Eurovision Winners 2000 to 2009

This year at wiwibloggs we are celebrating the festive season with a series of different polls. For the next few days, we’re going to stuff your stockings with a selection of Eurovision votes. Consider this a unique riff on the classic “Twelve Days of Christmas” carol.

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you can join us and let us know your thoughts for each and every poll. Today’s question — Who is your favourite Eurovision winner of the 2000s?

Eurovision winners: 2000 to 2009

The 2000s was a decade of change. And we’re not just talking about the creation of the semi-final round in 2004, the introduction of a second semi in 2008 or the return of the jury vote in the 2009 final. Because, bookended between Nordic neighbours Denmark in 2000 and Norway in 2009, all of the other Eurovision-winning countries this decade were first-time champions.

Some had been waiting a long time to taste gold — 28 years for Turkey, 31 years for Greece and 45 years for Finland. Others got to bask in glory almost straight away — two years for Latvia and one year for Ukraine. Serbia didn’t have to wait at all, winning on its first attempt as an independent nation. The podium was also graced by Estonia and Russia, both of which debuted in the previous decade.

Regardless of your taste in music, it cannot be denied that all ten winners were iconic in some shape or form. But who was your favourite winner? Watch and listen to all the performances below and then vote for your favourite in our poll.

2000: Olsen Brothers — “Fly On The Wings Of Love” (Denmark)

2001: Tanel Padar, Dave Benton & 2XL — “Everybody” (Estonia)

2002: Marie N — “I Wanna” (Latvia)

2003: Sertab Erener — “Everyway That I Can” (Turkey)

2004: Ruslana — “Wild Dances” (Ukraine)

2005: Helena Paparizou — “My Number One” (Greece)

2006: Lordi — “Hard Rock Hallelujah” (Finland)

2007: Marija Šerifović — “Molitva” (Serbia)

2008: Dima Bilan — “Believe” (Russia)

2009: Alexander Rybak — “Fairytale” (Norway)

Poll: Who is your favourite Eurovision winner of the 2000s?

[crowdsignal poll=10688014]

Check out more of our polls here.

71 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Regina Phalange
Regina Phalange
3 years ago

I love 2003-2007

Grant
Grant
3 years ago

2001, 2002, 2008 really we’re dark times what were people thinking especially 2001’s winner ?

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
3 years ago
Reply to  Grant

All I can say about 2001 is: “Everybody” is funky and it felt right for it to win at the time. Also, ESC hadn’t had an “Eastern winner” until Estonia, so politically it was a very important milestone. But, I understand how when looking back on it now, it can seem out of place.

PP77
PP77
3 years ago

1.Turkey 2003
2.Denmark 2000
3.Serbia 2007

Nikki
Nikki
3 years ago

Helena, Alex, Marija and Lordi. And let’s be honest, there should be two Greek victories on that list.

I would die for you should have won in 2001. I’m right, the whole of Europe was wrong that night. And you can fight me on that one. (Unless you’re saying France, that was the only other song who deserved that victory)

Kosey
Kosey
3 years ago

Some great ones to vote for here – I voted for Denmark 2000 (I enjoyed the original and the dance remix), Greece 2005 (for the pop catchiness), Finland 2006 (for the timeless cheesiness you only get in Eurovision) and Norway 2009 (for its unique and classic qualities).

Sabrina
Sabrina
3 years ago

I’ve voted for Finland and Serbia and I believe they were very important to the history of the contest and the fact winners come in all shapes and forms nowadays. “Molitva” is one of the best songs to win Eurovision and its performance remains powerful and symbolic. And Lordi was possibly the coolest winner ever. “Fairytale” was actually the first contact I had with Eurovision. Alexander’s boyish charm may not work with me as it worked back then (and boy, it surely worked!) and the song hasn’t aged well (in opposite of Alexander, who still looks quite the same), but… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Sabrina
Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago

Dinle kinda did it six years earlier, though…

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago

This poll definitely has the right bottom three, but I can’t really put the other seven in order – I like them all.

1998
1998
3 years ago

The best one: 2006
The most overrated one: 2009
The worst one: 2001

sam
sam
3 years ago

why is ruslana so underrated here? GO GO.. GO WILD DANCERS!

Stan
Stan
3 years ago

Norway!

Crystal
3 years ago

I picked Finland’s “Hard Rock Hallelujah” because it’s the first Eurovision entry I actually remember hearing and falling in love with in real time. (I had first heard of the Contest in 2003, when I read a CBBC story about Jemini placing dead last at the Contest.) Back in the days of MySpace, I had a German acquaintance I would occasionally correspond with (she was a bit older than me, a single mom with two kids and loved hard rock music) and she so wanted Finland to win (as Germany had strangely sent a country song that year). We were… Read more »

Marc
Marc
3 years ago

Finland!
Epic win. I started watching Esc as a kid in 2002 with my family and I still remember our reaction that night with Lordi. And how different that win was and felt from what I watched the previous years.

