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2016

Sandhja

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameSandhja Kuivalainen Born16 March 1991 Nationality🇫🇮 Finnish National SelectionUuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2016 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongSing It Away (2016) Biography Sandhja Kuivalainen, born on 16 March 1991, is a Finnish singer known professionally as Sandhja.  Sandhja’s mother is Indo-Guyanese, and her father is Finnish. In her career, Sandhja released her debut single “Hold Me” in November 2013, which was the lead single from her first studio album. She followed it up with the release of “Gold” as the second single in March 2014. Her debut studio album, titled “Gold,” was released in May 2014. In 2015, Sandhja collaborated with Brandon Bauer on the single “The Flavor.” She also released her own single, “My Bass,” in October 2015. In January 2016, she was announced as one of the participants in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2016, a Finnish music competition. She advanced to the final after competing in the third semi-final. Ultimately, she won the competition, securing the victory through the jury vote and placing third in the public vote. As the winner, Sandhja represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. She performed her song in the first semi-final but did not qualify for the final held on 14 May 2016. Prior to Eurovision, she released her second studio album, “Freedom Venture,” on 29 April 2016. The first single from this album to be released after Eurovision was “Love me high”. In 2017, Sandhja teamed up with Gracias & Ekow to release the song “We go on”.  On 28 May 2021, the group Gankino Circus released a song, “Summer”, in which Sandhja’s spoken word featured. She also performed with the band Kissat. In 2023 she formed the duo Maisa with her mother-in-law. They perform mainly the most popular Finnish tunes of the 40s-70s. Entries Sing It Away Country🇫🇮 Finland Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsSandhja KuivalainenMilos RosasPetri MataraMarkus Savijoki MusicSandhja KuivalainenMilos RosasPetri MataraMarkus SavijokiHeikki Korhonen BackingsHeini IkonenTuuli IkonenLinda IlvesReetta KorhonenJepa Lambert Results Semi Points: 51Position: 15Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/oAQIPxgQkM8

