It’s the newcomer from down under who has fast become established as a Eurovision power player. But the dream of a national final for Australia has ended — this year, at least. Broadcaster SBS has confirmed they will use internal selection to choose their act for Lisbon.
The broadcaster confirmed the news to ESCToday. SBS confirmed that the selection process is currently underway. The broadcaster and regular production company Blink TV are in the midst of finding potential candidates.
In previous years, they have approached Australian record companies, looking for suitable artists who would be happy to do Eurovision.
It’s a system that’s brought good results for Australia. In the three years that they have competed, Australia has never placed outside the top ten.
The news of internal selection comes as a disappointment to fans who were hoping for some sort of Australian national final to be introduced.
Earlier in the year, ESC Daily quoted Head of Delegation Paul Clarke speaking about his wish for an Australian national final. He told the blog, “We want our own national final, our own competition that can lead up to a winner for Eurovision.”
Clarke also mentioned that they had spoken with schlagermaster general Christer Björkman about sharing his Melodifestivalen expertise with Australia. Clarke said, “We talked to Christer Bjorkman about coming to Australia.” He explained that Australia wanted Björkman to help them set up a national final.
No explanation has been given why the national final plans have been scrapped. Fans have pointed out that while most European countries have only one time zone, Australia has five. When it’s 8pm in Sydney, it will only be 5pm in Perth — which would prove challenging for a live voting show.
2018 will be a busy year for Australia. As well as organising their act for Lisbon, SBS will also put together the very first Eurovision Asia Song Contest. The broadcaster may have chosen to put their resources towards Eurovision Asia, rather than organising a national final.
But regardless of the method of selection, rumours and speculation has already started. Australian Idol alum Ricki-Lee recently revealed she’d love to do Eurovision. During a recent live chat, she told her fans, “Let me at it, is all I say. Let me at it!”.
SBS has given no timeline for the announcement of Australia’s act for Lisbon. However, based on previous years, we should expect an announcement to be made in early March.
What do you think? Should Australia use internal selection again? Who would you like to see represent the land down under in Lisbon? Share your thoughts below!
I have 3 artists in mind for Australia:
1. Kylie Minogue
2. The Veronicas
3. Dannii Minogue
Any of these 3 would be perfect for Eurovision with a good fun pop song. Please give the ballads a break australia ?
I thinks it’s time for them to pull out of the contest now. It was fun having them in there for a while, giving us some fresh air and new energy. But they are not an EBU member and they rob EBU members their spots in the final. Also, Australia now has ESC Asia to focus on, and I want to wish them the best of luck in that contest with both organizing and participating!
Josef Salvat.
Vanessa Amorosi… Delta Goodrem…. The Veronicas… Jess Mauboy …or even Samantha Jade
The Veronicas would be perfect!!
Or maybe we could dream of a Kylie’s entry…
I wish either Delta Goodrem or Samantha Jade would go.
I think samantha jade should do it
It’s time for a girl, right? They have a huge pool to choose from. Ricki-Lee, Samantha Jade, The Veronicas, Paulini, Jessica Mauboy, Vanessa Amorosi… all remarkable vocalists, some with a peculiar artistic style. I’d rather choose someone estabilished in their homeland in order to exploit their artistry. I didn’t like how bland Isaiah’s song and performance were, I’d love to see more personality from the artists.
…..Samantha Jade has amazing voice
Samantha Jade. ..had amazing voice, lots of energy and could deliver uptempo song with great staging
Not sure the timezone issue is really relevant. There have been plenty of live voting shows in Australia over the years that have worked such as Big Brother and The Voice. It just means that those in the more western time zones have to stop voting earlier but they’ve still been able to vote.
I’d love to see Ricki-Lee sing for Australia. She said she wants to do it and has the right personality…she’d be awesome!
I don’t care if she’s from Universal, I want Havana Brown to represent Australia in Eurovision 2018!!!!
Nice opportunity to go to bathroom during AU performance
#Racist #Rude #Arrogant
What’s racist about disliking pathetic Australian entries? They are plain boring. And it’s not even Europe.
Yeah, as if Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Israel or Cyprus are in Europe…
Well, they are more connected to Europe than Asian Australia
Please. Australia’s culture is more European than Armenia’s will ever be.
Well, Australia is not Europe anyway given their pro-Asian political and economic vector. Taking part in some sort of Asiavision would be their option, not the main contest
OK, but why are you so angry about Australia participating there but not Armenia or Azerbaijan ? They are also more pro-Asian than pro-European…
again and again this pathetic argument!!!!! please please use your brain!! armenia, azerbaijan etc has geographical territories, and israel is right on europe’s doorstep… they are also part of other european events like UEFA football………….. therefore it makes sense that they are participating in ESC. australia couldn’t be further away from europe that’s why it makes no sense at all that they are taking part in esc…… get it now?!???
Neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan has geographical teritories in Europe, so instead of offering others to use their brains, so should use yours 🙂 (or at least some kind of geography book)
Actually not. Europe is not only UK, Ireland and Benelux you know. Europe is also Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Baltic states – which are more similair to Armenia’s culture than Australia’s..
As a person living in a Baltic state, I should say that our culture has nothing in common with Armenian… Nevertheless, if you say that it’s OK to Armenia to participate just because their cultural roots are similiar to Russian or Bulgarian, so why can’t Australia participate if their culture is similiar to UK’s or other Western country’s ?
