Iceland: Israeli influence behind Hera Björk’s victory!

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According to the Icelandic press the Israeli broadcaster KAN is behind the campaign against Bashar Murad.

The Israeli Yogev Segal who organized the campaign against Bashar Murad in Söngvakeppnin, Iceland’s selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest, according to the Icelandic website MANNLÍF, is an employee of Israel’s public broadcaster. Yogev Segal is the founder of a Facebook discussion group for Icelanders who support Israel.

Yogev Segal seems to have urged all members of this group to vote for Hera Björk in the final of Söngvakeppnin 2024. That is, he suggested that Israel’s supporters in Iceland should urge as many people as possible to vote for Hera Björk’s song. It was, according to him, the safest way to ensure that there would be no Palestinian on the stage of the competition in Sweden in May.

Within the aforementioned group, Segal admits to working for Israel’s state television, KAN, which, like the Icelandic one, is responsible for Israel’s participation in Eurovison. He suggests that reporting on his campaign is grist to the conspiracy theory mill. Finally he claims that Israel had no interest in the Icelandic national final.

For the record, Söngvakeppnin 2024 was won by Hera Björk with the song “Scared of Heights”, however this year the participation of the country is not considered certain, as the issue of the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine and the participation of the former in the competition is a point of friction in Iceland’s public sphere. The final decision on whether the island of ice and fire in Malmö will take part is expected today.

Source: SAMSTÖÐIN

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Iceland: A songwriter from “Scared of Heights” has left the Eurovision team!

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Following the conclusion of Söngvakeppnin 2024, news in Iceland have been running fast. While we wait for RÚV to decide whether the island nation will be present in Malmö or not, one of “Scared of Heights” songwriters has decided to opt out of the team.

Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir has stated that she will not be following Eurovision 2024, regardless of RÚV’s decision. The question is, what are the reasons behind her withdrawal?

“Bashar Murad should have gone instead”

Söngvakeppnin’s results sparked widespread criticism in Iceland, as Bashar Murad’s entry won the first round of voting but lost to Hera Björk in the second round. Many viewers expressed concerns about voting irregularities, claiming that votes for Bashar Murad were counted for Hera Björk instead. Furthermore, the co-author of Bashar Murad’s entry demanded an independent investigation of the contest’s results in order to maintain the organization’s trust and reputation.

I suggested to RÚV that that result be left standing and that Bashar be allowed to enter the final competition as the undisputed winner of the competition. Maybe Hera would be allowed to go next year instead, but they rejected that idea.

Hence, she has decided to withdraw from Eurovision:

But I won’t follow the song to the finals if that happens. My conscience just won’t allow it.

Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir also conveys her disappointment at the hate speech Bashar Murad has been subjected to in Iceland, particularly when it is directed at someone who is on a “global mission“:

I have been in shock. Bashar is on a global mission. This scene was amazing and I admire him and his whole team. He is a brave and talented artist and I admire him and his professionalism throughout this process.

Her decision to opt out was strengthened by those racist remarks and actions, as she felt that:

And I have no interest as a songwriter and artist in winning a competition because of racism.

Israel’s involvement has also played its part

After the events in October, Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024 has become a hot topic in Iceland. Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir had no idea what would happen when submitting the song to Söngvakeppnin 2024 in the late summer.

Nonetheless, Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir notes that despite her withdrawal:

I feel in a miserable position, but I’m still proud of Hera and her impeccable performance. There are a lot of people who put their all into making the scene as good as it really was. I do this in full love and respect for Hera and all the others.

Iceland still to reach its final decision

In January, RÚV stated that the country’s participation in Malmö is uncertain and will be discussed after the conclusion of Söngvakeppnin 2024. The decision would be made by RÚV’s group and the winner of the national selection.

Hera Björk herself wants to be a part of the Eurovision community once again and seems positive to participate in Eurovision 2024.

However, no decision has still been made from RÚV’s side. According to Rúnari Frey Gíslason, the director of Söngvakeppnin:

The deadline for submitting data to the EBU is March 11. We are still looking into the matter.

We are now awaiting whether a consensus will be achieved on RÚV’s group, which will take the final decision.

