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Greece: ERT started the submission of entries for Eurovision 2023 | The official announcement!

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Fully confirming Eurovisionfun’s report once again, that during August the machines of ERT were heating up and in the headquarters of the Greek state radio and television they were feverishly preparing for Eurovision 2023, a little while ago the announcement for the selection of the Greek participation was made.

For another year, as we had already informed you, the representative of Greece, as well as the song that will represent the Mediterranean country in May in the contest, will be selected through an internal process, through the submission of proposals.

Deadline and conditions for submitting entries

Until October 9th, those interested in representing Greece at the 67th Eurovision Song Contest should submit their entries to ERT.

A change compared to last year’s process is what we from Eurovisionfun had mentioned, that is, the songs that are submitted should not have been submitted in any other country, while they are still in the process. ERT’s announcement specifically stated:

In the context of ERT’s participation in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in May 2023 in the United Kingdom, the Hellenic Radio Television invites companies active in the production or distribution of recordings to submit proposals for our country’s participation, with a final deadline of Sunday, October 9, 2022.

Each proposal must be complete: i.e. include a performer or group with a maximum of six members, according to the regulations, and also one to three songs, which have not been released or performed to date either in Greece or abroad as in any way, in whole or in part. In the choice of participation, any artistic group supporting the performer and ideas (concept) for the promotion and presentation of the song will also be taken into account.

The proposals submitted in the context of the above call are addressed exclusively to ERT.

Until the completion of their evaluation, they may not have submitted simultaneously to a corresponding procedure of another participating broadcaster in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Submission of proposals to eurovision@ert.gr.

Possible candidates

Without of course they are the only ones who will send their proposals, already through Eurovisionfun you have been informed about several artists who have their proposals ready (or almost ready).

These are Vassilis Kourtis, Melissa Mantzoukis, Evangelia, Leon of Athens, Joanne and others, who in the coming days will submit their candidate songs to ERT.

Over time we will have the opportunity to reveal to you more details about their proposals, as well as the proposals of other artists who will also be submitted to ERT.

ERT’s hopes for another Top-10 placement

Much earlier than ERT has ever started its search, this year it starts the procedures for choosing Greece’s participation in Eurovision. Guided by its professionalism, but also a very hard-working team, with more experience and efficiency, ERT will travel to the United Kingdom to repeat what it knows well and to achieve why not something better than this year’s eighth place.

Having been fully confirmed for the last two years, we dare to take risks early again this year. In 2023, Greece will remain high!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun if you want to be fully informed about everything that is happening around the Greek participation in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest! The home of Eurovision in Greece is here!

 

 

Greece: ERT is ready for Eurovision 2023!

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It’s ERT’s time and Eurovisionfun is in the thick of it all! Learn everything about ERT’s plans for Eurovision 2023, and more… What is this year’s selection procedure? When shall we expect an official announcement? Who have expressed an interest in participating?

As August approaches, the Greek National Broadcaster is ready for the Eurovision 2023 project. Shortly before the summer holidays, the ERT’s executives, involved in the past years’ selection procedure and preparation, have finalised their planning, with the selection procedure scheduled to commence, as last year, at the beginning of September.

The team leaders

Eurovision project’s supervisor, for the third consecutive year, will be none other than Dora Chiraki, while Sofia Dranidou will also return to her position for the third consecutive year as Greece’s head of delegation. You don’t change a winning team, especially when this team has now the necessary expertise and knowledge to go one step further. Indeed, this stability, after several years, in people surcharged with the Eurovision project, is a goal that all participating broadcasters seeking good results in the Contest aim to achieve. 

The procedure for selecting country’s representative

Although we do not know the exact procedure for the selection of Greece’s participation in Eurovision 2023, ERT is expected to remain faithful to the formula it has been following in recent years. That is, to give the opportunity to record labels and production companies to submit their proposals, and to come up, through an internal selection by a committee designated by ERT for this purpose, to the proposal that will bring the best results for Greece in May.

