Armenia–Azerbaijan relations in the Eurovision Song Contest

Last updated

Armenia-Azerbaijan Eurovision Song Contest relations
Armenia Azerbaijan Locator.svg
Flag of Armenia.svg
Armenia 		Flag of Azerbaijan.svg
Azerbaijan

Armenia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest, a pan-European music competition, since 2006, while Azerbaijan has participated since 2008. The conflict between the two countries over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is considered to be a de jure part of Azerbaijan by the United Nations, but had been wholly or partially under control of the Armenia-backed de facto Republic of Artsakh between 1993 and 2023, has affected the Eurovision Song Contest on several occasions.

Contents

Conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan first appeared in 2006, when Azerbaijani media criticised the event's website for listing Nagorno-Karabakh as the birthplace of Armenia's first representative, André, as it was part of the Azerbaijan SSR at the time. Conflicts notably escalated throughout the 2009 contest: during the semi-finals, Azerbaijani officials objected to the depiction of the Nagorno-Karabakh monument We Are Our Mountains during an introductory video for the Armenian entry. Armenia responded during the final by displaying multiple images of the monument whilst presenting its results. Following the contest, reports emerged that Azerbaijan's broadcaster had tampered with its feed of the broadcast to censor the Armenian entry, and that the Azerbaijani government was interrogating citizens who voted for Armenia, accusing them of being unpatriotic and a threat to security. Following an inquiry, Azerbaijan was fined by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for breaching the privacy of voters.

Following the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2010, Armenian media claimed that the Azerbaijani broadcast of the contest was cut off when it became apparent that Armenia had won; however, it was disputed whether the contest was even broadcast in Azerbaijan as the country had not yet participated. Accordingly, as Azerbaijan prepared to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 following its win in 2011, a group of Armenian musicians led a boycott effort, and Armenia would ultimately withdraw from the contest due to security concerns, causing its broadcaster to be fined for the late notice. [1] [2]

Conflicts between the two countries emerged again during the lead-up to the 2015 contest, when allegations emerged that the Armenian entry, "Don't Deny", was a call for recognition of the Armenian genocide (whose centenary was commemorated prior to the contest). As Azerbaijan denies the genocide, officials from the country issued a statement threatening Armenia for attempting to use the contest as an outlet for its "political ambitions". The song was subsequently retitled "Face the Shadow" to address concerns over its alleged political themes. The following year, Armenian representative Iveta Mukuchyan was reprimanded for displaying the Artsakh flag during the first semi-final.

Initial appearances

In 2006—the first year in which Armenia participated, the official Eurovision website listed the birthplace of its performer André as being in the "Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh". Media outlets in Azerbaijan criticized the contest's organizers for recognizing the republic, especially given that the region was an autonomous oblast within the Azerbaijan SSR when André was born in 1979. The birthplace listing on André's profile was later removed entirely. [3] [4]

Azerbaijan later made its Eurovision debut in 2008—marking the first time both Armenia and Azerbaijan competed against each other at the contest. The Armenian entry, "Qélé, Qélé" by Sirusho, finished in fourth place, while Azerbaijan's inaugural entry, "Day After Day" by Elnur and Samir, finished in eighth place. [5] [6]

2009 contest

Armenian postcard controversy and aftermath

Armenia's spokesperson Sirusho displayed images of We Are Our Mountains while presenting Armenia's votes at the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, in protest of complaints by Azerbaijan over its display during the semi-finals. Eurovision 2009 Armenia voting.png
Armenia's spokesperson Sirusho displayed images of We Are Our Mountains while presenting Armenia's votes at the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, in protest of complaints by Azerbaijan over its display during the semi-finals.

