Despite the claim that Australia’s inclusion into this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, where the Oceania country finished in fifth place in Vienna, an Aussie crooner will be back in Stockholm for the 2016 competition, TV channel SBS confirmed today.
With its influx of European immigrants, the song contest has long been an annual favourite in Australia, and the decision that the country would once again compete for the title was warmly received by fans in the Southern Hemisphere nation. On Twitter, speculation was running rife that pop star Delta Goodrem, Kylie Minogue, or even the children’s act The Wiggles might appear on the Stockholm stage in May next year.
Officials at the European Broadcasting Union, the body that oversees the organisation of the annual competition, has not yet decided to include Australia has a permanent competitor, but the country’s second inclusion signals that the show, which now includes many Eurasian countries, is set to expand to a global song contest.
"We strongly believe the Eurovision Song Contest has the potential to evolve organically into a truly global event,” said Jon Ola Sand, executive supervisor of the contest.
“Australia's continued participation is an exciting step in that direction.”
Despite Australia being located some 16,000km away from central Europe, the country was given a wild card to appear in the 2015 contest as part of the show’s 60th anniversary celebrations. Guy Sebastian, the first winner of Australian Idol and now a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor, was selected to represent the country with the song Tonight Again.
SBS Television, a public broadcaster which distributes the show down under, confirmed that an Australian act will be back for Stockholm, but that the country will have to make it through the semi-finals stages.
Swedish singer Måns Zelmerlöw secured the Scandinavian country its sixth win in Eurovision history with the song Heroes. Ireland remains the most successful Eurovision winner, with seven titles, though failed to qualify for the final in the 2015 contest.
