. In fact, Lithuania was first by the juries and eleventh in the audience.

That means Turkey would have no non-qualifications in their history in the competition.

In the second Semi-Final, we would only have the qualification of Belarus, against the fan favorite that year, Estonia.

2012

Another year with huge changes in the results of the semi finals. In the first Semi-Final we would have Switzerland qualifying instead of Hungary.

In the second Semi-Final we would have the qualification of Bulgaria and the Netherlands, instead of Malta and Ukraine. Also, Norway was last in the jury vote and was saved by the public.

With these results, Ukraine would have lost the record as the only that has never failed to qualify for a final!

2013

Moving forward in 2013.

In the first Semi-Final, Croatia and Montenegro would have qualified against Estonia and Moldova. In fact, Moldova was third in the juries, while Montenegro was fourth in the audience.

In the second Semi-Final, Bulgaria and Switzerland would have qualified instead of Armenia and Georgia. While Romania would have been the winner of the semi final, instead of Azerbaijan.

2014

This year we can see two big changes. In the first Semi-Final we would have the qualification of Portugal instead of Azerbaijan, while in the second semi the qualification of Ireland, instead of Malta. In fact, Malta was third in the jury vote and twelfth in the public vote.

2015

In the first Semi-Final we would have the qualification of Finland, instead of Hungary, while in the second the Czech Republic instead of Azerbaijan.

2016

Moving on to the next year, in the first Semi-Final we would have seen the qualification of Bosnia-Herzegovina, instead of the Czech Republic and in the second Semi-Final we would have the qualification of North Macedonia and Belarus, instead of Georgia and Israel.

Τhe winner of the second semi final would have been Ukraine with Jamala, instead of Australia.

2017

In the first Semi-Final we would have the qualification of Finland instead of Australia, while in the second the qualification of Switzerland and Estonia, instead of Austria and Denmark. In fact, Australia was fifteenth in the audience and second in the juries.

2018

Let’s go to 2018 and see that in the first Semi-Final, we would have the qualification of Greece and Yianna Terzi, instead of Eugent Bushpepa, from Albania. Also, the winner would be Eleni Foureira and not Netta.

In the second Semi-Final, we would have Poland qualifying instead of the Netherlands, while the winner of the Semi-Final would be Denmark and not Norway. In fact, Denmark was twelfth in the juries.

2019

We can see some changes in 2019 too.

Poland would once again go through to the final instead of Belarus, while the winner of the first Semi-Final would be Iceland rather than Australia.

In the second Semi-Final, Lithuania would have qualified  instead of Denmark, while the winner of the Semi-Final would have been Norway and not the Netherlands.

2021

Eurovision Song Contest came back after one year and in the first Semi-Final, we would have the qualification of Croatia with Albina, against Hooverphonic from Belgium. Finally, the winner of the Semi-Final would be Ukraine and not Malta.

In the second Semi-Final we would have the qualification of Denmark and Fyr og Flamme, against Anxhela Peristeri from Albania, while the winner of the Semi-Final was Finland, instead of Switzerland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKdxjoNluzY&feature=emb_title

2022

Last but not least we have this year’s edition of the contest. In the first Semi-Final, we would have seen the qualification of Ronela Hajati from Albania and not Marius Bear from Switzerland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jWXmo0-ZjI

Finally, in the second Semi-Final, we would have the qualification of Andromache (last in the jury vote), against Nadir Rustamli, who had zero points in the televoting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2IUdTl-gAI&feature=emb_title

Conclusions

Which ones are favored by the new changes?

Based on the above, we notice that the removal of the juries from the Semi-Finals, can change a lot in the Semi-Final score, with obvious results in the Final as well.

The countries that we would say are favored by this change are Lithuania and Poland, countries with a large diaspora across Europe. Also, this change could make it easier for Turkey to return to the Competition.

The Balkan countries Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, as well as Armenia, which has a strong diaspora, also benefit from the changes.

What are the implications?

Jury favourites, Azerbaijan, Australia and Malta seem to have some difficulty in the competition as their qualification in recent years has been largely down to the juries.

Ranking changes

Changes are also observed in the ranking. In particular, audiences seem to prefer funny  presentations and ethnic and dance songs instead of ballads or vocally challenged entries in general that usually are more appreciated by the juries.

