Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Iceland confirmed its presence at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. It was held in Moscow, Russia. Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV), the Icelandic broadcaster, has decided to continue with a national final format, with members of the public being called to send in songs to RÚV.[1]

Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Country Iceland
National selection
Selection processSöngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009
Selection date(s)Semi-finals
10 January 2009
17 January 2009
24 January 2009
31 January 2009
Final
14 February 2009
Selected entrantYohanna
Selected song"Is It True?"
Finals performance
Semi-final resultQualified (1st, 174 points)
Final result2nd, 218 points
Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2008 • 2009 • 2010►

Before Eurovision

Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009

Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009 was the national final format developed by RÚV in order to select Iceland's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The five shows in the competition were hosted by Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir and Eva María Jónsdóttir and all took place at the RÚV studios in Reykjavík.[2][3]

Format

Sixteen songs in total competed in Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2009 where the winner was determined after four semi-finals and a final. Four songs competed in each semi-final on 10, 17, 24 and 31 January 2009. The top two songs from each semi-final qualified to the final which took place on 14 February 2009.[3] The results of all shows were determined by 100% public televoting.

Competing entries

On 14 September 2008, RÚV opened the submission period for interested songwriters to submit their entries until the deadline on 13 October 2008, which was later extended by one week to 20 October 2008 due to the financial crisis in Iceland.[1][4] At the close of the submission deadline, 217 entries were received. A selection committee was formed in order to select the top sixteen entries. The composers of the sixteen competing songs were revealed by the broadcaster on 15 November 2008.[3]

Artist Song Composer(s)
Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur "Easy to Fool" Torfi Ólafsson, Þorkell Olgeirsson
Edgar Smári "The Kiss We Never Kissed" Heimir Sindrason, Ari Harðarson
Elektra "Got No Love" Örlygur Smári, Sigurður Örn Jónsson
Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir "Glópagull" Einar Oddsson
Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir "Roses" Trausti Bjarnason, Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir
Heiða Ólafs "Dagur nýr" Halldór Guðjónsson, Íris Kristinsdóttir
Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm "Vornótt" Erla Gígja Þorvaldsdóttir, Hilmir Jóhannesson
Ingó "Undir regnbogann" Hallgrímur Óskarsson, Eiríkur Hauksson
Jógvan Hansen "I Think the World of You" Hallgrímur Óskarsson
Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir "Is It True?" Óskar Páll Sveinsson
Kaja Halldórsdóttir "Lygin ein" Albert G. Jónsson
Kristín Ósk Wium "Close to You" Grétar Sigurbergsson
Ólöf Jara Skagfjörð "Hugur minn fylgir þér" Valgeir Skagfjörð
Páll Rósinkrans "Fósturjörð" Einar Scheving
Seth Sharp "Family" Óskar Páll Sveinsson
Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir "Cobwebs" Heimir Sindrason, Ari Harðarson

Semi-final 1

The first semi-final took place on 10 January 2009 where four competing acts presented their entries. The top two entries voted upon solely by public televoting proceeded to the final. "The Kiss We Never Kissed" performed by Edgar Smári and "Is It True?" performed by Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir were the qualifiers.[5][6]

Semi-final 1 – 10 January 2009
Draw Artist Song Result
1 Heiða Ólafs "Dagur nýr" Eliminated
2 Ólöf Jara Skagfjörð "Hugur minn fylgir þér" Eliminated
3 Edgar Smári "The Kiss We Never Kissed" Advanced
4 Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir "Is It True?" Advanced

Semi-final 2

The second semi-final took place on 17 January 2009 where four competing acts presented their entries. The top two entries voted upon solely by public televoting proceeded to the final. "Undir regnbogann" performed by Ingó and "Vornótt" performed by Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm were the qualifiers.[7][8]

Semi-final 2 – 17 January 2009
Draw Artist Song Result
1 Páll Rósinkrans "Fósturjörð" Eliminated
2 Ingó "Undir regnbogann" Advanced
3 Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm "Vornótt" Advanced
4 Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir "Glópagull" Eliminated

Semi-final 3

The third semi-final took place on 24 January 2009 where four competing acts presented their entries. The top two entries voted upon solely by public televoting proceeded to the final. "Easy to Fool" performed by Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur and "Lygin ein" performed by Kaja Halldórsdóttir were the qualifiers.[9][10]

Semi-final 3 – 24 January 2009
Draw Artist Song Result
1 Seth Sharp "Family" Eliminated
2 Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur "Easy to Fool" Advanced
3 Kristín Ósk Wium "Close to You" Eliminated
4 Kaja Halldórsdóttir "Lygin ein" Advanced

Semi-final 4

The fourth semi-final took place on 31 January 2009 where four competing acts presented their entries. The top two entries voted upon solely by public televoting proceeded to the final. "I Think the World of You" performed by Jógvan Hansen and "Got No Love" performed by Elektra were the qualifiers.[11]