Moreover, it is now widely accepted that ERT’s committee has correctly chosen the songs and artists for the last three years, thus marking a triumphant return of Greece to the elite of Eurovision countries. People in the field, albeit at first being skeptical about the committee’s objectivity and judgement, now agree that the selection method carried out by ERT gives everyone the opportunity to take part in the procedure, keeping away unnecessary drama and negative publicity. At the same time, it has also managed to arouse the interest of artists, who in previous years would not have participated in Eurovision.

ERT expects to capitalise on all of the above to an even greater degree this year, since more and more artists are coming forward and expressing their interest in participating in ERT’s internal selection, estimating a way bigger turnout than the 43 proposals submitted last year. 

The dates

Moving to the practical aspect of the matter, it is expected that the official announcement for the submission of proposals will be issued just after the presentation of the ERT’s program, which will take place on September the 6th. Of course, it remains to be seen if ERT will insist on the internal selection or if it will try to engage the public in some way, although as we noted above, the former is more likely.

The goal for Eurovision 2023 is clear; a place, for the third year in a row, in the top-ten. A goal which is not as easy as it seems. Besides, at the moment only three countries managed to have two consecutive places in the top-10, one of them being Greece. Of course, after this year’s eighth place, the bar is particularly high, but the Greek team is optimistic that it will do credit to all Greek fans.

The artists who have expressed interest so far

The artists who, in one way or another, have expressed their interest to represent Greece in the next ESC (which will take place in the United Kingdom) are the following :

  • Vasilis Kourtis
  • Melissa Mantzouki
  • Antonia Kaouri
  • Leon of Athens
  • Katerina Stikoudi
  • Kalomira
  • Klavdia
  • Aggelos Archaniotakis
  • Tania Breazou
  • Evangelia
  • Joanne et al.

Eurovisionfun will be again this year on the forefront, supporting the Greek entry, ERT and our team with all our strength and vigour, because as we have previously said, they are making a worthwhile effort!

Stay tuned here, at the home of Eurovision in Greece, for all the news and updates about the Greek entry in Eurovision 2023!

 

Evangelia: “I’m sending in a song for Eurovision 2023”!

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As we have already revealed, the Greek artists’ interest in participating in Eurovision 2023 is particularly strong! And while the first rumours have already begun to spread, we already have the first official confirmation from none other than Evangelia, a promising young artist who came into vogue the last couple of years!

Evangelia, whose music fuses Greek folk sounds, with (mostly American) pop elements, has already pulled of hits, such as “Páme Páme”, “Fotiá”, and “Ónira”. Also, the new video clip for her song, “Paradise”, was recently released.

The singer, who grew up in New Jersey, USA, and is originally from Crete, said in an Instagram live on her personal account, talking to Adem Kavaz (a Turkish Cypriot Eurovision fan) that she “wants to represent Greece or Cyprus in ESC” and “she will submit a song for Eurovision 2023”.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Adem Kavaz (@all_about_eurovision_sc)

The Instagram video is not available, but it will be published soon on Adem Kavaz’s blog and youtube channel .

It is not the first time that Evangelia will seek to take part in ESC, since last year she reportedly submitted three songs, (one of which was “Ónira”), to represent Greece, which, however, did not go through the second stage of evaluation by the selection committee. Evangelia also sought to represent Cyprus in the 2022 ESC.

Would you like to see Evangelia at Eurovision 2023? Stay tuned for any updates!

Exclusive: More artists interested to represent Greece in 2023!

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Even though it is not announced yet, the Greek public broadcaster ERT will most likely follow an internal selection for Eurovision 2023, which comes as no surprise after 2 consecutive top 10 results. There are many artists that are already thinking to submit a song to ERT for Eurovision 2023 and we have information on more artists that are interested to submit song(s). Lets take a look at them, while it needs to be emphasized that they all have the intention to apply but decisions will be taken later in the summer.

Anastasia 

Newcomer in the Greek music scene Anastasia, became known through a viral TikTok video she posted of her song “Amarties” which was released 5 months ago and has more than 22 million views on YouTube. Anastasia and MINOS-EMI, the record company she is signed to, are more than positive to send a song for Eurovision 2023 so it’s possible that she will apply to represent Greece next year.

