After weeks with fans wondering just what Germany will be doing for its Eurovision 2020 selection, broadcaster ARD has finally made an announcement. The broadcaster has confirmed that the national final format has been ditched and their song for Rotterdam has been internally selected by two juries.
The announcement was made today in a video starring regular national final host Barbara Schöneberger. But this wasn’t any old announcement. Barbara communicated the message through the medium of song! See below for the English translation of the lyrics.
And just to be clear — no, this is NOT Germany’s song for Eurovision 2020!
Eurovision Song Contest 2020: 12 Points for Germany!
Barbara Schöneberger präsentiert den Masterplan für den Eurovision Song Contest 2020. Damit es diesmal wieder heißt: "Germany – 12 Points!""Unser Song für Rotterdam" – alle Infos: www.eurovision.de
Posted by Das Erste on Sunday, February 9, 2020
The song recaps Germany’s strengths and its recent Eurovision woes, then explains how the selection process will work in 2020. The lyrics elaborate, “There is no selection show” and instead “two judging panels” will do the selecting.
The act and song that have been internally selected by this new process will be revealed at the presentation show Unser Lied für Rotterdam. It will screen on Thursday 27 February at 21:30 CET.
Germany’s song selection process for Eurovision 2020
The two jury panels are the Eurovision Panel — a group of specially selected Eurovision fans — and a jury of 20 international experts who have previously represented their country on a Eurovision jury.
The juries rated a number of artists and performers, which each jury group getting 50% of the overall vote. In the end, this led to one stand-out combination who will be Germany’s act for Rotterdam.
Christian Blenker, ARD’s team leader for the Eurovision Song Contest said the new process gives the broadcaster more time to plan the performance for Rotterdam. He explained, “With this procedure, we also gained considerably more time for the staging. The first exciting ideas from internationally successful choreographers and staging professionals are already available to us.”
Germany’s mixed fortunes at Eurovision
Germany has experienced mixed fortunes in the past decade. In 2010, Lena gave Germany its second win. Germany also enjoyed top ten finishes from Lena in 2011, Roman Lob in 2012, and Michael’s Schulte’s in 2018.
But also in that decade, Germany has placed last twice — including nil points in 2015. Most recently, the revamped national final format that had given Germany a fourth-place finish in 2018, saw 2019 act S!sters placed second to last in Tel Aviv.
Thomas Schreiber, ARD’s Entertainment Coordinator talked about why the change was necessary. He said, “Of course we are not satisfied with the placement in Tel Aviv . In Rotterdam, we want to build on the success of 2018. Our act impressed the national and international experts and asserted itself in a great field of participants. We are confident that the selection will also meet with broad approval from the ESC fans and — we hope — will be met with enthusiasm.”
Germany joins a growing list of countries who have switched to internal selection for Eurovision 2020. These include the United Kingdom, France and Spain. Romania is internally selected its act, however, Armenia and Finland have returned to a full national final format.
German Eurovision 2020 internal selection information song (English translation)
We build the best cars, cars
We brew the best beer
We have Bach and Goethe, Goethe
And also Toni Krooooos
We have Bratwurst, diligence and our mountains
We celebrate carnival – have the best garden gnomes
But with one thing we fail – that is the ESC
Oh lord, how nice it was with Lena and Nicole
The ESC, the ESC
It has to work again
It is not going well, it stumbles still
Finally, it has to rattle
The ESC, the ESC
Will be as good as never before
And if you ask “How does it work?”
Now I tell you how:
There is no selection show, no more, no more
But two judging panels
We count on talents, talents
New music geniuses
They are getting professionals
To take care
Musical experts are helping
All for our motherland
Now we got it, got it
We are looking for songs worldwide
It will be as good as never before
Twelve points for Germanyyyyy!!!
Twelve points for Germanyyyyy!!!
What do you think? Are you excited for Germany’s new internal selection process? Who should Germany send to Rotterdam? Tell us your thoughts below!
[…] year NDR ditched the national final format used in the past two years. Instead, they internally selected Dolic and his […]
“Irelande Douze Points, Irelande Douze Points…”
That’s pretty much what this is.
