It’s still months away but before we know it, countries like Switzerland and Albania will start a National Final process to find their Eurovision 2016 song for Stockholm 2016. While the Swiss normally start the big Eurovision glitter ball rolling. Each country has their own rules on, who can and who can’t enter and write for the National Song Contest selections. However today at Eurovision there is an increasing number of countries that simply choose a song and artist internally, without any public or jury voting or selection. Some countries have National Finals that are not unlike X Factor with many rounds and super finals involved (Like Lithuania in 2015). Some countries like UK and France have changed between the two options over the years, while the Nordic and Baltic countries traditionally have their National competitions each year without fail.

So lets actually open up the Eurovision history book to see how successful is having a National Final selection, compared with an internal selection – with regards to actually winning. Last year Conchita Wurst was picked internally by Austrian TV, however the artist has come 2nd in the previous national final competition of 2012 (with the song ‘That’s What I Am’ ) so Conchita was only points away in 2012 from being Austria’s Song for Eurovision on one occasion already.

We can find only four more recent internal TV company selections that went on to win the Eurovision Song Contest.

2004 Ukraine: Ruslana – Wild dances
2005 Greece: Helena Paparizou – My number one
2003 Turkey: Sertab Erener – Everyday I can
1998 Isreal: Dana International – Diva

All the other Eurovision winners have found winning success after a national final competition. In fact over the past 35 years, we find only 6 Eurovision winners from an internal selection. That’s only one win about every 6 years, so if a country wants to win Eurovision it seems a National final should be the way to go.

Let’s look at the history, back in the 90’s Ireland normally won, always via a National final to find the best song. In the 80’s and 70’s only the small countries like Luxembourg and Monaco made a selection via RTL (Luxembourg) TV who had amazing success to their credit in doing so and Luxembourg won 5 times. The last internal selection winner for Luxembourg was the wonderful song Si La Vie Est Cadeau by Corinne Hermes (1983) now-a-days Luxembourg opt out of Eurovision. Still Luxembourg remain the only country to succeed greatly by internal selections, the other success stories are normally via a National Final Contest.

So lets hope for more National finals for Stockholm 2016.

Article written by Steve Humphreys, Australia

Corinne Hermes – Si La Vie Est Cadeau