General Conclusion

With all the above, we can say that in 2023 the TV viewers seems to have the main responsibility with the results of the contest. Although, on the Grand Final we see the casual jurors deciding half of the results, things will changes dramatically since from this year the goal for a lot of countries will be to first reach the final by having a song that the public will support. This also means that EBU seems to want to attract more and more of the public attention, but what would happen if a lot of good entries stay out of the final and more and more “funny” songs qualify but the juries still ignore on their final voting?

What a country will have to do to win both is find the entry that can surprise both the viewers and the jurors on the final night.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all developments regarding the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

Eurovision 2023: Voting changes announced for the upcoming contest!

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Today started with a bit of surprise news, with the EBU suddenly announcing a change to the voting system for the upcoming 67th Eurovision Song Contest which will take place in May in Liverpool. This is the first change in the voting method since 13 years and in 2009, when 50/50 voting by the public and the judging panels was introduced.

According to the EBU announcement, the three big changes to the Eurovision 2023 voting system are as follows:

  • Viewer votes will decide countries qualifying from Semi-Finals 
  • Viewers in non-participating countries will be able to vote online
  • Jury votes will be combined with votes from the global audience to decide final result

This means that next year, the countries that qualify from the Semi-Finals will be decided solely based on the votes cast by the viewers, rather than a combination of a jury and public vote as has been the case since 2009.

The professional music industry juries will remain for the Grand Final, but complete control of who gets there from the Semi-Finals has been handed over to the viewing public.

And, for the first time ever, viewers from non-participating countries will be able to vote for their favourite songs too. Those watching in the rest of the world will be able to vote via a secure online platform using a credit card from their country, and their votes, once added together, will be converted into points that will have the same weight as one participating country in both of the Semi-Finals and the Grand Final.

Regarding the changes to the voting method, the Contest’s Executive Producer, Martin Österdahl, said:

Throughout its 67-year history the Eurovision Song Contest has constantly evolved to remain relevant and exciting. These changes acknowledge the immense popularity of the show by giving more power to the audience of the world’s largest live music event.

In 2023 only Eurovision Song Contest viewers will decide which countries make it to the Grand Final and, reflecting the global impact of the event, everyone watching the show, wherever they live in the world, can cast their votes for their favourite songs.

By also involving juries of music professionals in deciding the final result, all the songs in the Grand Final can be assessed on the broadest possible criteria. We can also maintain the tradition of travelling around Europe and Australia to collect points and ensure a thrilling voting sequence with the winner only revealed at the very end of the show.

It is worth mentioning that the introduction of the Rest of World vote means that the correlation of the 50/50 voting for the final changes, which leans more towards the public. The general public will have slightly more impact on the final result – approximately 50.6%. In the coming months, the EBU is expected to publish in detail the countries that will have the right to vote in the Rest of the World category.

These changes are happening in order to keep the event relevant and exciting. Additionally, following the unprecedented nature of the voting irregularities seen at the 2022 Contest a working group of EBU Members was established to look at ways to protect the integrity of the event. Their recommendations are being implemented after approval by the Reference Group, the Contest’s governing board and the Executive Board of the EBU.

Source: Eurovision.tv

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all developments regarding the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

Greece: Is ERT considering the public voting in song selection for Eurovision 2023?

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A publication that shakes up the current situation and, should it has a basis, overturns the developments regarding the selection of the Greek participation in Eurovision 2023. According to the Typologies, ERT is considering a proposal for public voting in the selection process of the song that will represent Greece in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest Eurovision!

In the Paron paper and more specifically in Typologies column, which is the most valid television column of the printed and electronic press, is mentioned that:

“There is a proposal and it is being seriously considered this year by the management of ERT to change the way of selecting the Greek participation in the Eurovision contest of Spring 2023 in the United Kingdom. The proposal is for the television audience to choose which of the songs that entered the final selection round will be the one that will represent the country at Eurovision. According to information, while this idea is considered “commercial” for television viewing, it stumbles in the financial part as additional funds will be required for the production.”

The above mentioned are strongly related to what Maria Kozakou stated after the end of this year’s competition in her television interview on ANT1 and on Grigoris Arnautoglou’s show, The Tonight Show

Maria Kozakou had stated that, after having put Eurovision things in a row, after having made suggestions like Stefania and Amanda in recent years, and since the public has been trained in some way, maybe we could also take into account the public voting in the selection.

“Little by little it [public voting] has to enter the process … the five or the ten best songs should be evaluated by people.”

Stay tuned on Eurovision Fun for all the developments regarding the participation of Greece in the upcoming 2023 Eurovision !