Eurovision – Australia Decides have revealed the next four artists to compete in their national final in 2022. SBS have brought into the mix pop newcomer Charley, X Factor UK and The Voice Australia alum Sean Miley Moore, metal quintet Voyager and previously announced songwriter, Jude York.

While the four artists round out the 10 participants in Eurovision Decides, SBS and TikTok have joined forces and sprung a surprise wildcard entrant – announcing a national TikTok Wildcard contest to find an 11th artist to take part in Eurovision – Australia Decides.

Australia Decides 2022: Next four revealed artists

Charley

Gold Coast born / Sydney-based emerging singer and songwriter Charley is a pop-diva in the making. Signing with record label EMI in 202, her debut single Hard For Me embraces female sexuality and unapologetic love, and has racked up tens of thousands of views on Youtube. Her second single Arizona introduces a more personal edge to Charley’s music, born from the anxiety that has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. She describes her sound as pop, with a fusion of Katy Perry and Julia Michaels.

Charley said:

“Eurovision has always seemed so out of reach, but now I feel one step closer by performing at Eurovision – Australia Decides on the Gold Coast. I’m so excited as my family and I are huge fans and I can’t wait to do them proud. I wrote my song two and a half years ago about my biggest heartbreak, so being able to turn something so dark into something beautiful is a really special moment for me.”

Seann Miley Moore

Seann, who is trained in musical theatre, began his career in Helpmann award-winning productions The King & I and  Sweet Charitybefore travelling to London where he was a finalist in X Factor UK in 2015, mentored by BBC Radio 1 presenter Nick Grimshaw. He also appeared in The Voice Australia in 2021.

Seann has headlined on the UK/European Gay Pride Circuit, including London Pride, appearing at London’s 02 Arena, and was featured at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. An embodiment of queer excellence, with a gorgeous sense of humour, Seann is known for pushing boundaries outside the heteronormative.

Seann Miley Moore said:

“I don’t stand here like ‘I want to be different’, ‘I want to be unique’, or ‘I want to wear all this to be seen and heard.’ I stand here as a proud queer man, a proud brown man and most importantly, a proud Australian – it comes down to authenticity and happiness. Doing all these things make me happy. They make me feel alive. That’s what matters. Eurovision is about celebrating your pride and I’m ready to give you all the fabulous joy baby! EveryBODY is welcome in Seann Miley Moore’s world – so Australia, pack your bags, we’re going to the Gold Coast! xoxo SMM.”

Voyager

The progressive metal band from Western Australia Voyager have been active and on the scene since 1999. Having released seven full-length albums, five singles, and fourteen video clips, the seasoned professionals blend metal and pop and bring forward a positive, uplifting feeling to their music. Frontman Danny Estrin, a long-time Eurovision fanatic, brings a signature dose of ‘80s influenced vocals and hook-laden keytar lines over the top of genre-transfiguring, ultra-modern and prismatic hard rock has travelled the world many times over.

Voyager’s Danny Estrin (vocals and keytar) said:

“Eurovision is the greatest show on earth, so getting a chance to represent Western Australia and to showcase our keytar driven brand of heavy music is one of the most exciting and surreal opportunities to ever come our way!! So, thank you Australia for giving us the opportunity to take you on a voyage with us in what has been a lifelong dream.”

Jude York

Newcomer Jude York has arrived on the international music scene and a flurry of interest, after being announced as a songwriter for the contest back in October. Jude has over 20 million streams already under his belt, and has amassed a strong following to his unique style of music. While releasing music under a variety of different projects, Jude has honed his proficient skills as a singer, songwriter, and producer.

Jude York said:

“When I found out that my song was selected from the portal, I was already incredibly honoured and excited. Now to know that I’m also performing it live on one of Australia’s biggest platforms is more than I could have possibly asked for! The song is all about believing that dreams do come true, and I feel like mine really are right now!”

TikTok Wildcard Contest to find 11th artist

While the four artists above round out the 10 known artists to compete at Eurovision – Australia Decides, SBS, Blink TV and TikTok have today announced a national TikTok Wildcard contest to find an 11th artist to take part in the national selection.

