After two weeks of online voting, the final result is in. Benny Cristo has won Eurovision Song CZ (ESCZ) 2020 and will represent the Czech Republic at Eurovision 2020 with the song “Kemama”.
Benny Cristo earned top marks from the online voting of Czech viewers. He also came second in the jury vote.
Meanwhile, Barbora Mochowa came out on top of the international jury vote. However, the two-time ESCZ participant came last in the Czech online vote, which meant she finished third overall. Elis Mraz & Čis T earned the silver medal.
Benny Cristo – “Kemama”
A popular rapper in the Czech Republic, Benny Cristo already has a number of hits to his name in his home country. His past songs (under the name Ben Cristovao) have racked up millions of views on YouTube. Now, he’ll be taking the party to Rotterdam and be hoping to win over international viewers at Eurovision 2020.
Benny Cristo will perform in the first half of semi-final two in Ahoy Arena on Thursday 14 May.
ESCZ 2020: Results
Jury Vote
An international jury of former Eurovision participants counted for half of the final vote. The online vote from viewers outside the Czech Republic was also weighted the same as one juror. Individual juror top marks were awarded as follows:
- Estonia (Stig Rästa) – Benny Cristo
- Slovenia (zalagasper) – Pam Rabbit
- Norway (KEiiNO) – Elis Mraz & Čis T
- Bulgaria (Kristian Kostov) – Barbora Mochowa
- Australia (Isaiah) – Benny Cristo
- Finland (Sebastian Rejman) – Karelll
- Spain (Miki Núñez) – Karelll
- Poland (Kasia Moś) – We All Poop
- Malta (Michela) – Barbora Mochowa
- Greece (Katerine Duska) – Barbora Mochowa
- International online vote – We All Poop
Public Vote
- 12 – Benny Cristo
- 10 – Elis Mraz & Čis T
- 8 – We All Poop
- 6 – Olga Lounová
- 4 – Karelll
- 3 – Pam Rabbit
- 2 – Barbora Mochowa
Full Results
Czech Republic at Eurovision
Debuting in 2007, the Czech Republic’s first few attempts at Eurovision were not so successful. They failed to qualify to the grand final with their first three entries, coming last in the semi-final in 2007 and 2009.
After taking a five year break, things eventually began to turn around for the central European nation. Gabriela Gunčíková took Czechia to the grand final of the contest for the first time in 2016 with her power ballad “I Stand”.
Things also improved once the Czech Republic introduced their online national final Eurovision Song CZ. Mikolas Josef took the country to the top six in 2018, while Lake Malawi secured a solid eleventh place finish in 2019.
With Benny Cristo now winning the third edition of ESCZ, no doubt they’ll be aiming to continue their recent success.
What do you make of the results of ESCZ 2020? Are you happy with the outcome? Let us know in the comments below!
Are Austria East Europe (East of Czech), and Berlin??
Czechia had a strong national final, and this song was not in my top5.
Its a contemporary song with strong african flavours. A mix of funk and hip hop with a cool laid back vibe. Its a restrictive musical style that wont be appreciated by the masses (im guessing). Its also very repetitive.
I dont like this style of music, so I dont appreciate this.
As a Czech, I think this will turn out to be a good decision eventually. Now I am not crazy about the song by any means (it needs a stronger chorus, or actually A chorus…) but out of the selection he is the biggest professional with strongest experience, just like Lake Malawi last year, and I fully trust that he’s gonna deliver great energetic staging that will elevate the song. Also the song will stand out as it is quite unique for Eurovision, genre-wise. I predict we will reach the final and end up somewhere in the higher right side… Read more »
kemama kebaba
There is gonna be a revamp for it.
Good luck Czech
I am waiting for Poland song
Wow, so much hate. I remember negative comments about Lake Malawi last year, then I listened to the song and I loved it. It’s still one of my favorites! And it’s also the case here. I actually like this song. I have not heard other songs from their selection, maybe they were better, but now I just want to focus on this one. It’s modern, it’s catchy, I like the vibe. I only expected a more dynamic chorus but this version will probably grow on me. I wonder how it’s going to be staged.
It was not my favorite, but congratulations and wish a good result for the Czech republic nevertheless. The Czech public wanted him to represent their country, so that’s the most important.
Looks like ESCZ found their marketing strategy lmao
Crazy that we’re getting Afropop from an eastern European country but it’s nice… not amazing, but nice.
Which one? Czech Republic isn’t in Eastern Europe.
Eastern Europe, as defined by the United Nations Statistics Division, includes the countries of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, and Slovakia, as well as the republics of Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine.
UN are not updated, look at wiki and map please.