The final decision is expected till tomorrow, so fingers crossed!

In case everything goes as planned, Iceland is allocated to perform at the second half of the first semi-final on May 7 with Hera Björk and “Scared of Heights“. It will be Hera Björk’s second time-as a representative-on the Eurovision stage, having previously represented Iceland in 2010.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: ruv.is

Iceland: Hera Björk’s participation in Eurovision 2024 is still uncertain!

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Eurovision 2024 remains a hot topic in Iceland. Protests and letters to RÚV calling for Iceland’s withdrawal from the contest have been ongoing since the list of participating countries was revealed in December, including Israel.

In January, RÚV stated that the country’s participation in Malmö is uncertain and will be discussed after the conclusion of Söngvakeppnin 2024. The decision would be made by RÚV’s group and the winner of the national selection.

Söngvakeppnin 2024 was concluded last Saturday, with Hera Björk triumphing against all odds. Despite the backlash over the voting process that resulted in Bashar Murad, the hot favorite, losing, Iceland’s participation in Malmö remains uncertain.

Why does Iceland’s participation remain uncertain?

Considering the aforementioned situation in Iceland and according to RÚV announcement in January, the decision would be made following Söngvakeppnin 2024.

Hera Björk has repeatedly stated that she intends to return to the Eurovision stage as a solo artist before winning Söngvakeppnin in 2024.

I want to go out and I’m taking aunt Úlla with me.

However, no decision has still been made from RÚV’s side. According to Rúnari Frey Gíslason, the director of Söngvakeppnin:

The deadline for submitting data to the EBU is March 11. We are still looking into the matter.

It appears that Hera Björk’s team wants to go to Eurovision and we are awaiting whether a consensus will be achieved on RÚV’s group, which will take the final decision.

In case everything goes as planned, Iceland is allocated to perform at the second half of the first semi-final on May 7 with Hera Björk and “Scared of Heights“. It will be Hera Björk’s second time-as a representative-on the Eurovision stage, having previously represented Iceland in 2010.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news! 

Source: visir.is

Iceland: Bashar Murad calls for the annulation of Söngvakeppnin’s super-final!

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The drama surrounding Söngvakeppnin 2024 results continues strong. Following the reveal of Söngvakeppnin 2024 detailed results, Bashar Murad publicly disputes the outcome and calls for the annulation of the super-final.

Regarding the detailed results, he stated via his official X account:

The duel has got to go.

Iceland 2024: The detailed results of Söngvakeppnin

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Iceland public broadcaster RUV has published the detailed results of the Icelandic national final Söngvakeppnin.  Hera Björk won the national final against early predictions.  These results were put into question almost immediately by Bashar Murad’s fans.  There were evidence of alleged irregularities in the voting process.  Moreover, the co-author of “Wild West” demanded an independent investigation to clear these accusations.

Following this controversy, RUV has published a statement.  In their response, RUV admits that there were mistakes in the voting process in particular in the SMS voting.  However, according to them, the difference in the number of votes between the first and second place is so significant that the final result still stands as valid.

The mistake in conducting the SMS election consisted in the fact that in the duel between the two top songs, there was a typing error with the SMS numbers of both contestants, which were used when sending SMS from an app to the system of the telephone companies. This resulted in the fact that neither of the songs received the SMS votes they were intended for from the app.

The detailed results

Bashar Murad won the first round of Söngvakeppnin as you can see in the first results:

Number of votes in the previous round The verdict of the jury
Bashar Murad – Wild West 26,359 21,304
VÆB – Bíómynd 15,727 13,656
Hera Björk – Scared of Heigts 15,406 16,661
Sigga Ózk – Into The Atmosphere 14,595 16,114
ANITA – Downfall 10,124 14,476

However, Hera Björk took the lead in the final duel between the top 2, making her the overall winner of the Iceland final.  Here are the final results:

Call-in votes Number of SMS votes
Hera Björk – Scared of Heigts 68,768 1,109
Bashar Murad – Wild West 49,832 1,005

These are the final results obtained from adding the votes of the first round, from the public and the jury to the votes received in the final duel. Hera’s song won with 100,835 votes against 97,495.

