Greece: 5 finalists for Eurovision 2022 internal selection include Amanda Tenfjord, Good Job Nicky and Ilias Kozas

Back in September Greece opened the submission window for its Eurovision 2022 internal selection. Record labels were invited to submit packages that included artists, up to three songs, and an overall concept involving staging and promotional activities.

And today Greek broadcaster ERT has revealed the lucky five who have advanced to the final round. The announcement came on Studio 4 with Nancy Zampetoglou and Thanasis Anagnostopoulos. An expert jury will now meet with the five candidates to hear more about their proposals. As you can read and hear below, the artists cover a wide range of genres and come from home and abroad.

Amanda Tenfjord 

She may not be the biggest name, but Amanda has buckets of talent that is said to be catching the eyes and ears of Greece’s decision-makers. The 24-year-old Greek singer — real name Amanda Georgiadis — lives in Norway and was, until recently, training to be a doctor.

Her web site explains a bit more: “While studying medicine, she continued to write music and enter music contests, and it was for fun that she decided to sign up for a showcase festival in Trondheim, where she caught the eye of a record label and, just like that, she was signed.”

Her debut EP First Impression showcases the beauty of her voice and her modern singer-songwriter appeal. It’s a vibe that translates nicely across borders. She manages to mix modern pop, folk, electronic and ambient in magical ways — all wrapped up in Nordic cool. 

Good Job Nicky

Good Job Nicky — real name Nikola Varthakouri — is riding a wave of momentum. The 26-year-old, who is repped by Cobalt Music, released his debut single “Blue” back in January. It shows off his melodic voice and distinct sound, which is at once soulful and bluesy with a flair of alternative pop. We particularly appreciate the quirky video presentation, which conveys his bohemian edge and artistic spirit. The youngest child of celebrated musician Giannis Parios and talk show host Sofia Aliberti, showbiz runs in his veins. 

Greek media have descibred him as “one of the most famous fashion icons of his generation” — and major brands seem to agree. He currently features in the SUPERDRY Autumn / Winter 2021 campaign.

Ilias Kozas

In 2013, he led Greece to a sixth-place finish with the party song “Alcohol is Free”. Now Koza Mostra lead singer Ilias Koza is looking to make a Eurovision comeback all on his own.

Greek culture and lifestyle website Mikrofwno previously reported that the charismatic singer had submitted three songs to Greek broadcaster ERT as part of the internal selection process. Their sources said all of his options were “worthy” of representing Greece, suggesting he himself had some very tough choices to make.

Two of the songs were written by Ilias himself, while the third was co-written with some Swedish hitmakers. While Ilias may be best known as the frontman of Koza Mostra, his songs are submitted as solo works.

Joanna Drigo

Here’s how Joanna’s team describe her on Spotify.

“Joanna Drigo is one of the most promising, young upcoming singers and songwriters in Greece, who has started her career in music with the release of her debut album Kapies ores geniounte ta onira (There’s a time that dreams are born), released by EMI.”

“The first step was taken after being chosen to take part in the live performances of Filippos Pliatsikas, one of the founding members of the legendary band, named Pyx Lax. Joanna’s collaboration with Filippos brought upon the recording of her first album, with two songs ‘Vicky’ and ‘Allergia stis desmefseis’, setting her as one of the most interesting English and Greek-speaking artists in Greece.”

“Joanna later released a second album Zugos stin kardia and some other singles over the years, distinguishing for her numerous, engaging live performances. In 2021 her paths crossed with Spring T(h)ree, a group of ambitious and visionary music producers with long years of experience in music production, song-writing and artists’ promotion. The result of their collaboration is a fresh and original sound, with their first single ‘Foolish games’, while other singles are yet to come.”

LOU IS

Lou — full name Louiza Sofianopoulou — has been performing publicly for more than 15 years. She’s collaborated with artists including Eleni Vitali, Manolis Famellos, Giannis Kotsiras and Dimitra Galani.

Speaking to OGAE Greece, she described her proposed Eurovision song like this:

“[It] surprised me at first because it does not have the introversion of the previous ones. It has my own lyrics and music, it is a disco style dance with fresh pop orchestration and an optimistic message. It tells a story, a transition from the past to something new and better. There is nostalgia and love for what I experienced but a strong and clear mood to move forward! Our whole proposal revolves around this festive passage and opening to the future, the joy and the life full of substance.”