Dutch television host and Eurovision commentator Cornald Maas told newspaper AD on Tuesday that AVROTROS’ selection committee is set to meet next week for the first time. This is after the submission window closes on 31 August.
Almost 400 entries were submitted during last year’s competition. Speaking to AD, Cornald said that he expected to see the number of submissions decrease, but he hinted that there would be plenty of young talent to choose from. He said:
“The bar of Eurovision is being set higher [each year]. (…) This year alone, there have been four songs from the past Eurovision that made the [Dutch] Top 40. I looked it up: this has only happened three times before in Eurovision history. The last time was in 1983. I think a lot of artists think: there has to be something about applying.”
“A lot of young people see their chances as healthy and that’s what I like the most. That unknown talent does not feel barred, but applies and thinks: wait, this process is there for me too.”
How the Netherlands will select its Eurovision 2023 song
The Netherlands will internally select its entry for the eleventh time in a row. Internal selections have done the Western European country a favour as it has led to a victory and a second place in the past decade.
Similar to last year, the selection committee consists of six people. They include Eurovision commentators Cornald Maas and Jan Smit alongside radio DJs Carolien Borgers and Sander Lantinga, television presenter and Eurovision 2021 press conference host Hila Noorzai and AVROTROS CEO Eric van Stade.
Although the selection committee intends to meet the first week of September, the selection process is set to conclude in November.
Cornald told AD:
“All songs are collected and then we will listen to them from next week and we will sift through them. Sometimes we will ask people if they want to look over [their entry] once again, so that we can listen to it in a second round.”
Who do you hope to see sing for the Netherlands at Eurovision 2023? Who is on your wishlist? Let us know in the comments down below!
i would love to see Rondé, great music, great singer, great live performance and an international sound??
still listening to de diepte, best song of the year imo
It will be a decade since Anouk brought the Netherlands back to the big names of the context, so hopefully they continue serving quality as they have donde since then. Would love to see on stage another young artist suggested by Ilse and following Duncan’s and her styles.
I’m positive the Netherlands will win within the next few years, they’ve been consistently serving quality entries.
I just hope they don’t suddenly end their streak of quality entries and begin to flop again, like Belgium.
Is it possible to always have a back up plan? Broadcasters need to have back up performances, need back ups for when stage aspects don’t work with this new idea. Doesn’t it all become too complex at a certain point with the small timeframe everything needs to be prepared in for eurovision?
Wrong comment section 🙂
Please keep it in Dutch (or Frisian)!
I like The Netherlands and their approach towards Eurovision, keep the dutch language, your entry was beautiful this year.
Good, if a formula works, why bother fixing a working machine? I hope that whoever will follow S10 as the next Dutch representative will leave a mark in the UK next year. In a good way, not the ‘Sieneke’ or ‘Toppers’ way
I think since going internal and their turnaround in fortunes, they’d be too scared to back to a national final, since the last time they did they were on their 8th non-qualification in a row…
Just a thought
I’d love it if the Netherlands held a National Final from next year on instead of an internal selection. I bet there’s more than one great entry every window, so why not to try?
Dutch viewer should never have a say in what entry we should send honestly
I bet you’re Dutch and that you know better than me about this, but why though?
Even though my country has fared pretty well the last few years and I really liked choices like S10 and Duncan, I always feel pretty doubtful about the Dutch committee. With people like jan smit and cornald maas you never know what they will like.. Makes me wish we could know what other entries were applied.
I kinda would like it if AVROTROS would try a national final again with the renewed Dutch enthusiasm for eurovision. The songs that they receive internally have gotten better, so why wouldn’t that be the same for a national final?
That could be true but I think the internal selection is more like a save space for artists who didn’t made it. To avoid the risk of loosing I think the popular artist won’t participate in a televised national final.
We should have no say in out entries
Indeed, we Dutchies always prioritize a popular artist instead of prioritizing a good song.
I think that happens almost everywhere, though. Just look at Finland this year for example :/
I agree it might be the right time for a national final or a renewal of the selection committee, I mean, jantje and cornald aren‘t the hippest blokes around?
Does that mean they’ll release the song this year?
No, the committee will