During the first semi-final of the 2009 contest, the "postcard" video introducing the performance of the Armenian entry "Jan Jan" depicted, amongst other monuments, We Are Our Mountains , an art piece located in Nagorno-Karabakh's capital city of Stepanakert. Due to the country's claims over the region, Azerbaijani officials objected to the portrayal of We Are Our Mountains as being an Armenian landmark. For the broadcast of the final, the video was edited to remove the statue. [7] [8]

In protest of the decision, multiple photographs of We Are Our Mountains were displayed during the presentation of voting results from Armenia; one was displayed on a video screen at Yerevan's Republic Square in the background, and another was displayed on the back of a clipboard that the Armenian voting presenter Sirusho was reading results from. [7] [9] Despite the controversy, 1,065 Armenians voted for the Azerbaijani entry, and Armenia awarded Azerbaijan one point. A total of 43 Azerbaijanis voted for the Armenian entry. [10]

Censorship, interrogation of voters in Azerbaijan

Following the contest, reports surfaced that the Azerbaijani broadcaster, İctimai Television, had attempted to censor the Armenian performance from its broadcast of the final, and had obscured the voting number for the entry in an effort to discourage voting for it. İTV denied these claims, and provided footage showing that its broadcast was untampered with. [11] [12] In August 2009, a number of Azerbaijanis who had voted for Armenia's entry during the contest were summoned for questioning at the Ministry of National Security in Baku, during which they were accused of being "unpatriotic" and "a potential security threat". [13] [14] One of those summoned, Rovshan Nasirli (who had voted for "Jan Jan" because he felt it was a better reflection of Azerbaijani music than "Always", the country's actual entry) said that his interrogators told him that they had the names and addresses of all 43 Azerbaijanis who had voted for Armenia. [15]

Following these reports, Svante Stockselius, then-Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, announced the launch of an enquiry into the incidents. [16] In their response, İctimai TV stated that while two individuals had been invited to the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry had given assurances that nobody had been questioned, either officially or unofficially, on voting in the competition itself. The EBU's then-Director General Jean Réveillon responded to this by saying that freedom to vote is one of the cornerstones of the contest and that "any breach of privacy regarding voting, or interrogation of individuals, is totally unacceptable". [17] Azerbaijani Minister of Youth and Sport, Azad Rahimov, denied that anyone had been summoned to the Ministry of National Security about voting for the Armenian entry, and accused RFE/RL and other news outlets of reporting the allegations to create a scandal. [10]

The Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group examined the matter at a meeting in Oslo on 11 September 2009. In a statement issued on 17 September, the EBU acknowledged the allegations that Azerbaijani officials were interrogating voters and breaching their privacy. While the EBU would not impose sanctions on or ban Azerbaijan from future editions of the contest (the country could have been banned from the contest for three years), it fined the delegation € 2,700, and changed its rules to make participating broadcasters liable for the "disclosure of information which could be used to identify voters" during future editions of the contest. Previously, telecommunications providers were liable, but the EBU could not impose sanctions on them. [12] [18]

2012 contest

Armenia withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku (venue pictured) after a formal boycott by a group of Armenian musicians. Baku Crystal Hall.jpg
Armenia withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku (venue pictured) after a formal boycott by a group of Armenian musicians.

The 2012 contest was hosted by the Azerbaijani capital Baku, after the country's win in 2011. Azerbaijan temporarily amended its visa policy to allow Armenians, who are normally banned from entering the country, to attend the event. However, in February 2012, a boycott effort emerged in Armenia following an incident where a 20-year-old Armenian soldier was shot dead on the border between the two countries. Armenian officials initially blamed the soldier's death on an Azerbaijani sniper; however, conflicting reports indicated that the death was the result of friendly fire. [19] Also in February, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev made a statement re-affirming the country's stance against Armenians, arguing that they control "hypocritical and corrupt politicians." [9] 22 Armenian musicians, including previous Armenian Eurovision representatives Emmy and Eva Rivas, signed an open letter supporting a boycott, stating that they would "refuse to appear in a country that is well-known for the mass killings and massacres of Armenians, in a country where anti-Armenian sentiments have been elevated to the level of state policy." [9] [19]

On 7 March 2012, Armenia announced that the country would withdraw from the 2012 contest. The EBU stated that it was "truly disappointed" with Armenia's withdrawal, and that "despite the efforts of the EBU and the Host Broadcaster to ensure a smooth participation for the Armenian delegation in this year's Contest, circumstances beyond our control lead to this unfortunate decision." [20] [21] İTV General Director Ismayil Omarov expressed his regret about Armenia's withdrawal, believing that the country's presence could have been a "joint peace message to the world." [22] Azerbaijani politician Ali Ahmadov also criticized the Armenian delegation for its decision, stating that "[its] refusal to take part in such a respected contest will cause even further damage to the already damaged image of Armenia." [9] Due to its late withdrawal, Armenia was required to pay its entry fee, plus a fine totalling half the value of the entry fee. [1]

