Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest

Last updated
Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg
Participating broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT)
Participation summary
Appearances19 (18 finals)
First appearance 1993
Last appearance 2016
Highest placement3rd: 2006
Participation history
    • 2014
    • 2015
    • 2016
    • 2017 2024
External links
Bosnia and Herzegovina's page at Eurovision.tv OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Song contest current event.png For the most recent participation see
Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016

Bosnia and Herzegovina has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 19 times since making its debut in 1993, after coming second in the qualification round "Kvalifikacija za Millstreet". Prior to 1993, Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest as part of Yugoslavia.

Contents

Bosnia and Herzegovina's best result was in 2006, when Hari Mata Hari finished third with the song "Lejla". This remains the country's only top five result in the contest. The country also achieved five other top ten results: 1999 with Dino Merlin (seventh), 2004 with Deen (ninth), 2008 with Laka (tenth), 2009 with Regina (ninth), and 2011, again with Dino Merlin (sixth). Bosnia and Herzegovina returned to the contest for the first time since 2012 at the 2016 contest, where it failed to advance from the semi-finals for the first time. The country then withdrew once again from the contest and has yet to return.

Non-participations

Low average scores meant Bosnia and Herzegovina did not qualify for the contests in 1998 and 2000, and the country did not participate in the 2013 contest for financial reasons. BHRT had stated that it hoped to return to the contest in 2014, [1] and on 18 November 2013, it submitted a preliminary application to compete in the 2014 contest. [2] However, on 18 December 2013, it was announced that Bosnia and Herzegovina would not be returning for 2014. [3]

On 9 September 2014, BHRT announced that it had submitted an application to compete in the 2015 contest. [4] On 30 October 2014, BHRT stated that participation was still in jeopardy due to financial difficulties. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) granted it a deadline extension until 14 November 2014 to make a final decision regarding its participation. [5] On 17 November 2014, BHRT announced that it would not be competing in the 2015 contest, having not secured the necessary funds to finance its participation. [6]

On 29 September 2016, BHRT again announced its withdrawal from the competition in 2017, due to the difficult financial situation that the national broadcaster was currently facing. [7] The following December, BHRT was sanctioned by the EBU due to unpaid debts, by restricting the broadcaster access to common resources. [8]

The Bosnian head of delegation, Lejla Babović, confirmed on 29 December 2018 that BHRT's current primary goal was to return to Eurovision, but its current financial situation and mounting debts with the EBU made a return in the near future highly unlikely. [9] This was confirmed for the following years, with a statement in November 2023 that the broadcaster remains under sanctions and is unable to compete in EBU events. [8] However, in its broadcasting plans for 2024, BHRT stated it was considering a return in 2025. [10]

Participation overview

Prior to Yugoslavia's dissolution, artists from the Bosnian federal unit represented Yugoslavia in 1964, 1965, 1973, 1976, and 1981.

Table key
2Second place
3Third place
YearArtistSongLanguageFinalPointsSemiPoints
1993 Fazla " Sva bol svijeta " Bosnian 16272 [lower-alpha 1] 52 [lower-alpha 1]
1994 Alma and Dejan " Ostani kraj mene "Bosnian1539No semi-finals
1995 Davor Popović " Dvadeset prvi vijek "Bosnian1914
1996 Amila Glamočak " Za našu ljubav "Bosnian22132129
1997 Alma Čardžić"Goodbye"Bosnian1822No semi-finals
1999 Dino and Béatrice" Putnici "Bosnian, French 786
2001 Nino " Hano "Bosnian, English1429
2002 Maja " Na jastuku za dvoje " (На јастуку за двоје) Serbian, English1333
2003 Mija Martina " Ne brini " Croatian, English1627
2004 Deen "In the Disco"English9917133
2005 Feminnem "Call Me"English1479Top 12 in 2004 final [lower-alpha 2]
2006 Hari Mata Hari " Lejla "Bosnian32292267
2007 Marija Šestić " Rijeka bez imena " (Ријека без имена)Serbian11106Top 10 in 2006 final [lower-alpha 2]
2008 Laka " Pokušaj "Bosnian10110972
2009 Regina " Bistra voda "Bosnian91063125
2010 Vukašin Brajić "Thunder and Lightning"English1751859
2011 Dino Merlin"Love in Rewind"English61255109
2012 Maya Sar " Korake ti znam "Bosnian1855677
2016 Dalal and Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala " Ljubav je "BosnianFailed to qualify11104

Conductors

YearConductor [lower-alpha 3]
1993 (KzM) Esad Arnautalić
1993 Flag of Ireland.svg Noel Kelehan
1994 Sinan Alimanović
1995
1996
1997