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Iveta Mukuchyan

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameIveta Mukuchyan Born14 October 1986 Nationality🇦🇲 Armenian National SelectionInternal selection 2016 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongLoveWave (2016) Biography Iveta Mukuchyan is an Armenian singer. She was born in 1986 in Yerevan, which was then part of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992, she relocated to Hamburg, Germany. They briefly moved back to Armenia in 1995 but soon returned to Germany. Mukuchyan attended school in Hamburg, from 1998 to 2006, while also working as a part-time waitress.  While in Germany, Iveta joined a music club and sang Celine Dion’s hit “My Heart Will Go On” during an event, leading her parents to realize her potential as a singer. Mukuchyan later enrolled at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, leaving her design studies in Germany incomplete.  Iveta Mukuchyan began her musical journey in 2009 by participating in the fourth season of Hay Superstar, the Armenian equivalent of Pop Idol, where she claimed the fifth spot. Her performance earned her the Discovery of the Year award at the Armenia Awards in Moscow. She also made a notable appearance on the French track “L’amour n’a pas de loi” from Ararat 93’s debut album, Amalgame, in 2010. In 2011, she participated in Parahandes, an Armenian version of the British show Strictly Come Dancing, but didn’t make it to the semifinals. That same year, she also earned third place in The Voice of Hamburg, a German singing competition. Mukuchyan made several appearances on Armenian talk shows and graced the cover of El Style magazine. In 2012, she stepped into the international arena by participating in the second season of The Voice of Germany. She went on to win in the second stage of the competition. The same year, El Style magazine hailed her as the “Sexiest Armenian” and featured her on their cover in December. In October 2015, Iveta Mukuchyan debuted her single “Simple Like a Flower,” complete with a music video. The same month, Armenian Public Television chose her to represent Armenia at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm. She performed “LoveWave,”, which was selected as Armenia’s entry in February 2016. The song and its music video premiered in March 2016. She promoted “LoveWave” at the Eurovision Pre-Party concert in Moscow in April 2016, but modified some lyrics in light of the ongoing Artsakh conflicts. During the first Eurovision semifinal in May 2016, Mukuchyan stirred controversy by displaying the flag of the disputed Republic of Artsakh, leading to backlash from the Azerbaijani press and a “serious breach” statement from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). This could have potentially led to Armenia’s disqualification from future events. In response, Mukuchyan expressed her allegiance to her homeland and her desire for peace. “LoveWave” finished seventh at Eurovision.  Beyond music, she starred in the 2016 adventure-comedy film Run Away or Get Married and recorded the film’s soundtrack. At the Pan Armenian Entertainment Awards in November 2016, Iveta was appointed Armenia’s entertainment ambassador and performed her Eurovision song “LoveWave” and a new single, “Amena,” which she said speaks to women’s transformations, inner struggles, and values. In December 2016, she launched her first EP, “IvaVerse”.  In early 2017 Iveta collaborated with Aram Mp3 on a single called “Dashterov,” which later won a Song of the Year award. She announced a traditional-music project, again with Aram Mp3, based on their joint single. The project received a Best Collaboration of the Year award and Mukuchyan was recognized as the Diva of Armenian Pop. In January, Iveta announced an upcoming song which was released on February 1st under the title “Siraharvel Em Qez”. She embarked on an ambitious music project in South Africa known as “The Journey of a Woman”. Over the course of the year, she gave solo performances at Moe’s on the 5th restaurant in Dubai on multiple occasions: March 15th, April 19th, and May 5th. She also participated in the 2018 Swallow Music Awards, where she received the prestigious award for Best Female Singer of the Year. On April 1st, Mukuchyan held a concert at the KAMI Music Club with her band, performing songs from her Dashterov project as well as her most recent singles. She co-starred in the 2017 movie The Path of Our Dream. That same month, she released her debut solo album, “Armenian Folk”. In November, she and her sister launched their own brand at the MADE shopping center. During the 2018 protests in Armenia, Iveta Mukuchyan vocally supported the anti-government demonstrators, performing “Hayastan Jan” in Yerevan’s Republic Square on both days of the Prime Ministerial election. Later, on May 31, 2018, she collaborated with SONA and Ara Martirosyan to host a concert at the Aram Khachaturian Grand Concert Hall.  That summer, Mukuchyan collaborated with record producer Narek Mets Hayq on the song “Mets Khagh”, featuring Roland Gasparyan and Hayk Karapetyan. In October 2018, the first and second parts of her South African project were released, titled “Margo” and “Rich Bitch” respectively. Mukuchyan, alongside other Armenian singers, staged a tribute concert titled “For You, Aznavour” in October 2018, to honor the late French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour. Following the concerts, she released an Armenian version of Aznavour’s song “Quand Tu M’Aimes” (When You Love Me). On November 17, 2018, she debuted a new song, “Hayastani Axjikner” (Armenian Girls), during an episode of the Armenian comedy show Women’s Club.  On International Women’s Day, Iveta Mukuchyan staged her first performance at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles, California. To generate awareness for this concert, she featured on several Armenian television shows broadcasted in the United States. On April 28, 2019, she unveiled the third and concluding part of her trilogy “The Journey Of A Woman,” titled “United.” Mukuchyan showcased her single “Hayastani Axjikner”  on May 11, 2019. During the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in October 2020, Iveta Mukuchyan curated a virtual music concert named Rock for Artsakh which featured both Armenian and international artists. In November, she was involved in a charity song for Artsakh named “Mez Vochinch Chi Haghti” (Nothing Will Win Us) alongside other renowned

