Eurovision moved from big to even bigger in 2008 with the introduction of two semi-finals. The extra shows have meant extra heartache, particularly for the acts that come close—but not close enough—to making the final. Given a slightly different mix of songs or a slightly different running order, these 11th-place finishers just might have been able to reprise their song the following Saturday.
Now we want to know which near qualifiers you think should have made it to the grand final. Below we’ve gathered the 11th-place finishers for each semi-final since 2008. For 2009 we’ve also listed the song that came 10th. As you’ll remember only the top 9 songs qualified for the final that year. The 10th spot went to an act chosen by the jury. The same thing happened in 2008 when the jury chose Sweden’s Charlotte Perrelli over FYR Macedonia’s Tamara Todevska, Vrcak & Adrian.
Review the songs and then vote in our poll. You can vote for as many contestants as you’d like, but you can only vote ONE time. Be sure to click next to each act that you want to support before pressing submit. Then share your thoughts in our comments box! This poll will close on September 1.
The Near Qualifiers
Slovenia 2008: Rebeka Dremelj with “Vrag naj vzame”
Bulgaria 2008: Deep Zone and Balthazar with “DJ, Take Me Away”
Macedonia 2008: Tamara Todevska, Vr?ak & Adrian
Macedonia 2009: Next Time with “Something That Will Remain”
Montenegro 2009: Andrea Demirovic with “Just Get Out of My Life”
Serbia 2009: Marko Kon and Milaan with “Cipela”
Ireland 2009: Sinead Mulvey and Black Daisy with “Et Cetera”
Finland 2010: Kuunkuiskaajat with “Työlki ellää”
Sweden 2010: Anna Bergendahl with “This Is My Life”
Malta 2011: Glen Vella with “One Life”
Belgium 2011: Witloof Bay with “With Love Baby”
Switzerland 2012: Sinplus with “Unbreakable”
Bulgaria 2012: Sofi Marinova with “Love Unlimited”
Serbia 2013: Moje 3 with “Ljubav je svuda”
San Marino 2013: Valentina Monetta with “Crisalide (Vola)”
the poll
[polldaddy poll=”7312547″]What are the symptoms of your Eurovision fever? Let us know in the comments box below!
You can keep up-to-date on the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.
Photo: Eurovision.tv (EBU)
I would have loved to see San Marino 2013 (“Crisalide (Vola)”) and Slovenia 2008 (“Vrag naj vzame”) in the finals and, to be honest, got a bit upset when they didn’t qualify. How could they not qualify? :O 😉
and still there is Andorra in 2008, Switzerland in 2008, and of course at the 2008 San Marino also
Montenegro 2009, Finland 2010 (stupid jury), Malta 2011 (awful song but wonderful live performance), Belgium 2011, Bulgaria 2012, San Marino 2013, Serbia 2013. I’d love to have voted for Bulgaria 2008 but the vocalist was lackluster live!
San Marino 2013 and Bulgaria 2012. I fell in love with these songs and try both deserved spots in the finals.
for me, Bulgaria 2012 tops the list!!!! I LOVE IT SOOOO MUUUUUUCH!!!!
San Marino 2013,Montenegro 2009,Bulgaria 2012,
Bulgaria 2012: Sofi Marinova with “Love Unlimited”
Serbia 2013: Moje 3 with “Ljubav je svuda”
these countries still are my favourite
Serbia and San Marino 2013, Switzerland 2012, Malta 2011(not only because of the song but I love Malta and my country was the host and they should have passed)
San Marino 2013, Serbia 2013, Bulgaria 2012, Switzerland 2012, and Finland 2010 all deserved it in my opinion
I think Witloof Bay, Anna Bergendahl, and Valentina Monetta were really deserved to be in the final.
Of course Bulgaria 2012.
San Marino 2013, Serbia 2013, Malta 2011, Switzerland 2012
Glen Valla, Sinead Mulvey, my beloved DeepZone and Balthazar and of course Valentina so deserved qualification!
Macedonia 2008, Bulgaria 2008, 2012 (and 2013, not on the list but still), Finland 2010 and San Marino are the most prominent.
And i think you should add Emmy, she got the same amount of points as Glen Vella.
Finland, Switzerland and San Marino…
I’m usually an ” each to their own” guy when it comes to Eurovision tastes. However, the fact that the ear bleedingly awful “love unlimited” is currently second in this poll makes me sad! This wasn’t music. It was just shockingly awful sound!
You should add Macedonia 2008 to the list–they were actually closer to qualifying than Bulgaria (in 10th place) but the jury picked Sweden for the final instead.