Total number of votes
Hera Björk – Scared of Heigts 100,835
Bashar Murad – Wild West 97,495

Source: RUV

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Iceland: The co-author of “Wild West” demands independent investigation into Söngvakeppnin’s 2024 results!

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Söngvakeppnin 2024, the Icelandic national selection for Eurovision 2024, was concluded past Saturday with Hera Björk winning. Hera Björk’s win was against all odds and was not welcomed by many, as everyone expected Bashar Murad to take the trophy.

While, RÚV has announced that it will hold an investigation on Saturday’s voting results and the alleged glitch in the voting platform, the co-creator of the song “Wild West“, Einar Hrafn, which finished second, now demands an independent investigation on this issue.

Einar Hrafn’s demand

Einar Hrafn addressed a letter to RÚV’s general manager Stefán Eiríksson, TV director Skarphéðinn Guðmundsson, and Söngvakeppnin director Rúnar Frey Gíslason.

In the letter, he states that there should never be any doubt about whether the vote was legal and valid. He claims to have received several messages describing the difficulties they encountered while attempting to vote. According to Einar Hrafn, it is absurd for Iceland’s broadcaster, RÚV, to believe that it can conduct an internal investigation on its own. An independent (external) investigation is needed to ensure the trust and reputation of Söngvakeppnin.

Bashar Murad’s team requests two things:
  1. First, an independent investigation will be launched, conducted by independent individuals, to determine whether voting was properly conducted and whether there are any discrepancies between phone and app voting.
  2. They do, however, want telephone voting repeated, free of charge to the public, with only one vote allowed per person.

What is exactly in question?

According to Icelandic viewers, the voting process during the superfinal was problematic. Many Icelanders, in particular, complained on social media that their votes for Bashar Murad were counted for Hera Björk instead, based on the messages they received in response from RÚV.

RÚV responded to the accusations and announced that the matter is under investigation. However, they also stated that the alleged flaw in the voting could not affect the outcome of the evening because the difference between the two candidates was chaotic.

In fact and as mentioned by Söngvakeppnin’s director, Rúnar Freyr Gíslason:

But for the avoidance of doubt, we would like to state that the total number of SMS votes received by these two contestants was not so decisive that it would have influenced the results. In other words, even if all the sms votes that the winning song received would have gone to the song that landed in 2nd place, it would not have changed anything about the final result. Vodafone representatives, who were there throughout the competition and took care of the counting of SMS and call-in votes for RÚV, confirm this.

Einar Hrafn is now waiting to receive an answer from RÚV’s officials.

Iceland has yet to decide whether it will participate in Malmö. As revealed a couple months ago and due to Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision 2024, RÚV would decide along with Söngvakeppnin’s 2024 winner whether they will participate in Malmö. No such decision has been made-at least public-yet.

In case everything goes as planned, Iceland is allocated to perform at the second half of the first semi-final on May 7. It will be Hera Björk’s second time-as a representative-on the Eurovision stage, having previously represented Iceland in 2010.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: RÚV

Iceland: Söngvakeppnin’s 2024 results are in question!

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Last night, Söngvakeppnin 2024, the Icelandic national selection for Eurovision 2024, took place. Out of the five finalists, two qualified to Söngvakeppnin’s super-final, Hera Bjork and Bashar Murad, who was the hot favorite of the selection. Despite all odds, Hera Björk, was crowned winner of the selection with her entry “Scared of Heights“.

However, following the conclusion of the national final, there is a big backlash among Eurovision fans, also Icelandic, who question the results of the public’s voting. Bearing in mind that Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024 has emerged to a big issue to Iceland’s public sphere and the fact that Bashar Murad is Palestinian, the results yesterday were not welcomed by the fandom.

Why are Söngvakeppnin 2024 results in question?

According to Icelandic viewers, the voting process during the superfinal was problematic. Many Icelanders, in particular, complained on social media that their votes for Bashar Murad were counted for Hera Björk instead, based on the messages they received in response from RÚV.

RÚV’s reply

RÚV responded to the accusations and announced that the matter is under investigation. However, they also stated that the alleged flaw in the voting could not affect the outcome of the evening because the difference between the two candidates was chaotic.

