2023 Eurovision Song Contest

[Blackleaf]

The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest final is tonight in Liverpool. It's the first time the UK has hosted the competition since 1998. Usually the winning nation host's the next year's contest, but as the winner last year was Ukraine it's being hosed by the nation that finished second.

The host nation - who will be the last of the 26 nations to perform in tonight's final - will be represented by Mae Muller and her song "I Wrote A Song."

Ukraine are being represented by electronic duo Tvorchi with their song "Heart of Steel."

However, the favourites are Sweden, being represented by Loreen and her song "Tattoo." If Sweden wins, it'll be a joint-record seventh Eurovision win for the country, moving alongside Republic of Ireland.

 

[Blackleaf]

We're underway at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena with last year's winners Kalush Orchestra of Ukraine performing an opening ceremony. Four hours of Europop to come.

Spice Girl and Liverpudlian Mel C is one of the co-hosts.

 

[Blackleaf]

It's the first Eurovision in which people from anywhere in the world - the entire planet - can vote.

 

[Blackleaf]

Germany may get my vote. They're performing now - heavy metal. None of that Europop nonsense.

I'm not allowed to vote for the UK.

 

[55Mercury]

but but but...

brexit!?

ya don't divorce yerself from the world and then say

we can still fvck

 

[Blackleaf]

but but but...

brexit!?

ya don't divorce yerself from the world and then say

we can still fvck

I don't recall Israel, Moldova, Norway, Australia, Armenia, Albania, Serbia and Ukraine being in the EU, but they are still in Eurovision.

I don't think being in the EU is a requirement for being in Eurovision.

 

[Blackleaf]

I quite like the entry from Finland, being performed tonight in this video. They are the second favourite behind Sweden...

But I voted just voted for Germany (I had problems voting on my mobile so I resorted to using my old landline phone to vote)...

As voting continues - and this is the first Eurovision in which voting is worldwide - we've just had a performance of John Lennon's 1971 hit "Imagine". This is Liverpool, after all.

 

[Blackleaf]

Now we have a performance from Sonia, the UK's 1993 Eurovision entry that finished second behind Ireland, as people around the planet continue to vote.

Sweden are the favourites and will draw level with Ireland with most wins if they win.

If the UK wins it will draw level with Sweden with second-most wins.

But maybe neither will win. Who will do it?

Now we have a performance of "You'll Never Walk Alone", Liverpool FC's anthem.

 

[Blackleaf]

And here's the host nation UK, performing in the semi-final. We performed last in tonight's final. That may help us as it sticks more in voters' memories.

 

[Blackleaf]

Sweden take the lead straight away with 12 points from Ukraine. UK get four points.

 

[Blackleaf]

Surprise surprise, Latvia give Estonia 12 points. Nothing for UK. Ten for Sweden.

Sweden have just received another 12 points from another country. It's already looking like favourites Sweden are going to win for a joint-record seventh time.

Last year's runners-up UK have started poorly.

Still early days.

 

[Blackleaf]

Another 12 points for Sweden and they have a good lead.

These are just the jury votes. We still have the public votes yet.

Sweden in the lead with Israel second.

 

[Blackleaf]

Sweden on 140 points. Italy second with 74. Still a long way to go.

 

[Blackleaf]

A good lead for Sweden, with Italy second and Israel third.

UK are third bottom with 10 points, Croatia second-bottom with 3 points and Germany (the country I voted for) bottom with 0 points.

These are just the jury votes. We still have the public votes, and then things can change quite dramatically.

 

[Blackleaf]

Finland gave 12 points to Sweden.

Norway gave 12 points to Finland.

Sweden gave 12 points to Finland.

 

[Blackleaf]

Sweden lead by 131 points, but still only on jury votes.

 

[Blackleaf]

Sweden win Eurovision for record seventh time

Sweden have drawn level with Republic of Ireland with most Eurovision wins after winning it for a seventh time.

Finland finish second after receiving the most public votes, but Sweden win after receiving the most combined public and jury votes.

Sweden will host next year's Eurovision on the 50th anniversary of ABBA's win with "Waterloo."

Sweden's Loreen is only the second person to win Eurovision twice, after Ireland's Johnny Logan in 1980 and 1987, after also winning it in 2012.

 

[Blackleaf]

In a glorious Eurovision Song Contest final in the great city of Liverpool, Sweden are victorious, drawing level with Republic of Ireland with the most wins - seven (1974, 1984, 1991, 1999, 2012, 2015, 2023).

Loreen also becomes only the second person to win it twice (2012, 2023) after Republic of Ireland's Johnny Logan (1980, 1987).

 

[Blackleaf]

Ukraine Eurovision act's city Ternopil attacked before performance​

Tvorchi held up a sign displaying the name of their hometown while participating in the Eurovision Song Contest

The home city of Ukraine's Eurovision act was hit by Russian missiles moments before the band took to the stage in Liverpool, reports say.

The head of Ternopil regional state administration, Volodymyr Trush, confirmed two people had been injured.

Ternopil mayor Serhiy Nadal confirmed warehouses were damaged.

Ten minutes before taking to the stage at the Liverpool Arena, Tvorchi - Ukrainian for "creatives" - posted on Instagram citing reports of Ternopil in western Ukraine being attacked.

After performing, Tvorchi wrote again on Instagram saying: "Ternopil is the name of our hometown, which was bombed by Russia while we sang on the Eurovision stage about our steel hearts, indomitability and will.

"This is a message for all cities of Ukraine that are shelled every day. Kharkiv, Dnipro, Khmelnytsky, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Uman, Sumy, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Kherson and all others.

"Europe, unite against evil for the sake of peace!"

Tvorchi, made up of Ukrainian producer Andrii Hutsuliak and Nigeria-born vocalist Jeffery Kenny, hoped to defend the Eurovision title after Kalush Orchestra won last year in Turin.

They performed "Heart of Steel" - a song about troops who led an ultimately unsuccessful resistance against Russian forces at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.

Liverpool is hosting the contest on behalf of Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict.

At the end of their performance, Tvorchi held their fists in the air as acts from other nations were also seen waving the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine.

Ukraine Eurovision act's city Ternopil attacked before performance

Ternopil was hit by Russian missiles before Tvorchi took the stage in Liverpool, authorities say.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Blackleaf]

Results



Last year's winner Ukraine finished sixth with 243 points, and last year's runner-up UK finished 25th with 24 points.

Ukraine's Tvorchi ("Creatives") - made up of Ukrainian keyboardist Andrii Hutsuliak and Nigerian vocalist Jeffery Kenny - met at medical school in Ukraine.