Ictimai, the Azerbaijani national broadcaster, has unveiled the 2020 Azerbaijani Eurovision hopeful.

Samira Efendi will have the grand honour of representing the Land of Fire aka Azerbaijan at the forthcoming 2020 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam.

 

Samira Efendi is the #ESC2020 artist for Azerbaijan🇦🇿 | Ictimai TV🔥

She will head to Rotterdam🇳🇱 after a successful 5th attempt at representing the Land of Fire🎤

Her song will be announced soon. Find out more👉 https://t.co/NpdRmbW7Tt

#Eurovision | #OpenUp | #Azerbaijan pic.twitter.com/pkS0JIIw9f

— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) February 28, 2020

Internal selection

Ictmai has yet again opted for an internal selection in order to determine its Eurovision act and hopeful. Five candidate were in contention to represent Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2020:

• Samira Efendi
• Laman Dadasheva
• Elvin Novruzov
• Jabrail Rasulov
• Riad Abdulov.

Samira was crowned the winner of the internal selection and will now travel to Rotterdam, this was the artist’s fifth attempt to represent Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest.

The 2020 Azerbaijani entry is set to premiere in early March.

About Samira Efendi

The 28 year Azerbaijani artist has partaken at various musical talent shows and song festivals:  Yeni ulduz, Böyük Səhnə, The Voice of Azerbaijan,  Silk Way Star (Kazakhstan) and the Voice of Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan).

Azerbaijan in Eurovision

Azerbaijan debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 and has won the competition once, namely in 2012 with Eldar & Nikki‘s Running scared. The following year the country welcomed the Eurovision bandwagon for the very first time in its majestic capital Baku.

The Caucasian nation has partaken in Europe’s favorite television show 12 times, having competed in the event every year since its debut in 2008.

In 2019 Azerbaijan opted for an internal selection and selected Chingiz to fly the Azerbaijani flag at the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv with his entry Truth, achieving a 8th place in the Grand Final.