According to the director of Söngvakeppnin, Rúnar Freyr Gíslason:

Comments like this come every year. Of course, we always investigate the matter. These comments refer to the SMS votes that can be sent through the app, RÚV Stjörnur. No comments have been made regarding the other voting platforms that were available. We are currently examining with the creators of the app whether a mistake may have occurred, and we expect results from that examination soon.

Moreover,

But for the avoidance of doubt, we would like to state that the total number of SMS votes received by these two contestants was not so decisive that it would have influenced the results. In other words, even if all the sms votes that the winning song received would have gone to the song that landed in 2nd place, it would not have changed anything about the final result. Vodafone representatives, who were there throughout the competition and took care of the counting of SMS and call-in votes for RÚV, confirm this,

Finally, he assured that the full results for all Söngvakeppnin shows will be made public as soon as possible, as it is always done.

Iceland has yet to decide whether it will participate in Malmö. As revealed a couple months ago and due to Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision 2024, RÚV would decide along with Söngvakeppnin’s 2024 winner whether they will participate in Malmö. No such decision has been made-at least public-yet.

In case everything goes as planned, Iceland is allocated to perform at the second half of the first semi-final on May 7. It will be Hera Björk’s second time-as a representative-on the Eurovision stage, having previously represented Iceland in 2010.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: visir.is

Iceland: With Hera Björk and Scared of Heights in Malmö!

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Τhe grand final of Söngvakeppnin 2024, the national process through which the representative of the island of ice and fire in the Eurovision Song Contest is sworn took place tonight. This year, however, the country’s participation is not considered certain, as the issue of the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine and the participation of the former in the competition is a point of friction in the public sphere of Iceland. The grand final of Söngvakeppnin 2024 took place in Laugardalshöll, Reykjavík.

As in the previous two semi-finals, the grand final was presented by Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir, Sigurður Þorri Gunnarsson and Unnsteinn Manuel Stefánsson.

The show started with a tribute to Selma and Iceland’s 1999 entry that finished in 2nd place. Selma herself opened the final night with a live performance of Out of Luck!

The contestants

Five artists participated in the grand final where they performed their entries in English apart from the Væb who chose to keep their song in Icelandic. At this point we remind you that the rules allow the artists to choose the language of their preference.

The artists of the first round of the final performed as per below:

With the end of the competitive part of the first round, the telephone lines were opened for the voting of the televoters.

First Round results

In the first round the two artists who advanced to the second round resulted from the combination of the votes of the television audience and the jury.

The two artists who made it to the second round were:

  1. Hera Björk – “Scared of Heights”
  2. Bashar Murad – “Wild West“

Second Round results

In the second round of the final the two aforementioned artists performed their entries again where the result was decided only by the vote of the television audience.

Before the announcement of the results, last year’s representative of Iceland, Diljá, took the stage.

After the end of the voting, the winner was Hera Björk with Scared of Heights!

Hera Björk with Scared of Heights and Iceland, in case RÚV does not decline the participation in the Contest, is scheduled to take part in the second half of the first semi-final of 7th of May claiming one of the ten tickets for the grand final of Saturday 11th of May.

This is going to be the second time Hera Björk represents Iceland after 2010 when she finished 19th in the final.

What do you think of the results of the Icelandic final? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Iceland: Söngvakeppnin 2024 Final Tonight!

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Tonight marks the conclusion of the journey to select Iceland’s representative for the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with the final of Söngvakeppnin 2024.

Format

Comprising of two semi-finals and the grand final on March 2nd, these three shows will determine the artist who will compete for Iceland’s colors in Malmö.

Five artists competed in each of the two semi-finals, with the top two in votes from Icelandic viewers advancing to the grand final. Icelandic public television was entitled to give a wildcard to one more artist to participate in the final, which they did.

In the grand final, the result will be determined after two rounds of voting. In the first round, the Icelandic public and an international jury will jointly decide, with the top two in the ranking advancing to the second round. There, only the Icelandic public will have the right to vote, and their votes will be combined with those of the first round to determine Iceland’s representative in Eurovision 2024.

