RUSSIA 🇷🇺
Sergey Vyacheslavovich Lazarev is a Russian singer, dancer and actor. He is most famous for his singing career, when he rose to fame as a member of the group Smash!!. The group broke up in 2006. Since then Lazarev has pursued a solo career. He represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden, and finished in third place, coming first in the televote. He represented Russia again at Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel with the song “Scream”, and similarly finished in third place.
UKRAINE 🇺🇦
O.Torvald is a Ukrainian rock band. It was formed in 2005 in Poltava, Ukraine. Its debut album O.Torvald was recorded in 2008. O.Torvald took part in festivals such as GBOB, Chervona Ruta, Tavria games, Prosto Rock (with Linkin Park and Garbage), Zakhid, Krashche Misto UA (with Evanescence and The Rasmus), Ekolomyja and Global Gathering. They represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song “Time” finishing in 24th place.
AZERBAIJAN 🇦🇿
On 8 March 2019, it was confirmed that Chingiz would represent Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song “Truth”. He performed in the second semi-final on 16 May 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel as 18th, closing the semi-final. He placed 5th with 224 points, thus qualifying for the grand final on 18 May 2019. In the final, he placed 8th in a field of 26 participants with 302 points. This was Azerbaijan’s best result, and the first time in the top 10, since 2013.
SPAIN 🇪🇸
In 2017, Amaia auditioned for series nine of the reality television music competition Operación Triunfo, a program that was returning to television after a six-year hiatus. On 23 October 2017, she was selected to enter the show’s “Academy” on the season premiere: Amaia performed David Bowie’s “Starman” and was not selected originally by the show’s jury, but she was saved by the “Academy”‘s staff of teachers. On 15 January 2018, Amaia became a finalist in the competition after being awarded a perfect score of 40 points from the jury – the highest score in the history of the competition –. On 5 February, she was proclaimed the winner of the series with 46% of the final votes. Additionally, due to being one of the final five finalists on Operación Triunfo, Amaia was a candidate to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. For the special Eurovision selection show that was held on 29 January 2018, she was allocated three songs: “Camina”, which she performed as part of a group made up of the five finalists; “Al cantar”, composed by Rozalén, which she performed solo; and “Tu canción”, composed by Raul Gómez and Sylvia Santoro, which she sang in a duet with Alfred García. The latter was selected with 43% of the public vote to represent Spain in the 2018 Contest in Lisbon, Portugal. Amaia and Alfred were the second to perform at the Eurovision final, held on 12 May 2018. They placed twenty-third out of the 26 participating countries with 61 points: 43 from the professional juries and 18 from the televote.
UKRAINE 🇺🇦
Korsun was born in the Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad. In school Korsun studied music and dance. In 2014, she graduated in a non-musical subject from the Polytechnic Institute in Kharkiv. Despite this, Korsun participated and reached the final of the contest The Voice of the Country. Reboot, which was held in Ukraine. Korsun is married to Olexander Korsun. She met him while studying at the institute. Olexander was the PR manager of The Pringlez. The team included a drummer, guitarists, a songwriter, and also a photographer and sound engineer. In 2015, the group represented Ukraine at the New Wave competition. In addition, one of their songs – Easy to Love – made it to the final of the Ukrainian selection for Eurovision 2016. On 23 February 2019, Maruv won the final of Yevrobachennia. Natsionalnyi Vidbir; meaning Eurovision. National Selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. Her win was marred by controversy about her concerts in Russia. The rights to her Eurovision song, “Siren Song”, belong to the Russian record label Warner Music Russia and the label had organised her first ever solo concert to be held in Moscow at Izvestia Hall on 6 April 2019. After it became clear that she would be performing in two concerts in Russia the following months, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Vyacheslav Kyrylenko stated that artists who toured Russia or “did not recognise the territorial integrity of Ukraine” should not take part in Eurovision.
THE NETHERLANDS 🇳🇱
On 6 May 2016, he released his third studio album Fool Bar by record company Universal Music Group. The album peaked at number four on the Dutch Albums Chart. Douwe Bob represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm, where he performed the song “Slow Down” in the semi-finals and finals on 10 and 14 May 2016. Finishing 11th in the final with a total of 153 points. He was the Dutch spokesperson in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017.
AZERBAIJAN 🇦🇿
Gasimov took part in the Azerbaijani national selection, Milli Seçim Turu 2011. Gasımov’s first appearance was in Heat 6, placing second with 10 points, behind winner Ilgara Ibrahimova with 12 points with both qualifying to the semi-final. Gasimov qualified from the semi-final along with four other artists to the final on 11 February 2011, where he and Nigar Jamal won the right to represent Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany in May 2011. They sang under the pseudonym Ell & Nikki the song “Running Scared” written by Stefan Örn and Sandra Bjurman from Sweden and Iain Farquharson from the UK, which won the competition with 221 points.
MONTENEGRO 🇲🇪
Sergej Ćetković is a Montenegrin recording artist. He lives and works in the Serbian capital of Belgrade.[1] Ćetković represented Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. After winning MTV Adria award for Best regional Act RTCG announced in December 2012 that Who See would represent Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 held in Malmö. Their entry was the song “Igranka” with additional vocals by singer Nina Žižić. The song was performed as part of the first semi-final heat on Tuesday 14 May 2013 and failed to advance to the finals.
