After a decade in charge, the Head of the Estonia Delegation and Executive Producer of Eesti Laul, Mart Normet, announced yesterday that he is to step down from his two roles after this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. 

Mart Normet was announced as the Head of Entertainment in Spring 2008 and became the Estonia Head of Delegation (HoD) and Executive Producer of Eesti Laul in the Autumn of 2008.

He has released the following statement:

We’ve had 10 years of constant growth and transformed what was merely a Eurovision selection tool into the most important pop music event in Estonia. I am so proud of the work that we’ve achieved here, but after so long at the top, it’s time for some fresh blood.

Progress and innovation is born out of charting unknown territory and I am starting to feel like I know all the answers. In environments as dynamic as music and television, this can only slow down progress.

So after Portugal, I will step down as Estonian Head of Delegation and Executive Producer of Eesti Laul. It’s important for me to leave while we’re still at the top of our game to allow someone new to come in and make their mark on what we’ve created.

I’ve not decided what is coming next for me, but I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Unless we win Eurovision this year, in which case I am definitely doing Eurovision in Tallinn!

Estonia saw three top ten finishes with Mart Normet as their HoD.

In 2009, Rändajad finished in sixth place; Estonia’s best result for six years. Three years later, Estonia finished in sixth place again with Kuula by Ott Lepland. Their most recent success is Stig Rästa & Elina Born’s seventh placing Goodbye to yesterday, which actually finished in fifth place with the televoting.