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Zoë

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameZoë Straub Born01 December 1996 Nationality🇦🇹 Austrian National SelectionWer Singt Für Österreich 2016Wer Singt Für Österreich 2015 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongLoin d’ici (2016) Biography Zoë Straub, professionally known as Zoë or ZOË, is an Austrian singer, songwriter, and actress. She was born in 1996, in Vienna, Austria. At a young age, she appeared in a song called “Doop Doop (Baby Remix)” by her parents’ musical project, Papermoon. In 2007, she participated in the Austrian reality singing competition Kiddy Contest, where she covered the song “Engel ohne Flügel.” During her school years at Lycée Français de Vienne, she continued to pursue her passion for music. In 2015, Zoë appeared on the ORF television series Vorstadtweiber and competed in the Austrian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Quel filou,” which she co-wrote with her father. The following year, in 2016, she won the Austrian national final and represented Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Loin d’ici” in Stockholm, Sweden. She reached the grand final and finished in thirteenth place overall. She released her debut album, “Debut,” in October 2015, and a reissued version of the album in April 2016. Zoë’s musical career continued to thrive, with her album “Debut” achieving gold status and her single “C’est la Vie” reaching number one in Italy and becoming popular in several European countries. Alongside her music career, she also ventured into acting, appearing in various series and films. She starred in the first German Netflix production “Isi und Ossi” and the highly successful Austrian series “Vorstadtweiber.” After releasing singles like “Tout Paris” and “Rêverie,” Zoë returned with a new version of her 2016 Eurovision hit “Loin d’ici” titled “Loin d’ici (far from here).” This time, she collaborated with newcomer Leonardo Davi, who added English verses to the song, giving it a fresh and contemporary touch. Zoë’s first studio album, titled “Debut,” was released on October 23, 2015, through Global Rockstar Music. The album performed well, reaching the fifth position on the Austrian album charts and achieving a Gold certification from IFPI AUT. Throughout her career, Zoë has released a series of successful singles. In 2015, she released “Quel filou,” which reached number 23 on the Austrian charts. That same year, she also released “Je m’en fous” and “Mon cœur a trop aimé.” In 2016, Zoë released “Loin d’ici,” which peaked at number 13 on the Austrian charts and number 66 on the Swedish charts. She also released “La nuit des merveilles” as a standalone single that year. In 2017, Zoë released “Dangerous Affair,” followed by “C’est La Vie” in 2018. In 2019, she released an EP titled “C’est La Vie (Remixes)” along with singles “Amour Fou” and “Amour Fou the Remixes.” The year 2020 saw the release of “Tout Paris,” followed by “Nacht,” “Tout Paris (Laibert Remix),” and “Rêverie” in 2021. Zoë’s most recent single, “Loin d’ici (far from here),”, a renewed version of her Eurovision song, was released in 2022, adding to her diverse repertoire of music. Entries Loin d’Ici Country🇦🇹 Austria Year2016 LanguageFrench LyricsZoë StraubChristof Straub MusicZoë StraubChristof Straub BackingsChristian KnollmüllerAlexandra MoqvistSandra Þórðardóttir Results Semi Points: 170Position: 7Running order: 12 Results Finals Points: 151Position: 13Running order: 24 https://youtu.be/3xuPYt5i5cE

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Nika Kocharov & Young Georgian Lolitaz

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameNika KocharovGiorgi MarrLevan ShanshiashviliDima Oganesian Founded2000 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionEvrovizia 2016 – Airchie Sheni Simgera! In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongMidnight gold (2016) Biography Nika Kocharov was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1980. He began his musical career at the age of 15 when he formed his first band called Nadzvis Khe. Later, at 19, he started another band called Nebo CCCR, together with Kote Kalandadze. In 2001, he formed Young Georgian Lolitaz. In 2006, he relocated to London after signing with 4 Real Records. Throughout his career, he has composed music for three films and one television series, and he has also acted in three films. Nika Kocharov & Young Georgian Lolitaz is a Georgian music group known for their alternative rock and indie rock sound. They are a four-member band hailing from Tbilisi, Georgia, that was established in 2000. The founding members of the band were Nika Kocharov, Levan Shanshiashvili, Giorgi Gobejishvili on bass, and Guram Makalatia (also known as Goofy) on drums. The band’s name, Young Georgian Lolitaz, was chosen as a playful parody of various erotic websites. Interestingly, after its formation, the band went through frequent name changes, often altering their name almost every week.  Giorgi Gobejishvili was soon replaced by David Svanidze as a member of the band. From 2000 to 2006, the band actively participated in various festivals, including “Mziuri” in Tbilisi, Georgia, which was an annual rock festival held from 2000 to 2005. The band frequently played gigs in Tbilisi. Their debut album, titled “Lemonjuice,” was released in 2004. The Young Georgian Lolitaz gained significant recognition with their song “Star,” which became the track of the year and amassed approximately 30,000 downloads on a popular unsigned MP3 artist website. In 2004, they also took part in the Aerials Rock music exchange project in Groningen, The Netherlands. The band signed a contract with the Georgian independent label Step Records in 2005, and in July of the same year, they released a CD named “Radio Live.” In 2006, Nika Kocharov made the decision to move to London in pursuit of launching his music career there. This led to some changes in the band’s lineup, with George Sikharulidze joining on bass and Ben Crook on drums. The band’s efforts in London resulted in a record deal with 4REAL Records in 2010, and they released an EP called “Lava” which was recorded in Rob Quickenden’s studio. However, shortly after the release, the band went on a hiatus. In early 2015, the band made a comeback, this time with a new and experienced drummer named Dima Oganesian. They resumed actively performing at various venues and festivals throughout Georgia. The band introduced new hits such as “Gay Swimmer” and “ID” to their repertoire. Additionally, they became regular guests on programming by the Georgian Public Broadcaster, further increasing their exposure. In 2016, the band was chosen to represent Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm. Out of five songs, “Midnight gold” was chosen. The song reached the final and reached a 20th place there. In 2017, the band made a comeback with the release of a new single called ‘Dark Device’. In interviews, Kocharov has mentioned that his musical influences include iconic bands like The Beatles, Blur, and Pulp, while Marr’s inspiration comes from Oasis. Entries Song Title Country🇬🇪 Georgia Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsKote Kalandadze MusicKote KalandadzeThomas G:son BackingsLars Säfsund Results Semi Points: 123Position: 9Running order: 16 Results Finals Points: 104Position: 20Running order: 23 https://youtu.be/rviE2-9eiTI

