This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(January 2020) |
Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest | |
---|---|
Participating broadcaster | Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) |
Participation summary | |
Appearances | 36 (27 finals) |
First appearance | 1986 |
Highest placement | 2nd: 1999, 2009 |
Related articles | |
Söngvakeppnin | |
External links | |
RÚV page | |
Iceland's page at Eurovision.tv | |
For the most recent participation see Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 |
Iceland has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 36 times since its debut in 1986, missing only two contests since then, in 1998 and 2002, when prevented from competing due to finishing outside qualification places the preceding years. The country's best result is second place, which it achieved with Selma in 1999 and Yohanna in 2009. The Icelandic broadcaster for the contest is Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV), which also broadcasts Iceland's national selection competition, Söngvakeppnin.
Iceland has achieved a total of seven top ten placements, with the others being Stjórnin finishing fourth (1990), Heart 2 Heart seventh (1992), Birgitta eighth (2003), Hatari tenth (2019) and Daði og Gagnamagnið fourth (2021). Since the introduction of the semi-final round in 2004, Iceland has failed to qualify for the final nine times, including four years consecutively (2015–18). To date, Iceland is the only Nordic country that has yet to win the contest.
Iceland first entered Eurovision in 1986, or twenty years after RÚV was founded in 1966.
Iceland's best position at the contest is second place, which they have achieved twice: in 1999 when Selma represented Iceland with the song "All Out of Luck", and came second to Sweden's Charlotte Nilsson and in 2009 when Yohanna came second to Norway's Alexander Rybak with the ballad "Is It True?".
In contrast Iceland's worst result in a grand final is last place, which has been achieved twice to date: in 1989, when Daníel Ágúst received nul points for his entry "Það sem enginn sér", and in 2001, when Two Tricky received three points for their entry "Angel".
With the introduction of semi-finals in 2004, Iceland automatically qualified for the final that year due to Birgitta's eighth place the previous year. In 2008, Iceland reached the final for the first time since then, when Euroband sang "This Is My Life". Iceland qualified for the final in seven consecutive contests between 2008 and 2014 before failing to qualify for the final from 2015 to 2018. In 2019, Hatari brought the country back to the final for the first time since 2014, finishing tenth, which was followed by a fourth-place finish for Daði og Gagnamagnið in 2021, Iceland's joint-second best result to date, and a 23rd-place finish for Systur in 2022. Another non-qualification came with Diljá in 2023.
Despite these mixed fortunes, Iceland is the second most successful country never to have won the contest (behind only Malta).
Sigríður Beinteinsdóttir has participated five times (as a member of a group in 1990 and 1992, as a solo artist in 1994, and as a background vocalist in 1991 and 2006). Hera Björk has also participated five times (as a backing vocalist in 2008, 2009 and 2015, and as a solo artist in 2010 and 2024). Stefán Hilmarsson has participated twice (as a member of a group in 1988 and as a member of a duo in 1991), as have Selma Björnsdóttir (1999 and 2005), Eiríkur Hauksson (as a member of a group in 1986 and as a solo artist in 2007. Eiríkur has in addition participated for Norway in 1991 as a member of a group.), Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson (as a solo artist in 2004 and as a member of a duo in 2012) and Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir (as a member of a duo in 2012 and as a solo artist in 2016).
