Their qualification streak came to an end in Stockholm, but Slovenia is to determined to have better results in Kyiv. Local media reports that broadcaster RTVSLO will extend the national final EMA to three nights. It is thought that the broadcaster will reintroduce two-final shows ahead of the grand final.
In recent years, EMA has involved just one show, the grand final. To determine the winner, a three-member expert jury selects the top two songs from the final. Those songs are performed again in a superfinal where the overall winner is chosen by public televote.
Earlier in the year it was reported that RTVSLO were looking to change the format of EMA, to help improve their outcome at Eurovision. It looks like this change will be the introduction of two semi-final shows.
This semi-final format was last used at EMA 2007 and 2008, when two semi-finals were held, with a number of acts from each semi qualifying for the final. The winner was eventually chosen from a superfinal vote between the top two.
RTVSLO has received 90 entries for EMA 2017, and are due to announce the selected entries on 9 December. The broadcaster is also expected to confirm voting details by early December.
Slovenian media is also speculating that the grand final of EMA will take place on Friday 24 February.
Slovenia at Eurovision
Slovenia have had mixed fortunes at Eurovision in recent years. They qualified for the grand final only four times in the past decade. Slovenia’s best result in that period was in 2011, when Maja Keuc’s song “No One” placed 13th.
In 2014, Tinkara Kovac placed 25th with “Round and Round”, while the following year, the husband-wife duo Maraaya placed 14th with “Here for You”.
Most recently, ManuElla’s song “Blue and Red” failed to quality for the final in Stockholm, placing only 14 in its semi-final.
What do you think? Should EMA 2017 use semi-finals? Who would you like to see in the competition? Share your thoughts below!
@ Hubert 🙂 If Tinkara Kovac returns, I hope it will be with a rock song. That’s her usual style, and it seems to be most authentic for her. One of my many ESC-friends praised her regular songs, and I can agree. I prefer e.g. her EMA entry “Sunce v ochech” to the (also nice though) ESC-entry.
Anyway – good to see Slovenia plan some “big things”. After e.g. Finland (a great ESC / NF-country I think), opt not to have semis for 2017.
Good to see semis return. I hope for a wide selection of music styles
Can Tinkara return to Eurovision with something like “Round and round”? It would be great…
Kelemen Slakonja with funny song. as we seen with Verka Serdyuchka, comediants can achieve high place, and Klemen has the ability to make it to the top with the right song and staging
i need the second coming of raiven in my life pls rtvslo do not disappoint
I want Eva Boto to return and get revenge but I know it’s not gonna happen.