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Ira Losco

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameIra Losco Born31 June 1981 Nationality🇲🇹 Maltese National SelectionMalta Eurovision Song Contest 2016Malta Song For Europe 2002Malta Song For Europe 2001Malta Song For Europe 2000 In EurovisionYear City SongSong (Year) Biography Born in 1981 in Sliema, Malta, Ira Losco’s passion for music was ignited during her childhood. She embarked on her musical journey by actively participating in various performances at her schools. At the same time, she joined a local alternative band called Tiara, which allowed her to showcase her talent in different venues such as hotels and clubs. Together, they released an album titled “Hi-infidelity” in 2001 before eventually parting ways in 2002. Ira made her introduction to the local music scene as a solo artist when she took part in the Festival Kanzunetta ghaz-zghazagh 1999. It was during this time that she also participated in the Festival internazzjonali Kanzunetta Maltija, where she achieved a notable 5th place with her song “Thallinix.” Her outstanding performance earned her the prestigious FIDOF award, recognizing her as the most promising singer. After making her mark on the local music scene, Ira Losco ventured into the realm of Eurovision by participating in the national preselection event, Malta Song For Europe 2000. It was her first time competing, and she managed to secure a spot in the final with not just one, but two songs: “Shine” and “Falling in love.” These impressive achievements catapulted her into the spotlight, solidifying her reputation as one of the esteemed and prominent local singers. Furthermore, Ira experienced another monumental triumph in her career with her involvement in the musical production “Rita ta’ Cascia,” where she skillfully portrayed the leading character. Her career breakthrough came in 2002, when she represented Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 with the song “7th Wonder”. She placed second in the competition, Malta’s best ever result. Fourteen years later, she returned and represented Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song “Walk on Water”, placing twelfth. Losco has released five studio albums in her career, and is one of the most successful Maltese musicians of all-time. In 2018, she served as a judge on the inaugural season of X Factor Malta. Entries Walk On Water Country🇲🇹 Malta Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsLisa DesmondTim LarssonTobias LundgrenMolly Pettersson-HammarIra Losco MusicLisa DesmondTim LarssonTobias LundgrenMolly Pettersson-HammarIra Losco BackingsAnna AzzopardiPamela BezzinaMolly Pettersson-HammarLars Säfsund DancersSkorpion Results Semi Points: 209Position: 3Running order: 18 Results Finals Points: 153Position: 12Running order: 22 https://youtu.be/58YS5m3EYVY 7th Wonder Country🇲🇹 Malta Year2002 LanguageEnglish LyricsGerard James Borg MusicPhilip Vella BackingsAiri AllveeJelena JuzvikLiisi KoiksonDagmar OjaKaire Vilgats   Results Points: 164Position: 2Running order: 20 https://youtu.be/CSDAd2GfcQA

