Eurovision Song Contest 2003
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The 48th Euro Vision Song Contest was held in the Latvian capital Riga on 24 May 2003. The evening in the discount arena was from last year's winner Marie N and Renars Kaupers, the lead singer of the Latvian group Brainstorm by Euro Vision Song Contest 2000, moderated. With radio stations from 26 participating countries presented the competition on a record. Netherlands, Poland, Ireland, Iceland and Norway were allowed to participate in the competition after their exposure in 2002. Macedonia, Finland, Switzerland, Lithuania and Denmark were left out due to the poor performance in the previous year. Portugal returned to competition after the willing suspension in 2002 back again. Ukraine took part for the first time. Albania wanted to participate for the first time, but was rejected by the EBU, because you only wanted to establish a new participant with Ukraine.
As favorites were before the contributions from Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Iceland and Russia, with the duo tATu successful international superstars sent to the competition.
Special
The Austrian participants Alf POIER, a Styrian comedian, made in the sample week in Riga stir. He held the fan base of the competition for humorless and too serious and tried to make them ridiculous. At the end, because the man got one sixth place, Germany's contribution Let's Get Happy ( Text: Bernd Meinunger, Music: Ralph Siegel, vocals: Lou ) but had to settle for 12th place, level on points with Ireland.
The Irish Post We've Got the World by Mickey Harte was suspected to be a plagiarism of Fly on the Wings of Love, the winning song of the Olsen Brothers 2000. Britain, one of the most successful countries received for his contribution Cry Baby Duo Jemini a single point. In the progressive reading of the countries ratings initially put Norway at the top. But subsequently, Turkey and not strung among the favorites Belgium changed several times at the top off, just pursued by Russia in the squares 2-3. Not until the very last vote from Slovenia was Turkey's contribution with two points ahead of Belgium and three ahead of Russia as a winner is determined.
Controversy surrounding the awarding points from Ireland
Immediately after the Euro Vision Song Contest 2003 took place in Russia to debates about the result. On May 29, the Russian state-owned television station channel Perwy lodged a formal complaint with the European Broadcasting Union. According to the TV companies would t.A.T.u. obtained from some countries "unlikely low score ," explicitly mentioned were Great Britain and Ireland, which had awarded both 0 points for the Russian duo. In fact, it turned out that the operation being in Ireland telephone voting, which was supposed to determine the scoring, was not considered, and instead, the scoring was done by a jury. The reason given was called that not enough time had stood for evaluating the telephone voting is available, and therefore the voting of the jury had already been used. Later it became known that t.A.T.u. would also receive 0 points taking into consideration the telephone votes from Ireland, Urban Trad from Belgium but at the same time instead of 10, only 2 points. t.A.T.u. would thus landed on the second place ahead of Urban Trad, the victory Sertab Ereners from Turkey, however, nothing has changed. Nevertheless, the decision of the Irish leaders was legal and the result thus not subject to appeal.
Placements
The winner and the countries were highlighted in green in the following year automatically qualify for the final.
Scoring
Most participating countries participate viewers via televoting in the scoring. For technical problems or in those countries where, due to the insufficient -developed telephone network no televoting could be carried out, a jury awarded the points: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ireland and Russia.
* The table is vertically ordered by the appearance order, horizontally to the chronological point Ever reading.
Marcel- Bezençon price
The Song Contest 2003 was the last time that the Fan Prize. The winners of the Marcel- Bezençon Prize were:
- Press Award for Best Song - Turkey Turkey - Everyway That I Can - Sertab Erener
- Artist Award for the best performers - Netherlands Netherlands - Esther Hart - One More Night
- Fan Award - Spain - Dime - Beth
Map
- Participating countries
- Countries that had already participated in a previous ESC, but not in 2003