Are Austria also East?
Go back to school to learn geography
Centraleuropean country / Czech. Look at wiki and map, thanks
I like it! Nice song, fresh sound and good voice. Thank you Czechia!
Omg no. With so many good songs to chose from and they chose this.
what a boring song!You listen 1000 songs as this one everyday on radio. Nothing spain. I liked more Black and white holes. At least it was something special. Everybody hate Spanish entry..the botton 5 etc. i prefer clearly Blas Canto song to this one..
I’m so happy that Czechia send something solid and great to ESC so far, “Kemama” is a good choice i would say (although i’m kinda sad Barbora & WAP didn’t make it). But, i don’t know what the ESC juries would think about this (ESCZ jurors are 100% ESC alumni)
ok yall I didn’t like this at first, but it’s rly a grower. especially the ‘lost my way never lost my way’ part. give it a chance.
This is a very interesting entry! Czech keeps surprising us with modern and original songs. This is really refreshing, I like it! Well done
It’s a bit 2012, but not bad at all. Depends on the playing field of course but he shouldn’t have much trouble in his semi. Solid choice, CR.
Every time I read the song is “fresh” I want laugh out loud! This kind of music has been around for many years, I wonder what’s so fresh about it. It’s just an average song.
Fresh for Eurovision…
But not presented at ESC so far.
In contrast I´m sick of this typical The Voice/X-Factor/JESC-acts, It´s good to have diversity.
It’s good. Czech Rep is going to the final again this year.
I’m glad that the Czech Republic decided to opt for something current and fresh!
“Kemama” is without a doubt my favorite Czech entry since their return to Eurovision in 2015.
Sadly, there’s nothing fresh in it. Turn on the radio and you will hear a hundred songs that sound like this one.
It’s fresh because we don’t often see this type of music in Eurovision.
I’m very well aware of the fact that “Kemama” is the kind of song that is often heard from the radio.
It’s just “fresh” by Eurovision standard.
Explained correctly, thank you !
I would also like to mention this to all of those shouting angrily at Czechs for not picking We All Poop.
We Czechs voted them into 3rd place. Completely unknown band. Even beating Olga, who is a well known established singer with big fanbase.
Jury ranked We All Poop second to last. Even if WAP won our televote, they wouldn’t win the NF because of the low jury score.
So if you want to be angry at someone, blame it on the juries, not us. Thx bye
I knew their name was going to be a hurdle And their violent music video didn’t help. You can still listen to the songs even though they didn’t win the national final.
Love it, great song from the Czechs! And the first ever ESC entry to mention the legend that is Bob Marley
How Olga didn’t win this, I am shocked also even though I didn’t like the song Get Up finishing last is a bit of a surprise I personally thought it would finish in the Top 3 in the NF.
lol I already said it before that you only need the one right song to do well in Eurovision. Yes. The selection is great but it all come down to which song do you choose and they chose this…
Pointless.
This songs needs desperately a climax. It doesnt go anywhere.
Given the music video it’s no wonder We All Poop got 12 points from Kasia Mos, animal rights activist.
An insanely strong final, and not the right choice in the end. But thanks to CZE for giving us quite a few good songs to listen to.
Same happening in Serbia every year since 2012 right ?
Why compare it to his country, whichever it is?
Not really. I consider our finals since 2012 as being between weak and mediocre – we just somehow manage to select something decent enough to avoid total embarrassment. I remember perhaps 2 or 3 songs worth listening from this period (I preferred Saška Janks over Nevena Bozovic and appreciated the humor in Rambo Amadeus & Beti Djordjevic song, but that’s about it). This year seems to be no exception. I’d very much like our finals to be this strong.
Serbia needs to change the direction a little bit …i only like 2012 and 2016 …
Not my particular kind of music, but this is very current and could easily be in the UK singles chart. Great effort.
This song is so boring and the beat sounds dated af lmao what are you grandmavision!!11 posters on. ”Wanna Be Like” was more current and is actually listenable
I love it, when the people of a country get the song they voted for to send to the ESC – whatever song you and me wanted to win. And we all agreed that in this selection there were only strong entries, am I right?
Calling it now. WINNER!
can’t stop listening, it’s sooo good !! 😀 😀
Phew some of the racism in this comment, my khusband, donaaald would be proud.
Nah srsly, this will fo better than those two outdated songs from Albania and Spain. You old white gay shlager fans can just seethe!!
If anyone who voted for WAP has any doubts about Benny Cristo, read what they had to say about him winning:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=180505549965075&id=103717644310533
Good luck Benny, the torch is in your hands now! 🙂
This song will qalify easily ,mark my words .It has something unique and fresh
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!
welcome to 2020…this is a HIT and it’s going to rock the stage!!