From today, Australians over 16 years of age can be in the running to become the TikTok Wildcard Artist to compete in Eurovision – Australia Decides. Entants need to post a vocal performance clip, up to one minute long, with the hashtag #EurovisionAustralia on TikTok. Entrants can sing and perform what they like, and a  panel of industry experts will then determine the winner, who will go on to round out a total line-up of 11 artists on the Gold Coast.

The TikTok Wildcard Artist contest via #EurovisionAustralia is open for submissions from today until Sunday, 16 January 2022. Entrants can submit a video as individuals or as a group with up to six members in total.

And while 2016 Eurovision entrant Dami Im has ruled herself out of the running of this year’s national contest, SBS have assigned her ambassador of the TikTok wildcard entrant search. Dami’s TikTok account has released videos of tips and tricks on how to curate a powerful, Eurovision-worthy performance.

KEiiNO announced as guest performer at Eurovision – Australia Decides

Australian audiences will also be graced by Eurovision royalty. KEiiNO, the trio who represented Norway at Eurovision in 2019, will also be taking to the Gold Coast as the first stop of their Australian tour. 

KEiiNO said:

“We can’t wait to perform during Eurovision – Australia Decides, as the first stop of our Australian tour! To be guest-starring in this impressive line-up of artists is a true honour, and we promise to put on a show that will bring back memories of 2019 and turn them into an epic moment of 2022. The Australian audience is amazing, so there’s no other place in the world we’d rather be than on Gold Coast the last weekend of February!”

About Eurovision – Australia Decides 2022

In association with the Queensland Government via Tourism and Events Queensland, Major Events Gold Coast, Screen Queensland, APRA AMCOS, and official artist accommodation partner Dorsett Gold Coast, Eurovision – Australia Decides will be presented at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 February.

Hosted by comedian Joel Creasey and music buff Myf Warhurst, Eurovision – Australia Decides will showcase the best of Australian music and talent. Australians are encouraged to vote for their favourite artist and song to represent the nation on the world’s biggest stage. The winner will be revealed during the Live TV Final which will be broadcast exclusively on SBS and SBS On Demand on Saturday 26 February.

Be a part of history and see it live at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. Tickets for the Jury Preview Show, Matinee Preview Show and Live TV Final are now on sale.

OPENING NIGHT SHOW Friday 25 February, 7.30pm AEST (Not televised – Tickets available)

Jury Vote

MATINEE SHOW Saturday 26 February, 1.00pm AEST (Not televised – Tickets available)

LIVE TV FINAL Saturday 26 February, 7.30pm AEST (Live and Exclusive TV Broadcast on SBS – Tickets available)

Public Vote and Winner Announced

To purchase tickets: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=EUROVISI22

For Queensland accommodation packages see: here

Eurovision – Australia Decides 2022 airs live and exclusively on SBS and SBS On Demand on Saturday 26 February.

Broadcast times across Australia:

NSW/VIC/TAS/ACT 8:30pm – 11:00pm AEDT

QLD 7:30pm – 10:00pm AEST

SA 8:00pm – 10:30pm ACDT

WA 5:30pm – 8:00pm AWST

NT 7:00pm – 9:30pm ACST

 

26 Comments
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ESC Stan
ESC Stan
2 years ago

Australia has picked some artists that, if chosen and depending on the song, could be real contenders. But people having on an initiative to celebrate emerging artists? Wasn’t Justin Bieber found on YouTube?

Jay
Jay
2 years ago

This disdain for TikTok in the comments is a bit over the top, no? A talented artist is a talented artist, regardless of platform. Dismissing it completely just come across as bitter and afraid of change. Yes, there’s plenty of cringe on TikTok, but can you not easily say the same for Eurovision itself? Lighten up people.

Josh
Josh
2 years ago

Been a huge fan of Voyager for a long time and even if they don’t make it to Eurovision, I’m super excited to see them play on the big stage.

Nils
Nils
2 years ago

jude york sounds promising. the others not so much.

Im so fab
Im so fab
2 years ago

“Tik tok wildcard”

I literally rolled my eyes when I read about that.

GojoSatoru
GojoSatoru
2 years ago
Reply to  Im so fab

Same. TikTok is the epitome of cringe. The only thing TikTok is good for is the advertising of songs.

Héctor
Héctor
2 years ago

Strong line-up, I believe. Let’s wait for the songs.