2015 contest

Upon its unveiling in March 2015, media outlets characterized Armenia's entry in the 2015 contest, "Don't Deny", as being a tribute to the Armenian genocide, whose centenary was commemorated on 24 April 2015. The song was performed by Genealogy, a group whose composition alludes to the forget-me-not by consisting of five Armenian diaspora, along with a sixth singer based in Armenia and represented their unity. "Don't Deny" was perceived by critics to be a call for recognition of the genocide, further noting that the song's music video contained a scene depicting the group's members posing for a family photo in World War I-era outfits, and then disappearing from sight. Gohar Gasparyan, head of Armenia's Eurovision delegation, described the song as being about love and unity, and did not make reference to any specific political intent or themes. Representatives of Azerbaijan—which, alongside Turkey, denies the genocide—criticized the song for its alleged political themes, and stated that they would "act adequately" to prevent the contest from being "sacrificed to the political ambitions of a country." [23] [24] [25] [26]

On 16 March 2015, the Armenian delegation announced that the title of the entry had been changed to "Face the Shadow". They stated that the new title was meant to "strengthen" the themes of the song, and to quell concerns over the alleged political subtext. The delegation continued to deny any specific political subtext in the song. [23] [27]

2016 contest

Despite the EBU allowing only the flags of full UN member states to be displayed at the 2016 contest, [28] during the first semi-final on 10 May 2016, the Armenian representative Iveta Mukuchyan was seen holding the Artsakh flag, sparking backlash from the Azerbaijani press. [29] [30] During a press conference following the semi-final, Mukuchyan responded to the incident by stating that "You don't have to forget that I am representing my country in my heart, my thoughts, my feelings, and all my emotions. My thoughts are with my motherland, and what I want to spread is peace on borders. I wrote 'LoveWave' because this was going on inside of me." [31]

The EBU and the Reference Group released a statement the following day explaining that they "strongly condemn the brandishing of the Nagorno-Karabakh flag" during the live transmission of the first semi final, and consider the appearance "harmful" to the contest brand. The reference group consequently sanctioned the Armenian broadcaster AMPTV, with the nature of the sanction to be determined citing a breach of the rule stating "no messages promoting any organisation, institution, political cause or other causes shall be allowed in the shows". Furthermore, the reference group has pointed out that a further breach of the rules of the contest could lead to disqualification from the year's event or any successive editions. [32] Hikmet Hajiyev, the spokesman for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the action of Mukuchyan "provocative" and unacceptable claiming that "the Armenian side deliberately resorts to such steps to encourage and promote the illegal formation created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories”. [33]

2019 contest

After the final of the 2019 contest, the Azerbaijani broadcaster İctimai Television filed a complaint with the EBU for the graphics shown during the voting sequence. [34] The graphics did not include Nakhchivan as within Azerbaijani borders when shown during the broadcast. [34]

2021 contest

A Change.org petition called on the EBU to disqualify Samira Efendi, the Azerbaijani representative in the 2021 contest, from participating; Armenia had withdrawn from that year's contest due to the political instability stemming from its defeat in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. [35] The petition accused Efendi of using "hate speech", "discrimination", encouraging "killing of Armenians", sharing taglines that called Armenians "terrorists", and openly supporting the country's president Ilham Aliyev, [36] [37] [38] while not providing a direct citation of the comments Efendi allegedly made. [39] The Azerbaijani head of delegation Isa Melikov called the petition a "provocation", and the EBU did not address the petition, which had garnered around 10,000 signatures. [40]

Junior Eurovision

2010 contest

Vladimir Arzumanyan, a singer from Nagorno-Karabakh representing Armenia, won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2010. It was alleged by Armenian media outlets that the broadcast of the contest in Azerbaijan was interrupted when it became apparent that Armenia had won. [41] [42] These claims were disputed by AMPTV director and Eurovision head of delegation Diana Mnatsakanyan, who also denied reports that the country was preparing to file a complaint with the EBU over the matter. She noted that the broadcaster did not know whether Azerbaijan even aired the contest at all, given that the country had not yet participated in the Junior Eurovision and had "no interest" in it at the time, and that reports about the alleged incident were limited to posts on Azerbaijani Internet forums. [43] Azerbaijan would ultimately make its official debut at Junior Eurovision two years later. [44]