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Jamala

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameSusana Alimivna Jamaladinova Born27 August 1983 Nationality🇺🇦 Ukrainian National SelectionVidbir 2016Evrobachennya 2011 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm Song1944 (2016) Biography Susana Alimivna Dzhamaladinova, better known as Jamala, is born in Osh in the Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union. She is a Ukrainian singer of Crimean Tatar-Armenian origin. Soon, the family moved to Melitopol, and in the late 1980s, they settled in the village of Malorichenske near Alushta. From a young age, Susana participated in various children’s competitions. She studied at Music School No. 1 in Alushta, specializing in piano. After completing her studies there, she enrolled in the Simferopol Music School, graduating in 2001. She then continued her education at the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv, where she received an academic degree.  During her studies, Susana took part in various Ukrainian and international festivals such as Voices of the Future (2000, Russia), Crimean Spring (2001), Do#Dzh Junior (2001), and Il Concorso Europeo Amici della musica (2004, Italy). She sang in the female a cappella quintet Beauty Band (2001-2007), and in 2006, she participated in Do#Dzh Junior, where she was noticed by choreographer Olena Kolyadenko, who invited her to play a solo role in her own musical, Pa (2008). Thus, Olena Kolyadenko became Jamala’s first producer. After receiving her diploma, Susana sent her recordings to the Zurich Opera Theatre. During that period, she had already received an offer to do an internship at the renowned La Scala opera theatre in Milan. She had already decided to choose opera when an unexpected invitation came to participate in the 8th International Competition Nova Khvyla (New Wave). Susana agreed and performed at the competition under the stage name Jamala, which is the first part of her surname. In the end, she and Indonesian contestant Sandhy Sondoro both received 358 points, thus sharing the victory. In 2011, Jamala participated in Evrobachennya 2011, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. For the occasion, she sang the song “Smile” and ended up in 3rd place. On March 19, 2013, simultaneously on over 60 digital platforms, the release of the singer’s second album “All or Nothing” took place.Jamala personally presented the album on April 26 at a solo concert at the October Palace. In the same spring, the album was released on vinyl, and Jamala received the ELLE Style Award in the category of Singer of the Year. In the second half of 2013, Jamala participated in the MTV EXIT campaign against human trafficking. She appeared as a narrator in the documentary film “Life for Sale,” where she shared the stories of three labor migrants from Ukraine. In the spring of 2014, Jamala received the Red Apple Awards in the Art category for her contribution to the development of culture and strengthening peace. In the fall, she appeared in the film “Guide”. That same year, Jamala appeared in the television musical “Alice in Wonderland”, playing the role of the Caterpillar.  On October 1, 2014, the singer presented her third mini-album, titled “Thank You,” with musical producers Yevhen Filatov and the guitarist of her band, Serhiy Yeremenko (“Perfect Man”). The album included the Ukrainian-language song “Zaplutalas,” which Jamala introduced on September 25. The album predominantly features electronic sound and contains six songs. In the same fall, Andriy Khlyvnyuk invited Jamala to collaborate. Together with Dmytro Shurov and Andriy, they recorded the song “Zlyva”. The song became the musical composition for the film “The Winter That Changed Us” and the project “TSN – 94 Days. Euromaidan through the Eyes of TSN.” The duet of Jamala, Andriy Khlyvnyuk, and Dmytro Shurov, along with their song “Zlyva,” won the categories of Best Duet and Best Song at the YUNA Music Awards in 2016. On October 12, 2015, the fourth album “Podikh” was presented. The album won the Best Album category at the YUNA Music Awards in 2016, and the song “Inye” became the soundtrack for the Russian TV series of the same name. In 2016, Jamala took part in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest again, this time with the song “1944,” dedicated to tragic events of the past, including the deportation of the Crimean Tatars. Based on the results of the audience vote and the jury, Jamala advanced to the final of the national selection and won. In April, she participated in the recording of Usain Bekirov’s album “Taterrium”. During her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Jamala received the Eurostory Awards 2016 for the best lyrics in a competition song and the Marcel Bezençon Award in the Artistic Award category.  In the final of Eurovision on the night of May 15, Jamala emerged as the winner with 534 points. On May 16, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko awarded her the honorary title of People’s Artist of Ukraine. During her time at Eurovision, Jamala signed a contract with Universal Music Group, which released her album “1944” in Europe on June 10 and in the USA on July 10. On July 20, the premiere of the telefilm Dyvys na sebe! by journalist Bohdan Kutepov took place on the channels UA: Pershyi and Hromadske Telebachennia. The film focused on Jamala’s victory at the Eurovision Song Contest. In the fall, Jamala participated in the seventh season of the vocal show The Voice of the Country and collaborated on the song “Zamanily” with the Ukrainian ethno-band “DakhaBrakha.”  In early 2017, Jamala won awards in the categories of Best Solo Artist, Best Song, and Best Duet at the YUNA 2017 Music Awards. She also won in the Culture category of the all-Ukrainian Woman of Ukraine 2016 award and the Pride of the Country category of the “Viva! The Most Beautiful 2017” award. During the “Flower Expo Ukraine” exhibition in Kyiv, she received a certificate from the Dutch company “StoKolex” for the naming of a new tulip variety after her. In June, the filming of the movie Nebo directed by Oleksiy Panteleev began, in which Jamala played one of the roles. In July, the documentary film Jamalas