Last edited 3 years ago by Marc
Frisian esc
Frisian esc
3 years ago

I must say the weirdest entries out of this decade are also the most iconic ones. Hard Rock hallelujah and wild dances are both low-key bops and ‘I wanna’ from Marie N is a guilty pleasure. My first place would be Serbia though with the best balkan ballad to date!

Sperdatovski
Sperdatovski
3 years ago

In principle, I like the song or not, regardless of the language. But one can count on one’s fingers the winners who sang in their own language without being English. So such a victory gained a lot of weight. Then it must be really a good thing when people liked it and if they didn’t understand.

Belle
Belle
3 years ago

Turkey and Ukraine.

Miss Uncongeniality
Miss Uncongeniality
3 years ago

Sertab, Marija, Helena and Ruslana in that order

NickC
NickC
3 years ago

I really enjoy reading your comments Tibor!

Héctor
Héctor
3 years ago

My first vivid memory comes from Eurovision 2002. One year after, I have in my head the image of a lady with fierce facial expressions winning the contest, she was tied to her dancers. She is, of course, Sertab Erener. That was impactful back then. Next year, Ukraine would send another shocking performance for a 9 year old kid. “Wild Dances” seemed to have been taken out of a film: the costumes, the fire, the dancers. It was wild and I danced to it with my sister for the next months. No other winner that decade really said something to… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Héctor
NickC
NickC
3 years ago

As probably the oldest member of this community who followed ESC carefully in the 00s, here are my two cents for the first 5 contests: 2000: Denmark “flew” under the radar pre-ESC season, and until the final night, no one, literally no one expected them to win. Nobody expected Russia to come second either. That year the big favorite was Estonia (a hype I never understood). While watching the finals, even before the voting, we guessed it would be between Denmark and Russia as those were the best performances of the night. In retrospect, however, I really wish Latvia would… Read more »

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  NickC

Thanks for sharing this recap from the perspective of someone who was involved with the ESC community at the time. I can share mine from the perspective of someone who just very recently saw all four of these contests (There is a possibility I saw them sporadically as a child, but this really revived some long lost memories). So, for me: 2000 – A year with a lot of bad songs, but a couple of good ones too. My only 10/10 rating of the whole 2000-2004 period belongs to Latvia in 2000. What an adorable song! Still, I can totally… Read more »

NickC
NickC
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Colin- I love Israel 2000 and Austria 2000 too, but I have to admit studio cuts were way better than live performances.
2001- I hated Turkey and loved Croatia (funny, aye?)
2002- Croatia sounded way better in Croatian (Sasvim Sigurna, if I remember correctly) and that S&M look did not make her any favors, maybe it was too futuristic at the time.
2003- Norway and Ireland were great… Israel not so much. Croatia was very “Britney”.
2004- for me the worst Croatian entry of all times.

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  NickC

Israel 2000: ”How” was meant in – how was this even a presentable idea? I find a tiny bit of charm in just how inept it was (similar as with Switzerland in 2004), but I can’t find an actual redeeming factors in it – plodding melody, repetitive and unimaginative lyrics, bad vocal performance, amateurish staging – just everything was wrong to the point of being mesmerizing. 😉 2001 – Yeah, this is a nice piece of trivia for the two of us. 🙂 2002 – I find the song better in Croatian, but even then, it’s average at best. 2004… Read more »

NickC
NickC
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Oh i totally forgot celebrate. Hmm.. tough decision. ?

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  NickC

Sorry for reminding you. 🙁

Just to add for Israel 2000 – I am quite happy it exists. This is an anthology song, for sure. It should be studied and admired, because it really feels unique is just how everything went south simultaneously. I still have no idea whether this was a genuine try at quality that went wrong or was this a troll act… In any case, I find it fascinating. 😉

NickC
NickC
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

I honestly liked the studio cut. And imagine, it was 2000 and they announced they are bisexual… (way ahead of their time, and very brave). Then on stage, they had Israeli and Syrian flags. I honestly cannot imagine this happening in the current political climate. Ok, I admit they sounded terrible live, but nevertheless, they made history. Sometimes losing feels like Gold.

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

If you want to hear more about that song, I recommend listening to this recent interview…

https://youtu.be/vkcPNgdnpoE

koe
koe
3 years ago

Sertab and Marija are my picks <3

Stephanie
Stephanie
3 years ago

Please don’t hate me, but I don’t like neither of those 10 winners. Probably because I was just a child in that decade. But I’ll pick one, I think Lordi wasn’t that bad.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
3 years ago

They’re all winners, literally.
My playlist says: 2005! So I listen to that one the most. That’s a surprise. 2006 is apparently second. Hmmm.

