SPAIN – It was just announced through the social media, that the Spanish national broadcaster will select internally the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest representative. It will be the first internal selection since 2015. TVE says they will soon announce the name of the artist(s).
Spain has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 59 times since making its debut in 1961, where they finished ninth. Since 1999, Spain has been one of the “Big Five”, along with France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, who are automatically allowed to participate in the final because they are the five biggest financial contributors to the European Broadcasting Union. Spain has competed in the contest continuously since the country’s debut in 1961. The only country with a longer run of uninterrupted Eurovision appearances is the United Kingdom, ever-present since 1959.
Spain has won the contest twice, first in 1968 with the song “La, la, la” sung by Massiel and again in 1969, when Salomé’s “Vivo Cantando” was involved in a four-way tie with France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The 1969 contest in Madrid is the only time Spain has hosted the event since lots were drawn after 1969’s four-way tie and the 1970 contest was hosted by the Netherlands.
Spain has also finished second in the contest four times, with Karina in 1971, Mocedades in 1973, Betty Missiego in 1979 and Anabel Conde in 1995, and third in 1984 with Bravo. The country finished last with “Nul points” three times: in 1962, 1965 and 1983, and also finished last in 1999 and 2017.
Since 2005, Spain has only twice reached the top 10, with both Pastora Soler (2012) and Ruth Lorenzo (2014) finishing 10th, and have now failed to reach the top 20 in 10 of the last 15 contests, including for five consecutive years (2015–19).
