| Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 2013 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | Yleisradio (Yle) | |||
| Country |  Finland | |||
| Selection process | Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2013 | |||
| Selection date | 9 February 2013 | |||
| Competing entry | ||||
| Song | "Marry Me" | |||
| Artist | Krista Siegfrids | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Placement | ||||
| Semi-final result | Qualified (9th, 64 points) | |||
| Final result | 24th, 13 points | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
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Finland was represented at theEurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Marry Me", written byKrista Siegfrids, Erik NyholThe, Kristofer Karlsson, and Jessika Lundström, and performed by Siegfrids herself. Finnish participating broadcaster,Yleisradio (Yle), organised the national finalUuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2013 in order to select its entry for the contest. 12 entries were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of two heats, a semi-final and a final, taking place in January and February 2013. Eight entries ultimately competed in the final on 9 February where the 50/50 combination of votes from a four-member judging panel and votes from the public selected "Marry Me" performed by Krista Siegfrids as the winner.
Finland participated in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 16, 2013. Performing "Marry Me" in the 5th position, they secured a place among the top 10 entries, qualifying for the final on May 18. In the semi-final, Finland finished ninth out of 17 countries with 64 points. In the final, they performed 4th and placed twenty-fourth out of 26 countries, scoring a total of 13 points.
Prior to the 2013 contest,Yleisradio (Yle) had participated in theEurovision Song Contest representing Finland forty-six times since its first entry in1961.[1] It has won the contest once in2006 with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" performed byLordi. In2012, "När jag blundar" performed byPernilla failed to qualify Finland to the final, placing twelfth in the semi-final.
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, Yle organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. The broadcaster confirmed its intentions to participate at the 2013 contest on 4 June 2012.[2] Yle had selected its entries for the contest through national final competitions that have varied in format over the years. Since 1961, a selection show that was often titledEuroviisukarsinta highlighted that the purpose of the program was to select a song for Eurovision. However, in 2012, the broadcaster has organised the selection showUuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), which focuses on showcasing new music with the winning song being selected as the Finnish entry. Along with its participation confirmation, the broadcaster also announced that its entry for the 2013 contest would be selected throughUuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2013.[2]
Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2013 was the second edition ofUuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the music competition that selects Finland's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition consisted of four shows that commenced with the first of two heats on 17 January 2013, followed by a semi-final on 31 January 2013 and concluded with a final on 9 February 2013. The four shows were hosted byYleX DJs Anne Lainto and Ile Uusivuori.[3] All shows were broadcast onYle TV2, Yle HD and online atyle.fi/umk. The final was also broadcast online at the official Eurovision Song Contest websiteeurovision.tv as well as via radio onYle Radio Suomi and with commentary in Swedish onYle X3M.[4][5]
The format of the competition consisted of four shows: two heats, a semi-final and a final. Six songs competed in each heat and the top two entries from each heat qualified directly to the final, while the entries placed third to fifth qualified to the semi-final. Six songs competed in the semi-final and the top four entries from the semi-final qualified to complete the eight-song lineup in the final. The results for the four shows were determined by the 50/50 combination of public voting and a four-member judging panel. Each judge assigned scores to each entry ranging from 1 (lowest score) to 10 (highest score), while public voting included the options of telephone and SMS voting.
The judging panel participated in each show by providing feedback to the competing artists and selecting entries to qualify in the competition. The panel consisted of:[6]
A submission period was opened by Yle which lasted between 3 September 2012 and 16 September 2012. At least one of the writers and the lead singer(s) had to hold Finnish citizenship or live in Finland permanently in order for the entry to qualify to compete.[3] A panel of experts appointed by Yle selected twelve entries for the competition from over 470 received submissions and the competing entries were presented over three televised preview programmes between 27 December 2012 and 10 January 2013.[7]
| Artist | Song | Songwriter(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Arion | "Lost" | Iivo Kaipainen |
| Atlético Kumpula [fi] | "Paperilyhty" | Kyösti Salokorpi |
| Diandra | "Colliding Into You" | Patric Sarin [fi],Leri Leskinen [fi],Sharon Vaughn |
| Elina Orkoneva [fi] | "He's Not My Man" | Elina Orkoneva |
| Great Wide North | "Flags" | Kaj Kiviniemi, Mika Kiviniemi |
| Iina Salin [fi] | "Last Night" | Iina Salin, Tommi Gröhn |
| Ilari Hämäläinen [fi] | "Sytytä mut vaan" | Ilari Hämäläinen |
| Krista Siegfrids | "Marry Me" | Krista Siegfrids, Erik Nyholm, Kristofer Karlsson, Jessika Lundström |
| Last Panda | "Saturday Night Forever" | Henry Tikkanen, Aapo Immonen |