I didn’t say that Australia shouldn’t participate and a lot of the times they are in my top 10, but I just think they don’t belong in Eurovision. And Armenia, Azerbaijan… are in Council of Europe, they have some land in Europe + they participate in all other European competitions. Hope you get me now.
I honestly wouldn’t deny participation to a country that wants to contribute to the contest, always doing its best to and taking more effort than half the participants combined. If you’re pressed about Oz taking part, I’m sorry for you I guess, because they’re here to stay. 🙂
Eurovision isn’t just European countries. There are quite a few non-euro countries in there…and Aus has placed well every year, so maybe you’re the boring one.
I wonder whether they would make it to the final without judges and EBU’s protection
How many times did we have this discussion? Gosh…
Geographically speaking:
Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkey are partially in Europe. These countries are considered both European and Asian.
Armenia, Israel and Cyprus aren’t in Europe. They are considered Asian countries. However, Armenia and Cyprus have economical and social ties with Europe, so they are considered European as well.
Israel isn’t European, but it is inside the EBU area, so they are allowed to participate.
Australia has economical and social ties with Europe as well…
Australia isn’t a member of the EU or the EAEU. About social ties, then Canada, US, NZ, Brazil, Argentina…they all have too.
I’m refering to borders and regional associations.
Australia participates because they’re invited, that’s it.
I would like Samantha jade to do Eurovision, she really needs it right now, her voice is good and she can go with a snappy dance song.
WE ? WANT ? MISS ? SAMANTHA ? JADE ? 2018 ? WE ? BEEN ? KNEW ? SHE ? WAS ? THE ? BEST ? CHOICE ? SINCE ? 2016
Sad news for Australian fans who wanted their Eurovision experience to be more interactive, but also for independent artists who would be less likely to be chosen for such an opportunity… :/ I’m still hoping for someone like Montaigne to do it for us, since she’s kind of left-field and theatrical enough for new life to be breathed into the Australian Eurovision game. Could Wiwibloggs perhaps do an article or a video about what a prospective national final for Australia could look like? National finals in themselves are generally a great way for people to be introduced to new and… Read more »
I think this is best, if it ain’t broke…..
Samantha Jade without a doubt ?
Samantha Jade would be an excellent pick, global appeal and we’d be a great chance to take it out!
Samantha Jade is the best choice ?? Glitter, sparkle, energy and dance – it’s a no brainer instead of another ballad driven mess
Hoping it’s Samantha Jade! She would be amazing for Eurovision! <3
SBS cannot afford to put on a national selection. They are public funded/whatever sponsorship deal they do with record labels to use their artist. Unless someone else takes over we will never get one
That’s a good point. Same with ABC.
A NF could only be done with a private broadcaster, and they would likely take Eurovision less seriously.
Samantha Jade 100%
Samantha Jade would be my pick. She would definitely bring a lot of energy into her performance with epic choreography & staging. While I do enjoy all our previous performances for Australia, I do think it’s time we finally switched up the pace and delivered an uptempo party-anthem/bop for Eurovision. Samantha Jade would be the perfect choice!
I 100 percent agree ?
Hope it won’t be another boring ballad, for the 3rd year in-a-row… Come on, Australia… Don’t disappoint us!
Ballads three years in a row?
Did you miss 2015? #notaballad
She (or he) had in mind that if their 2018 song will be a ballad, THEN it will be for the 3rd year in-a-row; not that it has already been three ballads, so no 2015 were missed
ughh sbs really don’t want to get the public involved, it’s like they’re silencing us to play their own internal game abroad. EBU says on their website they strongly encourage some national selection process giving the public a voice, at least do an online poll or something 😛 next up for australia: whichever culturally diverse background sony music artist young x factor winner/ semi-famous sony music artist (there’s like 10 of them so don’t be surprised who it will be)
SBS cannot afford to put on a national selection. They are public funded/whatever sponsorship deal they do with record labels to use their artist. Unless someone else takes over we will never get one
A reason given by Paul Clarke in Kiev for the probability that a national selection public voted final would not work in the short-term is that Australian artistes don’t have the understanding or the experience of competing against each other. Sure, when they are unknowns they might get that with the various karaoke TV shows, but, SBS/Blink would like to have top flight artistes in there, to boost ratings and give it some cred. And those artistes just don’t have that experience or want to have that experience. As Clarke said, Australia needs to cultivate a Melodifestivalen experience where national… Read more »
send Dannii Minogue or Natalie Imbruglia, i don’t care that they’re no longer relevant i just wanna see the bitches get their 10 seconds of fame.
If they send a female soloist it’ll likely be Jessica Mauboy.
They wont send her, the reason being is that she pretends to be all humble, but she is very self centered and would never want to do less than Dami Im whom is also with sony Music and are rivals in the Industry. Can you imagine her coming back 5 or 10th, she would never want to show her face again, she is supposed to be the best artists in her Genre at the moment, but she is not, it is only Hype.
Isn’t Natalie actually from New Zealand?
Omg, I love her! I purchased all her albums last week! 🙂
Italy has always been her main market.
can’t wait for a new x factor winner with a dull song that will be overrated by the ebu and juries as usual
Probs not. After the tepid response to Isaiah, I’m sure they’ll choose a different style for Lisbon.
X-Factor Aust was axed at the end of last year, so don’t hold your breath for that
Hopefully they send something more interesting and play it less safe this year. They never sent bad songs really but the DNA ballads are getting boring now.
Tonight Again is still the only Australian entry I’ve liked (not including Sea of Flags) – it had a lot of personality and was actually fun.
Where did find the news that Macedonia is back?