In the spotlights: Sam Ryder

 

 

Tomorrow, the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 will take place in Turin. One of the favourites for the win is Sam Ryder, who represents the United Kingdom.

But who is Sam Ryder?

Sam Ryder is a familiar face to TikTok users, but he will be a newcomer to millions if they see him represent the UK at Eurovision 2022.

Sam was born on 25 June 1989 in Maldon – United Kingdom.

As a child he started singing, and after seeing the Canadian Rock band Sum 41, he knew from a young age that he wanted to become a professional musician.

It was 2009 when he made his debut as a singer and guitarist in 2009 with the band “The morning After” of which he was the co-founder.

In 2010, when he was a member of the band The Morning After, Ryder stepped in to replace Casey Jones as a backing vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Blessed By A Broken Heart, a Canadian glam rock band, that was touring Europe at the time. In July 2012, Ryder joined the band full-time and appeared on their single “Out of Control”. The band broke up two months later and Ryder became the lead singer of Close Your Eyes, an American Christian hardcore band from Abilene, Texas.

Ryder replaced old “Close Your Eyes” frontman Shane Redmond, which caused concern among the band’s fans. Nevertheless, the band’s 2013 album Line in the Sand was well received.  On December 15, 2014, Ryder announced his decision to leave the band. He returned to “The Morning After” as lead singer and guitarist.

From 2014 to 2019, “The Morning After” toured American coffee houses and farmers markets.

He became known via TikTok in 2020, when he started posting his music covers. He found new famous fans such as Sia, Justin Bieber, Alicia Keys and Elton John. By the end of the year he became the most followed British artist on the platform.

Sam soon signed a record deal with Parlophone and in 2021 he released his debut EP, “The Sun’s Going to Rise”, followed by a sold-out tour.

The United Kingdom has not done too well in the Eurovision Song Contest in recent years, but now Sam Ryder is high in the polls, and he is, next to Sweden and Ukraine, even tipped as the winner!

Is that going to happen? We will know tomorrow.

In any case, we wish Sam Ryder a lot of success!

 

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Weekly Update

It’s Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Eurovision Universe brings you another weekly update. The Eurovision season moves fast. Vienna 2026 now comes into sharp focus. Each day puts the contest a little closer. This week, we cover new artist and song announcements and key national final developments. We also spotlight major tour news for fans who want Eurovision live on stage. New artists and songs 🇧🇬 Bulgaria: Dara chosen, song still to come Bulgaria has chosen its Eurovision 2026 artist after a televised final on 31 January at BNT Studio 1 in Sofia. She won the show with “Thunder”, a selection song rather than the final Eurovision entry. On 28 February, she will perform three candidate songs, and Bulgaria will select the Eurovision entry that night. A five-member jury and online voters will decide the winner. source: Eurovision Universe national finals page 🇨🇾 Cyprus: Antigoni sets date for Jalla Cyprus has confirmed that the entry will be premiered on Sunday, 8 February. The song and official music video will debut during the main evening news broadcast on CyBC. After the TV premiere, the track is expected to be available online. That includes the Eurovision platforms and major streaming services. source: Instagram Antigoni 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: BBC comments on selection rumours The BBC addressed reports that it had dropped the UK’s Eurovision “entrant.” The Euro Trip Podcast says the BBC told one act it would not represent the UK. The podcast adds that some outlets overstated the situation, because the act never had a contract and never received a formal offer. It traces the rumour back to a story from The Sun. The BBC says it will announce its chosen act shortly and will complete its usual due diligence first. source: Euro Trip Podcast 🇦🇺 Australia: SBS teases news “very soon” Eurovision remains part of SBS’s 2026 programming plans, and Australia’s next announcement may not be far away. TV Tonight reports that Natalie Edgar indicated the Australian Eurovision 2026 act will be revealed “very soon”. No artist name has been published at this stage. source: TV Tonight National finals 🇸🇲 San Marino: familiar Eurovision names in the casting list The Dreaming San Marino Song Contest continues to build its line-up through the casting phase. The official casting schedule includes Magdalena Tul. She represented Poland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.  Maraaya, who represented Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, also takes part. More names are expected as the selection process continues. source: Dreaming San Marino Song Contest 🇺🇦 Ukraine: Vidbir final on February 7 Ukraine’s national selection reaches its final stage this week. Suspilne has confirmed the hosts: Timur Miroshnychenko and Lesia Nikitiuk. Anna Tulieva will host the pre-show and a new Eurofans zone feature. The ten competing songs have also been released ahead of the live show from Kyiv. source: Eurovision Universe national finals page Other news Eurovision Song Contest Live Tour: first “Icons” announced The first headliners have been revealed for the official Eurovision arena tour. The initial “Icons” line-up includes Alessandra, Guy Sebastian, Helena Paparizou, Johnny Logan, Katrina, Lordi and Verka Serduchka. The tour runs across ten European cities from 15 June to 2 July 2026. General ticket sales open on 6 February at 10:00 CET, with pre-sale access tied to Eurofan accounts. source: Eurovision.com

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