After a disappointing result in Tel Aviv, ORF have remained undeterred, and have confirmed their participation for the 2020 contest. Although the selection method has not been confirmed by the broadcaster, it is likely that they will be internally-selecting their artist once again. They join the likes of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Norway in confirming their participation.
Following their victory back in 2014, Austria have had a rather mixed set of results at the contest. They finished last in the Grand Final back in 2015, they came 13th with Zoe in 2016 and 16th with Nathan Trent in 2017. In the past two years alone, they went from a top 3 finish with Cesar Sampson, to second-to-last in the semi final with PAENDA. Rather than lament, ORF are already looking ahead to next year.
Speaking to Kleine Zeitung, Kathrin Zechner, the Program Director at ORF, confirmed Austria’s participation for the 2020 contest. Although they are yet to confirm which selection method they will use for next year, it is likely that they will opt for another internal selection. In fact, Eberhard Forcher, Austria’s Eurovision scout and radio host, is already said to be looking for potential artists for next year!
Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest
Austria has participated in the contest 52 times since debuting in 1957. They have won twice, in 1966 and 2014, meaning they currently hold the record for the longest gap between wins – 48 years. This is even wider than the Netherlands’ gap of 44 years, which was recently closed by Duncan Laurence’s victory.
Following their victory in 2014, their most recent success was Cesár Sampson, who represented Austria in Lisbon with the song “Nobody But You”. Thanks to his captivating vocals and striking staging, he came 3rd in the final with a total of 342 points. He even topped the jury vote, receiving 12 points from nine national juries! His qualification to the final extended Austria’s qualification streak to five finals in a row.
This year, ORF internally-selected PAENDA with the skeletal ballad “Limits”. Despite a stunning and emotional performance, she did not advance to the Grand Final from semi final two. She finished 17th in the semi final with 21 points, all of which came from juries.
Are you happy to see Austria return for 2020? Who would you like to see represent Austria next? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! We’ll also be posting plenty of content on our YouTube in the run up to Tel Aviv!
