Australia: ‘Eurovision: Australia Decides’ back on the Gold Coast in 2022

by Sanjay (Sergio) Jiandani 1,244 views

Blink TV, the partner tv station and production company of Australian national broadcaster SBS for ESC is planning to bring back their Eurovision national final ‘Eurovision: Australia Decides’ to the Gold Coast in 2022.

Our friends down under have hosted a full fledged national final twice (2019, 2020) in order to determine the Aussie Eurovision act and entry. In 2020 the Eurovision Song Contest was cancelled due to unprecedently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SBS invited Montaigne to represent Australia at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest next year, hence the Aussie will hot hold a national final next year.

Blink TV released the following statement:

After the unprecedented cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2020 due to Covid-19, Montaigne, the winner of ‘Eurovision – Australia Decides – Gold Coast 2020’ held in February, will still get her shot at Eurovision glory with a new song, when the Eurovision Song Contest returns in May 2021 in host city, Rotterdam.

Although there won’t be a ‘Eurovision – Australia Decides’ show in 2021, Blink and SBS are already planning a come-back show for early 2022! We look forward to showcasing more great Australian musical and song writing talent as they join a growing alumni we can are so proud of including Kate Miller-Heike, Vanessa Amorosi, Courtney Act, Electric Fields, Sheppard, Casey Donovan, Jack Vidgen, iOTA and many more.

Mr. Paul Clarke (Creative Director of Eurovision – Australia Decides/ Director of Blink TV) 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 has been achieved with Australia Decides – we are so grateful to our key partners Tourism and Events Queensland, City of Gold Coast, Screen Queensland and more recently Moroccanoil and APRA AMCOS for their commitment to building a major TV event for music 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.

Montaigne was set to represent Australia at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest with her entry ‘Don’t break me‘.