1 | First place |
2 | Second place |
3 | Third place |
◁ | Last place |
X | Entry selected but did not compete |
† | Upcoming event |
Year | Artist | Song | Language | Final | Points | Semi | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | ICY | " Gleðibankinn " | Icelandic | 16 | 19 | No semi-finals | |
1987 | Halla Margrét | " Hægt og hljótt " | Icelandic | 16 | 28 | ||
1988 | Beathoven | " Sókrates " | Icelandic | 16 | 20 | ||
1989 | Daníel | " Það sem enginn sér " | Icelandic | 22 ◁ | 0 | ||
1990 | Stjórnin | " Eitt lag enn " | Icelandic | 4 | 124 | ||
1991 | Stefán and Eyfi | " Nína " | Icelandic | 15 | 26 | ||
1992 | Heart 2 Heart | " Nei eða já " | Icelandic | 7 | 80 | ||
1993 | Inga | " Þá veistu svarið " | Icelandic | 13 | 42 | Kvalifikacija za Millstreet | |
1994 | Sigga | " Nætur " | Icelandic | 12 | 49 | No semi-finals | |
1995 | Bo Halldórsson | " Núna " | Icelandic | 15 | 31 | ||
1996 | Anna Mjöll | " Sjúbídú " | Icelandic | 13 | 51 | 10 | 59 |
1997 | Paul Oscar | " Minn hinsti dans " | Icelandic | 20 | 18 | No semi-finals | |
1999 | Selma | "All Out of Luck" | English | 2 | 146 | ||
2000 | August and Telma | "Tell Me!" | English | 12 | 45 | ||
2001 | Two Tricky | "Angel" | English | 22 ◁ | 3 | ||
2003 | Birgitta | "Open Your Heart" | English | 8 | 81 | ||
2004 | Jónsi | "Heaven" | English | 19 | 16 | Top 11 in 2003 contest [lower-alpha 1] | |
2005 | Selma | "If I Had Your Love" | English | Failed to qualify | 16 | 52 | |
2006 | Silvía Night | "Congratulations" | English | 13 | 62 | ||
2007 | Eiríkur Hauksson | "Valentine Lost" | English | 13 | 77 | ||
2008 | Euroband | "This Is My Life" | English | 14 | 64 | 8 | 68 |
2009 | Yohanna | "Is It True?" | English | 2 | 218 | 1 | 174 |
2010 | Hera Björk | " Je ne sais quoi " | English, French | 19 | 41 | 3 | 123 |
2011 | Sjonni's Friends | "Coming Home" | English | 20 | 61 | 4 | 100 |
2012 | Greta Salóme and Jónsi | "Never Forget" | English | 20 | 46 | 8 | 75 |
2013 | Eythor Ingi | " Ég á líf " | Icelandic | 17 | 47 | 6 | 72 |
2014 | Pollapönk | "No Prejudice" | English | 15 | 58 | 8 | 61 |
2015 | Maria Olafs | "Unbroken" | English | Failed to qualify | 15 | 14 | |
2016 | Greta Salóme | "Hear Them Calling" | English | 14 | 51 | ||
2017 | Svala | "Paper" | English | 15 | 60 | ||
2018 | Ari Ólafsson | "Our Choice" | English | 19 ◁ | 15 | ||
2019 | Hatari | " Hatrið mun sigra " | Icelandic | 10 | 232 | 3 | 221 |
2020 | Daði og Gagnamagnið | "Think About Things" | English | Contest cancelled [lower-alpha 2] X | |||
2021 | Daði og Gagnamagnið | "10 Years" | English | 4 | 378 | 2 | 288 |
2022 | Systur | " Með hækkandi sól " | Icelandic | 23 | 20 | 10 | 103 |
2023 | Diljá | "Power" | English | Failed to qualify | 11 | 44 | |
2024 | Hera Björk | "Scared of Heights" | English | 15 ◁ | 3 |
Year | Conductor [lower-alpha 3] | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1986 | Gunnar Þórðarson | [lower-alpha 4] | [1] |
1987 | Hjálmar H. Ragnarsson | ||
1988 | No conductor | ||
1989 | |||
1990 | Jon Kjell Seljeseth | [lower-alpha 5] | |
1991 | Jón Ólafsson | ||
1992 | Nigel Wright | [lower-alpha 6] | |
1993 | Jon Kjell Seljeseth | ||
1994 | Frank McNamara | ||
1995 | |||
1996 | Ólafur Gaukur | ||
1997 | Szymon Kuran |
Year | Head of delegation | Ref. |
---|---|---|
2017–2023 | Felix Bergsson | |
2024– | Rúnar Freyr Gíslason |
This section needs additional citations for verification .(July 2020) |
Iceland has broadcast the show since 1970. The first to be broadcast live was the 1983 edition after the plan to broadcast the 1982 contest failed. Since 1985, RÚV has broadcast the contest on the radio using same commentator for TV and radio and the Internet broadcast since early 2000s.