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Justs

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameJusts Sirmais Born06 February 1995 Nationality🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionSupernova 2023Supernova 2016 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongHeartbeat (2016) Biography Justs Sirmais, also known as Justs, is a Latvian singer and television presenter. He was born on February 6, 1995, in Ķekava, Latvia. Justs attended Riga State Gymnasium No.1 and began his musical journey as a street musician in Riga. In 2016, Justs participated in the second season of Supernova, the Latvian show used to select the country’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. He competed with the song “Heartbeat,” written by Aminata Savadogo, Latvia’s 2015 Eurovision entrant.  Justs won the national final on February 28, 2016, and went on to represent Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden. He qualified from the semi-final and placed 15th in the final, achieving one of Latvia’s best results in the competition. Following Eurovision, Justs released the EP “To Be Heard” in May 2016 and the single “Ko Tu Dari?” in the same month. In 2018, Justs co-hosted Supernova 2018, and in April of that year, he released his debut studio album titled “Here I Am.” In September 2018, he announced his plans to study Music Production at a university in Bristol, United Kingdom. In November 2020, Justs participated in the first season of Balss Maskā, the Latvian version of The Masked Singer, under the identity of the cute “Sparrow,” and he achieved third place. In 2023, Justs returned to Supernova in an attempt to represent Latvia again in the Eurovision Song Contest, this time with the song “Stranger.” However, he was eliminated in the semi-final of the competition. Entries Heartbeat Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsAminata Savadogo MusicAminata Savadogo BackingsKatrīna Anna VīganteAnna Zankovska Results Semi Points: 132Position: 8Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 132Position: 15Running order: 20 https://youtu.be/o-2Lt7zzlBU