Good Job Nicky

An artist that came very close to represent Greece last year was Good Job Nicky, who was among the 5 shortlisted submissions that ERT considered. He recently stated that he is open to submit a song again, while his record company COBALT is also in favor of another attempt. It is not clear yet if he will submit an entry for 2023 or for 2024, since he is advised by many to take a break before submitting a song again. Below you can listen to the song he submitted to ERT for 2022.

Anxhela Peristeri

The Eurovision 2021 representative of Albania Anxhela Peristeri, recently said in an interview that she would like to go to Eurovision again, but this time with Greece. She lived many years in Greece, while she collaborated with many famous Greek artists including Eleni Foureira. If she has the right song, it is very likely that she will submit it to ERT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9KXznajJvY

Kalomira

This comes as no surprise since Kalomira’s comeback to the contest is rumored the last years. She was preparing songs to submit for Eurovision 2022 with a team of international songwriters, but she did not submit them to ERT.  In an interview she recently gave, she expressed her wish to return to the contest, while she is thinking to submit songs for 2023.

Along with the names that we reveal are considering submitting songs to ERT, artists from our suggestions for Greece 2023 are also considering sending songs for next year’s contest. Vassilis Kourtis, Melisa Mantzoukis, Antonia Kaouri, Leon of Athens and possibly Tania Breazou are likely to be a part of the internal selection for the next representative of Greece in Eurovision.

ERT is expecting more than last year’s 43 submissions, due to another top 10 result and the increasing popularity of the contest, especially online.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest news!

 

Greece: Will not return to Junior Eurovision in 2022 | EXCLUSIVE

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Greece does not return to this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in Yerevan, Armenia, on December 11, 2022.

ERT continues its abstention from the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, with its last participation in the distant 2008. The most probable most likely of the national elections in the fall and the change of the mid-summer CEO are the two main factors that led ERT in this decision. In 2023 ERT will reconsider its decision.

So far, ten countries have confirmed their participation in the upcoming Eurovision children’s song contest, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary:

  • Armenia
  • Northern Macedonia
  • Bulgaria
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Ireland
  • Spain
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Portugal

Greece at Junior Eurovision

Greece participated in the maiden contest of Junior Eurovision 2003. Five more entries followed until 2008. For the first three years, ERT did well, always managing to be in the top ten of the final standings. From 2006 onwards, however, the follow-up was not proportionate. In fact, in 2007 our country took the last place, something that has never happened in any other EBU competition. All Greek participations emerged through an open selection and a national final. Our best participation was Now Is Our Series, with Alexandros Chountas and Kalli Georgelli, who in 2005 took sixth place!

Stay tuned in Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

The plans of Greece and Cyprus for Eurovision 2023!

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Even though the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022 was less than a month ago, the Greek and the Cypriot public broadcasters, ERT and RIK, are already thinking ahead for their next representatives, while some decisions have already been made. Let’s see in detail what we know so far.

Cyprus: All Together for…Eurovision!

A few days ago, we wrote about the rumors that the planned for the fall of 2022 show All Together Now of Greek broadcaster Alpha TV, will be used to find the representative of Cyprus for Eurovision 2023. Today, the biggest newspaper of Cyprus, Fileleftheros, published an article on this as well as OGAE Greece, which usually has inside information from the Cypriot public broadcaster. These articles can be seen as a confirmation that Cyprus will choose its representative through All Together Now, produced by BarkingWell Media and in cooperation with Panik Records. It seems that Nikos Koklonis will be the host of the show which is set to premiere in mid-October and be aired every Saturday night on both Alpha TV and RIK, while among the panel of 100 there will be singers, vocal coaches and eurofans. The song will be chosen at a later stage.

Greece: ERT aims for another top10 result

During September there will be official announcements from ERT on the selection process for 2023. After placing 8th in the Grand final and 6th from the juries, which is the best ranking for a Greek entry by the juries since 1992, ERT aims to be for the third time in a row in the top 10, something that is proven to be difficult the recent years since only Greece, Ukraine and Italy have managed to be in the top10 two consecutive times.

