Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020
Portugal originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam, Netherlands with the song "Medo de sentir", performed by Elisa. The Portuguese entry for the 2020 contest was chosen through the national selection Festival da Canção, organised by the Portuguese broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP), which consisted of two semi-finals on 22 and 29 February, and a final on 7 March 2020. However, the contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Eurovision Song Contest 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country |  Portugal | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Festival da Canção 2020 | |||
| Selection date(s) | Semi-finals: 22 February 2020 29 February 2020 Final: 7 March 2020 | |||
| Selected entrant | Elisa | |||
| Selected song | "Medo de sentir" | |||
| Selected songwriter(s) | Marta Carvalho | |||
| Finals performance | ||||
| Semi-final result | Cancelled | |||
| Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
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Background
Prior to the 2020 Contest, Portugal had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest fifty-one times since its first entry in 1964.[1] Since semi-finals were introduced into the contest in 2004, Portugal has failed to reach the final eight times. Portugal held the record for the most appearances in the contest without a win until 2017 when they won in Kiev, Ukraine, with Salvador Sobral's entry, "Amar pelos dois". In 2019, Portugal was represented by Conan Osíris and the song "Telemóveis". The country failed to qualify to the final, ending in fifteenth place in the semi-final with 51 points.
The Portuguese broadcaster for the 2020 Contest, who broadcasts the event in Portugal and organises the selection process for its entry, will be Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP). Portugal has most commonly selected their entry through the national final Festival da Canção except between 2003 and 2005 where the broadcaster used internal selections and the talent competition Operação triunfo to select their entry. The broadcaster will organize the 2020 edition of Festival da Canção in order to select the Portuguese entry for the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest.[2]
Before Eurovision
Festival da Canção 2020
Festival da Canção 2020 was the 54th edition of Festival da Canção, the music competition that selects Portugal's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest.[2]
Format
The format of the competition consisted of three shows: two semi-finals on 22 and 29 February 2020 and the final on 7 March 2020. The semi-finals took place at RTP's studios in Lisbon, while the final took place at Coliseu Comendador Rondão Almeida in Elvas.[3] The competition featured sixteen competing songs written by composers selected by RTP through various methods. The composers both created the song and selected the performer for their entry. Each semi-final featured eight competing entries from which four advanced to the final from each show. Results during the semi-finals were determined by a jury panel appointed by RTP and votes from the public. In the final, the winner was determined by the votes from regional jury panels and a public voting.
For the fourth consecutive year, RTP abolished the language restrictions, so that artists may submit songs in any language(s), even without Portuguese. On 7 November 2019, RTP revealed the names of the sixteen participating composers: fourteen invited by RTP, one selected from Antena 1's radio show MasterClass and one selected from 320 submissions received during an open call for songs.[4] The allocation of the semi-finals for the twenty-six participating composers was drawn on 27 November 2020.
Format
16 entries participated in the 54th Festival da Canção. The competing performers were revealed on 15 January 2020.
| Artist | Song | Lyrics (l) / Music (m) | Selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bárbara Tinoco | "Passe-Partout" | Tiago Nacarato (m/l) | Invited by RTP |
| Blasted Mechanism | "Rebellion" | Blasted Mechanism (m/l), Stego (m/l), Guerra (m/l) | Invited by RTP |
| Cláudio Frank | "Quero-te abraçar" | Cláudio Frank (m/l) | "MasterClass" winner |
| Dubio feat. +351 | "Cegueira" | Rui Azevedo (m), Pedro Azevedo (m), Hugo Azevedo (l) | Open call winner |
| Elisa | "Medo de sentir" | Marta Carvalho (m/l) | Invited by RTP |
| Elisa Rodrigues | "Não voltes mais" | Elisa Rodrigues (m/l) | Invited by RTP |
| Filipe Sambado | "Gerbera amarela do Sul" | Filipe Sambado (m/l) | Invited by RTP |
| Ian Mucznik | "O dia de amanhã" | João Cabrita (m), Ian Mucznik (l) | Invited by RTP |
| Jimmy P | "Abensonhado" | Jimmy P (m/l) | Invited by RTP |
| JJaZZ | "Agora" | Rui Pregal da Cunha (m/l) | Invited by RTP |
| Judas | "Cubismo enviesado" | Hélio Morais (m/l) | Invited by RTP |
| Kady | "Diz só" | Dino D'Santiago (m), Kalaf Epalanga (l) | Invited by RTP |
| Luiz Caracol & Gus Liberdade | "Dói-me o país" | Luiz Caracol (m), António Avelar Pinho (l) | Invited by RTP |
| MEERA | "Copo de gin" | MEERA (m/l), Isaura (l), João Bota (l) | Invited by RTP |
| Throes + The Shine | "Movimento" | Throes + The Shine (m/l) | Invited by RTP |
| Tomás Luzia | "Mais real que o amor" | Pedro Jóia (m), Tiago Torres da Silva (l) | Invited by RTP |
Semi-final 1
The first semi-final took place at RTP's studios in Lisbon on 22 February 2020, hosted by Jorge Gabriel and Tânia Ribas de Oliveira.[5] In the first semi-final eight entries participated, and of these eight, four advanced to the final. The qualifiers were determined by a 50/50 combination of votes from jury members made up of music professionals and a public telephone vote. The jury that voted in the first semi-final consisted of Anabela, Capicua, Conan Osiris, Héber Marques, Isilda Sanches, Miguel Ângelo and Rui Miguel Abreu.