Awards

Marcel Bezençon Awards

YearCategorySongComposer(s)
lyrics (l) / music (m)
PerformerFinalPointsHost cityRef.
2006 Composer Award"Lejla" Željko Joksimović (m), Fahrudin Pecikoza (l), Dejan Ivanović (l) Hari Mata Hari 3229 Flag of Greece.svg Athens
2009 "Bistra voda"Aleksandar Čović (m & l) Regina 9106 Flag of Russia.svg Moscow

Commentators and spokespersons

YearCommentatorSpokespersonRef.
1993 Ismeta Dervoz-KrvavacDejan Zagorac [lower-alpha 4]
1994 Diana Grković-Foretić
1995
1996 Suad BejtovićSegmedina Srna
1997 Diana Grković-Foretić
1998 Ismeta Dervoz-KrvavacDid not participate
1999 Segmedina Srna
2000 Did not participate
2001 Dejan KukrićSegmedina Srna [13]
2002
2003 Ana Vilenica
2004 Mija Martina
2005 Ana Mirjana Račanović
2006 Vesna Andree-Zaimović
2007
2008 Melina Garibović
2009 Laka
2010 Ivana Vidmar
2011
2012 Laka
2013 Did not participate
20142015 No broadcast
2016 Dejan KukrićIvana Crnogorac
20172024 No broadcastDid not participate

Other shows

ShowCommentator
Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest Dino Merlin
Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light Maja Čengić Miralem

Notes

  1. 1 2 Progressed through Kvalifikacija za Millstreet
  2. 1 2 According to the then-Eurovision rules, the top ten non-Big Four countries from the previous year along with the Big Four automatically qualified for the grand final without having to compete in semi-finals. For example, if Germany and France placed inside the top ten, the 11th and 12th spots were advanced to next year's grand final along with all countries ranked in the top ten.
  3. All conductors are of Bosnian nationality unless otherwise noted.
  4. The spokesperson from the prequalifying round was Ismeta Dervoz-Krvavac

Related Research Articles

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

Bulgaria has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 14 times since making its debut at the 2005 contest in Kyiv. The country's best result is a second-place finish for Kristian Kostov and the song "Beautiful Mess" at the 2017 contest also in Kyiv.

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

Slovakia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest seven times, debuting in 1994. It had attempted to debut in 1993, but did not pass through the qualifying round. In the first three finals that Slovakia participated in, it placed no better than 18th, which it achieved in 1996. Due to poor results, Slovakia was relegated in 1995 and 1997, and eventually withdrew in 1999. The country returned in 2009, although it withdrew again within four years, having failed to qualify for the final every year since its return.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungary in the Eurovision Song Contest</span> Overview of the role of Hungary in the Eurovision Song Contest

Hungary has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 17 times since making its debut in 1994. Hungary attempted to participate in 1993 but failed to qualify from Kvalifikacija za Millstreet, a special qualifying competition set up for seven former Eastern Bloc countries.

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with the song "Lejla" written by Željko Joksimović, Fahrudin Pecikoza and Dejan Ivanović. The song was performed by the band Hari Mata Hari. Songwriter Željko Joksimović represented Serbia and Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song "Lane moje" where he placed second in the grand final of the competition. On 9 February 2006, the Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) revealed that they had internally selected Hari Mata Hari to compete at the 2006 contest in Athens, Greece. Their song, "Lejla", was presented to the public during a show entitled BH Eurosong 2006 on 5 March 2006.

<span title="Slovene-language text"><i lang="sl">Kvalifikacija za Millstreet</i></span> Qualifying song contest for the Eurovision Song Contest 1993

Kvalifikacija za Millstreet was a televised song contest held as a qualifying round for the Eurovision Song Contest 1993. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Radiotelevizija Slovenija (RTVSLO), the contest was held on 3 April 1993 in Studio 1 of Televizija Slovenija in Ljubljana, Slovenia and presented by the Slovenian television presenter Tajda Lekše.

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Call Me" written by Andrej Babić. The song was performed by the group Feminnem. The Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) organised the national final BH Eurosong 2005 in order to select the Bosnian entry for the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. Fourteen entries participated during the show on 6 March 2005 where a combination of jury and public televoting selected "Zovi" performed by Feminnem as the winner. The song was later translated from Croatian to English for the Eurovision Song Contest and was titled "Call Me".

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with the song "Rijeka bez imena" written by Aleksandra Milutinović and Goran Kovačić. The song was performed by Marija Šestić. On 16 January 2007, the Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) revealed that they had internally selected Marija Šestić to compete at the 2007 contest in Helsinki, Finland. Her song, "Rijeka bez imena", was presented to the public during a show entitled BH Eurosong 2007 on 4 March 2007.