Ok, 2020, Internal selection it is, no national selection to fake it, but they could still pick something utterly bad just like they picked the S!sters. I mean, let’s face it, last year’s national selection was 100% fake, the S!sters had already been chosen internally and they were going to win no matter what. Literally, nothing explains why they were late to the party, didn’t go through preselection like all the other acts and even got the priviledge to perform last.
The Schöneberger video is embarrassing! And I am from Germany. I agree to everything you wrote. Thanks!
The fact that Germany and United Kingdom are so mysterious because they aren’t really telling anything made me interested. I love the mystery! I wish them the best.
I can’t stop thinking about how things could be different if they just hadn’t brought S!sters out of nowhere last year. Probably we would have Aly Ryan (who maybe wouldn’t become a running gag between the fandom), Lily Among Clouds or Makeda and any of them would bring a better result to Germany. Maybe we would be now talking about how we’re excited for their national final, that had showed signs of improvement in the last couple of years, including a grear 4th place by Michael Schulte…
I can’t believe they’re still able to keep their act a secret. I expect a leak any moment
Please send Drangsal or LEA, or someone even remotely good and famous.
I was reading the full interview of Mr Schreiber. There it says that they analyse the televoting of the pre selection and the main ESC. In both shows there are other groups of televoter. At the pre selection old people are voting because young people arent interested to vote for the act who is going to the ESC. That’s the main reason why it’s the fault of old people voting mostly young girls…and why they suddenly win like Levina, jamie-lee, ann sophie and sisters. Without televoting and both other panels Makeda would have win last year with 2nd Aly and… Read more »
yes exactly, i get from the interview Schreiber still stands behind the choices of jury and eurofans vote, and is totally against the choice from televoters to go for sister
wouldn’t be surprised if they contacted a Aly Ryan once again (since they also see how badly she wants to go to eurovision)
Dein Englisch ist ja die absolute Härte
nicky oder ich? 😀
Usually I’m a positiv thinking person – but I fear to hear “the magic words” again (in Rotterdam this time): Germany – I’m sorry – Zero Points !
Wow, kinda weird seeing how Italy is the only Big 6 country which had a National Selection this year. I can just only hope on what Germany, the UK and the Netherlands would bring to the table.
Well, that sounds pretty wise, if you ask me, but I will miss the pre-selection exitement…
I agree with you. No idea why people are reacting so negatively. I have zero expectations for this year and I hate the way the NDR handled the process and the communication so far but who knows, maybe thesong will suprise me.
And we absolutely need a festival like this in the long run, something that can grow into a traditional institution of its own. Switching up the format every two years will never give it the necessary attention by artists and the public alike. A revamped version of the bsc is an interesting idea, if english songs were allowed.
Pretty much my Opinion as well. Let’s see. The communication between Broadcaster and People waiting for Infos have been awful. Considering our last years and – especially – the last times an Act was selected internally – I have no expectations but I’m fine with giving them a chance. If the NDR really stayed out of it and a Fan- and Profijury decided I’m ok with excluding the main audience (like my workcollegue who voted for s!sters because ‘she also has sisters and therefor can relate sooo much with the song’). Let’s wait for the presentation.. The last years teached… Read more »
At least 50% of the text had to be in german at the BSC. That was a set rule
I do feel that the option of internal selection is another way of admitting that not enough suitable acts are interested in entering the contest. Meaning that the public can’t be trusted to choose the best of a bad bunch. Then you see something like “Australia Decides” and realise that some countries are in a different league altogether.
I for one choose to stay positive until we hear it. let’s not forget that it was the televoters that wanted Sisters, not the juries. Until the voters learn how to get things right they will be punished:)
radio gaga germany has spoken. ;
embarrassing, this Schöneberger act.
Another year, another puppy will bite the dust.
And the song about ESC being the only thing they are not good at, will not bring sympathy.
That silly song is not a good start, hope is not written by the same team that wrote the actual ESC song.
It’s not meant to bring them sympathy. It’s fricking cabaret humour for the German fans. No need to take it so seriously.