| Lucy Was Driving | "Dancing All Around the Universe" | Lucy Was Driving, Otso Koskelo |
| Mikael Saari [fi] | "We Should Be Through" | Mikael Saari |
| Rautakoura | "Ilmalaivalla" | Lauri Häme |
The two heats took place on 17 and 24 January 2013 at the Club "Circus" inHelsinki. The top two from the six competing entries in each heat directly qualified to the final based on a 50/50 combination of public votes and judges' votes, while the entries placed third to fifth advanced to the semi-final.[8][9]
| Draw | Artist | Song | Jury Votes | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redrama | Total | |||||||
| 1 | Iina Salin | "Last Night" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 29 | Semi-final |
| 2 | Last Panda | "Saturday Night Forever" | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 27 | Semi-final |
| 3 | Mikael Saari | "We Should Be Through" | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 38 | Final |
| 4 | Ilari Hämäläinen | "Sytytä mut vaan" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 21 | Eliminated |
| 5 | Rautakoura | "Ilmalaivalla" | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 26 | Semi-final |
| 6 | Diandra | "Colliding Into You" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Final |
| Draw | Artist | Song | Jury Votes | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redrama | Total | |||||||
| 1 | Atlético Kumpula | "Paperilyhty" | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 28 | Eliminated |
| 2 | Krista Siegfrids | "Marry Me" | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 34 | Final |
| 3 | Lucy Was Driving | "Dancing All Around the Universe" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 26 | Semi-final |
| 4 | Arion | "Lost" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 35 | Final |
| 5 | Elina Orkoneva | "He's Not My Man" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 26 | Semi-final |
| 6 | Great Wide North | "Flags" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Semi-final |
The semi-final show took place on 31 January 2013 at the Club "Circus" inHelsinki. The top four from the six competing entries qualified to the final based on a 50/50 combination of public votes and judges' votes.[12][13] In addition to the performances of the competing entries,Elonkerjuu performed as the interval act.[14]
| Draw | Artist | Song | Jury Votes | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redrama | Total | |||||||
| 1 | Last Panda | "Saturday Night Forever" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | Advanced |
| 2 | Elina Orkoneva | "He's Not My Man" | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 32 | Advanced |
| 3 | Rautakoura | "Ilmalaivalla" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | Eliminated |
| 4 | Great Wide North | "Flags" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | Advanced |
| 5 | Iina Salin | "Last Night" | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 24 | Eliminated |
| 6 | Lucy Was Driving | "Dancing All Around the Universe" | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 22 | Advanced |
The final took place on 9 February 2013 at theBarona Areena inEspoo where the eight entries that qualified from the preceding three shows competed.[15] "Marry Me" performed byKrista Siegfrids was selected as the winner by a 50/50 combination of public votes and the four judges. Each judge assigned points to each entry ranging from 1 (lowest score) to 10 (highest score). The viewer vote was based on the percentage of votes each song achieved through the following voting methods: telephone and SMS voting.[16]
In addition to the performances of the competing entries, the interval act featuredTeflon Brothers featuringMeiju Suvas andStig,Suvi Teräsniska, Johanna Iivanainen,Emma Salokoski, Kaisa Vala,2007 Finnish Eurovision entrantHanna Pakarinen and2012 Finnish Eurovision entrantPernilla Karlsson.[17]
| Draw | Artist | Song | Jury | Televote | Total | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arion | "Lost" | 13.5% | 7.0% | 10.2% | 5 |
| 2 | Elina Orkoneva | "He's Not My Man" | 11.5% | 5.2% | 8.4% | 6 |
| 3 | Lucy Was Driving | "Dancing All Around the Universe" | 9.6% | 1.6% | 5.6% | 7 |
| 4 | Krista Siegfrids | "Marry Me" | 14.6% | 38.6% | 26.6% | 1 |
| 5 | Last Panda | "Saturday Night Forever" | 9.2% | 1.4% | 5.3% | 8 |
| 6 | Mikael Saari | "We Should Be Through" | 14.6% | 18.4% | 16.5% | 2 |
| 7 | Great Wide North | "Flags" | 14.6% | 12.0% | 13.3% | 4 |
| 8 | Diandra | "Colliding Into You" | 12.3% | 15.8% | 14.1% | 3 |
| Draw | Song | Redrama | Total | Percentage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Lost" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 35 | 13.5% |
| 2 | "He's Not My Man" | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 30 | 11.5% |
| 3 | "Dancing All Around the Universe" | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 9.6% |
| 4 | "Marry Me" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 38 | 14.6% |
| 5 | "Saturday Night Forever" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 9.2% |
| 6 | "We Should Be Through" | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 38 | 14.6% |
| 7 | "Flags" | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 38 | 14.6% |
| 8 | "Colliding Into You" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | 12.3% |
Krista Siegfrids made several appearances across Europe to specifically promote "Marry Me" as the Finnish Eurovision entry. On 13 April, Siegfrids performed during theEurovision in Concert event which was held at theMelkweg venue inAmsterdam, Netherlands and hosted byMarlayne andLinda Wagenmakers.[18] On 21 April, Siegfrids performed during theLondon Eurovision Party, which was held at the Café de Paris venue inLondon, United Kingdom and hosted byNicki French andPaddy O'Connell.[19]