ERT will most probably follow the same procedure as the last two years, launching an open invitation for artists to submit a proposal for Eurovision 2023, (including the song, a record label, production team etc.) while a jury of music professionals will decide who will represent Greece next year.

Decisions on the details for the selection process for Eurovision 2023 will be taken after the announcement of the new CEO of ERT, which is not expected before the end of the summer.

Stay tuned on eurovisionfun.com and on our social media platforms, where we post our proposals for the next representative of Greece. Maybe among them, the successor of Amanda Georgiadis Tenfjord has already -or will- be mentioned!

 

Who do you think should represent Greece and Cyprus next year? Tell us in the comments!

EXCLUSIVE: The Greek delegation is ready for Turin | All the latest information!

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The Greek delegation for Eurovision 2022 is all set. All pending issues have been resolved and now the team is ready to present what they have been preparing for months on the stage of Pala Olimpico.

Fokas Evagelinos and Celia Kritharioti full of surprises

According to our exclusive information, the rehearsals with Fokas Evagelinos have been completed. The experienced director has prepared for this year’s competition something completely different from his previous works, something he is really proud of. Fokas Evagelinos has built the three-minute stage version of Die Together second by second. Amanda, as we were informed, cooperated very well and responded perfectly to the role that Fokas Evagelinos created for her.

The leds that we will see in the Greek performance, were completed the previous days by a foreign company and impressed the Greek artistic team, since they 100% “match” with the song, but also with the idea of the stage presentation.

What Fokas Evagelinos has prepared this year for the stage of the competition, does not aim to impress the viewer at any point during the three minutes of the performance, but to keep everyone’s eyes fixed on the whole duration of the performance of Die Together. To make sure the viewer is left with a feeling of being impressed by the whole thing and not by an estanée.

What we can also reveal you is that what Amanda will be called upon to accomplish, especially in the first part of the song, is something that is not easy at all. But Fokas Evagelinos, having proven that he can bring out the strong side of any artist (experienced or inexperienced), has built with Amanda a special performance that will move and impress the viewers. Amanda herself will play a central role in the presentation, but so will also the leds, camera-work and various surprises on stage.

The outfit chosen by Fokas Evagelinos together with Celia Khritharioti, is a shade of white, but with a fabric that makes it special and is used for the first time in the competition. It is Amanda’s style, of course, but it is also perfectly suited for Eurovision and the idea of the Greek stage presentation.

Optimism for the final result from ERT and the Dream Team

The production team and ERT are completely satisfied with the whole preparation. They are confident both for Amanda’s vocal prowess (this was also proven in the live on tape), but also for what Fokas has prepared for the stage of the competition. For the first time since 2009, Greece arrives at the rehearsals being 7th in the odds, which makes all those involved in the participation happy, believing that they will be in the top 10 of the scoreboard for the second consecutive year. The goal of course always remains the best possible outcome – and as they say, “the higher the better”!

Having avoided all the promo parties, the Greek delegation hopes to impress on the stage of the competition and steal the show. It is also known that the Dream Team keeps its cards close to its chest until the end. This is exactly the same tactics they are following this year.

With a different approach from Fokas Evagelinos, but also with Amanda as we have probably never seen before, the Greek delegation is now packing its bags for Turin, and the first rehearsal on Sunday 1 May!

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Greek participation in Eurovision 2022!

Greece: Amanda will meet former eurostars, in ERT’s tv series show!

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Greek power, one could call the photo taken by Stefania and Amanda, during the shooting for the special show of ERT with eurostars, which will be broadcast very soon. The shooting was completed with Greece’s last representative, Stefania!

 

In this show, Amanda will meet former eurostars, who will advise her, will share experiences from their own participation, while of course they will wish good luck to the Greek representative this year.