Almost everything about the NDR’s handling of the German selection process this year is worthy of substantial critique, but instead you went after this joke song. Ridiculous.
The commercial is not geared for you.
It’s good that they are not satisfied with last year’s place. I still remember how the German channel put Sisters as a wildcard, which was really strange in terms of competition and fairness. Actually, I’m confident about Germany. They say they want to keep the track of Schulte, so let’s see. I think that they will be inspired by the Swiss success of 2019.
Would it be too much to ask for Germany or Austria or Switzerland to bring a song in German language? They haven’t done it in ages and I miss it.
Nein. Cough, I mean nine of them. Nine! Owh, never mind. It was funny in my head.
The last time German language song performed in Eurovision (Leonora excluded) was Woki mit deim popo in 2012 for Austria……
All depends on the song…let’s not automatically jump to conclusions ppl
Germany be like: which music career are we gonna ruin again this year?
Honestly, none of our entries in the past ten years except Cascada had a career to begin with. We only had no-names and casting show candidates. You can’t ruin careers, if no big names are interested.
I guess a potential or a starting one, then. It’s also the beginning (and end) of their music career once they are on the Eurovision stage, at least.
Ahh, hahaha!
The legend that is Barbara Schöneberger. 🙂
Just a thought: Lena could always come back for a third attempt one year?
She has written a lot better stuff in the last few years so why not
Barbara for Rotterdam 2020!
I’ll wait for the song. But I’m not hopeful.
Because…?
Because it’s the NDR. And because of the way they handled this selection so far.
Just consider how they gonna present it past-primetime on a no-name channel. Clearly they don’t expect it to be interesting for a larger audience.
And rumour also has it that’s it’s gonna be someone known to the ESC community, so probably someone who failed a recent national final. So that means it’s not even going to be anything different/experimental/exciting. Just business as usual leading to a result as usual.
I wouldn’t say that. I’d see this so called presentation as fan-service, because there’s no show needed to present a song for Eurovision.
NDR could’ve just released a Youtube-video without any added information and it’d be fine. They chose a small channel like ONE probably because people interested in the contest are watching it, and the normal viewer won’t. Many fans last year were furious about the televoting, that’s why they probably cut it.
I hope NDR will not mess this up.
I mean sure, it’s nice that they’re producing a little show, but when they’re already investing the money to do that they might as well put it in a good slot, unless they really think “no one will want to see this except the hardcore eurovision fans”. And that just doesn’t make the song appear too promising. And I’m okay with having no televote/public selection this year, if it meant that they had a) a big name that was afraid to lose a nf or b) something experimental that couldn’t ever win a nf. But so far it looks like… Read more »
Cancelling the nf is sad, indeed. But it seems like it’s the representing artist fault. Since in 2019 the vote was very close in the top 4. I’m guessing artists like lilly among clouds and Aly Ryan, even Makers have been asked again. Aly Ryan even publicly stated that she only would participate if Germany chose her internally without any nf.
Though in my opinion I wouldn’t appreciate that, because basically the contestor is dictating the broadcaster there, but we’ll see. I’m hoping for a promising artist like lilly to make our wishes true!
Because Germany’s choices have been crap lately, and then their good entries (Jamie-Lee and Ann Sophie just to name a few) bombed really hard in the final.
Germany has internal selections from 1993-1995 and in 2009, and excluding ’94, their results have been pretty bad!
So judging by that I’m not hopeful for Germany, their delegation is so out of touch, in which their comfort zone is only in the bottom 3!
Ask Avantasia
Not to forget 1966, 67, 68 and 77. These results haven’t been that bad…but you’re right: Germany hasn’t had a lot of luck with internal selections.
Internal selection with 2 juries (eurofans and experts)
another flop like sister confirmed then 🙁
Exactly. The German televoters were the ones who screwed it up last year.
Surely taking them out of the selection process can only be a good thing? Well, at least until they learn how to behave. 😉
Robyn beat me to it 😀
Uff… Makeda would have been so much more epic on ESC stage! Possibly top 10? In any case not 25th.