Serhat performs at Eurovision 2019
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Eurovision 2020 will be hosted by The Netherlands , 44 years after they last won the song contest.
Duncan Laurence, favourite to win since the beginning of this year’s competition with the song “Arcade”, triumphed in both the jury and public vote to win first place with 492 points.
It was a fraught competition where, across the evening, it seemed as though any one of six countries could win. But ultimately Sweden failed to sway the public vote, and the soulful ballad won over John Ludvik’s more upbeat but still emotional number.
Madonna, who performed towards the end of the ceremony, caused one of the biggest controversies of the night with an unscheduled political statement that caused uproar in Tel Aviv .
During the second part of her performance it was revealed that her backing dancers were wearing Israeli and Palestinian flags on the backs of their outfits. Organisers quickly issued a statement saying this was not a planned part of the event.
“In the live broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final, two of Madonna’s dancers briefly displayed the Israeli and Palestinian flags on the back of their outfits,” the statement said.
“This element of the performance was not part of the rehearsals which had been cleared with the EBU and the host broadcaster, KAN. The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political event and Madonna had been made aware of this.”
The Eurovision final 2019 – in picturesShow all 38 1 /38The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Malta's Michela performs the song "Chameleon" during the Grand Final of the 64th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 on 18 May in Tel Aviv.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Jonida Maliqi defends Albania's position with the song "Ktheju tokës".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures The Czech Republic's Lake Malawi performs the song "Friend of a Friend".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures The duo S!sters represent Germany with the tune "Sister".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Russia's Sergey Lazarev sings the song "Scream" during the final.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Leonora represents Denmark with the ballad "Love is Forever".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures San Marino's Serhat electrifies the crowd with the song "Say Na Na Na".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Tamara Todevska represents North Macedonia with the song "Proud".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Sweden's John Lundvik performs the song "Too Late for Love".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Slovenia's Zala Kralj and Gasper Santl sing the tune "Sebi" together during the Grand Final.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Cyprus' Tamta performs the song "Replay".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Duncan Laurence, representing Netherlands , performs the song "Arcade".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Katerine Duska sings "Better Love" for Greece.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Israel's Kobi Marimi performs the song "Home" during the final.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Norwegian supergoup KEiiNO represent their country with "Spirit in the Sky".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Norwegian supergoup KEiiNO represent their country with "Spirit in the Sky".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures The UK's Michael Rice delivers an acclaimed performance of "Bigger than Us".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Iceland's Hatari perform the song "Hatrid mun sigra" during the final.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Estonia's Victor Crone performs "Storm" during the Grand Final of the 64th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures ZENA represents Belarus with the song "Like It".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Azerbaijan's Chingiz performs the song "Truth".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Bilal Hassani represents France with the pop tune "Roi" during the Grand Final.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Mahmood sings the song "Soldi" for Italy.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Serbia's Nevena Bozovic performs the song "Kruna".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Luca Hanni performs the song "She Got Me" for Switzerland.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Australia's Kate Miller-Heidke performs the song "Zero Gravity" with a spectacular stage display.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Spain's Miki wraps up the Grand Final with the tune "La Venda".
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Hosts Assi Azar, Lucy Ayoub, Bar Refaeli and Erez Tall walk on stage for the final.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Designer Jean-Paul Gaultier and supermodel Bar Refaeli chat during the final.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Serhat, representing San Marino, and Israel's TV host Assi Azar are pictured together during the evening.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Demonstrators protest the Eurovision on the sidelines of the song contest in Tel Aviv.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Demonstrators protest the Eurovision on the sidelines of the song contest in Tel Aviv.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures A UK supporter poses in the Eurovision village in Tel Aviv.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures This installation is located in the Eurovision village.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Crowds gather in the Eurovision village on the sidelines of the contest.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Supporters of the Netherlands pose in the Eurovision village.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Duncan Laurence, representing The Netherlands, wins the Grand Final of the Eurovision.
