The BBC, the British national broadcaster has announced today that it will once again opt for a national selection in order to select the UK Eurovision entry and act for Kyiv. The mechanism the Brits will use to select their act for ESC 2017 is nearly the same as the one used in 2016. The 2017 UK Eurovision entry will be deliberated via a televised show. More details will be released in due course.
Submission period for artists and composers to submit their entries for Eurovision 2017 kicks off today and concludes on 1 November.
As last year, all public entries will be considered and shortlisted by a representative panel of official UK Eurovision Fan Club (OGAE UK) members. At the same time, entries are also being sought from leading professional songwriters, with guidance from Record Industry Executive and Music Consultant for the BBC, Hugh Goldsmith.
Hugh Goldsmith comments:
I am looking for songs which have the capacity to make a true impact on the 200 million people that will watch Eurovision live in May 2017. Good is not enough…. Great is required! The winning song will need to combine emotive lyrics and memorable melodies with a brilliant production. Writers should not be constrained by genre – Best in class is what we want! If you think you have the perfect song, we would love to hear from you.
Guy Freeman, Editor, BBC Special Events and Formats comments:
This is the moment for anyone who passionately believes they’ve written an outstanding song that could win over the hearts and minds of millions of European TV viewers and professional juries, to go for it and submit their entry.
How will the UK Eurovision national selection work?
An open submission process will take place. The BBC is inviting anyone over the age of 18 to submit a video of their original song for consideration. The video does not have to be professionally shot and the audio production can be a demo – but it must be sung live.
In addition, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) is to revive its former partnership with the BBC and will run a songwriting competition amongst its members. BASCA exists to support and protect the professional interests of songwriters, lyricists and composers of all genres of music and to celebrate and encourage excellence in British music writing.
The BBC will also be consulting with music industry experts including producers, artist managers and members of the BPI. The BPI is the representative body for UK record labels, and of BRIT Awards Ltd, which stages the annual BRIT Awards show.
Songs from all routes of entry will be included in a final shortlist, which will be presented to a professional panel who will choose which songs go to the public vote. The public will have the final say on which song is taken forward to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv 2017. More details regarding this will be announced in due course.
How to apply?
- If you would like to submit an entry, it must adhere to the EBU competition rules
- The song must not exceed 3 minute duration
- All vocals must be performed live
- No more than 6 people can take part in the performance
- The song must not have been publicly released before 1st September 2016; it should not have been performed in public or officially published on any media including but not limited to radio, TV and the Internet
- The song cannot be a cover or sample another artist’s work
- The song must be original with regards to songwriting and musical instrumentation
- Each singer/s must be 18 years old on or before 1st January 2017
- Composers and song writers may only submit one entry
- The closing date for entries is Tuesday 1st November 2016
- The BBC reserves the right to use a performer of its choice for any song submitted for consideration. Employees of the BBC and EBU or their close relatives or anyone connected with the contest are not eligible to enter
- The right is reserved to cancel the contest at any stage or amend any of the terms or details if necessary
- The BBC, its sub-contractors, subsidiaries and/or agencies cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for any failure in the postal system, any technical failure or malfunction or any other problem which may result in an entry not properly registered
- These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales
To register your interest in representing the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, please email the title of your song, the name of your artist(s) and the name of your composer(s) to the following email address: [email protected]
A final shortlist of songs, from either route of entry, will again be showcased to TV viewers, who will have the chance to vote for their favourite in Eurovision: You Decide, details of which will be announced later in the year.
In 2016 the United Kingdom selected its Eurovision entry via a national selection. Joe & Jake flew the British flag at the 2016 ESC in Stockholm with their entry You’re not alone.
The United Kingdom debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 has won the competition 5 times: in 1967 with Sandie Shaw, in 1969 with Lulu, in 1976 with Brotherhood of Man, in 1981 with Bucks Fizz and in 1997 with Katrina & The Waves.
You should not forget that the United Kingdom also holds the record of hosting the contest a total of 8 times: London 1960, 1963, 1968, 1977, Edinburgh 1972, Brighton 1974, Harrogate 1982 and Birmingham 1998.
The UK has only missed one contest since their debut in 1957, notably the 1958 Eurovision Song Contest. The Brits have been competing in Europe’s favourite television show religiously every year since 1959.
The 2017 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held on 9, 11 and 13 May at the IEC in Kyiv, Ukraine.
