Thousands of acts enter Eurovision national selection contests every year, but only one act per country can advance. There are plenty of gems amid the non-qualifying acts. And since 1987 OGAE International – the global Eurovision fan club — has organised a contest to find the best among them. Last year saw Italy take home the title with NEK‘s “Fatti avanti amore”, so this year we are bound for the Mediterranean to see the OGAE Second Chance Contest 2016.
These 23 songs were selected by their country’s respective OGAE club. Whilst most of the songs selected did finish as the runner-up in their national finals, this is not a prerequisite and some clubs have opted for another song from their contest.
All OGAE clubs have voted and submitted their points, which will be revealed at some point this summer. Before the official results are announced, we thought we would see who our readers want to win. Which of the following 23 entries should take home the title for the OGAE Second Chance Contest 2016? After listening to the songs, you can vote in our poll below. Please note that you can only vote once, but you can vote for as many songs as you like – so please choose wisely. Be sure to put a tick next to each act you want to support before pressing submit. Also note that we have done our best to find clips from the national finals, but some of them are geo-blocked so they’ve been replaced with audio, a lyric video or the official video.
OGAE SECOND CHANCE CONTEST 2016 – PARTICIPANTS
Albania: Besa Krasniqi – “Liroje zemrën”
Austria: Elly V – “I’ll Be Around (Bounce)”
Belarus: NAPOLI – “My Universe”
Belgium: Tom Frantzis – “I’m Not Lost”
Denmark: Anja Nissen – “Never Alone”
Estonia: Laura – “Supersonic”
Finland: Mikael Saari – “On It Goes”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cSsRnurikg
Germany: Avantasia – “Mystery of a Blood Red Rose”
Hungary: Kállay Saunders Band – “Who We Are”
Israel: Ella Daniel – “Somebody Out There”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5XBAtrU8oE
Italy: Patty Pravo – “Cieli Immensi”
Latvia: MyRadiantU – “We Will Be Stars”
Lithuania: Erica Jennings – “Leading Me Home”
Malta: Brooke – “Golden”
Norway: The Hungry Hearts ft. Lisa Dillan – “Laika”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_mQRdXcH78
Poland: Margaret – “Cool Me Down”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTCI-qS4q34
I’m thinking Anja Nissen for Australia in ESC 2017.
Here are my top 10:
9.48 Finland
9.48 Ukraine
9.46 United Kingdom
9.42 Switzerland
9.42 Hungary
9.40 Sweden
9.36 Lithuania
9.36 Germany
9.36 Belgium
9.34 Malta
1. Finland – Mikael Saari: On it Goes
2. Poland – Margaret: Cool Me Down
3. Sweden – Wiktoria: Save Me
4. Malta – Brooke: Golden
All would be deserving winners for their respective countries.
Why Sweden didn’t choose Oscar Zia?
They would’ve won.
Crno Bel and Helpless <333
Margaret’s song is the best, there’s basically no doubt about that. The other songs are no competition in my opinion.
I believe that the winner should be able to sing. Margaret didn’t even make a good show, she looked as if she had no idea what to do on stage.
In my opinion, Sweden or Hungary should win, but I also like a few other songs like the ones from Belgium, Israel or Finland.
1. Spain
2. Norway
3. Albania
4. Ukraine
5. Hungary
I’d have loved Ella Endlich for Germany 😀
I was expecting Saara Aalto for Finland, my favorite is The Hardkiss!
I don’t like them more than Jamala, but def they’re my favs among the OGAE second chance contestants.
My top 3:
1. Ukraine
2. Hungary
3. Germany
Also I voted for Latvia, Estonia, Albania, Romania, United Kingdom, Sweden and Malta.
@Imk
Definitely. Simone would have been a great choice too.
@Thales
“Sing It Away”*.
Gosh, If they’ve sent this Denmark song instead of that Soldiers of Love, they’d have definitely been a qualifier and even done well in the final.
Margaret can’t sing.
I voted for Finland, Germany, Ukraine, Norway and Sweden.
Except for Sweden (even Save Me being a great song), they all should represent their countries. Specially Finland. How could they send that Sing Me Away instead Mikael’s masterpiece? C’mon…
1. Sweden
2. Poland (great song, but no show)
3. Norway (guilty pleasure)
4. UK
5. Germany
I think Poland would’ve slayed with a massive stage performace in Stockholm. If Color of your life came 3rd in televoting, Margaret would’ve easily came 2nd.
Maria isabel and performance with the awful audio of our dear TVE channel is not fair for her 🙁
Vincent Gross should have represented Switzerland!