Year | Commentator | Spokesperson | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1970 | No commentator | Did not participate | |
1971 | Björn Matthíasson | ||
1972 | Björn Matthíasson | ||
1973 | Jón O. Edwald | ||
1974 | Unknown | ||
1975 | Dóra Hafsteinsdóttir | ||
1976 | Jón Skaptason | ||
1977 | No commentator | ||
1978 | Ragna Ragnars | ||
1979 | Björn Baldursson | ||
1980 | Björn Baldursson | ||
1981 | Dóra Hafsteinsdóttir | ||
1982 | Pálmi Jóhannesson | ||
1983 | Unknown | ||
1984 | |||
1985 | Hinrik Bjarnason | ||
1986 | Þorgeir Ástvaldsson | Guðrún Skúladóttir | |
1987 | Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir | ||
1988 | Hermann Gunnarsson | ||
1989 | Arthúr Björgvin Bollason | Erla Björk Skúladóttir | |
1990 | Árni Snævarr | ||
1991 | Guðríður Ólafsdóttir | ||
1992 | Árni Snævarr | Guðrún Skúladóttir | |
1993 | Jakob Frímann Magnússon | ||
1994 | Sigríður Arnardóttir | ||
1995 | Áslaug Dóra Eyjólfsdóttir | ||
1996 | Svanhildur Konráðsdóttir | ||
1997 | |||
1998 | Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson | Did not participate | |
1999 | Gísli Marteinn Baldursson | Áslaug Dóra Eyjólfsdóttir | |
2000 | Ragnheiður Elín Clausen | ||
2001 | Eva María Jónsdóttir | ||
2002 | Logi Bergmann Eiðsson | Did not participate | |
2003 | Gísli Marteinn Baldursson | Eva María Jónsdóttir | |
2004 | Sigrún Ósk Kristjánsdóttir | ||
2005 | Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir | ||
2006 | Sigmar Guðmundsson | ||
2007 | |||
2008 | Brynja Þorgeirsdóttir | ||
2009 | Þóra Tómasdóttir | ||
2010 | Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir | ||
2011 | Hrafnhildur Halldórsdóttir | Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir | |
2012 | Matthías Matthíasson | ||
2013 | Felix Bergsson | María Sigrún Hilmarsdóttir | |
2014 | Benedikt Valsson | ||
2015 | Sigríður Halldórsdóttir | ||
2016 | Gísli Marteinn Baldursson | Unnsteinn Manuel Stefánsson | |
2017 | Björgvin Halldórsson | ||
2018 | Edda Sif Pálsdóttir | ||
2019 | Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson | ||
2021 | Hannes Óli Ágústsson (as Olaf Yohansson from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga ) | ||
2022 | Árný Fjóla Ásmundsdóttir | ||
2023 | Einar Stefánsson | ||
2024 | Gunna Dís Emilsdóttir | Friðrik Ómar Hjörleifsson |
Show | Commentator | Channel | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Songs of Europe | No commentator | RÚV | |
Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest | Gísli Marteinn Baldursson | ||
Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits | No commentator | ||
Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light | Felix Bergsson |
The 2020 Netflix comedy film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga depicts Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams as a fictional duo from Iceland competing in Eurovision. Hannes Óli Ágústsson, who plays Olaf Yohansson in the film, reprised the role for the voting segment of the 2021 contest final, in which he presented the points on behalf of the Icelandic jury. [11]
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "If I Had Your Love" written by Þorvaldur Bjarni Þorvaldsson, Vignir Snær Vigfússon, Linda Thompson and Selma Björnsdóttir. The song was performed by Selma, which is the artistic name of singer Selma Björnsdóttir who was internally selected by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) in February 2005 to represent Iceland at the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. Selma previously represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1999 where she placed second in the competition with the song "All Out of Luck". The Icelandic song, "If I Had Your Love", was presented to the public on 19 March 2005 during the television programme Laugardagskvöld með Gísla Marteini.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999 with the song "All Out of Luck" written by Selma Björnsdóttir, Sveinbjörn I. Baldvinsson and Þorvaldur Bjarni Þorvaldsson. The song was performed by Selma, which is the artistic name of Björnsdóttir who was internally selected by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) in January 1999 to represent Iceland at the 1999 contest in Jerusalem, Israel. The Icelandic song, "All Out of Luck", was presented to the public on 9 April 1999 during the television programme Stutt í spunann.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "This Is My Life" written by Örlygur Smári, Paul Oscar and Peter Fenner. The song was performed by the duo Euroband. Songwriter Paul Oscar represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 with the song "Minn hinsti dans" where he placed twentieth in the competition. The Icelandic entry for the 2008 contest in Belgrade, Serbia was selected through the national final Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2008, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of eleven heats, a Second Chance round, four semi-finals and a final, held between 6 October 2007 and 23 February 2008. Eight songs ultimately competed in the final, where "This Is My Life" performed by Eurobandið emerged as the winner exclusively through public televoting. The duo was renamed as Euroband for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Söngvakeppnin is an annual music competition organised by Icelandic public broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). It determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Iceland was present at the Eurovision Song Contest 1986, held in Bergen, Norway. It was the first time Iceland was represented in the contest. While the country had satellite television contact from other nations since 1981, Iceland was not able to connect to other European nations by satellite before the end of 1985, meaning that 1986 was the first year Iceland could send a delegation to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song "Heaven" written by Sveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson and Magnús Þór Sigmundsson. The song was performed by Jónsi, who was internally selected by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) in February 2004 to represent Iceland at the 2004 contest in Istanbul, Turkey. The Icelandic song, "Heaven", was presented to the public on 20 March 2004 during the television programme Laugardagskvöld með Gísla Marteini.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 with the song "Open Your Heart" written by Sveinbjörn I. Baldvinsson, Birgitta Haukdal and Hallgrímur Óskarsson. The song was performed by Birgitta Haukdal. The Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) returned to the Eurovision Song Contest after a one-year absence following their withdrawal in 2002 as one of the bottom six countries in the 2001 contest. The Icelandic entry for the 2003 contest in Riga, Latvia was selected through the national final Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2003, organised by RÚV. Fifteen songs competed in the selection which was held on 15 February 2003. "Segðu mér allt" performed by Birgitta Haukdal emerged as the winner exclusively through public televoting. The song was later translated from Icelandic to English for the Eurovision Song Contest and was titled "Open Your Heart".
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 with the song "Angel" written by Einar Bárðarson and Magnús Þór Sigmundsson. The song was performed by the duo Two Tricky. The Icelandic entry for the 2001 contest in Copenhagen, Denmark was selected through the national final Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2001, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). Eight songs competed in the selection which was held on 17 February 2001. "Birta" performed by Kristján Gíslason and Gunnar Ólason emerged as the winner exclusively through public televoting. The song was later translated from Icelandic to English for the Eurovision Song Contest and was titled "Angel", while the duo was renamed as Two Tricky.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 with the song "Tell Me!" written by Örlygur Smári and Sigurður Örn Jónsson. The song was performed by August and Telma, which are the artistic names of singers Einar Ágúst Víðisson and Telma Ágústsdóttir. The Icelandic entry for the 2000 contest in Stockholm, Sweden was selected through the national final Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2000, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). Five songs competed in the selection which was held on 26 February 2000. "Hvert sem er" performed by Einar Ágúst Víðisson and Telma Ágústsdóttir emerged as the winner exclusively through public televoting. The song was later translated from Icelandic to English for the Eurovision Song Contest and was titled "Tell Me!".
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with the song "Never Forget" written by Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir. The song was performed by Greta Salóme and Jónsi. Jónsi previously represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, where he placed nineteenth in the final of the competition with the song "Heaven". The Icelandic entry for the 2012 contest in Baku, Azerbaijan was selected through the national final Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2012, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of three semi-finals and a final, held on 14 January, 21 January, 28 January and 11 February 2012, respectively. Five songs competed in each semi-final with the top two as selected by a public televote alongside a jury wildcard advancing to the final. In the final, "Mundu eftir mér" performed by Greta Salóme and Jónsi emerged as the winner through a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting. The song was later translated from Icelandic to English for the Eurovision Song Contest and was titled "Never Forget".
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "Hear Them Calling" written and performed by Greta Salóme. Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir previously represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in a duet with Jónsi, where they placed twentieth in the final of the competition with the song "Never Forget". The Icelandic entry for the 2016 contest in Stockholm, Sweden was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin 2016, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 6, 13 and 20 February 2016, respectively. Six songs competed in each semi-final with the top three as selected by a public televote advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of regional jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the six competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "Hear Them Calling" performed by Greta Salóme emerged as the winner after gaining 61.32% of the public vote.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Paper" written by Svala Björgvinsdóttir, Einar Egilsson, Lester Mendez and Lily Elise. The song was performed by Svala. The Icelandic entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin 2017, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 25 February, 4 March and 11 March 2017 respectively. Six songs competed in each semi-final with the top three as selected by a public televote alongside a jury wildcard advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the seven competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "Paper" performed by Svala emerged as the winner after gaining 62.51% of the public vote.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song "Our Choice" written by Þórunn Erna Clausen. The song was performed by Ari Ólafsson. The Icelandic entry for the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin 2018, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 10 February, 17 February and 3 March 2018, respectively. Six songs competed in each semi-final with the top three as selected by a public televote advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the six competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "Our Choice" performed by Ari Ólafsson emerged as the winner after gaining 53.23% of the public vote.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Hatrið mun sigra" written by Einar Hrafn Stefánsson, Klemens Nikulásson Hannigan and Matthías Tryggvi Haraldsson. The song was performed by the group Hatari. The Icelandic entry for the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel was selected through the national final Söngvakeppnin2019, organised by the Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). The selection consisted of two semi-finals and a final, held on 9 February, 16 February and 2 March 2019, respectively. Five songs competed in each semi-final with the top two as selected by a public televote alongside a jury wildcard advancing to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first involved a 50/50 combination of jury voting and public televoting, which reduced the five competing entries to two superfinalists and the second round selected the winner exclusively through public televoting. "Hatrið mun sigra" performed by Hatari emerged as the winner after gaining 57.71% of the public vote.
Iceland planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, which was scheduled to be held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) held a televised selection process, Söngvakeppnin2020, to choose its entry for the contest. Following two semi-finals and a final, "Think About Things", written by Daði Freyr Pétursson and performed by Daði og Gagnamagnið, emerged as the winner of the event in February 2020. In mid-March 2020, due to the spread across Europe of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced the contest's cancellation, with Daði og Gagnamagnið subsequently announcing that they would represent Iceland at the 2021 contest.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) chose Daði og Gagnamagnið to represent the nation with the song "10 Years", written by Daði Freyr Pétursson. Daði og Gagnamagnið were due to compete in the 2020 contest with "Think About Things" before the event's eventual cancellation, having won the 2020 edition of Iceland's national selection Söngvakeppnin. For the 2021 contest, RÚV decided to continue its association with Daði og Gagnamagnið, with the group's 2021 entry being selected internally and as such, no edition of Söngvakeppnin was organised for 2021.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy, with "Með hækkandi sól" performed by Systur. The Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) organised the national final Söngvakeppnin2022 in order to select the Icelandic entry for the contest. The national final consisted of three shows: two semi-finals on 26 February and 5 March 2022 and a final on 12 March 2022.
Gísli Marteinn Baldursson is an Icelandic television host and a former politician. He is known for hosting the talk shows Laugardagskvöld með Gísla Marteini and Vikan með Gísla Marteini as well as the Icelandic broadcasts of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom, with "Power" performed by Diljá. The Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) organised the national final Söngvakeppnin2023 in order to select the Icelandic entry for the contest. The national final consisted of three shows: two semi-finals on 18 and 25 February 2023 and a final on 4 March 2023.
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden, with "Scared of Heights" performed by Hera Björk. The Icelandic broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) organised the national final Söngvakeppnin2024 in order to select the Icelandic entry for the contest.