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Barei

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameBárbara Reyzábal González-Aller Born29 March 1982 Nationality🇪🇸 Spanish National SelectionObjectivo Eurovisión 2016 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongSay yay! (2016) Biography Barei, whose full name is Bárbara Reyzábal González-Aller, was born in Madrid in 1982. She is a Spanish singer and songwriter. Her paternal family belongs to the Reyzábal clan, one of the wealthiest families in Spain. Music has always been a presence in her childhood. She studied singing, guitar, music theory, and piano at the Andana School in Madrid, combining her music career later with studies in Interior Architecture. At the age of 14, Bárbara decided she wanted to pursue a career in musi. She began her career at the age of 16, performing covers of songs by Christina Aguilera, Laura Pausini, and Daddy Yankee. In 2001, she participated in the Benidorm International Song Festival alongside Gonzalo Nuche as part of the duo “Dos Puntos,” and they achieved second place with the song “Abrazo del tiempo.” Soon after, Barei moved to Miami, where she recorded some demos in the Latin pop genre, which she decided to keep unreleased. Upon returning to Madrid, she became a regular singer in concert venues in the capital city. In 2011, Barei released her first album, “Billete para no volver,” a completely Spanish-language album. After this album, Barei began releasing an English-language single every three months, starting with “Play” in October 2012. “Another’s Life,” released in 2013, reached the Top 30 on iTunes’ most popular songs list and garnered over 600,000 views on YouTube, while “Wildest Horses” in 2014 achieved 1.5 million views and reached the 36th position on the best-selling songs chart in Spain. In November 2014, as a result of a common professional relationship with producer Ruben Villanueva, Barei collaborated on a duet with Tito el Bambino and the band Mägo de Oz called “Sueños de Cristal,” a groundbreaking rock song that showcased the Spanish artist’s ability to bring strength and elegance to any melody. In her second studio album titled “Throw the Dice,” released on April 7, 2015, Barei was heavily influenced by British and American pop, funk, and soul. The album included songs such as “Foolish Nana,” “Another’s Life,” and “Wildest Horses,” which had been previously released. In July 2015, she was the opening act for Lenny Kravitz at the Starlite Festival concert in Marbella. In September 2015, Barei released the song “Time to Fight,” co-written by herself and Fernando Montesinos, which served as the anthem for Atresmedia’s coverage of the UEFA Champions League 2015-16. As a songwriter for other artists, in 2015, Barei wrote the song “Encadenada a ti” for Malú, which became the second single from Malú’s album “Caos.” She also adapted the Spanish lyrics for Edurne’s song “La última superviviente,” included in the album “Adrenalina.” On February 1, 2016, the selection gala for Spain’s representative in Eurovision, called “Objetivo Eurovisión,” took place. Barei secured the first place with her song “Say yay!”, thus being chosen to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. Before Eurovision, it resulted in a contract with Universal, rejecting the other proposal offered by Sony Music. On April 22, the reissue of “Throw the Dice” was released, featuring all the remastered tracks and including “Say Yay!” and the previously unreleased songs “Who Plays The Drums?” and “Super Ranger.” In the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, Barei achieved the 22nd position, despite initially ranking fourth in the betting odds after her performance. Despite her position, it was one of the most downloaded songs of that edition on Spotify (over 10 million downloads) and one of the most-watched Spanish performances on YouTube, which led to a long tour during that summer. After several months of waiting, as her record label (Universal Music) refused to release new songs to capitalize on her Eurovision success, Barei decided to part ways with the label and returned to her previous independent status with Barei Music. On April 1, the singer released the song “I Don’t Need to Be You,” which quickly surpassed one million views on platforms like YouTube and Spotify. She embarked on a new summer tour. Later, following the success of “I Don’t Need to Be You,” now as an independent artist, she released singles such as “Wasn’t Me,” “Forget It,” and “Worry Worry,” the latter featuring a collaboration with Porta and accumulating nearly 1.2 million views between the lyric video and the later-released music video. Finally, in 2019, she released the album “You Number One,” also stylized as “U#1,” under her record label. With this album, Barei explored new sounds and delivered a disc with melodies different from her previous works. The first single from the album was the eponymous “You Number One,” accompanied by a music video in collaboration with TikTok. On December 24, 2018, she released the music video for “Bitter Cold,” coinciding with the birth of her two children and announcing their names: India and León. Her new role as a mother led her to scale back the promotion of her album and temporarily put her singing career on hold to focus fully on her children while balancing her role as a songwriter. Months after releasing the music video for “Bitter Cold,” she released a remix of the song in collaboration with Gavin Moss. In 2019, she collaborated with Chenoa on her new single “Las Chicas Buenas,” which they co-wrote with Rubén Villanueva. On July 13, 2022, she performed her Eurovision song “Say Yay!” alongside presenter Carmen Alcayde at the Sálvame Mediafest, emerging as the winners of the final concert. Entries Say Yay! Country🇪🇸 Spain Yearyear LanguageEnglish LyricsBárbara ReyzábalRubén VillanuevaIctor Púa Vivó MusicBárbara ReyzábalRubén VillanuevaIctor Púa Vivó BackingsBrequette CassieMilena BrodyAwinnie MybabyRebeca RodsAlana Sinkey Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: 77Position: 22Running order: 9 https://youtu.be/EgbjNsxehrY

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Nina Kraljić

© Eurovisionary About Quick Facts NameNina Kraljić Born4 April 1992 Nationality🇭🇷 Croatian National SelectionDora 2021 (Alkanost of Balkan)Internal selection 2016 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongLighthouse (2016) Biography Nina Kraljić is a Croatian singer-songwriter. She was born in 1992 in Lipovljani, Croatia.  Already at a young age, Nina started making music. She sang in a church choir when she was six years old and later joined the school choir. When in her teenage years, she wrote her own songs. She also played the guitar. After finishing high school, Nina moved to Zagreb to study at the Academy of Dramatic Art.  popularity skyrocketed overnight. In 2009, she released a single, “Kaži mi”. In 2015, Nina rose to fame when she won the first season of The Voice – Najljepši glas Hrvatske, the Croatian version of The Voice. In the end, Nina won the contest. A single was released with the title of “Zaljuljali smo svijet”. The success of Nina Kraljić led to an invitation by Croatian broadcaster HRT to represent Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest. She took the job, and with her song “Lighthouse” she managed to reach the final. The song reached the no. 1 spot in the Croatian charts. In the same year, Nina released her debut album, “Samo,”. She followed up the album with several successful singles, including “Zaljuljali Smo Svijet” and “Snage Mi Ponestaje.” In 2018, she released her second album, “Samac,” which featured a more stripped-down and intimate sound compared to her debut album. The album was again well-received. Nina teamed up with Jacques Houdek in 2019 for the song “Čista umjetnost” and with Martin Jurić Čivro for “Zima”. The latter reached the top-10 in Croatia in 2020. That was also the year of Nina’s 3rd album, “Čuvaj me”. Nina started performing under the name Alkonost of Balkan. Under that name, she participated in DORA, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, in 2021. She sang the song “Rijeka” and became 2nd in the contest. Entries Lighthouse Country🇭🇷 Croatia Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsAndreas GrassNikola Paryla MusicAndreas GrassNikola Paryla BackingsAndrej BabićLino Lacmanović ĆucićMartina MajerleDanijela Večerinović Results Semi Points: 133Position: 10Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 73Position: 23Running order: 17 https://youtu.be/8QUM-_EbE2o