2021 contest

During the Azerbaijani broadcast of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021, commentators talked over the entirety of the performance of Maléna, the Armenian representative and eventual winner, which is in contravention with the rules of the contest. The EBU sought clarification from the Azerbaijani broadcaster İTV about the incident, but no response was received. [45] [46]

2022 contest

Following Maléna's win in 2021, Armenia was given the right to host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022, which eventually took place in Yerevan. [47] Azerbaijan later confirmed its non-participation in this edition without providing an official reason. [48] The event drew widespread attention and interest in Armenia, and many Armenians attended the show and its side events. [49] Groups of children from Nagorno-Karabakh were also among the attendees, but after the event finished, they were grounded in Armenian territory and unable to return home, as groups of self-described Azerbaijani "environmental activists" had set up a blockade on the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh. [50] [51] [52]

Voting history

Despite largely hostile relations between the two nations over the years, Armenia has awarded points to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has never reciprocated; most Azerbaijani jurors that have been appointed to the contest have ranked Armenia last, while in the Azerbaijani televote, Armenia has been ranked last on nearly every occasion, with some exceptions. [53] [54]

The tables below show the points awarded between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the latter debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.

Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia → Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan
PointsTotalYears
12 points0
10 points0
8 points0
7 points0
6 points0
5 points0
4 points0
3 points1 2009 (TF)
2 points1 2008 (SF)
1 point1
Key

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest</span>

Armenia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 16 times since making its debut in 2006, when André became the first participant representing Armenia and was the first singer from the Caucasus region to compete at Eurovision. The Armenian participant broadcaster in the contest is the Public Television Company of Armenia (AMPTV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest</span>

Azerbaijan has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 16 times since making its debut in 2008. The Azerbaijani participant broadcaster in the contest is İctimai Television (İTV). Azerbaijan was the last country in the Caucasus to debut in the contest and the first to win.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenia in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest</span>

Armenia has participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest since 2007. Armenian Public Television (ARMTV), a member organisation of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has been responsible for the selection process of their participants since their debut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurovision Song Contest 2009</span> International song competition

The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Moscow, Russia, following the country's victory at the 2008 contest with the song "Believe" by Dima Bilan. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Channel One (C1R), the contest was held at the Olimpiysky Arena, and consisted of two semi-finals on 12 and 14 May, and a final on 16 May 2009. The semi-finals were presented by Russian model Natalia Vodianova and television presenter Andrey Malakhov, while the final was presented by Russian television presenter Ivan Urgant and former Russian contestant Alsou Abramova, becoming the first and to date only time that two different sets of presenters had hosted the semi-finals and finals.

Azerbaijan participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Always" written by Arash Labaf, Robert Uhlmann, Marcus Englöf, Johan Bejerholm, Alex Papaconstantinou, Anderz Wrethov and Elin Wrethov. The song was performed by AySel and Arash, which were internally selected by the Azerbaijani broadcaster İctimai Television (İTV) to represent the nation at the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. AySel and Arash's selection as the Azerbaijani Eurovision entrants were announced separately on 17 January and 12 February 2009, respectively, while the song "Always" was presented to the public on 3 March 2009.

Armenia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Jan Jan" written by Avet Barseghyan, Vardan Zadoyan and Mane Hakobyan. The song was performed by the duo Inga and Anush. The Armenian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia was selected through the national final Evratesil 2009, organised by the Armenian broadcaster Public Television of Armenia (AMPTV). The national final took place on 14 February 2009 where twenty-one entries competed. "Jan Jan" performed by Inga and Anush was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a professional jury and a public televote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurovision Song Contest 2012</span> International song competition

