Eurovision Song Contest voting

Overview

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual international song competition, held primarily among the member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Since its inception in 1956, the contest has incorporated a complex system of voting to determine its winner. This article delves into the intricate details of the Eurovision Song Contest voting system, its evolution, and its impact on the competition.

History

The Eurovision Song Contest voting system has undergone significant changes since the competition's inception. Initially, each country had a jury who awarded points to other countries' songs without any set guidelines. However, this system was replaced in 1957 by a more structured approach, where each jury member could vote for their own country's song. This led to accusations of tactical voting and bias, prompting the EBU to revise the system in 1958.

A wide-angle shot of the Eurovision Song Contest stage, with a large LED screen displaying the voting results.

Voting System

The current voting system, introduced in 2016, is a combination of jury and public votes. Each participating country has a national jury, composed of five music industry professionals, who rank the songs based on various criteria. The public also votes through telephone, SMS, or the official Eurovision app. Each country's jury and public votes are combined to form the country's overall score.

Jury Voting

The jury voting process involves each jury member ranking all the songs from their most to least favorite. The top ten songs receive points from 1 to 8, then 10 and finally 12. The jury's points are then added together to form the jury score for each song.

Public Voting

The public voting process is similar to the jury voting process, with the top ten songs receiving points from 1 to 8, then 10 and finally 12. However, the points are determined by the percentage of votes each song receives. For example, if a song receives 20% of the votes, it receives 20% of the available points.

Impact on the Competition

The Eurovision Song Contest voting system has a significant impact on the competition. It not only determines the winner, but also influences the type of songs that are successful. For example, songs that appeal to both the jury and the public tend to do well, as they can receive points from both voting processes.

Criticisms and Controversies

Despite its complexity, the Eurovision Song Contest voting system has been subject to criticism and controversy. Accusations of political and diaspora voting have been common, with some countries consistently awarding high points to certain other countries. Additionally, the split between jury and public voting has sometimes led to discrepancies in the results, causing controversy.

Evolution of the Voting System

The Eurovision Song Contest voting system has evolved over the years to address these criticisms and improve the fairness of the competition. Changes have included increasing the number of jury members, introducing public voting, and implementing a new scoring system.