As songs, 2001 (funky), 2004 (music), 2006 (rock) and 2007 (native language) all stand out. Both 2008 and 2009 have violins, and 2000 had guitars. Really it just depends on preference. Oh and, 2002-2006 all have the added “choreography plus” element. Lordi wins points for most effort there. 🙂 Yeah, it should probably be 2006, let’s be honest.

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

I am happy to see you like Lordi. That was the first time my winner actually won and that moment for me extended all the way to 2019, when Duncan won. Retroactively, I have put Serbia first in 2007, but it’s still a tie between them and my winner at the time, Andorra. I just love both entries so much in a different way. Usually, the actual winner tends to be someone from my top 10/15, but not top 5, even though there are exceptions.

Can't think of a creative name
Can't think of a creative name
3 years ago

Why is everyone hating on Molitva in the comments? It’s a good winner and a well deserved one.Stop hating on other people’s opinion!

Jo.
Jo.
3 years ago

Serbia and Finland.

KESC
KESC
3 years ago

My favourites are:

1. Norway 2009: “Fairytale”
2. Turkey 2003: “Every way that I can”
3. Greece 2005: “My number one”
4. Ukraine 2004: “Wild Dances”

Skiwalko
Skiwalko
3 years ago

Stermann & Grissemann, right? I remember they tried to represent Austria in 2002, I think, with this bizarre number about “the most beautiful thing in the world”. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that they actually came second. And they had bears on stage for some reason? 2000s, those were different times.

Skiwalko
Skiwalko
3 years ago
Reply to  Skiwalko

Oh yeah, I guess I still haven’t commented on it. I originally intended to make my usual top 5, but I just didn’t find any other song in the NF very interesting. Well, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I absolutely love “Voila”, it’s my favourite song of this ESC season thus far. I haven’t had enough time to properly analyze it, and there’s a lot to unpack here – the ambiguous lyrics and themes, the multitude of different influences you can hear in that song – Jacques Brel, Barbara, Charles Aznavour, just to name the obvious examples. How… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Skiwalko
AMPM
AMPM
3 years ago

Eight of the ten winners from that decade were first time winners. The previous decade (90s) saw no new winners and the following (2010s) had two. Really the 2000s was an epic year for breakthroughs.

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago

Randajad truly deserved to win. even though 2009 was a relatively strong year, Randajad stood far and above the rest. It’s strange how a country can give us an entry as good as that and then give us songs like What Love Is.

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  Ashton

I mean, I love La Forza with all my heart but I detest Verona, so I was happy with the results that both got, and in my opinion, deserved. If I can ask, why don’t you like La Forza? It’s nothing amazingly new but the staging was impactful and vocally she did not hit one bad note.

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  Ashton

That’s fair. Eugent’s voice is also outstanding. Now I’m wondering, did you like Zero Gravity? It’s still popera technically, but I feels like it leans more pop with opera vocals in it.

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  Ashton

So did I. I wanted 2000 and Whatever to win, but Kate’s performance in Tel Aviv made my jaw drop

NickC
NickC
3 years ago
Reply to  Ashton

I also loved zero gravity and hated La Forza.

Emily
Emily
3 years ago

1) Serbia 2007
2) Finland 2006
3) Ukraine 2004
4) Turkey 2003
5) Norway 2009
6) Greece 2005
7) Latvia 2002
8) Russia 2008
9) Denmark 2000
10) Estonia 2001

My top four change from time to time :p

joecrook96
joecrook96
3 years ago

Greece 2005 is the only answer

Olivia
Olivia
3 years ago

My list:

  1. Greece 2005
  2. Serbia 2007
  3. Turkey 2003
  4. Ukraine 2004
  5. Norway 2009
  6. Russia 2008
  7. Finland 2006
  8. Denmark 2000
  9. Estonia 2001
  10. Latvia 2002
Last edited 3 years ago by Olivia
Colin
Colin
3 years ago

I think that all of them are in my top 15 (top 5 for those from pre-semi years) on my lists. So, to different degrees, I am fine with each of them winning. Still, as Molitva is one of the biggest masterpieces of that era and Lordi were my first personal winners I recall actually winning, those are my picks. I also think that Sertab was the best one in 2003 and that Helena was equally good as her in 2005 (the reason that I had a couple of songs above MNO only shows how good of a year it… Read more »

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

The more time passed, the more I appreciate Fairytale for it’s iconic stamp on ESC. If the performer wasn’t as likable and as fitting for the song as Rybak was, perhaps that wouldn’t be as strong entry, but it was. I really liked both Iceland and UK in 2009 as well. Sure, Randajad was by far my winner, but as in most years, there’s a number of songs I still listen to, UK and Iceland included. 😉

TheDrMistery
TheDrMistery
3 years ago

1. Turkey 2003
2. Norway 2009
3. Serbia 2007
4. Greece 2005
5. Ukraine 2004
6. Finland 2006
7. Denmark 2000
8. Latvia 2002
9. Estonia 2001
10. Russia 2008

Liisa
Liisa
3 years ago

Finland and Norway are the best. Most votes for Serbia in this poll come from Balkan anyway, I’m sure of it.