The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 was the 57th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, following the country's victory at the 2011 contest with the song "Running Scared" by Ell and Nikki. It was the first time Azerbaijan hosted the contest – only four years after the country made its debut. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster İctimai Television (İTV), the contest was held at the Baku Crystal Hall, and consisted of two semi-finals on 22 and 24 May, and a final on 26 May 2012. The three live shows were presented by Azerbaijani television presenter Leyla Aliyeva, newsreader Nargiz Birk-Petersen and singer Eldar Gasimov, the latter of whom was one of the previous edition's winners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurovision Song Contest 2016</span> International song competition

The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was the 61st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Stockholm, Sweden, following the country's victory at the 2015 contest with the song "Heroes" by Måns Zelmerlöw. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT), the contest was held at the Globe Arena and consisted of two semi-finals on 10 and 12 May, and a final on 14 May 2016. The three live shows were presented by Petra Mede and the previous year's winner Måns Zelmerlöw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2012</span> International song competition for youth

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2012 was the tenth edition of the annual Junior Eurovision Song Contest. It took place at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 1 December 2012. Dutch broadcaster AVRO was the host broadcaster for the event. For the second time the Netherlands hosted the contest, after hosting the contest in 2007 in Rotterdam. The show was hosted by Kim-Lian van der Meij for a second time, this time joined by Ewout Genemans. The motto for the contest was "Break The Ice".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azerbaijan in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest</span>

The participation of Azerbaijan in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest first began at the tenth edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 which took place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. İctimai Television (İTV), a member organisation of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), were responsible for the selection process of their participation. Azerbaijan originally used a national final format for their participation at the 2012 contest. The first representatives to participate for the nation at the 2012 contest were Omar & Suada with the song "Girls and Boys ", which finished in eleventh place out of twelve participating entries. After participating for a second time in 2013 and finishing seventh, İTV withdrew from the contest in 2014 for unspecified reasons. The country returned to participate in 2018 where they placed sixteenth in a field of twenty, before withdrawing once again for a further two years. Azerbaijan returned to the 2021 contest in Paris, France, with İTV internally selected Sona Azizova to represent the nation with "One Of Those Days". Azizova achieved Azerbaijan's highest placing to date, achieving fifth place in a field of 19. İTV then withdrew again from the 2022 contest in Yerevan, Armenia and are yet to return.

Armenia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "LoveWave" written by Lilith Navasardyan, Levon Navasardyan, Iveta Mukuchyan and Stephanie Crutchfield. The song was performed by Iveta Mukuchyan, who was selected internally by the Armenian broadcaster Public Television of Armenia (AMPTV) to represent Armenia in the 2016 contest in Stockholm, Sweden. Mukuchyan's selection as the Armenian artist was announced on 13 October 2015, while the song "LoveWave" was later presented to the public on 2 March 2016.

Armenia originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "Chains on You" written by Athena Manoukian and DJ Paco. The song was performed by Athena Manoukian. The Armenian entry for the 2020 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands was selected through the national final Depi Evratesil 2020, organised by the Armenian broadcaster Public Television of Armenia (AMPTV). The national final took place on 15 February 2020 where twelve entries competed. "Chains on You" performed by Athena Manoukian was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from an international jury, an Armenian jury and a public televote.

Azerbaijan originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "Cleopatra" written by Luuk van Beers, Alan Roy Scott and Sarah Lake. The song was performed by Efendi, who was internally selected by the Azerbaijani broadcaster İctimai Television (İTV) to represent the nation at the 2020 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Efendi's selection as the Azerbaijani Eurovision entrant was announced on 28 February 2020, while the song "Cleopatra" was presented to the public on 10 March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020</span> International song competition for youth

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was the 18th edition of the annual Junior Eurovision Song Contest, organised by Telewizja Polska (TVP) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The contest took place on 29 November 2020, and was held in Warsaw, Poland, following the country's victory at the 2019 contest with the song "Superhero" by Viki Gabor. This was the first time the contest was held in the same country for two consecutive years.

Azerbaijan participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Mata Hari" written by Amy van der Wel, Josh Earl, Luuk van Beers and Tony Cornelissen. The song was performed by Efendi, who was internally selected by the Azerbaijani broadcaster İctimai Television (İTV) to represent the nation at the 2021 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands, after she was due to compete in the 2020 contest with "Cleopatra" before the 2020 event's cancellation. Efendi's selection as the Azerbaijani Eurovision entrant was announced on 20 March 2020, while the song "Mata Hari" was presented to the public on 15 March 2021.

