Jari Sillanpää, who represented Finland at the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, has won the Iskelmä Finlandia award. Sillanpää was selected by the 1965 Finnish national final winner Marjatta Leppänen, on behalf of Finnish broadcaster YLE.
Sillanpää was one of the nominees to win the Iskelmä Finlandia award, together with two other former Finnish Eurovision Song Contest representatives, Virve 'Vicky' Rosti (1987 – Sata Salamaa) and Anneli Saaristo (1989 – La dolce vita) and the former Finnish national final participants Eini and Frederik.
Singer and entertainer Marjatta Leppänen had the honour to select the winner of the Iskelmä Finlandia trophy and pointed out Jari Sillanpää. YLE awarded him a trophy and a � 10.000 prize.
With the song Iltaisin, Marjatta Leppänen won the Finnish national final in 1965. However, she never reached the stage of the Eurovision Song Contest. Leppänen won the vote of the regional juries but the professional jury preferred Aurinko laskee länteen by Viktor Klimenko. Although Leppänen defeated Klimenko in the global ranking with 15 points, Finnish broadcaster YLE sent the runner-up to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Jari Sillanpää finished 14th in the semifinal of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Takes 2 to tango and did not succeed in qualifying Finland for the final.