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The Eurovision final 2019 – in pictures Duncan Laurence performs "Arcade" after winning the song contest.
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Upon learning their score, Iceland also unveiled a scarf bearing the Palestinian flag, which draw both cheers and boos from the live audience.
Other favourites among fans included Norway ’s trio KEiiNO and their song “Spirit in the Sky”, Czech Republic’s catchy number “Friend of a Friend”, and San Marino’s loveable entry Serhat with “Say Na Na Na”.
The UK pinned its hopes on 22-year-old Michael Rice this year. The singer performed the song “Bigger Than Us” but ultimately came in last place due to low votes from both the professional juries and the public.
Top 10 UK Eurovision entriesShow all 10 1 /10Top 10 UK Eurovision entries Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 10. Better the Devil You Know - Sonia (Runner-up in Millstreet, 1993) 352.9pts Sonia’s Eurovision journey took her to Millstreet, Ireland - and with its population of just 1,500, it holds the record for being the smallest host “city”. The town’s equestrian arena was transformed into a TV studio for the contest, meaning that many of the video postcards between performances have a very horsey vibe. Ms Evans chit-chats to a couple of foals in hers. This year the UK won 3 points from Bosnia and Herzegovina. When that particular Balkan jury managed to phone through on a connection that sounded so fragile and fragmented, they received the biggest applause of the night, having delivered their votes in the midst of the Bosnian War. Eurovision at its most important.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 9. Making Your Mind Up - Bucks Fizz (Winner in Dublin, 1981) 355.4pts This tune is so synonymous with British Eurovision glory, what could possibly explain it ranking no higher than 9th? Bucks Fizz are ingrained into the national psyche by the yearly repetition of that one skirt-whipping clip. But we’d imagine that Cheryl, Jay, Mike and Bobby would be the first to say their vocals weren’t quite as polished as we’ve come to expect from the legendary band. However, that takes absolutely nothing away from this absolute classic. And if our rundown is inspiring you to do a bit of a Eurovision deep dive, then check out the poptastic “Christmas With The Fizz” (who cares that it’s May?) and Jay Aston’s “True Love” on Spotify.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 8. Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit - Gina G (8th in Oslo, 1996) 360.1pts Cher has an enjoyable habit of covering Eurovision artists: ABBA (she released an entire album last year), Bucks Fizz (“Heart of Stone”), Johnny Logan (One by One), and Gina G, literally, with a rejected, spangly dress. That iconic outfit Gina wore in Oslo was actually custom made by Paco Rabanne for Cher, who was living in Wapping at the time. For whatever reason, the “Believe” hitmaker cast aside the glittering garment one afternoon at the Warner Bros offices, where Ms G later stumbled across it hanging up just days before the contest. She stuffed it into her handbag and the rest is history.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 7. Puppet on a String - Sandie Shaw (Winner in Vienna, 1967) 366.5pts Our first Eurovision victory. Sandie notoriously hated this song “from the very first oompah to the final bang on the big bass drum… I was instinctively repelled by its sexist drivel and cuckoo-clock tune” she recalls in her autobiography. As part of a promo drive to reinvigorate Sandie’s public profile, “Puppet On A String” was written for the contest and not for its performer – thankfully, because the British public still loves it over half a century later, and it might not have ever existed.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 6. Where Are You? - Imaani (Runner-up in Birmingham, 1998) 366.7pts If there’s one UK entry that deserves more recognition than it gets, it’s this. Imaani was the UK’s fifteenth and most recent runner-up. She narrowly missed out on a hometurf victory as “Where Are You?” failed to win any points when the final jury dished out their scores. It’s both frustrating and joyful that a recurring feature of Eurovision is that sometimes an incredible performance alone is not enough to win. 1998 was an important year for trans visibility across Europe, as Israeli superstar Dana International won the competition by a margin of 6 points with her track “Diva”. She’ll be performing at the finals this week, alongside Madonna – both dressed by Jean Paul Gaultier, who created Dana’s iconic feathery Birmingham victory outfit..