Dragan Majstorovic
3 years ago
Reply to  Liisa

What now, it turns out that the Bakan countries have a larger population than the rest of Europe ?!

Liisa
Liisa
3 years ago

No but Albania for example won every single poll by far this spring, but there were entries that were clearly more appreciated among Eurovision fans.

Last edited 3 years ago by Liisa
koe
koe
3 years ago
Reply to  Liisa

So are the votes and taste of Balkan people not valid, should not be counted? Why? Can we then disregard all the Finland and Norway votes as ‘ah it’s only Scandinavians’

Btw Balkan is only 50mil/750mil in Europe (not even counting other ESC countries) so I don’t see how they can outvote anyone (plus half of the countries there do not like each other)

Liisa
Liisa
3 years ago
Reply to  koe

Balkan countries tend to vote for each other more often than Scandinavia or other regions. A lot of Balkan people have this mentality that they need to no-matter-what support their neighbors, like all Serbia juries putting Montenegro first in semi final 1 2019. They support their neighbors even if it means giving up fairness and voting for those who actually deserve it. That’s why the Balkan region had such a negative reputation in Eurovision.
And I’m not from Scandinavia and I votes for Norway and Finland.

Edin
Edin
3 years ago

The ones that aged the best I would say Turkey, Ukriane, Finland and Serbia.
The ones you forgot are ESC songs are Denmark (it is still a really good song is what i am saying)
The one that you know refer to when talking about ESC is Norway
The others (2001,2002, 2005 and 2008) are quite forgetful…

Last edited 3 years ago by Edin
Nobody Important
Nobody Important
3 years ago

Turkey, Greece and Serbia are my favorites! But at the end, it had to be Serbia! Masterpiece! <3

OpenUpToKazakhstan
OpenUpToKazakhstan
3 years ago

Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and Denmark!!

Robert
Robert
3 years ago

Helena Greece 4 sure.. From the 1st time I heard it I knew it would win, still love it.. Even my Eurovision hating buddies do so it’s a banger

Hellohi
Hellohi
3 years ago

Some great winners here .. cannot stand fairytale any more but it surely leaves the biggest lasting impression.. Also liked Denmark .. However Estonia , Latvia and Russia were all terrible winners and each one of them countries have sent far better non winning songs to Eurovision

Liisa
Liisa
3 years ago
Reply to  Hellohi

2001, 2002 and 2008 were very weak years tho, somebody had to win

TheDrMistery
TheDrMistery
3 years ago
Reply to  Liisa

2008 was an amazing year with terrible winner.

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  TheDrMistery

2008 was a really good year with a good winner, but there were still several stronger songs. For me, it should have been Lisbon 2009.

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

2008 wasn’t so bad. Israel, Norway, Netherlands (robbed of the final), Finland, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, Portugal, and Serbia all had ridiculously strong entries. I really dsilike the winner, however.

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  Ashton

You have a point with the latter 4 songs. All absoltuely terrible. How far we have come, right?

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  Ashton

omg! How did I forget Complice! My 2008 winner and probably one of the best entries of the 2000s

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  Ashton

We disagree a lot when it comes to 2008. 😉 I really love Shady Lady and Vania’s song is an absolute masterpiece (absolutely nothing even remotely alike any Portuguese entry from 2000 to 2011). 🙂 Also, I really liked the Latvian pirates. They were so entertaining. Secret Combination and Qele Qele are both overrated as heck, but they are still solid entries. The Turkey is bad, I know, but I embarrassingly kinda like it. 😉 I’ll give you Estonia in 2008, cause that was just atrocious.

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Also, perhaps not a good idea, but considering how much criticism all of us like to pour down in our comments, maybe there should be a poll for the worst entry of the semi era? So many could blow some steam on that one (For me, there is also so many: Switzerland 2004, Portugal 2011, Belarus 2006, Estonia and Belgium in 2008, Netherlands, Belgium and Bulgaria 2009…ect.). Then again, there would probably be a war in the comments, so perhaps not. 😉 😉 😉

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Thanks 🙂 Likewise, I always have a fun time in both agreeing and disagreeing with you. 🙂

Last edited 3 years ago by Colin
Leo
Leo
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Dustin’s had a major comeback of late since the confrontation with Niall Horan fans in summer. Can he release an updated version of Irlande Douze Points which replaces the country names with those of various ESC acts?

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Well, Serbia was my 4th (only behind Portugal, Switzerland and Albania), so them having a back to back win would’ve been a great option for me as well. 🙂

Richie
Richie
3 years ago

Serbia!!!