The Eurovision Song Contest is an international song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) which features participants representing primarily European countries. One of the stated aims of the contest is that the event is of a non-political nature, and participating broadcasters and performers are precluded from promoting or referring to anything of a political, commercial or similar nature during the contest. However, several controversial moments have occurred since the event's creation in 1956, which have included political tensions between competing countries being reflected in the contest's performances and voting, disqualification of entries due to political references in song lyrics, and demonstrations against certain countries competing due to said country's politics and policies.

Armenia participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Paris, France, having internally selected Maléna as their representative with the song "Qami Qami". She was due to compete in the 2020 contest with the song "Why" before the country withdrew due to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. Armenia won with 224 points; 6 points more than the runner-up Poland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022</span> International song competition for youth

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022 was the 20th edition of the annual Junior Eurovision Song Contest, organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Public Television Company of Armenia (AMPTV). The contest took place on 11 December 2022 at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concerts Complex in Yerevan, Armenia, following the country's victory at the 2021 contest with the song "Qami Qami" by Maléna. This was the second time that Armenia hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, the first being in 2011.

Armenia participated in and hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Yerevan, having internally selected its representative, Nare with the song "Dance!", written by Grigor Kyokchyan and Nick Egibyan.

Armenia participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Nice, France, having internally selected its representatives, Yan Girls with the song "Do It My Way", written by Tokionine, Vahram Petrosyan and Maléna, the latter of whom won the 2021 contest.