The eurostars we will see are the following:

  • Elena Paparizou (Greece 2001 and 2005)
  • Sakis Rouvas (Greece 2004 and 2009, presenter of Eurovision 2006)
  • Kalomira (Greece 2008)
  • Demy (Greece 2017)
  • Elpida (Greece 1979)
  • Evridiki (Cyprus 1992, 1994 and 2007)
  • Tamta (Cyprus 2019)
  • Stefania (Greece 2021)

The shooting of the shows has been completed and very soon ERT will start broadcasting these shows. Amanda will return to Greece immediately after the Orthodox Easter, to complete her rehearsals with Fokas Evangelinos. The Greek delegation will leave for Turin on Saturday, April 29.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel, as exclusive and interesting material is coming…

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the updates regarding the Greek entry in Eurovision 2022!

Don’t forget to vote for the Grand Final of our poll here!

Greece: Will we see Good Job Nicky at Eurovision 2023?

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It was for many the favorite to represent Greece in this year’s Eurovision song contest. Good Job Nicky, although he failed to get the coveted ticket to Turin with the song Heaven Is Sin, and while earlier in his statements he was negative in a new attempt to be on the Eurovision stage, he seems to be thinking about it…

Shortly after ERT announced that Amanda Georgiadi would represent Greece at Eurovision 2022, Good Job Nicky in an interview with Eleni Menegaki had stated that he would probably not be interested in a new participation.

However, in a conversation he had with Eurovisionfun and after our encouragement to try in the future, Good Job Nicky, although laconic, now seems to leave several chances in another attempt:

Eurovisionfun: We hope you try it again because you deserve the Eurovision opportunity too!

Good Job Nicky: I guess we’ll see…

Eurovisionfun: We want it!

Good Job Nicky: I appreciate it unimaginably, really!

Good Job Nicky expressed his warmest comments for our representative Amanda Georgiadi, saying that the opportunity now belongs to her, while he also supports her!

I’m rooting for Amanda! Above all, it is important for our country to do well. Let’s tear up!

Amanda responded to Good Job Nicky’s statements with a tweet, while she told us that he is an amazing artist:

Listen to Heaven Is Sin, which was the proposal of Good Job Nicky and Cobalt Music for Eurovision 2022:

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates related to Eurovision 2022!

Do not forget to vote in our poll! For the First Semifinal you vote HERE and for the Second Semifinal you vote HERE.

Greece: Amanda to sing “Die Together” in Turin!

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Today, hours before the official launch of the Greek entry, ERT, the Greek National Boradcaster, revealed the title of the song for Eurovision 2022.

Die Together, will be sung by Amanda Georgiadis Tenfjord, next May in Turin. It’s about a ballad, written by the singer herself, after a past separation that she had.

In a few hours, through the show Studio 4, the video clip of the Greek participation will be broadcastedd  for the first time, which  was directed by Costas Karydas, in the picturesque island of Symi. Eurovisionfun comes to answer all the crucial questions, concerning the Greek participation

  • As aforemementioned, the video clip will be broadcasted first in Studio 4, today Thursday. The show transmits from 16.00 until 18.00 (Local Time, GMT+2).
  • Immediately after its release in Studio 4, the video clip will be available exclusively on ERTflix.
  • Shortly afterwards and more specifically at 19.00, the song will be available on all music platforms, while the video clip will be available on Amanda’s YouTube channel.
  • We remind you that the song with which Amanda Georgiadi (Tenfjord) will represent us in the competition, is written in collaboration with Bjorn Helge, while Dimitris Kontopoulos had a decisive role in its production . The director of the participation is Fokas Evangelinos and the project manager of is Elias Kokotos. Head of delegation of  is going to be Sofia Dranidou, as in Rotterdam last year, and Dora Chiraki, director of corporate communication of ERT, is responsible for all the crucial decisions, being in charge of the general supervision by the Greek public television.

We remind you that Greece is taking part in the 1st Semi-Final, on May 10!

Stay tuned in Eurovisionfun for all the updates and exclusives news, regarding the Greek participations.

Source/Photos: ERT/KOSTAS KARYDAS