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Donny Montell

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts Name Donatas Montvydas Born 22 October 1987 Nationality 🇱🇹 Lithuanian National Selection “Eurovizijos” dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2016 “Eurovizijos” dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2012 “Eurovizijos” dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2011 “Eurovizijos” dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2010 Lietuvos Dainų Daina 2009 In Eurovision 2016 Stockholm 2012 Baku Song I’ve been waiting for this night (2016) Love is Blind (2012) Biography Donny Montell, originally named Donatas Montvydas, born in 1987 in Vilnius, is a Lithuanian singer and songwriter. He completed 8 grades at the Vilnius Balys Dvarionas Music School and took dance lessons in two groups. Donny Montell achieved his first victory in the music scene at the age of six when he won the competition Dainų dainelė with the song “Aš kiškelis mažas.” In 2008, Donatas participated in the Lithuanian Song Decade and won first place alongside Aistė Petkevičiūtė. Donny Montell gained even more popularity at prestigious festivals. In 2008, he won the Grand Prix at the competition of the Slavianski Bazaar festival in Belarus, competing against 22 countries. He later tried his luck in the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 and 2010 but fell just short of victory. In 2010, he achieved second place with Akvilė Kavaliauskaitė in the music project Žvaigždžių duetai 4 and won first place in the dance project Šok su manimi with dancer Katerina Voropaj. He also participated in the TABAMI project, where he performed Michael Jackson’s songs. After the success of the television project “Šok su manimi,” Donny Montell began preparing performances on stage together with a professional dance group. He dedicated a lot of time to participating in prestigious music festivals and appeared as a guest in Belarus at the Slavianski Bazaar held in Vitebsk. He later competed with singers from around the world in the prestigious New Wave 2011 competition. Donatas had a particularly successful participation in the national selection for Eurovision in 2012, where he became a favorite of the jury and the audience. He won a ticket to the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest held in Baku, Azerbaijan. There, he successfully advanced to the final, and finished in 14th place. In 2013, Donatas Montvydas was invited to be a teacher for one of the participants on the music project Lietuvos balsas. In the same year, his debut album “Norim dar” was released. In 2016, Donatas won the national selection and earned a spot in the 2016 Eurovision final held in Stockholm, Sweden. With his song “I’ve Been Waiting for This Night,” he reached a 9th place in the final. Around the time of Eurovision 2016, Donny Montell released his second album “#BLCK”. Several songs of the album already had been hit, including his Eurovision song and “Viskas bus gerai” and later the song “Fly”. In the years 2017-2019 Donny scored several non-album hits, “Screw me up”, “Nieko verta” (With SEL), “Žiūrėk ką padarei” and “Ryto Saulė” being top 10 hits. He became a coach at the Lithuanian version of The Voice Kids. Donny Montell released his third album “1987” in September 2021. In December 2022 he started a tour around the country with the “2057” tour. Entries I’ve Been Waiting For This Night Country 🇱🇹 Lithuania Year 20216 Language English Lyrics Jonas Thander Beatrice Robertsson Music Jonas Thander Beatrice Robertsson Backings Justina Budaitė Rasa Doniela Kotryna Juodzevičiūtė Karolina Rasten Results Semi Points: 222 Position: 4 Running order: 9 Results Finals Points: 200 Position: 9 Running order: 16 Song Title Country 🇱🇹 Lithuania Year 2012 Language English Lyrics Brandon Stone Jodie Rose Music Brandon Stone Backings – Results Semi Points: 104 Position: 3 Running order: 18 Results Finals Points: 70 Position: 14 Running order: 4

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