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 5. Boom Bang-a-Bang - Lulu (Winner in Madrid, 1969) 367.4pts Lulu won the 14th contest in a four-way tie with France, Spain and the Netherlands – a situation which prompted Finland, Norway, Portugal and Sweden to withdraw from the following year’s contest out of protest. Such drama! Salvador Dalí designed the promotional materials for the contest as well as the stage, which explains the slightly weird metal sculpture that Lulu performed in front of.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 4. Love Shine a Light - Katrina and the Waves (Winner in Dublin, 1997) 381.1pts It’s been 22 long years since Katrina Leskanich brought home our last Eurovision victory, and we suspect it’ll be at least 23 years until the next. “Love Shine A Light” was originally written as a track for the Samaritans organisation, but several friends and colleagues convinced Leskanich to enter it into that years’ Song For Europe where it romped to victory, 11,138 votes ahead of our other potential entry: “Yodel In The Canyon of Love” by Do-Re Me feat Kerri.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 3. Storm - SuRie (24th in Lisbon, 2018) 381.4pts Eurovision performances can stand out for all sorts of reasons. SuRie’s time on stage is memorable not because her microphone was snatched by a stage invader, but by the way she reacted to the situation. Few other artists on this list would have handled it so deftly. As she picks the mic from off the floor, she kicks back into the bridge with the lyrics: “Hold your head up, don't give up, no no” - at which point you can see her adrenaline weaponising those words to deliver a defiant, triumphant and unforgettable end to the song. In 60+ years of Eurovision participation SuRie’s performance is unique in that it unquestionably transcends the song. An absolute ambassador for Britain’s participation in Eurovision, her next single “Only You and I” is out on 17 May.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 2. Save Your Kisses for Me - Brotherhood of Man (Winner in The Hague, 1976) 381.9pts With a last-second plot twist to rival those in Game of Thrones, “Save Your Kisses For Me” is the highest ranking winner on our chart. 1976 was the first time since the Sixties that our national final was open to multiple artists, rather than one act selected by the BBC presenting a number of tracks. The Brotherhood fought off stiff competition from Co-Co and Sweet Dreams (who would both go on to represent in ‘78 and ‘83 respectively), as well as turns from Hazel Dean and Tony Christie. Check out Kenickie’s version, commissioned in the late Nineties by Channel 4 for a special Eurotrash does Eurovision compilation.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 1. Never Give Up on You - Lucie Jones (15th in Kiev, 2017) 398.4pts Uh oh. We fully realise that some fans will race to the bottom of this list, see “Lucie Jones” at number one, slam their Union Jack mug down, open a new tab and furiously tap out a tweet about the ludicrousness of it all. In another poll, in another format, another song might come top – but judging across composition, lyrics, vocals, presentation and charisma, Lucie’s performance ranked highly in all 5 categories with all 20 jury members. A strong song, expertly delivered and beautifully staged. “Never Give Up On You” serves as a reminder that when we try, we’re not a lost cause at Eurovision. One day in the not too distant future, a British artist will come along with a self-penned track, a story to tell, a vision of how to present it, and a personality that’ll shine through on Europe’s biggest stage. If they match Lucie’s technical ability, that’s when we’ll win Eurovision again.
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The Eurovision liveblog has now closed:
Show latest update 1558195701 Hello, and welcome to The Independent's Eurovision liveblog for this year's final! I'll be your host for this evening, providing the latest news, commentary, video and images from across the night, along with updates from our Eurovision Correspondent in Tel Aviv, Rob Holley (find him on Twitter @robholley )
roisin.oconnor 18 May 2019 17:08
1558197036 roisin.oconnor 18 May 2019 17:30
1558198384 This is amazing - how Australia gets onto the stage for their performance!
roisin.oconnor 18 May 2019 17:53
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