Eurovision Song Contest 2021

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"Eurovision 2021" redirects here. For the junior contest, see Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021.

Eurovision Song Contest 2021
Open Up
Eurovision Song Contest 2021 logo.svg
Dates
Semi-final 118 May 2021
Semi-final 220 May 2021
Final22 May 2021
Host
VenueRotterdam Ahoy
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Presenter(s)
Directed by
  • Marnix Kaart
  • Marc Pos
  • Daniel Jelinek
Executive supervisorMartin Österdahl
Executive producer
  • Sietse Bakker
  • Astrid Dutrénit
Host broadcaster
Opening act
Interval act
Websiteeurovision.tv/event/rotterdam-2021 Edit this at Wikidata
Participants
Number of entries39
Debuting countriesNone
Returning countries Bulgaria
 Ukraine
Non-returning countries Armenia
 Belarus
 Hungary
 Montenegro
  • Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Slovakia in the Eurovision Song ContestAustria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Hungary in the Eurovision Song ContestCroatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song ContestMontenegro in the Eurovision Song ContestSerbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021North Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Turkey in the Eurovision Song ContestCyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Armenia in the Eurovision Song ContestMorocco in the Eurovision Song ContestLiechtenstein in the Eurovision Song ContestAndorra in the Eurovision Song ContestMonaco in the Eurovision Song ContestPoland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song ContestLebanon in the Eurovision Song ContestTunisia in the Eurovision Song ContestA coloured map of the countries of Europe
    About this image
         Participating countries     Did not qualify from the semi final     Countries that participated in the past but not in 2021
Vote
Voting systemEach country awards two sets of 12, 10, 8–1 points to 10 songs: the first–from a professional jury, the second–from viewers.
Nul points United Kingdom[a]
Winning song Italy
"Zitti e buoni"
2019 ← 2020 ← Eurovision Song Contest → 2022

The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 was the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The contest took place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, following the country's victory at the 2019 contest with the song "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence. The Netherlands was due to host the 2020 contest, before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the fifth time that the Netherlands had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1958, 1970, 1976 and 1980. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcasters Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO), Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) and AVROTROS, the contest was held at Rotterdam Ahoy and consisted of two semi-finals on 18 and 20 May, and the final on 22 May 2021. The EBU discussed carryovers between the 2020 and 2021 contests, and many participating countries allocated the same artists who were due to represent them in 2020. The three live shows were hosted by Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley, Jan Smit and Nikkie de Jager.

Thirty-nine countries participated in the contest. Bulgaria and Ukraine returned after their absences from the 2019 contest, while Hungary and Montenegro did not return after their 2019 participation. Armenia and Belarus had originally planned to participate, but Armenia later withdrew due to social and political crises following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and Belarus was disqualified after their intended entry was found to be in violation of the contest's rules.

The winner was Italy with the song "Zitti e buoni", performed by Måneskin and written by the band's members Damiano David, Ethan Torchio, Thomas Raggi and Victoria De Angelis. This was Italy's third victory in the contest, following their wins in 1964 and 1990, and making them only the second member of the "Big Five" to win the contest since the group's establishment, following Germany's victory in 2010. Måneskin's victory also makes them the first band to win the contest since Lordi for Finland in 2006. France, Switzerland, Iceland and Ukraine rounded out the top five, with France and Switzerland achieving their best results since 1991 and 1993 respectively. For the first time since 1995, none of the top three entries were performed in English. Also, for the first time since the current voting system was implemented in 2016, four countries received nul points from the televote: host country the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom, the last of those becoming the first country to receive nul points from both the jury and televote. This was also the second time that the United Kingdom had received nul points in the contest, the last time having been in 2003. For the first time since its debut in 2015, Australia failed to qualify for the final, leaving Ukraine as the only country to have never failed to qualify from the semi-finals since their introduction in 2004.[b]

The EBU reported that the contest had an audience of 183 million viewers in 36 European markets, an increase of 1 million viewers from the previous edition, with an increase of seven percent in the 15–24 year old age range.[1][2]

Location

Rotterdam Ahoy, the venue of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021.

The 2021 contest was held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands,[3] following the country's victory at the 2019 edition with the song "Arcade", performed by Duncan Laurence. It was the fifth time that the Netherlands had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1958, 1970, 1976 and 1980. The selected venue was the 16,400-seat Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam Ahoy, a convention centre and multi-purpose indoor arena located on Ahoyweg, which serves as a venue for many events, including concerts, exhibitions, trade fairs, and conferences. Rotterdam Ahoy had previously hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007, and was set to host the 2020 contest before its cancellation.

Selection of the host city

Further information: Eurovision Song Contest 2020 § Bidding phase

By Eurovision tradition, the Netherlands received the right to host the Eurovision Song Contest after the country won the competition in 2019.[4] The Dutch host broadcasters NPO, NOS and AVROTROS launched the bidding process in the same month, on 29 May,[5] in which five cities—Arnhem, 's-Hertogenbosch, Maastricht, Rotterdam, and Utrecht—submitted their bid books during a ceremonial event held in Hilversum on 10 July 2019.[6] On 16 July, Maastricht and Rotterdam were shortlisted,[7] and after the NPO visited both cities,[8] on 30 August 2019, Rotterdam was announced as the host city of the Eurovision Song Contest 2020.[9]

Following the cancellation of the 2020 contest, the EBU began talks with broadcasters NPO, NOS and AVROTROS, as well as the city of Rotterdam, on the possibility of staging the 2021 contest in the city.[10] On 23 April 2020, the municipal council of Rotterdam approved an increased budget after Dutch media reported that the city would require an additional €6.7 million to host the contest.[11][12] The decision was imminent as it was required that the EBU be informed by late April if Rotterdam was willing to host the contest. If Rotterdam declined to host the event, NPO, NOS and AVROTROS had until mid-May 2020 to find an alternative.[13]

During the broadcast of Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, which aired on 16 May 2020, Rotterdam was confirmed as the host city of the 2021 contest.[14]

Other sites

Location of host venue (red) and other contest-related sites and events (blue)

The "Turquoise Carpet" event, where the contestants and their delegations are presented before the accredited press and fans, took place at the Rotterdam Cruise Terminal on 16 May 2021.[15][16]

Production

The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 was a co-production between three related Dutch television organisations – Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO), Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) and AVROTROS – of which each assumed a different role.[17] Sietse Bakker and Astrid Dutrénit served as executive producers, while Emilie Sickinghe and Jessica Stam served as deputy executive producers.[18]

In January 2020, the EBU announced that Martin Österdahl would become the executive supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest after the 2020 edition, succeeding Jon Ola Sand.[19] Before his appointment, Österdahl had been an executive producer for the 2013 and 2016 editions, and had been a member of the Eurovision Song Contest reference group between 2012 and 2018.[20]

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

See also: COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the music industry, and Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television

On 7 May 2020, Dutch authorities prohibited all mass gatherings in the country until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available.[21] The host broadcasters stated that they were assessing the decision and how it would impact the event.[22]

On 18 September 2020, the EBU released a summary of contingency scenarios for the contest, including:[23][24]

In February 2021, the EBU and the host broadcasters stated that it had ruled out hosting the contest as normal (Scenario A). Scenario C was also modified – all acts would perform remotely like in scenario D.[25] A health and safety protocol for the contest was published on 2 March 2021, with the EBU affirming that the contest will be held under scenario B, while reiterating that downscaling options remain on the table should circumstances change.[26] On 30 April 2021, the EBU confirmed scenario B for the contest.[27]

Overview of the hosting scenarios[25]
Contest aspect Scenario A
(Normal) 		Scenario B
(1.5-metre) † 		Scenario C
(Travel restrictive) 		Scenario D
(Lockdown)
Shows from Ahoy Yes Yes Yes Yes
Participants in Rotterdam All All/most None None
Audience in the arena 100% 0–80% 0–80% None
Side events in Rotterdam Yes Adapted Reduced None
Press Centre 1,500 on site 500 on site
1,000 virtual 		1,500 virtual 1,500 virtual

On 1 April 2021, it was announced that an audience of 3,500 people would be allowed at each of the nine shows, including the three live shows and six rehearsals; the Dutch cabinet later gave its approval on 29 April. All audience members must have tested negative for COVID-19.[28][29][30]

Due to pandemic precautions, the "Turquoise Carpet" event was the only in-person side event to take place in 2021. Impacted side events include: the Opening Ceremony event, which was not held; the Eurovision Village, which took place from 15 to 23 May in an online-only form; and the EuroClub, which was cancelled for this year.[31][32][33][34]