Final

The five artists competing in tonight’s final of Söngvakeppnin 2024 are:

  1. VÆB – “Bíómynd“
  2. Hera Björk – “Scared of Heights”
  3. ANITA – “Downfall“
  4. Bashar Murad – “Wild West“
  5. Sigga Ózk – “Into The Atmosphere”

The hosts for tonight are Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir, Sigurður Þorri Gunnarsson, and Unnsteinn Manuel Stefánsson.

The final of Söngvakeppnin 2024 begins at 20:45 CET and can be watched through the official website of the Icelandic public broadcaster by clicking HERE.

Diljá represented Iceland in last year’s contest with the song “Power,” finishing 11th in the second semi-final with 44 points, failing to secure a spot in the final.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the developments regarding Iceland’s journey in the contest!

Betting Odds: Croatia Takes the Lead surpassing Ukraine!

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With less than two weeks left until the official release of all entries for the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, we are entering the most crucial period of the pre-Eurovision season, with national finals and entry reveals multiplying day by day.

For this reason, one of Eurovisionfun’s most beloved and discussed columns returns, with the betting analyses for the Eurovision 2024 once again here.

While you prepare for the crucial weeks ahead with most entries being revealed for May, bookmakers have already begun their work, with the Eurovision 2024 winner section already being offered by some companies. Seizing the opportunity, we present to you the latest developments for the upcoming contest.

Upset at the Top

After a long time, the top spot in the betting odds for Eurovision 2024 has a new holder, with Croatia surpassing Ukraine just a few minutes ago. The sweeping victory of Baby Lasagna at Dora brought Croatia to the top of the betting odds for the first time in its history. The victory of Croatia is currently bet on at odds between 4 and 5, which have been steadily decreasing in recent days.

Thus, in the second place is now Ukraine. Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil may have fallen from the top, however, their distance from the leading Croatia remains small, although the momentum currently favors Croatia. Ukraine’s odds are on the rise, with a potential victory more than quadrupling the bet.

In the third position, Iceland has risen again after the appearance of Bashar Murad in the Icelandic national final. “Wild West” seems to have impressed in recent days, with bookmakers significantly reducing Iceland’s odds, ranging from 7 to 9.

Reflecting the rise of Croatia to the top and Iceland to third, was the fall of Italy to the fourth position. However, this development does not mean an increase in the odds for Angelina Mango with “La Noia“. Italy is bet on at odds from 7 to 10, at the same levels as our previous analysis when it was in second place.

Completing the top five is the United Kingdom, which, however, has a considerable gap compared to the leading countries. With the release of “Dizzy” in the next few hours, it remains to be seen how bookmakers will be influenced by the finalized form of the British entry for Malmo. Currently, the UK’s victory returns up to 15 times the bet.

Top 10

In the sixth position and for the first time outside the Top 5 during this year’s Eurovision season, Sweden has fallen. The relatively low level of this year’s Melodifestivalen has raised the odds for the host country. A Swedish victory on home soil is offered at odds between 13 and 17, marking a slight increase compared to our last analysis.

In the seventh position is Belgium. The release of “Before the Party’s Over” by Mustii a few days ago seems to have thrilled betting companies, which now have the country outside the Top 5 a few days after its release. Belgium’s victory is bet on at odds between 13 and 17, at levels similar to Sweden.

In the eighth position, one finds France, which presents upward trends in recent days, especially after Slimane’s appearance in the Croatian national final a week ago. France’s odds return up to 21 times the bet with “Mon Amour.”

Ninth is now “Luktelk” by Silvester Belt from Lithuania, which may have dropped one position compared to our last analysis but remains within the top ten. Lithuania’s maiden victory is played at similar odds to those of France.

Finally, Switzerland completes the top ten, just hours after the release of “The Code” by Nemo. Upward trends for the country in Central Europe, as seen in the betting odds, with Switzerland possibly to climb even higher in the coming days. Switzerland’s victory is bet on at odds between 17 and 26.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBsgTJQFl9k

Do you think Baby Lasagna will give Croatia its maiden victory as an independent country in the Eurovision Song Contest? Let us know in the comments!