Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest
This article deals with the history of Finland as participants in the Euro Vision Song Contest.
Regularity of participation
Finland took the first time in 1961 and from then on the program regularly. Only in 1970 renounced it as the other Scandinavian nations, Portugal and Austria angry about the scoring system to participate. 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003, the country was excluded from participation due to poor previous placements.
Success in competition
Finland is one of the less successful countries under the Euro Vision participants. The first and only victory was not until the 40th start when the group Lordi won in Athens with their song Hard Rock Hallelujah Song Contest 2006. No other country had until then have to wait so long for a victory.
Other positions within the top five do not exist. Second best result of Finland, making it the sixth place in Luxembourg reached the Marion Rung with Tom Tom Tom 1973.
On the other hand Finnish contributions landed nine times in the last place, of which three times (1963, 1965 and 1982 ) without a single point.
2004, 2005, 2010 and 2012, the country different from respectively in the semifinals. In the first two years, the performers were quite clearly failed in 2010 lacked the song Työlki ellää the group Kuunkuiskaajat only three points to qualify, 2012 was När jag blundar but all twelve points away from a secure finals. 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013 reached the Finnish contributions the final, busy there but only the places 22, 25, 21 and 24
Languages
In the years in which the language was released (ie, 1973-1976 and since 1999), used the country most often the opportunity to sing in English. Exceptions are Missæ miehet ratstastaa 2008, Työlki ellää of 2010 (both Finnish) and När jag blundar of 2012 ( in Swedish ). In the years without freedom of language, almost all contributions were presented in Finnish, only in 1990 their contribution sang Beat Fri? Swedish - Finland's second official language.
List of posts
Color legend: - Victories. - A tie to the last place. - Contributions finals.
National preliminary decisions
Up to and including 2011, the Finnish national final was held under the name Euroviisut (German: Euro Vision) instead. DC for the first participation in 1961, there was also a semi-final. After two years with the mode "A Song - two singers " they returned in 1964 back to the old system. 1968 there was a public vote for the first time - in this case by using postcards.
Basically eight participants took part in the Finnish final, which to this day is considered (as of 2014). In 1994, the televoting was introduced in the Finnish preliminary round - three years before the first telephone vote during the Euro Vision Song Contest. Since 2012, the specially developed show Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu acts ( Eng.: competition for new music) as a precedent. They embark on six performers in two semi-finals, of which the first-placed feeding directly to the final and the last is eliminated. In the week before the finale with eight participants still a Second Chance round takes place in six acts for the final qualifying and two more resign.
Miscellaneous
- 2006, when for the first time a Finnish Act won the ESC with Lordi, Finland was already started 38 times, making it the country that currently had to wait the longest for a victory. The hitherto best finish was a sixth place in 1973. The country that participates in the longest without a win, is currently Portugal.
- The Finnish interpreter of 2013, Krista Siegfrids, led at the end of her performance with one of her backing singers on the first homosexual kiss in the history of the ESC. Because of that kiss, among others, Turkey said its transmission from the finale.