Format

Visual design

On 18 September 2020, along with possible scenarios, the EBU confirmed that the planned visual design and slogan for 2020, "Open Up", would be used for the 2021 contest as well.[23] The revamped official logo and branding was unveiled on 4 December 2020. Designed by Clever°Franke, it is "an abstract presentation inspired by the map of the world and visually connects the location of the capitals of the [then] 41 participating countries with Rotterdam as Europe's beating heart".[35][36] The revamped visual identity, designed by MediaMonks and NEP, was built around patterns and 'tracks' that symbolises the Netherlands and "opening up".[37][38]

Presenters

Chantal Janzen, Jan Smit and Edsilia Rombley, three of the four presenters of the 2021 contest

On 18 September 2020, along with possible scenarios, the EBU confirmed that the 2020 planned presenters would be appointed as presenters for the 2021 contest as well: actress and television host Chantal Janzen, singer and commentator for the contest Jan Smit, singer Edsilia Rombley, who represented the Netherlands in the 1998 and 2007 contests, and beauty vlogger Nikkie de Jager (NikkieTutorials).[23][39][40]

In addition, De Jager and Krista Siegfrids (Finland's representative in the 2013 contest) were the presenters of the contest's online content. Siegfrids hosted Krista Calling, a weekly YouTube series with behind-the-scenes coverage from Rotterdam,[41][42] and De Jager hosted LookLab with NikkieTutorials, an online talk show series featuring 38 participants with Queen Máxima as a special guest.[c][44][45] Koos van Plateringen, Hila Noorzai and Samya Hafsaoui moderated the contest's press conferences, while Van Plateringen and Fenna Ramos hosted the "Turquoise Carpet" event.[46][15]

Stage design

Stage and green room in the arena

During the announcement of the dates of the 2021 contest, Sietse Bakker, executive producer of the 2021 contest, stated that the planned 2020 stage design would also be used in the 2021 contest.[47] The design is inspired by the slogan "Open Up" and the typical Dutch flat landscape. The Eurovision stage was designed by German stage designer Florian Wieder, who also designed the stages for the contests in 2011–12, 2015, and 2017–19.[48][49] Its features include a revolvable primary LED screen that is 52 metres (171 ft) wide and 12 metres (39 ft) high, and a retractable semi-transparent LED screen which can be used as a backdrop for the secondary stage.[50][51][52] The stage design is complemented by augmented reality effects.[53] Unlike the 2019 contest, the green room is placed in the main performance venue, and encompasses the entire floor space previously reserved for the standing audience, so as to facilitate social distancing.[54]

Entries

See also: Rules of the Eurovision Song Contest § Song and artist eligibility

On 18 June 2020, the EBU announced that, for this year, delegations would have the option to use pre-recorded backing vocals. Each delegation could still choose to use backing singers, whether on or off stage, or a combination of live and recorded backing vocals. All lead vocals performing the melody of the song must still be live, according to the rules.[55][56]

On 18 November 2020, the EBU revealed that, as a measure to guarantee that all participants can take part in the contest, every national broadcaster would create a 'live-on-tape' back-up recording prior to the contest which can be used if a participant cannot travel to Rotterdam, or subjected to quarantine on arrival. The recordings took place in a studio setting, in real-time (as it would be at the contest) without any edits to the vocals or any part of the performance itself after the recording. A set of production guidelines was also revealed to ensure fairness and the integrity of the recordings.[57]

Other rules for the entries stayed the same in the 2021 contest. This includes that the maximum length for a song is three minutes, that there can be at most six performers on stage, and that the compositions (lyrics and music) must not have been commercially released before 1 September of the year before.[58] Following the cancellation of the 2020 contest, the EBU explored the option of allowing the songs selected for the 2020 contest to compete in the 2021 contest, which needed to be discussed with the Eurovision Song Contest reference group and the national broadcasters.[10] Victoria, Bulgaria's representative for 2020 and 2021, publicly expressed her support for such a move.[59] However, on 20 March 2020, the reference group decided that, in accordance with the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest, the 2020 songs would not be eligible to compete in the 2021 contest.[60]

Semi-final allocation draw

Further information: Eurovision Song Contest 2020 § Semi-final allocation draw

On 17 November 2020, the EBU confirmed that the semi-final allocation draw for the 2021 contest would not be held. Instead, the semi-finals would feature the same line-up of countries as determined by the draw for the 2020 contest's semi-finals, which was held on 28 January 2020 at Rotterdam's City Hall and hosted by contest presenters Chantal Janzen, Jan Smit and Edsilia Rombley. The draw also determined which semi-final each of the six automatic qualifiers – the Big Five plus the Netherlands – would have to vote in. The EBU also decided to maintain the Netherlands' grand final running order position – 23.[61]

The pots used initially for the 2020 contest featured as follows:

Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4 Pot 5

Postcards

The "postcards" are short introduction videos shown on television whilst the stage is being prepared for the next contestant to perform their entry, and are 40 seconds long.[64] Filmed between January and April, and directed by Martijn Nieman and Laurence Drenthe, with Kevin Soares serving as executive producer, the 2021 postcards are based on the "Open Up" theme of the contest. In a departure from the initial concept created for the 2020 contest's postcards owing to travel restriction concerns, the postcards involved the acts being presented through footage shot in their country of origin, inserted via chroma keying on the framework of a 'tiny house' set-up in various locations around the Netherlands, decorated with items personal to the artist(s). At the end of each postcard, a light streak hits the house and refracts into a country-specific coloured streak, mimicking the prism and transitions to the stage, where the ceiling is lit up with that country's flag colours using augmented reality. The postcards were produced by Amsterdam-based agency IDTV, with additional post-production and VFX work by Antwerp-based agency STORM.[65][66][67] The following locations were used for each participating country:[68][69]

Opening and interval acts

On 4 May 2021, the EBU released information about the opening and interval acts.[70]

The first semi-final was opened by Duncan Laurence, performing "Feel Something",[71] and featured singer and YouTuber Davina Michelle and actress Thekla Reuten in an interval act titled "The Power of Water", centering on the Netherlands' history of water management.[72][73] Michelle performed her new single "Sweet Water" in the performance. In both acts, augmented reality was used.

The second semi-final was opened by breakdancer Redouan Ait Chitt (Redo) and singer-songwriter Eefje de Visser,[74][75] with ballet dancer Ahmad Joudeh and BMX-er Dez Maarsen performing during the interval;[76] the acts are titled "Forward Unlimited" and "Close Encounter of a Special Kind", respectively.

The final was opened with the traditional flag parade, introducing all twenty-six finalists, accompanied by a remix of "Venus" produced and performed by 16-year-old DJ Pieter Gabriel, with co-presenters Chantal Janzen, Jan Smit and Edsilia Rombley singing parts of the song.[77][78] The interval acts included a medley of "Hero", "Ten Feet Tall" and "Titanium" performed by DJ Afrojack, singers Glennis Grace (who represented the Netherlands in the 2005 contest) and Wulf together with a symphony orchestra composed of young musicians from across the Netherlands;[79][80] the "Rock the Roof" interval act, where six former Eurovision winners – Lenny Kuhr (1969), Teach-In with Getty Kaspers (1975), Sandra Kim (1986), Helena Paparizou (2005), Lordi (2006) and Måns Zelmerlöw (2015) – performed their winning songs – "De troubadour", "Ding-a-dong", "J'aime la vie", "My Number One", "Hard Rock Hallelujah" and "Heroes" respectively – atop several venues in Rotterdam;[81] and Duncan Laurence, who performed his winning song "Arcade" and his new single "Stars".[f][83][78] During the final seconds of voting, a dance sketch titled "The Human Countdown" was performed.

Participating countries

  Participating countries in the first semi-final
  Pre-qualified for the final but also voting in the first semi-final
  Participating countries in the second semi-final
  Pre-qualified for the final but also voting in the second semi-final

The EBU initially announced on 26 October 2020 that 41 countries would participate in the contest, featuring the same line-up of countries that were set to participate in the cancelled 2020 edition. Bulgaria and Ukraine marked their return to the contest after their absences from the 2019 contest, while Hungary and Montenegro were confirmed as non-returning following their latest appearances in 2019.[84]

In March 2021, Armenia and Belarus confirmed their non-participation in the contest; Armenia withdrew due to social and political crises in the aftermath of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, while Belarus was disqualified after submitting an entry in violation of the rules, thereby reducing the number of participating countries to 39.[85][86]

Returning artists

After the cancellation of the 2020 contest, the participating broadcasters of 24 countries announced that, for the 2021 contest, they would internally select the same artists initially selected for 2020. In addition, the artists initially selected for Estonia and Lithuania in 2020 won their national finals to represent their countries in 2021.

Discounting 2020, the contest featured three representatives who also previously performed as lead vocalists for the same country, and five artists who participated in other Eurovision events or as backing vocalists for the same or for another country.

Artist Country Previous year(s)
Natalia Gordienko  Moldova 2006 (alongside Arsenium)[87]
Senhit  San Marino 2011[88]
Sanja Vučić (member of Hurricane)  Serbia 2016[89]
Ksenija Knežević (member of Hurricane) 2015 (as backing vocal for Knez, representing Montenegro)[89]
Mladen Lukić (backing vocal for Hurricane) 2018 (as a member of Balkanika)
Destiny Chukunyere  Malta Junior Eurovision 2015 (winner)
2019 (as backing vocal for Michela Pace)[90]
Stefania  Greece Junior Eurovision 2016 (representing the Netherlands as a member of Kisses)[91]
Vincent Bueno  Austria 2017 (as backing vocal for Nathan Trent)[92]
Vasil  North Macedonia 2019 (as backing vocal for Tamara Todevska)[93]

Semi-final 1

The first semi-final took place on 18 May 2021 at 21:00 (CEST).[47] Sixteen countries participated in the first semi-final. Those countries plus Germany, Italy and the Netherlands voted in this semi-final. Belarus was originally allocated to participate in the first half of the semi-final, but was disqualified from the contest after submitting an entry in violation of the rules.[86] The highlighted countries qualified for the final.[94]

Draw[95] Country[84] Artist[96] Song[96] Language(s) Place Points
01  Lithuania The Roop "Discoteque" English 4 203
02  Slovenia Ana Soklič "Amen" English 13 44
03  Russia Manizha "Russian Woman" Russian, English 3 225
04  Sweden Tusse "Voices" English 7 142
05  Australia[g] Montaigne "Technicolour" English 14 28
06  North Macedonia Vasil "Here I Stand" English 15 23
07  Ireland Lesley Roy "Maps" English 16 20
08  Cyprus Elena Tsagrinou "El diablo" English[h] 6 170
09  Norway Tix "Fallen Angel" English 10 115
10  Croatia Albina "Tick-Tock" English, Croatian 11 110
11  Belgium Hooverphonic "The Wrong Place" English 9 117
12  Israel Eden Alene "Set Me Free" English[i] 5 192
13  Romania Roxen "Amnesia" English 12 85
14  Azerbaijan Efendi "Mata Hari" English[j] 8 138
15  Ukraine Go_A "Shum" (Шум) Ukrainian 2 267
16  Malta Destiny "Je me casse" English[k] 1 325

Semi-final 2

The second semi-final took place on 20 May 2021 at 21:00 (CEST).[47] Seventeen countries participated in the second semi-final. Those countries plus France, Spain and the United Kingdom voted in this semi-final.[61] Armenia was originally allocated to participate in the second half of the semi-final, but withdrew from the contest due to social and political crises in the aftermath of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.[85] The highlighted countries qualified for the final.[99]

Draw[95] Country[84] Artist[100] Song[100] Language(s) Place Points
01  San Marino Senhit[l] "Adrenalina" English[m] 9 118
02  Estonia Uku Suviste "The Lucky One" English 13 58
03  Czech Republic Benny Cristo "Omaga" English[n] 15 23
04  Greece Stefania "Last Dance" English 6 184
05  Austria Vincent Bueno "Amen" English 12 66
06  Poland Rafał "The Ride" English 14 35
07  Moldova Natalia Gordienko "Sugar" English 7 179
08  Iceland[o] Daði og Gagnamagnið "10 Years" English 2 288
09  Serbia Hurricane "Loco Loco" Serbian[p] 8 124
10  Georgia Tornike Kipiani "You" English 16 16
11  Albania Anxhela Peristeri "Karma" Albanian 10 112
12  Portugal The Black Mamba "Love Is on My Side" English 4 239
13  Bulgaria Victoria "Growing Up Is Getting Old" English 3 250
14  Finland Blind Channel "Dark Side" English 5 234
15  Latvia Samanta Tīna "The Moon Is Rising" English 17 14
16   Switzerland Gjon's Tears "Tout l'univers" French 1 291
17  Denmark Fyr & Flamme "Øve os på hinanden" Danish 11 89

Final

The final took place on 22 May 2021 at 21:00 (CEST).[47] Twenty-six countries participated in the final, with all thirty-nine participating countries eligible to vote.

Draw[103] Country[84] Artist[104] Song[104] Language(s) Place Points
01  Cyprus Elena Tsagrinou "El diablo" English[h] 16 94
02  Albania Anxhela Peristeri "Karma" Albanian 21 57
03  Israel Eden Alene "Set Me Free" English[i] 17 93
04  Belgium Hooverphonic "The Wrong Place" English 19 74
05  Russia Manizha "Russian Woman" Russian, English 9 204
06  Malta Destiny "Je me casse" English[k] 7 255
07  Portugal The Black Mamba "Love Is on My Side" English 12 153
08  Serbia Hurricane "Loco Loco" Serbian[p] 15 102
09  United Kingdom James Newman "Embers" English 26 0
10  Greece Stefania "Last Dance" English 10[q] 170
11   Switzerland Gjon's Tears "Tout l'univers" French 3 432
12  Iceland[o] Daði og Gagnamagnið "10 Years" English 4 378
13  Spain Blas Cantó "Voy a quedarme" Spanish 24 6
14  Moldova Natalia Gordienko "Sugar" English 13 115
15  Germany Jendrik "I Don't Feel Hate" English[r] 25 3
16  Finland Blind Channel "Dark Side" English 6 301
17  Bulgaria Victoria "Growing Up Is Getting Old" English 11 170
18  Lithuania The Roop "Discoteque" English 8 220
19  Ukraine Go_A "Shum" (Шум) Ukrainian 5 364
20  France Barbara Pravi "Voilà" French 2 499
21  Azerbaijan Efendi "Mata Hari" English[j] 20 65
22  Norway Tix "Fallen Angel" English 18 75
23  Netherlands Jeangu Macrooy "Birth of a New Age" English, Sranan Tongo 23 11
24  Italy Måneskin "Zitti e buoni" Italian 1 524
25  Sweden Tusse "Voices" English 14 109
26  San Marino Senhit[l] "Adrenalina" English[m] 22 50

Scoreboard

Semi-final 1

Semi-final 1 voting results (Jury vote)[105]
Voting procedure used:
  100% Televoting
  100% Jury vote
Total score
Televoting score
Lithuania
Slovenia
Russia
Sweden
Australia
North Macedonia
Ireland
Cyprus
Norway
Croatia
Belgium
Israel
Romania
Azerbaijan
Ukraine
Malta
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Contestants
 Lithuania 203 137 2 7 2 5 3 6 2 12 8 1 4 4 7 3
Slovenia 44 8 3 6 4 3 7 4 4 5
Russia 225 108 10 6 7 7 8 8 3 8 12 6 5 12 1 7 5 12
Sweden 142 51 3 7 6 1 1 7 10 1 6 5 4 6 3 10 12 4 5
Australia 28 2 8 1 2 2 12 1
North Macedonia 23 11 4 2 6
Ireland 20 4 1 3 2 1 3 3 2 1
Cyprus 170 78 4 12 8 4 10 4 4 5 10 10 3 2 8 5 3
Norway 115 77 2 3 8 1 2 3 7 2 6 4
Croatia 110 53 1 7 3 8 10 5 1 1 1 5 8 3 2 2
Belgium 117 47 10 5 6 2 4 4 7 2 10 10 10
Israel 192 93 7 2 10 10 8 12 1 8 7 4 1 6 3 12 8
Romania 85 27 5 10 2 3 5 7 7 12 6 1
Azerbaijan 138 91 8 4 3 5 6 7 6 6 2
Ukraine 267 164 12 1 5 5 4 5 6 7 5 10 4 10 8 7 8 6
Malta 325 151 6 6 12 12 12 10 12 12 12 12 8 8 12 10 5 10 8 7
Semi-final 1 voting results (Televoting)[105]
Voting procedure used:
  100% Televoting
  100% Jury vote
Total score
Jury score
Lithuania
Slovenia
Russia
Sweden
Australia
North Macedonia
Ireland
Cyprus
Norway
Croatia
Belgium
Israel
Romania
Azerbaijan
Ukraine
Malta
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Contestants
Lithuania 203 66 7 10 8 4 12 12 12 3 8 5 6 3 12 7 12 8 8
Slovenia 44 36 3 5
Russia 225 117 8 7 3 7 8 1 7 4 10 2 12 5 8 6 2 6 7 5
Sweden 142 91 5 2 2 4 3 10 7 2 1 3 10 2
Australia 28 26 1 1
North Macedonia 23 12 8 1 2
Ireland 20 16 1 2 1
Cyprus 170 92 4 1 5 4 6 6 6 3 6 3 6 4 4 4 12 1 2 1
Norway 115 38 6 6 6 12 3 2 1 2 6 4 3 10 2 6 4 1 3
Croatia 110 57 12 2 5 12 7 2 1 3 2 7
Belgium 117 70 10 4 3 5 2 2 1 1 5 3 4 7
Israel 192 99 2 4 6 4 1 5 10 5 4 4 10 12 7 5 5 3 6
Romania 85 58 3 5 1 5 3 10
Azerbaijan 138 47 3 3 10 1 1 7 4 6 8 5 7 7 10 8 2 5 4
Ukraine 267 103 12 10 12 7 12 5 8 6 7 12 10 8 12 7 4 10 12 10
Malta 325 174 7 5 8 8 10 10 10 8 8 7 12 10 8 6 8 8 6 12

12 points

Below is a summary of the maximum 12 points awarded by each country's professional jury and televote in the first semi-final. Countries in bold gave the maximum 24 points (12 points apiece from professional jury and televoting) to the specified entrant.

12 points awarded by juries
N. Contestant Nation(s) giving 12 points
8  Malta  Australia,  Croatia,  Cyprus,  Ireland,  Norway,  Romania,  Russia,  Sweden
3  Russia  Azerbaijan,  Belgium,  Netherlands
2  Israel  Italy,  North Macedonia
1  Australia  Ukraine
 Cyprus  Slovenia
 Lithuania  Israel
 Romania  Malta
 Sweden  Germany
 Ukraine  Lithuania
12 points awarded by televoting
N. Contestant Nation(s) giving 12 points
6  Ukraine  Australia,  Croatia,  Italy,  Lithuania,  Romania,  Russia
5  Lithuania  Cyprus,  Germany,  Ireland,  Norway,  Ukraine
2  Croatia  North Macedonia,  Slovenia
 Malta  Belgium,  Netherlands
1  Cyprus  Malta
 Israel  Azerbaijan
 Norway  Sweden
 Russia  Israel

Semi-final 2

Semi-final 2 voting results (Jury vote)[106]
Voting procedure used:
  100% Televoting
  100% Jury vote
Total score
Televoting score
San Marino
Estonia
Czech Republic
Greece
Austria
Poland
Moldova
Iceland
Serbia
Georgia
Albania
Portugal
Bulgaria
Finland
Latvia
Switzerland
Denmark
France
Spain
United Kingdom
Contestants
 San Marino 118 42 1 2 10 1 10 10 3 2 1 8 2 2 2 2 5 8 3 4
Estonia 58 29 1 4 3 1 3 1 7 3 3 1 2
Czech Republic 23 0 4 1 6 5 5 2
Greece 184 80 10 3 5 12 8 7 8 10 3 10 6 1 2 12 7
Austria 66 13 4 4 3 5 7 2 6 5 1 7 3 6
Poland 35 17 12 2 3 1
Moldova 179 123 8 12 2 7 4 3 12 4 1 3
Iceland 288 148 1 8 10 7 10 3 6 12 7 4 10 8 12 8 8 6 8 12
Serbia 124 68 4 5 4 3 6 2 2 5 4 3 4 5 4 5
Georgia 16 15 1
Albania 112 38 7 2 1 6 3 6 5 5 8 4 4 5 5 10 2 1
Portugal 239 111 2 6 12 5 7 1 2 8 7 10 1 8 7 8 10 4 10 10 10
Bulgaria 250 101 5 10 7 8 8 5 12 10 10 8 2 12 12 6 12 6 4 5 7
Finland 234 150 3 7 6 5 2 6 6 4 6 6 7 6 7 7 6
Latvia 14 10 4
Switzerland 291 135 6 12 8 12 8 7 12 5 12 12 7 10 10 12 3 12 8
Denmark 89 80 3 4 1 1
Semi-final 2 voting results (Televoting)[106]
Voting procedure used:
  100% Televoting
  100% Jury vote
Total score
Jury score
San Marino
Estonia
Czech Republic
Greece
Austria
Poland
Moldova
Iceland
Serbia
Georgia
Albania
Portugal
Bulgaria
Finland
Latvia
Switzerland
Denmark
France
Spain
United Kingdom
Contestants
 San Marino 118 76 4 2 2 3 3 12 7 1 2 4 2
Estonia 58 29 1 3 1 7 10 1 6
Czech Republic 23 23
Greece 184 104 5 2 12 5 8 10 10 10 8 2 1 2 3 1 1
Austria 66 53 2 3 4 4
Poland 35 18 1 7 1 1 7
Moldova 179 56 12 12 12 12 6 7 6 12 12 5 12 12 3
Iceland 288 140 8 7 10 5 10 10 6 7 7 1 7 6 12 7 7 12 6 8 12
Serbia 124 56 7 5 4 12 1 1 1 4 2 10 12 7 2
Georgia 16 1 3 3 3 2 3 1
Albania 112 74 2 10 2 2 1 2 1 4 3 8 3
Portugal 239 128 3 5 4 3 7 5 4 8 4 6 5 6 5 10 8 10 12 6
Bulgaria 250 149 4 2 6 6 4 4 5 4 6 8 8 5 4 2 3 5 5 10 10
Finland 234 84 10 10 8 8 5 12 8 10 10 6 5 6 12 8 6 10 2 6 8
Latvia 14 4 1 5 4
Switzerland 291 156 6 6 7 7 8 8 10 7 5 3 12 8 7 10 6 7 8 7 3
Denmark 89 9 1 8 3 1 3 6 12 2 4 2 4 3 8 4 5 4 5 5

12 points

Below is a summary of the maximum 12 points awarded by each country's professional jury and televote in the second semi-final. Countries in bold gave the maximum 24 points (12 points apiece from professional jury and televoting) to the specified entrant.

12 points awarded by juries
N. Contestant Nation(s) giving 12 points
7   Switzerland  Albania,  Austria,  Denmark,  Estonia,  Georgia,  Iceland,  Spain
4  Bulgaria  Finland,  Moldova,  Portugal,   Switzerland
3  Iceland  Latvia,  Serbia,  United Kingdom
2  Greece  France,  Poland
 Moldova  Bulgaria,  Greece
1  Poland  San Marino
 Portugal  Czech Republic
12 points awarded by televoting
N. Contestant Nation(s) giving 12 points
8  Moldova  Czech Republic,  Estonia,  France,  Latvia,  Greece,  Portugal,  San Marino,  Serbia
3  Iceland  Denmark,  Finland,  United Kingdom
2  Finland  Bulgaria,  Poland
 Serbia  Austria,   Switzerland
1  Denmark  Iceland
 Greece  Moldova
 Portugal  Spain
 San Marino  Georgia
  Switzerland  Albania

Final

Final voting results (Jury vote)[107]
Voting procedure used:
  100% Televoting
  100% Jury vote
Total score
Televoting score
Israel
Poland
San Marino
Albania
Malta
Estonia
North Macedonia
Azerbaijan
Norway
Spain
Austria
United Kingdom
Italy
Slovenia
Greece
Latvia
Ireland
Moldova
Serbia
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Belgium
Germany
Australia
Finland
Portugal
Ukraine
Iceland
Romania
Croatia
Czech Republic
Georgia
Lithuania
Denmark
Russia
France
Sweden
Switzerland
Netherlands
Contestants
 Cyprus 94 44 3 7 4 2 6 12 1 7 4 2 2
Albania 57 35 2 12 7 1
Israel 93 20 6 8 8 3 6 4 1 2 3 7 5 1 1 5 5 4 4
Belgium 74 3 6 3 3 1 5 6 3 3 4 5 6 3 7 3 6 1 6
Russia 204 100 7 1 1 12 8 2 1 10 6 7 2 1 4 10 2 4 2 10 3 3 8
Malta 255 47 5 4 7 8 1 5 7 12 8 4 7 5 6 2 10 7 5 10 5 8 12 1 4 5 1 12 3 7 1 3 4 4 12 6 7
Portugal 153 27 8 7 5 2 5 7 7 6 2 5 6 1 1 2 10 10 1 12 8 6 8 7
Serbia 102 82 1 12 7
United Kingdom 0 0
Greece 170 79 8 6 6 10 1 1 3 8 3 8 12 2 4 7 12
Switzerland 432 165 12 7 4 12 10 12 6 7 10 10 8 7 12 5 3 1 2 12 10 10 12 7 8 12 7 8 5 10 8 12 1 7 5 5
Iceland 378 180 10 8 4 2 7 12 10 8 10 10 8 5 7 3 3 8 8 8 4 10 8 6 4 10 3 7 5 10
Spain 6 0 2 4
Moldova 115 62 5 8 10 12 6 12
Germany 3 0 2 1
Finland 301 218 2 1 3 2 7 1 4 10 4 4 10 1 3 8 5 8 1 8 1
Bulgaria 170 30 1 3 6 1 6 4 5 5 8 5 1 12 6 5 6 2 10 12 8 2 4 4 2 6 6 10
Lithuania 220 165 10 6 2 2 12 6 4 1 3 2 3 4
Ukraine 364 267 4 5 4 6 3 1 1 7 6 10 5 5 2 3 5 7 12 8 3
France 499 251 8 12 10 3 10 7 4 4 12 8 12 3 2 5 3 12 4 12 7 7 12 7 7 6 10 6 4 6 10 5 6 12 12
Azerbaijan 65 33 2 2 2 6 3 5 8 2 2
Norway 75 60 2 7 1 3 2
Netherlands 11 0 3 2 3 1 2
Italy 524 318 5 10 4 3 10 5 6 12 4 8 8 10 8 2 6 6 6 3 12 7 3 12 6 12 10 10 10 8
Sweden 109 63 8 3 5 10 4 4 4 5 2 1
San Marino 50 13 12 5 1 3 7 5 4
Final voting results (Televoting)[107]
Voting procedure used:
  100% Televoting
  100% Jury vote
Total score
Jury score
Israel
Poland
San Marino
Albania
Malta
Estonia
North Macedonia
Azerbaijan
Norway
Spain
Austria
United Kingdom
Italy
Slovenia
Greece
Latvia
Ireland
Moldova
Serbia
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Belgium
Germany
Australia
Finland
Portugal
Ukraine
Iceland
Romania
Croatia
Czech Republic
Georgia
Lithuania
Denmark
Russia
France
Sweden
Switzerland
Netherlands
Contestants
 Cyprus 94 50 8 2 2 6 12 2 12
Albania 57 22 10 10 7 1 7
Israel 93 73 12 2 1 5
Belgium 74 71 1 2
Russia 204 104 10 2 1 6 1 6 7 1 1 10 12 6 7 3 5 1 1 4 3 5 4 4
Malta 255 208 5 3 3 2 6 3 4 1 2 8 3 2 2 2 1
Portugal 153 126 1 2 2 8 8 6
Serbia 102 20 4 12 12 4 12 5 3 2 12 3 1 12
United Kingdom 0 0
Greece 170 91 7 8 8 7 3 2 12 2 8 12 10
Switzerland 432 267 6 7 3 12 2 7 4 2 7 5 1 5 4 4 3 4 1 3 4 2 5 7 6 7 6 5 5 3 6 6 5 6 5 7
Iceland 378 198 1 8 5 3 10 5 10 10 6 3 5 10 5 5 6 12 12 3 6 4 7 1 3 12 1 4 10 5 8
Spain 6 6
Moldova 115 53 6 7 1 2 2 8 12 12 2 3 7
Germany 3 3
Finland 301 83 4 6 4 3 7 12 2 5 6 2 4 7 8 4 6 8 5 5 7 8 4 6 8 3 5 8 12 6 6 4 7 7 8 1 12 4 4
Bulgaria 170 140 2 5 8 8 7
Lithuania 220 55 3 4 6 10 12 4 3 12 5 12 12 2 5 7 12 6 5 10 4 3 1 10 4 2 7 1 3
Ukraine 364 97 12 12 5 4 1 5 4 8 5 6 7 4 12 7 5 6 8 10 8 6 6 10 4 10 10 10 8 7 8 10 6 12 1 7 12 4 2 5
France 499 248 8 5 10 6 3 7 5 2 4 12 6 5 1 6 8 3 7 6 10 10 8 12 10 4 6 12 5 7 8 7 2 5 8 3 6 6 6 12
Azerbaijan 65 32 2 3 1 2 1 4 4 3 4 2 3 4
Norway 75 15 3 10 4 7 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 4 1 5 8 8
Netherlands 11 11
Italy 524 206 7 10 12 10 12 8 8 10 7 10 8 3 10 10 7 6 8 12 12 10 8 7 7 8 7 12 5 10 10 6 8 10 5 10 10 3 10 2
Sweden 109 46 1 1 8 1 8 1 1 3 1 3 3 4 2 10 1 10 2 3
San Marino 50 37 3 3 7

12 points

Below is a summary of the maximum 12 points awarded by each country's professional jury and televote in the final. Countries in bold gave the maximum 24 points (12 points apiece from professional jury and televoting) to the specified entrant.

12 points awarded by juries
N. Contestant Nation(s) giving 12 points
8  France  Germany,  Ireland,  Netherlands,  San Marino,  Serbia,  Spain,   Switzerland,  United Kingdom
  Switzerland  Albania,  Belgium,  Denmark,  Estonia,  Finland,  Iceland,  Israel,  Latvia
4  Italy  Croatia,  Georgia,  Slovenia,  Ukraine
 Malta  Australia,  Norway,  Romania,  Sweden
2  Bulgaria  Moldova,  Portugal
 Greece  Cyprus,  France
 Moldova  Bulgaria,  Russia
1  Albania  Malta
 Cyprus  Greece
 Iceland  Austria
 Lithuania  Italy
 Portugal  Czech Republic
 Russia  Azerbaijan
 San Marino  Poland
 Serbia  North Macedonia
 Ukraine  Lithuania
12 points awarded by televoting
N. Contestant Nation(s) giving 12 points
5  Italy  Bulgaria,  Malta,  San Marino,  Serbia,  Ukraine
 Lithuania  Germany,  Ireland,  Latvia,  Norway,  United Kingdom
 Serbia  Austria,  Croatia,  North Macedonia,  Slovenia,   Switzerland
 Ukraine  France,  Israel,  Italy,  Lithuania,  Poland
4  France  Belgium,  Netherlands,  Portugal,  Spain
3  Finland  Estonia,  Iceland,  Sweden
 Iceland  Australia,  Denmark,  Finland
2  Cyprus  Greece,  Russia
 Greece  Cyprus,  Georgia
 Moldova  Czech Republic,  Romania
1  Israel  Azerbaijan
 Russia  Moldova
  Switzerland  Albania

Other countries

Further information: List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest

Eligibility for potential participation in the Eurovision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with active EBU membership that would be able to broadcast the contest via the Eurovision network. The EBU issued an invitation to participate in the contest to all active members. Associate member Australia did not need an invitation for the 2021 contest, as it had previously been granted permission to participate at least until 2023.[108]

Active EBU members

  •  Andorra – In November 2019, Democrats for Andorra, the ruling party of Andorra, stated that the country would eventually return to the contest, with a cost assessment as a prerequisite.[109] Susanne Georgi, the 2009 Andorran representative, stated in May 2020 that she had secured the funding required for the country to return.[110] Later that year, on 1 August 2020, Georgi explained on Eurovision fan website Wiwibloggs' podcast that she had held a meeting with Prime Minister of Andorra Xavier Espot Zamora, in which they verbally agreed to make a return in 2022 (as they did not want to participate under the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic).[111]
  •  Armenia – Having intended to compete in 2020, Armenia were initially confirmed for the 2021 contest when the list of participants was announced by the EBU in October 2020, and were set to perform in the second half of the second semi-final.[84][61] However, on 5 March 2021, the Public Television Company of Armenia (AMPTV) confirmed that they were subsequently unable to participate due to social and political crises in the country in the aftermath of 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.[85]
  •  Belarus – Having intended to compete in 2020, Belarus were initially confirmed for the 2021 contest when the list of participants was announced by the EBU in October 2020, and were set to perform in the first half of the first semi-final. However, on 26 March 2021, Belarus was disqualified by the EBU after their entry "Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You)" by Galasy ZMesta was rejected due to violating the rules, and not being able to submit an eligible replacement entry.[86] Six days after the final, the EBU voted to suspend Belarusian broadcaster BTRC's membership. BTRC was given two weeks to respond before the suspension comes into effect on 11 June 2021.[112][needs update]
  •  Bosnia and Herzegovina – In October 2020, Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) confirmed that the country would not return in 2021, citing ongoing financial issues. Bosnia and Herzegovina last participated in 2016.[113]
  •  Luxembourg – In July 2020, RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg confirmed that Luxembourg would not participate in 2021, stating that they have no "focus on entertainment and music shows" and that participating "would put the broadcaster under a financial strain".[114] Luxembourg last participated in 1993.
  •  Monaco – Monégasque broadcaster TMC confirmed in September 2020 that they would not participate in 2021.[115]
  •  Montenegro – Montenegrin broadcaster Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) confirmed in October 2020 that they would not participate in 2021.[116] They had previously withdrawn from competing in the later-cancelled 2020 contest due to a series of poor results and the costs associated with participation.
  •  Morocco – In response to rumours that the EBU had been in discussions with Morocco regarding participation, Karim Sbai, the Director of Communications of Morocco's Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision, stated in February 2020 that Morocco's possible return had not yet been discussed.[117] Ultimately, Morocco was not included on the final list of participants for 2021.[84]
  •  Slovakia – In July 2020, a spokesperson from Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) stated that the broadcaster was unlikely to participate,[118] and confirmed their non-participation in August 2020.[119]
  •  Turkey – In May 2020, Faruk Kaymakcı, Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs & Director for EU Affairs, stated that he hoped to see Turkey returning.[120] However, Turkey was not included on the final list of participants for 2021.[84] Turkey last took part in 2012.

Associate EBU members

  •  Kazakhstan – In August 2020, the EBU stated that they had no intention to invite Kazakhstan for this year.[121]

Non-EBU members

  •  Kosovo – In August 2020, the EBU stated that they had no intention to invite Kosovo for this year.[121]
  •  Liechtenstein – In July 2020, Liechtensteiner broadcaster 1 FL TV announced that they had ruled out debuting in 2021. The broadcaster had attempted to become an EBU member in the past but halted its plans when its director, Peter Kölbel, unexpectedly died. It would also need the backing of the Liechtenstein government to be able to carry the cost of becoming an EBU member and paying the participation fee for the contest.[122]

Broadcasters, commentators and spokespersons

The European Broadcasting Union provided international live streams of both semi-finals and the final through their official YouTube channel with no commentary. The live streams were geo-blocked to viewers in Australia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, United States and the United Kingdom. After the live broadcasts, all three shows were made available for every country listed above except the United States.[123][124]

Spokespersons

The spokespersons announced the 12-point score from their respective country's national jury in the following order:[125]

  1.  Israel – Lucy Ayoub (Co-presenter of the 2019 contest)
  2.  Poland – Ida Nowakowska (Co-presenter of Junior Eurovision 2019 and 2020)
  3.  San Marino – Monica Fabbri
  4.  Albania – Andri Xhahu
  5.  Malta – Stephanie Spiteri
  6.  Estonia – Sissi
  7.  North Macedonia – Vane Markoski
  8.  Azerbaijan – Ell & Nikki (Winners of the 2011 contest; Eldar Gasimov co-presented the 2012 contest)
  9.  Norway – Silje Skjemstad Cruz
  10.  Spain – Nieves Álvarez
  11.  Austria – Philipp Hansa
  12.  United Kingdom – Amanda Holden
  13.  Italy – Carolina Di Domenico
  14.  Slovenia – Lorella Flego
  15.  Greece – Manolis Gkinis
  16.  Latvia – Aminata Savadogo (Latvian representative in 2015)
  17.  Ireland – Ryan O'Shaughnessy (Irish representative in 2018)
  18.  Moldova – Sergey Stepanov (Moldovan representative in 2010 and 2017 as part of SunStroke Project, also known as "Epic Sax Guy")
  19.  Serbia – Dragana Kosjerina
  20.  Bulgaria – Joanna Dragneva (Bulgarian representative in 2008 as part of Deep Zone Project)
  21.  Cyprus – Loukas Hamatsos
  22.  Belgium – Danira Boukhriss
  23.  Germany – Barbara Schöneberger
  24.  Australia – Joel Creasey
  25.  Finland – Katri Norrlin
  26.  Portugal – Elisa
  27.  Ukraine – Tayanna
  28.  Iceland – Hannes Óli Ágústsson (in character as Olaf Yohansson from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga)
  29.  Romania – Cătălina Ponor
  30.  Croatia – Ivan Dorian Molnar
  31.  Czech Republic – Taťána Kuchařová
  32.  Georgia – Oto Nemsadze (Georgian representative in 2019)
  33.  Lithuania – Andrius Mamontovas (Lithuanian representative in 2006 as part of LT United)
  34.  Denmark – Tina Müller
  35.  Russia – Polina Gagarina (Russian representative in 2015)
  36.  France – Carla (French representative in Junior Eurovision 2019)
  37.  Sweden – Carola (Swedish representative in 1983 and 2006; winner of the 1991 contest)
  38.   Switzerland – Angélique Beldner
  39.  Netherlands – Romy Monteiro[s]

Broadcasters and commentators

All participating broadcasters may choose to have on-site or remote commentators providing an insight about the show and voting information to their local audience. While they must broadcast at least the semi-final they are voting in and the final, most broadcasters air all three shows with different programming plans. Similarly, some non-participating broadcasters may still want to air the contest. These are the broadcasters that have confirmed their broadcasting plans and/or their commentators:

Broadcasters and commentators in participating countries
Country Show(s) Broadcaster(s) Commentator(s) Ref(s)
 Albania All shows RTSH 1, RTSH Muzikë, Radio Tirana 1 Andri Xhahu [126][127][128]
 Australia All shows[t] SBS Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey [129][130]
 Austria All shows ORF 1 Andi Knoll [131]
 Azerbaijan All shows İTV Hüsniyyə Məhərrəmova [citation needed]
 Belgium All shows Eén Dutch: Peter Van de Veire [132][133]
Ketnet Dutch audio description
Final Radio 2 Dutch: Anja Daems and Showbizz Bart
All shows La Une,[u] RTBF Auvio French: Fanny Jandrain[v] and Jean-Louis Lahaye [134][135]
1st semi-final and final VivaCité[w]
 Bulgaria All shows BNT 1, BNT 4 Elena Rosberg and Petko Kralev [136][137][138]
 Croatia All shows HRT 1 Duško Ćurlić [139][140]
Final HR 2 Unknown [141]
 Cyprus All shows RIK 1, RIK HD, RIK Sat Louis Patsalides [142]
 Czech Republic Both semi-finals ČT2 Jan Maxián and Albert Černý [143][144]
Final ČT1
 Denmark All shows DR1 Henrik Milling and Nicolai Molbech [145]
 Estonia All shows ETV Estonian: Marko Reikop [146]
ETV+ Russian: Aleksandr Hobotov and Julia Kalenda [147]
ERR Sign language: various interpreters [148]
 Finland All shows Yle TV1 Finnish: Mikko Silvennoinen
Swedish: Eva Frantz and Johan Lindroos
Russian: Levan Tvaltvadze 		[149][150]
Yle Radio Suomi Finnish: Sanna Pirkkalainen and Toni Laaksonen
Yle X3M Swedish: Eva Frantz and Johan Lindroos
 France Both semi-finals Culturebox, France 4 Laurence Boccolini [151][152]
Final France 2 Stéphane Bern and Laurence Boccolini
 Georgia All shows First Channel Nika Lobiladze [153][154]
 Germany All shows One Peter Urban [155][156]
Final Das Erste, Deutsche Welle
 Greece All shows ERT1 Maria Kozakou and Giorgos Kapoutzidis [157]
Final ERT Second Programme Giorgos Katsaros [158]
 Iceland All shows RÚV Icelandic: Gísli Marteinn Baldursson [159]
RÚV 2 Sign language: Elsa G. Björnsdóttir [160][161][162]
2nd semi-final and final Rás 2 Unknown [163][164][165]
All shows RUV.is English: Alex Elliott [166]
 Ireland Both semi-finals RTÉ2 Marty Whelan [167][168]
Final RTÉ One
1st semi-final RTÉ Radio 1 Neil Doherty and Zbyszek Zalinski [169][170]
Final RTÉ 2fm
 Israel All shows Kan 11, Kan Educational,[x] Kan Tarbut Asaf Liberman and Akiva Novick [171][172]
 Italy Both semi-finals Rai 4 Ema Stokholma and Saverio Raimondo [173][174][175]
Final Rai 1 Gabriele Corsi and Cristiano Malgioglio
Both semi-finals Rai Radio 2 Ema Stokholma and Saverio Raimondo
Final Ema Stokholma and Gino Castaldo
 Latvia Both semi-finals LTV1 Toms Grēviņš [176][177][178]
Final Toms Grēviņš and Marie N
 Lithuania All shows LRT televizija, LRT Radijas Ramūnas Zilnys [179][180]
 Malta All shows TVM No commentary [181]
 Moldova All shows Moldova 1, Radio Moldova Unknown [182]
 Netherlands All shows NPO 1, BVN Cornald Maas and Sander Lantinga [183][184]
NPO 1 Extra Sign language: various interpreters [185]
NPO Zappelin Extra Dutch audio description
Final NPO Radio 2 Wouter van der Goes and Frank van ’t Hof [186]
 North Macedonia All shows MRT 1, MRT 2 Eli Tanaskovska [187][188]
 Norway All shows NRK1 Marte Stokstad [189][190]
Final NRK3 Martin Lepperød and Adelina Ibishi [191]
NRK P1 Ole-Christian Øen [192]
 Poland All shows TVP1, TVP Polonia Marek Sierocki and Aleksander Sikora [193][194][195]
 Portugal All shows[y] RTP1, RTP Internacional, RTP África José Carlos Malato and Nuno Galopim [198]
 Romania All shows TVR 1, TVRi Bogdan Stănescu [199][200]
 Russia All shows Channel One Yuri Aksyuta and Yana Churikova [201][202]
 San Marino All shows San Marino RTV, Radio San Marino Lia Fiorio and Gigi Restivo [203]
 Serbia All shows RTS 1, RTS Planeta, RTS Svet Duška Vučinić [204][205][206]
Final Radio Belgrade 1 Katarina Epštajn and Nikoleta Dojčinović [207]
 Slovenia Both semi-finals TV Slovenija 2 Mojca Mavec [208][209][210][211]
Final TV Slovenija 1
All shows RTV 4D, Radio Val 202
 Spain Both semi-finals La 2 Tony Aguilar, Julia Varela and Víctor Escudero [212]
Final La 1, TVE Internacional
Radio Nacional, Radio Exterior, Radio 5 Imanol Durán [213][214]
 Sweden All shows SVT1 Edward af Sillén and Christer Björkman [215]
SR P4 Carolina Norén [216]
  Switzerland Both semi-finals SRF zwei German: Sven Epiney [217]
Final SRF 1
Both semi-finals RTS 2 French: Jean-Marc Richard, Nicolas Tanner [218]
Final RTS 1 French: Jean-Marc Richard, Nicolas Tanner and Joseph Gorgoni
2nd semi-final RSI La 2 Italian: Clarissa Tami [219][220]
Final RSI La 1 Italian: Clarissa Tami and Sebalter
 Ukraine All shows UA:First Timur Miroshnychenko [221]
STB Serhiy Prytula [222]
Final UA:Ukrainian radio Olena Zelinchenko [223][224]
UA:Radio Promin Anna Zakletska and Dmytro Zakharchenko [225]
 United Kingdom Both semi-finals BBC Four Scott Mills, Sara Cox[z] and Chelcee Grimes [227][228]
Final BBC One Graham Norton
BBC Radio 2 Ken Bruce
Broadcasters and commentators in non-participating countries
Country Show(s) Broadcaster(s) Commentator(s) Ref(s)
 Canada All shows Omni Television No commentary [229]
 Kazakhstan All shows Khabar Agency Kaldybek Zhajsanbaj and Mahabbat Esen [230][231]
 Kosovo All shows RTK Unknown [232]
 Slovakia Final Rádio FM Daniel Baláž, Lucia Haverlík, Pavol Hubinák and Juraj Malíček [233][234]
 Suriname Final ATV Unknown [235]
 United States All shows Peacock No commentary [aa]
Final WJFD-FM Ewan Spence and Ross Middleton [242]

Viewing figures

Estimated viewership by country (in millions)
Country Viewership (in millions) Ref(s)
 Albania N/A
 Australia 0.28 [243]
 Austria 0.59 [244]
 Azerbaijan N/A
 Belgium 1.44 (Eén) [245][246]
0.45 (La Une)
 Bulgaria 0.30 [246]
 Croatia N/A
 Cyprus 0.17 [247]
 Czech Republic 0.16 [246]
 Denmark 0.53 [248]
 Estonia 0.15 [249]
 Finland 1.46 [250]
 France 5.5 [251]
 Georgia N/A
 Germany 6.54 (Das Erste) [246][252]
1.2 (One)
 Greece 2.04 [253]
 Iceland 0.14 [246]
 Ireland 0.36 [246]
 Israel N/A
 Italy 4.51 [254][246]
 Latvia 0.11 [246]
 Lithuania 1 [255]
 Malta N/A
 Moldova N/A
 Netherlands 5.57 [256]
 North Macedonia N/A
 Norway 1.48 [257]
 Poland 1.40 (TVP 1) [246][258]
0.07 (TVP Polonia)
 Portugal 1.20 [259]
 Romania 0.18 [260]
 Russia 3.47 [246]
 San Marino N/A
 Serbia 2.5 [261][262]
 Slovenia N/A
 Spain 4.07 [263]
 Sweden 2.9 [264]
  Switzerland 0.47 (SRF 1) [246]
0.02 (RSI La 1)
 Ukraine 1.83[ab] (Suspilne) [265]
4.7 (STB) [266][267]
 United Kingdom 7.7 (BBC One, Final) [268][269]
0.73 (BBC Four, SF1)
0.75 (BBC Four, SF2)
Total 183 [1]

Incidents

Belarusian disqualification

Main articles: Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You) § Controversy, and Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021

Two days after "Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You)" was announced as the Belarusian entry for the contest, the EBU ruled that the song did not comply with the contest's rules against political entries, and that the song was not eligible to compete in the contest unless it was modified or replaced.[270] After failing to meet an extended deadline for submitting an eligible entry, with their second submission "Pesnya pro zaytsa (Song About Hares)" also being found to not comply with the rules, it was announced on 26 March 2021 that Belarus was disqualified from the contest.[86]

Ukrainian rehearsal stand-in

Before Ukraine's second rehearsal on 12 May, lead singer of the band Go_A, Kateryna Pavlenko, reported feeling unwell. In accordance with the contest's health and safety protocols, Pavlenko was required to quarantine in her hotel room. The other band members tested negative and were able to rehearse, with Dutch stand-in singer Emmie van Stijn providing vocals instead of Pavlenko.[271][272][273] Pavlenko took a COVID-19 PCR test, which came back negative the following day, allowing her to perform again.[274]

Van Stijn received positive reactions for her performance, in particular for her pronunciation of the Ukrainian lyrics, and was invited to sit with the Ukrainian delegation in the green room during the first semi-final.[275]

COVID-19 infections

Ahead of the "Turquoise Carpet" event, one member each of the Polish and Icelandic delegations tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, those delegations were absent from the event, having gone into self-isolation in accordance with the contest's health and safety protocols.[276][277] The Romanian and Maltese delegations were also absent from the event on a precautionary measure, as they were based in the same hotel as the Polish and Icelandic delegations.[278]

All other members of the Polish and Icelandic delegations tested negative, and remained in quarantine until the jury show for the second semi-final.[279][280] However, it was later confirmed that a member of the Icelandic group Daði og Gagnamagnið had tested positive, and as a result, the group withdrew from performing in the live shows. Footage from their rehearsal at Rotterdam Ahoy was broadcast instead during both the jury show and the live show for the second semi-final; this footage was also shown in the final.[101][102] The remaining members of the Polish delegation were subsequently released from isolation.[281]

On 20 May, the EBU confirmed that Duncan Laurence had tested positive and would not perform live in the final.[282] He was due to perform his winning song "Arcade" and his new single "Stars" during the interval, and present the points on behalf of the Dutch jury; the latter role was filled by Romy Monteiro.[83][283] Pre-recorded rehearsal footage of Laurence's interval performance was broadcast instead during the final.[82][78]

The day after the final, a member of the Norwegian delegation tested positive and was forced to remain in Rotterdam for isolation. It was later confirmed that six additional members of the delegation had tested positive after returning to Norway.[284]

Technical issues

Jury show issues

During the jury show for the first semi-final, the Romanian, Ukrainian and Maltese delegations reported problems with their performances; most notably, Roxen was heard to be offbeat with the chorus of her song "Amnesia". The EBU later confirmed that in-ear monitoring issues had occurred and that all artists involved would be given a second chance to perform.[285] No issues occurred during the second performances.

During San Marino's jury final performance, the rotating platform did not stop when it was supposed to, leading Senhit to have to jump from it while in motion. The Sammarinese delegation later filed a complaint, also claiming that all the camera shots were distorted due to these timing issues. The delegation offered to allow Senhit and Flo Rida to withdraw from the event, though they ultimately decided to stay. The contest's executive supervisor, Martin Österdahl, apologised to the delegation and reaffirmed that the issue would be addressed moving forward and that they would be protected to the highest degree.[286]

Camera breaking prior to Ireland's performance

During the set up for Ireland's performance in the first semi-final, a camera broke which caused an extended delay after the postcard was shown. Co-presenter Chantal Janzen improvised in the green room during the live broadcast to fill in the time.[287]

False allegation of drug use

During a green room segment in the final, Damiano David, lead singer of the Italian band Måneskin, was claimed by some online viewers on social media to be seen snorting a line of cocaine when leaned over a table, although there were no drugs in the footage and the singer was sitting away from the table, close to the Italian delegation members.[288][289][290] In the band's press conference following their victory, Torbjörn Ek, a journalist working at the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, asked about the allegations, which David denied by suggesting that fellow member Thomas Raggi had broken a glass which David was picking up off the floor, going on to say "I don't use drugs, please guys, do not say that."[291][292] The band later put out a statement on their official Instagram account, stating: "We are really shocked about what some people are saying about Damiano doing drugs. We really are AGAINST drugs and we never used cocaine. We are ready to get tested, cause we got nothing to hide."[293] The EBU released a statement the following day, stating that the band, their management and the Italian head of delegation had denied any allegation, and the singer in question, Damiano, requested to be tested the same night, but as testing could not be immediately organized, he would "take a voluntary drug test after arriving home". It was also confirmed that "broken glass was found after an on site check".[294] The allegation case was mostly forced in the French press and got even commented by the French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian,[295] but France Télévisions announced that they won't file any official charges, while in the Italian press it was described as a social media joke that had gone too far and become fake news.[296][297]

On 24 May, the EBU released a statement confirming that no drug use took place in the green room during the final, following a negative drug test and inspection of all available footage. The EBU also expressed concern over "inaccurate speculation leading to fake news [that] has overshadowed the spirit and the outcome of the event and unfairly affected the band".[298]

Dutch televoting issues

The EBU confirmed on 24 May that they had issues handling the Dutch televote in the final. Many people on social media complained about their votes not being counted and had only received their confirmation texts hours after the show. The EBU later confirmed to NOS that those votes were not counted due to a problem with the Dutch branch of the telecom provider T-Mobile, while clarifying that they had no authority over the issue. The Dutch televote, however, remains valid.[299][300][301]

Other awards

In addition to the main winner's trophy, the Marcel Bezençon Awards and the Barbara Dex Award were contested during the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. The OGAE (French: Organisation Générale des Amateurs de l'Eurovision; English: General Organisation of Eurovision Fans) voting poll also took place before the contest.

Marcel Bezençon Awards

Further information: Marcel Bezençon Awards

The Marcel Bezençon Awards honour the best competing songs in the final. Named after the founder of the contest, the awards were created and first handed at the 2002 contest by Christer Björkman (Sweden's representative in the 1992 contest and the country's current Head of Delegation), and Richard Herrey (a member of the Herreys who won the 1984 contest for Sweden).[302] The awards are divided into three categories: Artistic Award, Composers Award, and Press Award.[303] The winners are revealed shortly before the Eurovision final.

Category[304] Country Song Performer(s) Composer(s)
Artistic Award  France "Voilà" Barbara Pravi Barbara Pravi, Igit, Lili Poe
Press Award
Composers Award   Switzerland "Tout l'Univers" Gjon's Tears Gjon Muharremaj, Nina Sampermans, Wouter Hardy, Xavier Michel

OGAE

Further information: OGAE

OGAE is an international organisation which conducts a voting poll for the favourite songs among its members before the annual contest. It consists of a network of over forty Eurovision Song Contest fan clubs across Europe and beyond.[305][306] The top five overall results, after all votes were cast, are shown below.[307]

Country Performer(s) Song OGAE result
 Malta Destiny "Je me casse" 363
  Switzerland Gjon's Tears "Tout l'Univers" 358
 France Barbara Pravi "Voilà" 318
 Lithuania The Roop "Discoteque" 301
 Cyprus Elena Tsagrinou "El diablo" 238

Barbara Dex Award

Further information: Barbara Dex Award

The Barbara Dex Award is a fan award given each year to the artist who wore the most notable outfit. First awarded in 1997, the award originally highlighted the worst-dressed artists in the competition, until this criterion was changed in 2019. Named after Belgium's representative who came last in the 1993 contest, wearing her self-designed dress, the award was handed by the fansite House of Eurovision from 1997 to 2016 and is being carried out by the fansite Songfestival.be since 2017.[308]

Place Country Performer(s)
1  Norway Tix
2  Romania Roxen
3  Croatia Albina
4  United Kingdom James Newman
5  Israel Eden Alene

Eurovision Song Celebration: Live-On-Tape

The EBU announced on 29 March 2021 that the Eurovision Song Celebration would return for a second edition, premiering on the contest's official YouTube channel. Krista Siegfrids presented the show, which was aired in two parts on 28 and 29 May, and provided a showcase for the 'live-on-tape' back-up performances along with additional bonus material.[41][309]

The first part of the show featured the back-up performances of the semi-finalists that failed to qualify for the final (excluding Ireland), while the second part featured the back-up performances of the finalists (excluding the United Kingdom).[310]

Like in the previous year's Song Celebration, fans were asked to contribute to the show by sending videoclips of their favourite entries.[311]

Official album

Eurovision Song Contest: Rotterdam 2021
ESC 2021 album cover.png
Compilation album by
Eurovision Song Contest
Released23 April 2021
GenrePop
Length
  • 55:58 (CD 1)
  • 58:32 (CD 2)
LabelUniversal
Eurovision Song Contest chronology
Eurovision: A Tribute to the Artists and Songs 2020
(2020) 		Eurovision Song Contest: Rotterdam 2021
(2021)

Eurovision Song Contest: Rotterdam 2021 is the official compilation album of the contest, put together by the European Broadcasting Union and was released by Universal Music Group digitally on 16 April 2021 and physically on 23 April 2021.[312][313] The album features all 39 entries including the semi-finalists that failed to qualify for the final.

Charts

Chart performance for Eurovision Song Contest: Rotterdam 2021
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[314] 23
Austrian Compilation Albums (Ö3 Austria)[315] 2
Dutch Compilation Albums (Compilation Top 30)[316] 1
German Compilation Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[317] 2
Irish Compilation Albums (IRMA)[318] 26
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[319] 54
UK Compilation Albums (OCC)[320] 3

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The United Kingdom was the only country to finish the competition with 0 points. Despite scoring points from the professional juries, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands all failed to score points from the public televote.
  2. ^ No country has always participated in the final since the introduction of semi-finals in 2004. Ukraine, despite having always reached the final, did not participate in 2015 and 2019. Additionally, the 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  3. ^ Tornike Kipiani from Georgia opted not to participate in the series.[43]
  4. ^ Armenia withdrew from the contest on 5 March 2021.[62]
  5. ^ Belarus was disqualified from the contest on 26 March 2021.[63]
  6. ^ Pre-recorded performance due to Laurence testing positive for COVID-19 two days prior to the final.[82]
  7. ^ Due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, Australia competed using their 'live-on-tape' performance, filmed at SBS Studios in Sydney.[97][98]
  8. ^ a b Contains repeated words in Spanish
  9. ^ a b Contains several phrases in Hebrew
  10. ^ a b Contains one repeated chant in Azerbaijani
  11. ^ a b Contains one repeated phrase in French
  12. ^ a b Performance contains uncredited live vocals from Flo Rida.
  13. ^ a b Contains one repeated word in Italian
  14. ^ Contains one sentence in Czech
  15. ^ a b Following a positive COVID-19 test result for a member of Gagnamagnið, Iceland competed using footage from their rehearsal at Rotterdam Ahoy, recorded on 13 May.[101][102]
  16. ^ a b Contains one phrase in English and one repeated word in Spanish
  17. ^ Despite finishing with the same number of points as Bulgaria, Greece is deemed to have finished in tenth place due to receiving a greater number of points in the televote.
  18. ^ Contains two spoken sentences in German
  19. ^ Replacement for Duncan Laurence, who tested positive for COVID-19.
  20. ^ All shows were broadcast live, with a primetime rebroadcast in the evening between 21 and 23 May.
  21. ^ The second semi-final was broadcast on La Une on a 90-minute delay.
  22. ^ Late replacement for Maureen Louys who was absent due to testing positive for COVID-19.
  23. ^ The final was broadcast on VivaCité on a 60-minute delay.
  24. ^ Due to the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, the shows would be deferred to Kan Educational in the event that the main broadcast on Kan 11 is interrupted.
  25. ^ The first semi-final was broadcast on a two-hour delay, starting at 22:15 WEST.[196][197]
  26. ^ Late replacement for Rylan Clark-Neal who was absent due to illness but still appeared in pre-recorded segments.[226]
  27. ^ Peacock is an over-the-top video streaming service owned by NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, which also owns NBC who is an Associate Member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for the United States. After announcing that NBC would broadcast the American Song Contest in 2022, the EBU later announced that Peacock acquired rights to distribute both the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 and 2022 in the United States.[236][237] All three shows were streamed live with video-on-demand viewing available afterwards, with no commentary.[238][239][240][241]
  28. ^ Including Suspilne online stream, Facebook stream and eurovision.ua stream

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