Half a smile ^^
There are some great songs here, it has been a good eurovision season! In my opinion, the OGAEs could have made better choices: Oscar for Sweden, Laila, for Norway, Aslajdon Zaimaj (“Merrme qe sot”) for Albania or Saara Aalto for Finland. I like almost all the songs here, more or less, but since I don’t want to for too many countries I’ve voted for Belgium, Hungary, Israel, Romania, Slovenia and Ukraine. A special mention also to Switzerland, Albania, Latvia and Estonia. Anyway I think the contest is going to be won by either Poland or Norway. More probably Poland, the… Read more »
@oooops
I couldn’t agree more!
I voted for the Hungry Hearts and Patty Pravo.
Am I the only one who thinks “Who we are” is more like a soundtrack in a kids movie than an Eurovision song?
I would have preferred Ace or Oscar for Sweden.
Just for my taste with edm influence picked: austrian Elly V – “I’ll Be Around (Bounce)”, slovenian Raiven – “Crno bel” (liked more music than singing) and hungarian Kállay Saunders Band – “Who We Are” (which is still quite elusive for me). Szpak still way better than Margaret. Would love to pick a lot from Eesti Laul (it has won my heart for a few weeks) but never a ‘Supersonic’. Also it’s really good song from Hardkiss but I’d love to see something less dramatic from them, Jamala slayed way better. Nice outfits in Avantasia videos though 🙂
@OR
OK 🙂
@Glorious
I have no idea
i didn’t check because she is not interesting for my opinion 🙂
@OR
Margaret’s live performances of “Cool Me Down” have no sound here in Greece, this is the only video that has. Does the same happen in Israel?
@OR
Her voice needs improvement but in my opinion, her song is awesome! So catchy!
@Robyn Gallagher
Sorry i’m not remember because i’m not following Poland national selection..
I also not know that singer, this is the first time that i hear about her…..
@Glorious
Its your opinion… i dont like her voice, and she is nothing special………………
@Robyn Gallagher
I guess so 🙂 but i Personally think that Ella is much more special artist , in fact “Somebody Out There”.. Was my first choice for representing Israel at the Eurovision…
Yes i agree with u…. polish fans in control here 🙂
They have a enormous army ….
Thanks for your answer and keep writing great article’s:)
@OR
What Robyn told you is true, I am not Polish and I voted for her.
My favorites are Anja ,Wiktoria and Margaret <3 <3 😀
WOWW i guess the majority of wiwi readers are polish.. they control the votes big Time.. they are not objective at all.. that Margaret dont have a voice…
Ella Daniel is much more special then Margaret.. but no one votes for Israel.. Ashamed on you people!!
Poland’s Margaret obviously.
I voted for:
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
Germany
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Norway
Poland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
UK
But there are 3 I like especially. Finland, Germany and Hungary
Germany ofc!
and Finland too
There should really be Laila for Norway and Oscar for Sweden. Otherwise I voted for Poland, Denmark and Austria.
how the hell did norway not send afterglow? do they not want to win?
Finland, Norway, Poland, Germany, Denmark from this list. But a few countries could’ve had much better choices 😛
How are they going to leave out Sweet Brains from Belarus this year! SWEET BRAINS SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST BEEN IN THE BELORUSSIAN SELECTION! If anyone is wondering what Im talking about here is a link to the YouTube video of their audition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL9BtMYKvxQ
Why Laila Samuels from Norway is not here instead of Laika??????
Where is Serbia? Listen to Luke Black – Demons. He was shortlisted for the Eurovision Song Contest, but Sanja is selected.
Hungary by a mile for me – song not presentation.
Ukraine, Romania, Poland the other good ones.
I can only imagine “hosting” the contest the following year is more trouble than it’s worth for OGAE clubs, which is why so many countries have sent dreadful entries.
If love to give ‘cool me down’ my vote but the presentation was SO SO bad both vocally and staged I can’t. It still remains a firm favourite to listen to but EuroVISION it is very poor in my opinion.
Laika I think is a bit of a gem and clever it should be terrible but it’s brilliant from lyrics to the performance.
Hungary and Poland.
Would have been Denmark if they had picked Simone.
Cool me down obvs. Colour of your boring came 8th, so cool me down easily won imo!
An awful choices. I’d like to see Oscar Zia from Sweden, Mick Pedaja from Estonia and also Sunsay from Ukraine.
I voted for Albania, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Denmark, Romania, Belgium, Austria, Malta, and Estonia.
OMG, bartosz is right, I hadn’t realized that Iceland is not taking part! Why? Why-y-y-y?
Oh I forgot about Laila Samuels from Norway. Her song was much better than “Laika”