After the grand unveiling of Rotterdam as the host city of ESC 2020, details surrounding this year’s production are coming thick and fast. It’s only going to continue in the coming months — and today is no different. Writing on Twitter, Dutch Eurovision commentator and long-time ESC enthusiast Cornald Maas revealed that he has been given an important task for the 65th edition of Eurovision.
Nav vragen: ik word -naast paar andere dingen; later daarover meer- ‘creative advisor’ van het creatieve en organiserende team #songfestival2020
— Cornald Maas (@cornaldm) August 31, 2019
“After receiving questions about my role in ESC2020, I am announcing that I will become ‘creative adviser’ — among other things, which will be announced later on.”
Cornald Maas is a very important Eurovision figure in the Netherlands. Maas is responsible for the commentary of the ESC live shows for Dutch television and has spent years working behind the scenes. As many of you will know, he’s also hosted several editions of Eurovision in Concert — the biggest Eurovision promo event, which takes place annually in Amsterdam.
Cornald is appreciated for his involvement with ESC partly because he’s always remained positive — even in the years when the Dutch failed to qualify for the grand final. Yes, during that period of eight consecutive non-qualifications from 2005 until 2012.
A couple of years ago, Cornald became part of the selection committee. As part of the team, he influenced decisions that brought several successful acts to ESC, including Anouk (2013), The Common Linnets (2014), Douwe Bob (2016) and of course, the winner of Eurovison 2019, Duncan Laurence. During that period he also made time to connect with the community of Eurovision fans at home and abroad, even helping us with reporting on various occasions.
Here you can watch Cornald Maas’ commentary when The Netherlands won Eurovision in Tel Aviv.
Because of his involvement and his great love and passion for the festival, it’s no surprise that Cornald has been given this important job. Those are two of the reasons we included him on our wishlist of potential hosts for Eurovision 2020. We’ve now doubt this dedicated personality — and Eurovision fan — will make it a priority to put on an amazing 65th edition of the song contest.
Do you think Cornald Maas will do a great job as creative adviser? Which creative decisions would you like to see made for #ESC2020 in Rotterdam? Let us know in the comment section down below!
Best man in the Netherlands for the job, I’d reckon. Can’t imagine how he must have felt still sticking up for Eurovision during his country’s darkest period in the contest, but he probably was better to have around at the time than other, more defeatist commentators (*cough*Terry Wogan*cough*).
Also, I think they said that one of the directors is helping with set design. Whether or not that means the whole set or just the set pieces delegations bring, I don’t know, but if it’s the former, there’s another big thumbs-up from me.
Oh, Terry Wogan… I miss the dude so much, he had such a lovely passive-agressive sense of humour. I think if he’d been the Dutch commentator, he would have been like “oh, we didn’t make the final again… wake me up when something interesting happens”. It’s a shame that he didn’t have a chance to witness Portugal winning after 53 years of waiting, or Lucie Jones making her country proud with that 15th place, or the “Love Love Peace Peace” act… Rest in peace, Terry.
I think he was an ignorant, clueless *fillintheblank*, constantly mispronouncing everything and giving false assessments. He blamed the Iraq war for the UK’s bad results, for example. How deaf can you be? Although he got one thing right: “Dr. Death and The Tooth Fairy”, Denmark’s hosts in 2001. I still have to laugh, even though I saw it like five years ago. 🙂
Well, he might have had some strong opinions about the contest (that were only getting worse as the time went by), and he could always find a new excuse for UK’s bad results, but you’ve gotta admit that he was always fun to listen to, and he did a fantastic job hosting the show with Ulrika in 1998.
He could be funny, but he more than anyone hammered in the ideas that have had the most damage to the UK’s hopes of doing well consistently: 1) It’s never their fault if the song does badly – nobody likes the UK and everyone just votes for their neighbors. 2) The acts are all just a bunch of funny foreigners except Ireland and the odd other entry. Anything with ethnic instruments is weird and how on earth do they do so well (See: Lane moje, Dinle, O meu coracao nao tem cor). 3) You should never take it seriously for… Read more »
I wonder why they thought that though. These failures were no mystery. You’re in the dark as long as you choose to be. With the first good entry they sent, they qualified again.
“My Impossible Dream” was a classy Whitney Houston-type song worth a final (especially in the middle of the road year of 2005), but the rest of the songs form that dark period just didn’t work, whether it was a bad song, singer, staging or everything at once. Like I can’t imagine anyone, let alone a broadcaster thinking that an act like De Toppers would make the Netherlands come back to the GF.
Exactly! The only thing they had a right to be upset about was Sieneke not qualifying. That entry was top notch! Mentored by the hip Marianne Weber, written by Vader Abraham, styling a teen like a geriatric patient, I loved it. Even Stefan Raab said that it takes real guts to send something like that and I agree. It takes guts and no shame. haha
And yet the tele voters had her above Harel Ska’at in the semi. LOL.
It came down to the broadcaster not realizing tastes had moved on and a lack of commitment from big artists or really creative people. Cornald always saw the potential to do well. The broadcaster didn’t. Them listening to him at last was vitally important to turning things around.
If he had a say in selecting the Common Linnets and Duncan then clearly he has good taste with regards to the contest and this should be recognised. Moreover with the concerns about his English, this is a good way to give him an important role while leaving hosting duties to others
I just love Cornald! He made some mistakes when saying “this has absolute potential” (Waylon, Trijntje Oosterhuis), but he always believed in it. And, at last: it paid off! I honestly hope that, one day, he gets a medal or something for everything he did and still does. Nothing but the utmost respect!
Sorry but his English is terrible and a host should be -with all respect- nice for the eye… . A creative role behind the scenes(!) suits him perfectly.
Bye bye Bjorkman!
Hopefully that’s permanent.
Here’s to hoping that leaves no more space for a certain other so-called “creative advisor”.
“He” is essentially on showrunner duties as contest producer though.