Category Archives: Eurovision: You Decide

Eurovision: You Decide, Joe and Jake, News

UK SELECTION SHOW CONFIRMED

1 Comment

EYD-ContestantsToday the BBC, host broadcaster for the UK, officially opened submissions for their 2017 entry to the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv. The BBC will be returning to the format they used for the 2016 selection, namely the Eurovision: You Decide television show where a handful of selected artists will compete for the public vote to represent the UK.

Entries will be shortlisted for the selection show in the following manner:
– Public entries submitted online will be viewed and voted for by a selection of UK OGAE fan club members
– Entries from leading professional songwriters will be considered with the help of Hugh Goldsmith, Record Industry Executive and Music Consultant for the BBC.

According to Hugh, he will be “looking for songs which have the capacity to make a true impact on the 200 million people that watch Eurovision live in May 2017. Good is not enough…Great is required! The winning song will need to combine emotive lyrics and memorable melodies with a brilliant production. Writers should not be constrained by genre – Best in class is what we want”

Guy Freeman, Editor of BBC Special Events and formats, who has been responsible to the UK entry since 2014 said “This is the moment for anyone who passionately believes they’ve written an outstanding song that could win over the hearts and minds of millions of European TV viewers and professional juries, to go for it and submit an entry”

There is no word yet on what the selection show format will be but it is assumed to be similar to the 2016 show where the winner was determined solely by UK televoters. The winner of the 2016 You Decide show was Joe & Jake with their song “We’re in this together” which despite being one of the best UK entries in many years, still failed to grab the attention of Europe and ended in 24th place thanks to the soft Brit-pop sound being unable to stand out amongst the visually powerful entries in the contest.

If you are interested in submitting an entry for the UK to send to Eurovision, you need to register your interest by emailing the title of your song, the name of the artist(s) and the name of the composer(s) to BBCEurovisionSubmissions@bbc.co.uk and you will be sent instructions of how to upload you video to them within 72 hours of sending the details.

Further details will be posted when they are released.

2016 Eurovision Song Contest, Eurovision event, Eurovision: You Decide, Joe and Jake, Måns Zelmerlöw, News, United Kingdom

UNITED KINGDOM SEND JOE & JAKE

1 Comment

Words by Sascha Stolp. Photos by Edward Till
EYD-Stage
On Friday, 26th February, the UK National Broadcaster, BBC, held the first UK national final for 6 years with Eurovision:You Decide at the O2 Forum Kentish Town. The show was hosted by Mel Giedroyc, a popular British television presenter and commentator for the UK broadcasts of the Semi-Finals of Eurovision. The contest consisted of 6 acts vying to represent the UK at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in May, and also included performances by last year’s Eurovision winner, Måns Zelmerlöw as well as the last UK winner in 1997, Katrina Leskanich performing her winning entry Love Shine A Light. Katrina was also part of the judging panel, along with Carrie Grant (part of 1983 UK Eurovision entry Sweet Dreams) and choreographer Jay Revell who will be working with the 2016 UK Eurovision act.

The 6 contests were Dulcima with their folk-inspired entry When You Go, Matthew James singing A Better Man, Darline bringing some country with Until Tomorrow, Karl William Lund and his entry Miracle, Bianca with her power ballad Shine a Little Light, and finally Joe & Jake with their entry You’re Not Alone.

EYD-JoeJakeFollowing all 6 performances, voting lines opened, with the winner chosen solely by public vote. The UK decided that Joe & Jake impressed them the most and will be their representatives at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest.

Joe Woolford, 21 yo from Ruthin, Wales and Jake Shakeshaft, 20 yo from Stoke-on-Trent, met when they both took part of the 2015 series of The Voice UK.
Their song You’re Not Alone was written by Schwartz, Justin J Benson and S.Kanes.

See their winning performance below, as well as some other photos night. Good luck Joe & Jake!



EYD-Contestants
EYD-Dulcima
EYD-MatthewJames
EYD-Darline
EYD-KarlWilliamLund
EYD-Bianca
EYD-JoeJake1
EYD-Mans
EYD-Katrina

2016 Eurovision Song Contest, Eurovision: You Decide, United Kingdom

UK NATIONAL FINAL ON FEB 26TH

1 Comment

IMG_2675
The BBC has announced that they will be holding a National Final on the 26th February 2016. Eurovision: You Decide, will be the first National Final show that the BBC have had in 6 years. The show will be hosted by television personality Mel Giedroyc, who Eurovision fans will remember as one of the British commentators from last year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.

Eurovision: You Decide will feature 6 contestants vying to represent the UK at Eurovision. These 6 acts were chosen through 3 different methods. Firstly, the OGAE UK fan club shortlisted entries submitted from the public to the BBC. Secondly, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) ran a song-writing competition amongst its members. Finally former MD of record company RCA and founder of Innocent Records, Hugh Goldsmith acted as Music Consultant to the BBC overseeing communication with established record labels, publishers, managers, writers and producers encouraging high-level music industry involvement.

Eurovision: You Decide will be broadcast live on Friday the 26th February on BBC Four. Good luck UK!