In addition to her international appearances, promotional activities also occurred in Finland where Krista Siegfrids performed "Marry Me" during theMiss Drag Queen Finland 2013 contest at theDTM venue inHelsinki on 4 April and the Yle TV2 showTartu Mikkiin on 5 April.[20][21] Siegfrids also released a new single, "Amen", which she performed for the first time during theWelcome to Finland Justin Bieber event on 26 April.[22] Her debut albumDing Dong! was released on 10 May 2013 with prior interviews to promote its release.[23]
According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. TheEuropean Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 17 January 2013, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. Finland was placed into the second semi-final, held on 16 May 2013, and was scheduled to perform in the first half of the show.[24]
Once all the competing songs for the 2013 contest had been released, the running order for the semi-finals was decided by the shows' producers rather than through another draw, so that similar songs were not placed next to each other. Finland was set to position 5, following the entry fromAzerbaijan and before the entry fromMalta.[25]
The two semi-finals and the final were televised in Finland onYle TV2 with asecond audio program providing commentary in Finnish by Aino Töllinen and Juuso Mäkilähde and in Swedish by Eva Frantz and Johan Lindroos.[26][27] The three shows were broadcast via radio with Finnish commentary by Sanna Kojo and Jorma Hietamäki onYle Radio Suomi and with Swedish commentary by Eva Frantz and Johan Lindroos onYle Radio Vega.[28] The Finnish spokesperson, who announced the Finnish votes during the final, wasKristiina Wheeler.[29]
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Krista Siegfrids took part in technical rehearsals on 8 and 11 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 15 and 16 May. This included the jury show on 15 May where the professional juries of each country watched and voted on the competing entries.
The Finnish performance featured Krista Siegfrids performing in a white wedding dress joined by three dancers wearing pale purple suits with black eye masks, which was later transformed to pink dresses, and two backing vocalists wearing red maid outfits. Siegfrids and the dancers performed a dance routine together which included Siegfrids picking petals from aforget-me-not while being lifted up as well as having a wedding veil being put on her head which she later ripped off. The performance was ended with a lesbian kiss between Siegfrids and one of the backing vocalists. In regards to the kiss, Siegfrids stated: " The kiss is not a surprise anymore; it's 2013, and I can kiss anyone I want. There's no stopping us in the live shows." The performance also featured pyrotechnic effects and the use of confetti.[30][31][32] The three dancers that joined Krista Siegfrids on stage were Haza Kajipoori, Katrin Vaskelainen and Kiira Kilpiö, while the two backing vocalists were Emelie Granvik and Reetta Korhonen.[33]
At the end of the show, Finland was announced as having finished in the top 10 and subsequently qualifying for the grand final. It was later revealed that Finland placed ninth in the semi-final, receiving a total of 64 points.[34][35]
Shortly after the second semi-final, a winners' press conference was held for the ten qualifying countries. As part of this press conference, the qualifying artists took part in a draw to determine which half of the grand final they would subsequently participate in. This draw was done in the order the countries appeared in the semi-final running order. Finland was drawn to compete in the first half.[36] Following this draw, the shows' producers decided upon the running order of the final, as they had done for the semi-finals. Finland was subsequently placed to perform in position 4, following the entry fromMoldova and before the entry fromSpain.[37]
Krista Siegfrids once again took part in dress rehearsals on 17 and 18 May before the final, including the jury final where the professional juries cast their final votes before the live show. Birgit performed a repeat of her semi-final performance during the final on 18 May. At the conclusion of the voting, Finland finished in twenty-fourth place with 13 points.[38]
Voting during the three shows consisted of 50 percent public televoting and 50 percent from a jury deliberation. The jury consisted of five music industry professionals who were citizens of the country they represent. This jury was asked to judge each contestant based on: vocal capacity; the stage performance; the song's composition and originality; and the overall impression by the act. In addition, no member of a national jury could be related in any way to any of the competing acts in such a way that they cannot vote impartially and independently. The following members comprised the Finnish jury: Patric Sarin, Sana Mustonen, Susanna Laine, Mikael Saari andKyösti Salokorpi.[39]
Following the release of the full split voting by the EBU after the conclusion of the competition, it was revealed that Finland had placed tenth with the public televote and sixth with the jury vote in the semi-final. In the public vote, Finland received an average rank of 8.89, while with the jury vote, Finland received an average rank of 7.05. In the final, Finland had placed twentieth with the public televote and eighteenth with the jury vote. In the public vote, Finland received an average rank of 16.68, while with the jury vote, Finland received an average rank of 13.77.
Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Finland and awarded by Finland in the second semi-final and grand final of the contest, and the breakdown of the jury voting and televoting conducted during the two shows:
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