Indiana07
Indiana07
2 years ago

I have big hopes for Australia because they usually send a great song after every 2 years.
2016: great
2017: bad
2018: very good
2019: disaster
2020: good
2021: bad

GojoSatoru
GojoSatoru
2 years ago
Reply to  Indiana07

2015: Great
2016: Great
2017: Great, but Isaiah’s vocals in the final weren’t as good as in the semifinal, making it quite underwhelming.
2018: Bad
2019: Not really my taste, but it was surely great.
2020: Studio version was great, live version was a disaster.
2021: The studio version as well as the live version was bad.

Faezdel
Faezdel
2 years ago
Reply to  GojoSatoru

2017 great? Come one, it was a boring and lacklustre ballad that failed to catch the audience’s attention. Only juries saved it from ending last in the scoreboard.

aussieoi
aussieoi
2 years ago

Just wondering, do the other broadcasters market Eurovision as a glitter drag queen circus or is it just us in Australia who’s seeing it from the outside? Because it feels like we take it seriously but then it feels sometimes like it’s a joke

Héctor
Héctor
2 years ago
Reply to  aussieoi

I do believe Australia has Eurovision as an over-the-top, kind of circus, gay show which really sell well when you think what is trending (Drag race,…) . But same happens in the United States, which is not true by the way. Though Australia always has good artists in the NF.

Also a lot of viewers of those shows tend to like Eurovision and viceversa, so it’s natural broadcasters try to sell ESC like that. It’s a great way to attract young viewers too.

Azaad
Azaad
2 years ago
Reply to  Héctor

SBS itself takes it seriously especially since the reason the broadcaster exists is to provide multicultural content. The wider public think of it as a camp affair but not necessarily joke territory.

Overall the 2010s saw Eurovision as a whole being regarded as more serious and less jokey than before internationally, not just in Australia.

Mark
Mark
2 years ago
Reply to  Héctor

I find Drag Queens as being too extra for me

Pearli
Pearli
2 years ago

I can feel we are gonna get some campy stuff & generic pop here.

OhhHoney
OhhHoney
2 years ago

Tik Tok search? I’ve never been more embarrassed to be an Australian.

Oscar
Oscar
2 years ago
Reply to  OhhHoney

We did have Jack Vidgen at Australia Decides so there’s been far worse moments.

OhhHoney
OhhHoney
2 years ago
Reply to  Oscar

Well nothing so hear has been worse than Courtney Act but I’m going to say this Tik tok person might give her a run for worst entry lol

Pearli
Pearli
2 years ago
Reply to  OhhHoney

I really wanan quote what Adele says about TikTok music.

Ashton
Ashton
2 years ago
Reply to  OhhHoney

what a great statement when we’ve heard literally none of the songs

Ellie
Ellie
2 years ago
Reply to  OhhHoney

I don’t understand this disdain for TikTok. Three of our ESC winners have seen viral success on there. Some of the biggest surprise hits this year were older songs that blew up on TikTok first. Much like with Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, etc., TikTok is changing how music is consumed. It’s not going away so learn to take advantage of it.

Not everyone has the access or connections to get a record deal, but TikTok could provide exposure for a young artist that thinks they have what it takes to represent Australia at Eurovision. Let’s see how it goes first.

OhhHoney
OhhHoney
2 years ago
Reply to  Ellie

Having a song going viral on tik toc and being an “artist” on Tik toc are two very different things.

Jendrik was a tik toc “star” and we all saw how that turned out…..

Ellie
Ellie
2 years ago
Reply to  OhhHoney

But the point is that TikTok is now one of the main drivers of popular music. Dismissing it outright because some stars are not so talented means you’ll miss out on the ones that are. There’s no guarantee this industry panel will select anyone worthy, but that doesn’t mean the potential for TikTok to give exposure to undiscovered artists should be ignored.

Ukraine stan
Ukraine stan
2 years ago
Reply to  OhhHoney

It’s pretty clear that they want to find the most popular tiktoker so they can attract young people to watch E:AD.

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
2 years ago

Okay, but it still doesn’t reveal who Isiah’s singing partner is for his duet.

khan
khan
2 years ago
Reply to  BadWoolfGirl

maybe thats the Tik-Tok wild card?