Semi-final 4 – 31 January 2009
Draw Artist Song Result
1 Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir "Cobwebs" Eliminated
2 Jógvan Hansen "I Think the World of You" Advanced
3 Elektra "Got No Love" Advanced
4 Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir "Roses" Eliminated

Final

The final took place on 14 February 2009 where the eight entries that qualified from the preceding four semi-finals competed. The winner, "Is It True?" performed by Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, was determined solely by public televoting.[12][13][14]

Final – 14 February 2009
Draw Artist Song Televote Place
1 Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur "Easy to Fool" — —
2 Jógvan Hansen "I Think the World of You" 9,693 4
3 Kaja Halldórsdottir "Lygin ein" — —
4 Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm "Vornótt" — —
5 Elektra "Got No Love" 10,214 3
6 Edgar Smári "The Kiss We Never Kissed" — —
7 Ingó "Undir regnbogann" 10,696 2
8 Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir "Is It True?" 19,076 1

Promotion

Yohanna promoted her entry in various countries before competing in Moscow. Yohanna performed at both the UKeurovision Preview Party in London on 17 April and the Eurovision Promo Concert on 18 April in Amsterdam.[15][16]

At Eurovision

Iceland participated in the first semi-final of the contest on 12 May 2009. Yohanna performed 12th in the running order of the semi-final, following Bulgaria and preceding Macedonia. RÚV revealed that Yohanna was to be backed on stage by Friðrik Ómar, one half of last year's entry Euroband, and Hera Björk, runner-up in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2009 and backing singer for Euroband last year.[17] The song qualified for the final, scoring the highest number of points in the first semi-final with 174 points. It eventually finished 2nd with 218, equalling Iceland's best ever Eurovision performance set in 1999.

Split results
  • In the Final Iceland came 2nd with 218 points: the public awarded Iceland 4th place with 173 points and the jury awarded 2nd place with 260 points.
Split voting results from Iceland (final)
Draw Country Jury points Televoting points Scoreboard (Points)
01  Lithuania
02  Israel
03  France 10 6
04  Sweden 1 5 3
05  Croatia 5 1
06  Portugal 3 7 7
07  Iceland
08  Greece 1
09  Armenia 8 5
10  Russia
11  Azerbaijan 4
12  Bosnia and Herzegovina 6 2
13  Moldova 2
14  Malta
15  Estonia 7 8 10
16  Denmark 6 4
17  Germany
18  Turkey 2
19  Albania 3
20  Norway 12 12 12
21  Ukraine
22  Romania
23  United Kingdom 4
24  Finland 10 8
25  Spain
Points awarded to Iceland (Semi-final 1)
12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
  •  Macedonia
Points awarded to Iceland (Final)
12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point

References
  1. Wells, Simon (14 September 2008). "RUV begins quest for Moscow with changes". Oikotimes. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
  2. "Iceland: RÙV sets date for Eurovision national final". Oikotimes. 15 November 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
  3. Floras, Stella (15 November 2008). "Iceland: National final on 14 February". ESCToday. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
  4. Hondal, Víctor (16 October 2008). "Iceland delays submissions". ESCToday. Retrieved 16 October 2008.
  5. Klier, Marcus (10 January 2009). "Iceland: two acts qualified for the national final". ESCToday. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  6. van Tongeren, Mario (10 January 2009). "The results of the first semifinal of 'Songvakkepni Sjonvarpsins'". oikotimes. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  7. Klier, Marcus (17 January 2009). "Iceland: another two acts qualified for the final". ESCToday. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  8. van Tongeren, Mario (17 January 2009). "Results of Second Icelandic Semifinal". Oikotimes. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  9. van Tongeren, Mario (24 January 2009). "The results of the third Icelandic semifinal". Oikotimes. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  10. Klier, Marcus (24 January 2009). "Iceland: another two acts for the national final". ESCToday. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  11. Klier, Marcus (31 January 2009). "Iceland: The last two acts chosen for the final". ESCToday. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  12. Calleja Bayliss, Marc (14 February 2009). "Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins - Jóhanna to Moscow". Oikotimes. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  13. Klier, Marcus (14 February 2009). "Iceland: Eurovision entrant chosen". ESCToday. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  14. Halldorsson, Bjarni (16 February 2009). "Iceland: Is it true won by a landslide". ESCToday. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  15. Viniker, Barry (24 March 2009). "UKeurovision Preview Party first artists". ESCToday. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  16. Romkes, René (17 March 2009). "The Netherlands: April 18 - Eurovision Promo Concert". ESCToday. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  17. Hondal, Victor (4 April 2009). "Iceland: Friðrik Ómar and Hera Björk join Yohanna". ESCToday. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
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