Czech Republic is aiming for the top 5!!!
sorry folks, this is not your typical fallen diva, but you can keep hating if you want 😀
EXACTLY. Make my words this will outperform Albania and Spain
I mean…it’s not that hard, right?! 😀
Indeed. I already know my friends will like this when we watch it on May. It can also appeal easily to famílies with the right performance.
This song has literally nothing going for it, one of the worst I’ve heard in ages. I’m all for more modern songs and less Fuego rejects but this is just a big no
Wtf??? They sent this? Possible worse one in the Czech lineup. Can’t see this qualifying.
I’m sorry that modern music doesn’t agree with you. It’s fresh hunny
What’s supposed to be fresh in this? This kind of music has been around for years…
I think those who haven’t followed the NF will enjoy this song. Because it’s not a bad song by any means. But now when I listen to it I can only think of how I’m not going to see We all poop in eurovision stage and it makes me sad.
Albania still top. Czech Republic has an edge over Spain but prolly won’t qualify.
It’s not my favorite, but I like it well enough. I imagine it will benefit from repeated listens, and it’ll be good for variety. It’s not really something I can see myself feeling strongly about one way or the other, though.
3 entrys out .this is my top 3 ATM
1Spain
2 Albania
3 Czech Republic
it’s like u ranked the songs from the most outdated to the most current
why is current such a deal for you? no song in ESC is current. I dont like US current music anyway
sebi and soldi were extremely current and aged like fine wine tho? even the winner arcade sounded like a 2019 song? dated just doesn’t do the trick anymore, even at eurovision.
And soldi is the biggest garbaj ever.
The international online vote got counted in with the jury votes? No wonder kemama won.
it’s the czech republic’s representative not the international fans’ representative lmao what did u expect? they’re sending someone they picked themselves. don’t be so entitled!
Well if they don’t wanna qualify that’s their business then too
y’all gon look like clowns in may…
They could’ve announced the voting worked like this but they acted as if our votes would be counted as equal. It was pointless to hold the vote in the official eurovision app. If i had known i would have been certain kemama would win the public vote…But whatever, can cope with this result.
Even in international fan vote Kemama finished 3rd.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but had the international online vote been an entire other category and not grouped in with the juries, wouldn’t the results still remain the same? They’re all the same points in the end. Besides, like @txtxtx said, Kemama came 3rd in that anyway.
Why?
LOL. That question was in response to a comment that has since disappeared.
The worst option they had, although it’s not a bad song, only repetitive and not attractive for all the people who vote in Eurovision. I’m sad for Barbora Mochowa for a second time. A balad song like Barbora’s has no opportunity with an online voting. We in Spain suffered the same process in 2008 with the terrible act and song of Chikilicuatre. Please, czech television, a televised final the following year, please.
Personally this is how I would have scored the entries: 12 – We All Poop (original cool music with an interesting message) 10 – Elis Mraz & ?is T (A bop, very contemporary sound, and she sounded great in her accoustic performance) 8 – Olga Lounová (a beautiful song but the accoustic version was FAN TASTIC) 6 – Barbora Mochowa (Honestly would have been happy had she qualified – this year there were many strong entries for Czechia) 4 – Pam Rabbit (I listen to this song a ton on spotify) 3 – Karell – nice song! A worthy ‘try’… Read more »
And a huge sigh for relief for Francesco’s and Robin’s fans. Had We All Poop won, their fans would hold straw polls, similar to the one being held in Iowa today, to determine which song and/or artist would be the least likely to win upcoming national selections, and then send them to those countries to heavily televote for them.
Hahaha! That’s an outlandish accusation. But I guess we shall never know now what would have happened.
Don’t like this kind of music at all but I wish the Czech Republic all the best!!!!
I dont understand so mutch negative coments here, like last year with lake Malawi ….Ben is cool and song is good. Of couce my favorite was We All poop but i am happy we have fresh music here and not ballad. I feel like this year there will be a lot of ballads. And why WAP did not won ?? Well the jury were scared to vote for this type of name …
I agree and disagree. Last year’s Lake Malawi had really cool staging, but they did sort of flop in the finale (with the televote at least). For sure this song isn’t bad but I have trouble imagine it doing well live. Regardless, we’ll see how it does in May certainly Lake Malawi was a pleasant surprise (in its final live format).
Lake Malawi was super-creative in comparison to this!
Ahaha, well it looks like Czechia wants us to have some fun in Rotterdam. 🙂
Congrats Benny and the team.
So the song that was arguably the least hyped by Eurovision fans won? lmao