| Semi-final 1 – 22 February 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | Artist | Song | Jury | Televote | Total | Place |
| 1 | MEERA | "Copo de gin" | 5 | 3 | 8 | 7 |
| 2 | Filipe Sambado | "Gerbera amarela do Sul" | 12 | 5 | 17 | 3 |
| 3 | Ian Mucznik | "O dia de amanhã" | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| 4 | Bárbara Tinoco | "Passe-Partout" | 8 | 12 | 20 | 2 |
| 5 | Blasted Mechanism | "Rebellion" | 6 | 8 | 14 | 5 |
| 6 | Elisa | "Medo de sentir" | 10 | 10 | 20 | 1 |
| 7 | JJaZZ | "Agora" | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
| 8 | Throes + The Shine | "Movimento" | 7 | 7 | 14 | 4 |
Semi-final 2
The second semi-final took place at RTP's studios in Lisbon on 29 February 2020, hosted by José Carlos Malato and Sónia Araújo.[5] In the second semi-final eight entries participated, and of these eight, four advanced to the final. The qualifiers were determined by a 50/50 combination of votes from jury members made up of music professionals and a public telephone vote. The jury that voted in the first semi-final consisted of Anabela, Capicua, Conan Osiris, Héber Marques, Isilda Sanches, Miguel Ângelo and Rui Miguel Abreu.
| Semi-final 2 – 29 February 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | Artist | Song | Jury | Televote | Total | Place |
| 1 | Dubio feat. +351 | "Cegueira" | 4 | 7 | 11 | 6 |
| 2 | Luiz Caracol & Gus Liberdade | "Dói-me o país" | 7 | 6 | 13 | 5 |
| 3 | Judas | "Cubismo enviesado" | 6 | 4 | 10 | 7 |
| 4 | Kady | "Diz só" | 12 | 8 | 20 | 2 |
| 5 | Elisa Rodrigues | "Não voltes mais" | 8 | 5 | 13 | 4 |
| 6 | Cláudio Frank | "Quero-te abraçar" | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| 7 | Tomás Luzia | "Mais real que o amor" | 5 | 10 | 15 | 3 |
| 8 | Jimmy P | "Abensonhado" | 10 | 12 | 22 | 1 |
Final
The final took place at Coliseu Comendador Rondão Almeida in Elvas on 7 March 2020, hosted by Filomena Cautela and Vasco Palmeirim.[5] In the final eight entries participated, and the winner was determined by a 50/50 combination of votes from seven regional juries and a public telephone vote.
| Final – 7 March 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | Artist | Song | Jury | Televote | Total | Place | |
| Votes | Points | ||||||
| 1 | Filipe Sambado | "Gerbera amarela do Sul" | 76 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 3 |
| 2 | Jimmy P | "Abensonhado" | 49 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 4 |
| 3 | Tomás Luzia | "Mais real que o amor" | 24 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 7 |
| 4 | Elisa Rodrigues | "Não voltes mais" | 37 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 8 |
| 5 | Throes + The Shine | "Movimento" | 46 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 6 |
| 6 | Kady | "Diz só" | 43 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 5 |
| 7 | Elisa | "Medo de sentir" | 55 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 1 |
| 8 | Bárbara Tinoco | "Passe-Partout" | 46 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 2 |
| Detailed Regional Jury Votes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | Song | North | Central | Lisbon Area | Algarve | Azores | Madeira | Alentejo | Total | Points |
| 1 | "Gerbera amarela do Sul" | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 76 | 12 |
| 2 | "Abensonhado" | 7 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 53 | 8 |
| 3 | "Mais real que o amor" | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 3 |
| 4 | "Não voltes mais" | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 37 | 4 |
| 5 | "Movimento" | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 46 | 7 |
| 6 | "Diz só" | 10 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 43 | 5 |
| 7 | "Medo de sentir" | 6 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 56 | 10 |
| 8 | "Passe-Partout" | 4 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 44 | 6 |
At Eurovision
According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big 5" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 28 January 2020, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. Portugal was placed into the second semi-final, to be held on 14 May 2020, and was scheduled to perform in the second half of the show.[6] However, due to 2019-20 pandemic of Coronavirus, the contest was cancelled.
In the Eurovision Song Celebration YouTube broadcast in place of the heats, it was revealed that the song would have performed 15th in Semi Final 2, having been preceded by Armenia and preceding Georgia.[7]
References
- "Portugal Country Profile". EBU. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- Jiandani, Sanjay (Sergio) (17 September 2018). "Portugal: RTP confirms participation in Eurovision 2019". Esctoday.com. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- "[OFICIAL] ELVAS RECEBE A FINAL DO FESTIVAL DA CANÇÃO 2020". escportugal.pt (in Portuguese). 15 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- Granger, Anthony (7 November 2019). "Portugal: 320 Song Submissions Received For Festival Da Canção 2020". Eurovoix.
- "Portugal: Conheça os apresentadores do Festival da Canção 2020". escportugal.pt (in Portuguese). 15 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- Groot, Evert (28 January 2020). "Which country performs in which Eurovision 2020 Semi-Final". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- Eurovision Song Contest (14 May 2020). "Part two of Eurovision Song Celebration". Retrieved 3 June 2020.
External links
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