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999 with the song "Putnici" written by Edin Dervišhalidović. The song was performed by Dino and Béatrice. Dino is the artistic name of songwriter Edin Dervišhalidović. The Bosnian broadcaster Radio-Televizija Bosne i Hercegovine (RTVBiH) returned to the Eurovision Song Contest after a one-year absence following their relegation in 1998 as one of the six countries with the lowest average scores over the previous five contests. RTVBiH organised the national final Vaš šlager sezone 1999 in order to select the Bosnian entry for 1999 contest in Jerusalem, Israel. Seventeen entries participated during the show on 6 March 1999 where nine regional juries initially selected "Starac i more" performed by Hari Mata Hari as the winner, however the entry was later disqualified due to the song having previously been released in Finland in 1997 with runner-up "Putnici" performed by Dino and Béatrice being replaced as the Bosnian entry for the contest.

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Pokušaj" written and performed by Elvir Laković Laka. On 27 December 2007, the Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) revealed that they had internally selected Laka to compete at the 2008 contest in Belgrade, Serbia. His song, "Pokušaj", was presented to the public during a show entitled BH Eurosong 2008 on 3 March 2008.

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Bistra voda" written by Aleksandar Čović. The song was performed by the band Regina. On 12 January 2009, the Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) revealed that they had internally selected Regina to compete at the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. Their song, "Bistra voda", was presented to the public during a show entitled BH Eurosong Show 2009 on 1 March 2009.

Bosnia and Herzegovina made their début at the Eurovision Song Contest 1993 in Millstreet, Ireland. Fazla represented Bosnia and Herzegovina with the song "Sva bol svijeta". The song describes the Bosnian War occurring at that time in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They finished in 16th place with 27 points.

Croatia entered the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time as an independent country in 1993. The country's first entry was by Put with the song "Don't Ever Cry".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurovision Song Contest 2013</span> International song competition

The Eurovision Song Contest 2013 was the 58th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Malmö, Sweden, following the country's victory at the 2012 contest with the song "Euphoria" by Loreen. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT), the contest was held at the Malmö Arena, and consisted of two semi-finals on 14 and 16 May, and a final on 18 May 2013. The three live shows were presented by Swedish comedian and television presenter Petra Mede, being the first time only one host had presented the show since the 1995 contest. Former Swedish entrant Eric Saade acted as the green room host in the final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurovision Song Contest 2015</span> International song competition

The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 was the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Vienna, Austria, following the country's victory at the 2014 contest with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), the contest was held at the Hall D of the Wiener Stadthalle and consisted of two semi-finals on 19 and 21 May, and a final on 23 May 2015. The three live shows were presented by Austrian television presenters Mirjam Weichselbraun, Alice Tumler and Arabella Kiesbauer, while the previous edition's winner Conchita Wurst acted as the green room host.

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "Thunder and Lightning", written by Dino Šaran and performed by Vukašin Brajić. On 11 January 2010, the Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) revealed that they had internally selected Brajić to compete at the 2010 contest in Oslo, Norway. His song, "Munja i grom", was presented to the public during a show entitled BH Eurosong Show 2010 on 14 March 2010. The song was later translated from Bosnian to English for the Eurovision Song Contest with the new title "Thunder and Lightning".

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with the song "Love in Rewind" written and performed by Dino Merlin, who had represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999. On 1 December 2010, the Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) revealed that they had internally selected Dino Merlin to compete at the 2011 contest in Düsseldorf, Germany. His song, "Love in Rewind", was presented to the public during a show entitled BH Eurosong Show 2011 on 21 February 2011.

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with the song "Korake ti znam" written and performed by Maya Sar. On 15 December 2011, the Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) revealed that they had internally selected Maya Sar to compete at the 2012 contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. Her song, "Korake ti znam", was presented to the public during a show on 15 March 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurovision Song Contest 2014</span> International song competition

The Eurovision Song Contest 2014 was the 59th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, following the country's victory at the 2013 contest with the song "Only Teardrops" by Emmelie de Forest. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR), the contest was held at B&W Hallerne, and consisted of two semi-finals on 6 and 8 May, and a final on 10 May 2014. The three live shows were presented by Danish television presenter Lise Rønne, musician Nikolaj Koppel and actor Pilou Asbæk.

Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "Ljubav je" written by Almir Ajanović and Jasmin Fazlić Jala. The song was performed by Dalal and Deen featuring Ana Rucner and Jala. Dalal and Deen are Bosnian singers, the former known as a member of the duo Erato and the latter having represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, while Ana Rucner is a Croatian cellist and Jala is a Bosnian rapper. In November 2015, the Bosnian broadcaster Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) announced that they would be returning to the Eurovision Song Contest after a three-year absence after securing sponsorship to cover both the participation fee and all costs related to the participation. In the same month, the broadcaster revealed that they had internally selected Dalal Midhat-Talakić, Fuad Backović-Deen, Ana Rucner and Jasmin Fazlić Jala to compete at the 2016 contest in Stockholm, Sweden. Their song, "Ljubav je", was presented to the public during a show entitled BH Eurosong Show 2016 on 19 February 2016.

References

  1. