SBS, the Australian national broadcaster, has confirmed that Australia will participate at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest following the cancellation of the 2020 Eurovision edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Australia has also confirmed that Montaigne has been invited to fly the Aussie flag at next year’s edition.

Thus Australia joins the list of countries who have so far confirmed their participation at the 2021 Eurovision edition and invited their 2020 Eurovision hopefuls to partake in the competition next year.

Montaigne was crowned the winner of the 2020 Australian national final and was set to represent Australia at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with her entry Don’t Break Me.

SBS has scrapped its national final, Eurovision: Australia Decides, for 2021 and has invited Montaigne to fly to Eurovision next year with a brand new song. The Aussie broadcaster is now working on finding the best song for ESC 2021 and on its potential staging.

Montaigne says:

I’m so happy to receive this good news during such times. At home, we’ve started this ritual of cracking open a fortune cookie daily and reading our fortunes to each other and I got one that read, “You will be sharing great news with all the people you love.” I’m so glad it came true!

Mr. Josh Martin (SBS Commissioning Editor/ Head of Delegation Australia) says:

Although SBS and fans alike will miss Eurovision – Australia Decides 2021, this will honour Australia’s decision and give Montaigne the chance to show the world what we already know – that she is an incredibly talented, exciting and original artist. Our focus will now shift to a new song for 2021 and Montaigne is not wasting a moment of this period of isolation with many new ideas already on the table!

Mr. Paul Clarke (Blink TV Director/ ESC Australia Decides Creative Director) says:

It’s great to know for certain that Australia will be able to cheer for Montaigne at Eurovision 2021, and we’re excited to be working with her on a new song and staging.

Meanwhile, it’s important to appreciate what’s been achieved with Eurovision – Australia Decides.

We’re so grateful to our key partners Tourism and Events Queensland, City of Gold Coast, Screen Queensland, Moroccanoil and APRA AMCOS for their commitment to building a major TV event for artists and songwriters who, like all of us, are facing unprecedented challenges this year.

To our music community we say – write the perfect Eurovision song! We have every intention of bringing the show back to the Gold Coast in 2022 bigger and better than ever.

Australia in Eurovision

Australia was invited to compete at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, as a one off participation but the country embraced the competition with such enthusiasm that they have been invited to return every year since.
The Aussies achieved their best result in the contest in 2016 when Dami Im nearly walked away with the Grand Prix with her entry Sound of silence, placing 2nd in Stockholm.

Our neighbours down under have enjoyed much success in the competition having achieved four top 10 placings in their five year Eurovision history.

In 2019 the Aussies introduced a full fledged national final Eurovision: Australia Decides on the Gold Coast in order to select their Eurovision hopeful and song for Tel Aviv. Kate Miller-Heidke was crowned the winner of the very first Australian national final with her entry Zero Gravity. Kate flew the Aussie flag at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, achieving an honorable 9th place in the Grand Final.