References

  1. 1 2 "Armenia Fined for Refusal to Take Part in Eurovision 2012". RIA Novosti. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  2. ↑ Brey, Marco (22 January 2013). "Gor Sujyan will represent Armenia!". Eurovision.tv.
  3. ↑ "You need friends to win in Eurovision". The Daily Telegraph . 20 May 2006. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "Абульфаз Гараев: "Руководство Евровидения устранило ошибку на своем сайте"". Day.az (in Russian). 15 March 2006. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Azerbaijan: Major success since 2008 debut". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "Disappointing Performance Leaves Armenia Behind at Eurovision". The Armenian Weekly . 11 May 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  7. 1 2 Krikorian, Onnik (16 May 2009). "Ethnic rivalry wins over kitsch in the Caucasus". Frontline Club . Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  8. ↑ Deasy, Kristin (15 May 2009). "Eurovision: A Melting-Pot Contest, Where Native Doesn't Always Mean Best". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on 17 May 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Adams, William Lee (11 March 2012). "How Armenia and Azerbaijan Wage War Through Eurovision". Time. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Azerbaijani Minister Criticizes RFE/RL Over Eurovision Interrogation Story". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 4 September 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "Голосование за Ингу и Ануш в Азербайджане /ВИДЕО/". 1news.az. 26 May 2009. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  12. 1 2 "Can Eurovision Succeed Where Diplomacy Has Failed?". Ararat. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  13. ↑ "Azerbaijanis in Eurovision probe". BBC News. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
  14. ↑ "Azerbaijani Authorities Interrogate Music Fan Over Eurovision Vote For Armenia". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 24 August 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  15. ↑ Kalantarian, Karine (14 August 2009). "Azeris Questioned Over Eurovision Vote For Armenia". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  16. ↑ ռ/կ, Ազատություն (19 August 2009). "Eurovision Organizer Probes Azeri Crackdown". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  17. ↑ "EBU receives responses from Azerbaijan". Eurovision.tv. 11 September 2009. Archived from the original on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  18. ↑ "Eurovision Amends Rules, Does Not Sanction Azerbaijan". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  19. 1 2 Kramer, Andrew E. (8 March 2012). "Armenians Are Shunning Song Contest in Azerbaijan". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  20. ↑ "Armenia withdraws from Eurovision 2012". Eurovision.tv. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  21. ↑ "Armenia Officially Rejects Eurovision Song Contest". RIA Novosti. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  22. ↑ "Ismayil Omarov: "The performance of Armenia's representative on Baku stage could be a joint peace message to the world"". APA. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  23. 1 2 Siim, Jarmo (17 March 2015). "Armenia changes song title". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  24. ↑ "Azerbaijan to adequately act if Armenia turns Eurovision into political arena". Trend.az. 15 February 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  25. ↑ Lomsadze, Giorgi (13 March 2015). "Armenia Takes Genocide-Recognition to Eurovision". Eurasianet. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  26. ↑ "Possible messages for recognition of 'Armenian genocide' in Armenia's song for Eurovision to be looked for". APA.az. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  27. ↑ "Armenia Dodges Eurovision Controversy". Eurasianet.org. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  28. ↑ "Palestinians condemn Eurovision Song Contest for flag ban". Euronews. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  29. ↑ "Armenia faces Eurovision ban for flag-waving". Euronews. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  30. ↑ Dahlander, Gustav. "Iveta från Armenien med känsliga flaggan i Eurovision 2016 – kan vara regelbrott". svt.se. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  31. ↑ "Armenia threatened with Eurovision disqualification after breaking regional flag rule". Metro. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  32. ↑ "Official statement on use of Nagorno-Karabakh flag at Eurovision Song Contest". EBU - Facebook. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  33. ↑ Armenian provocation prevented at Eurovision Song Contest // azernews.az, 11 May 2016.
  34. 1 2 "Azerbaijan: Local media reports Chingiz's feeling of "injustice" after result...as broadcaster Ictimai sends formal complaint to the EBU over voting map". wiwibloggs. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  35. ↑ "Armenia withdraws from Eurovision Song Contest 2021". European Broadcasting Union. 5 March 2021. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  36. ↑ "Controversy about Efendi".
  37. ↑ "Армения воюет с Азербайджаном и на полях "Евровидения"" [Armenia is at war with Azerbaijan and on the fields of "Eurovision"] (in Russian).
  38. ↑ "Petition to disqualify Azerbaijani participant from Eurovision 2021 hits around 5,000 signatures".
  39. ↑ "Petition demands Efendi removed from Eurovision for pro-Azerbaijan posts". Republic Underground. 24 May 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  40. ↑ "Глава азербайджанской делегации на Евровидении-2021: Европейский вещательный союз никак не отреагировал на провокацию Армении" (in Russian).
  41. ↑ "Azerbaijan interrupted Eurovision-2010 broadcast after the victory of the Armenian performer from Karabakh". NEWS.am. 13 June 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  42. ↑ "Azerbaijan does not "endure" victory of Vladimir Arzumanyan at 2010 Junior Eurovision". PanARMENIAN.Net. 21 November 2010. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  43. ↑ "Public Television of Armenia denies the country's intention to file complaint against Azerbaijan to European Broadcasting Union". PanARMENIAN.Net . Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  44. ↑ "Junior 2012: 12 countries to take part". European Broadcasting Union. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  45. ↑ Farren, Neil (23 December 2021). "🇦🇿 Azerbaijan: İTV Asked For Clarification Over Junior Eurovision 2021 Commentary Issues". Eurovoix.
  46. ↑ "Editorial: How can we address political tensions in Eurovision today?". That Eurovision Site. 23 December 2021.
  47. ↑ "Junior Eurovision 2022 is good opportunity to restore tourist flows to Armenia, PM says". NEWS.am. 17 February 2022. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  48. ↑ "16 countries will 'Spin The Magic' at 20th Junior Eurovision Song Contest" (Press release). European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 26 September 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  49. ↑ "Why This Junior Eurovision Breaks The Budget". ESC Insight. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  50. ↑ "Nagorno Karabakh children visiting Armenia for Junior Eurovision 2022 unable to return home due to Azeri blockade". armenpress.am. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  51. ↑ Gavin, Gabriel (7 January 2023). "Russia's military disaster could lead to famine in the Caucasus". The Spectator. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  52. ↑ Lombardini, Emanuele (14 December 2022). "Junior Eurovision 2022, i bambini dell'Artsakh non riescono a tornare a casa". Eurofestival News (in Italian). Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  53. ↑ "Results of the First Semi-Final of Stockholm 2016". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  54. ↑ "Results of the Grand Final of Liverpool 2023 - Eurovision Song Contest". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.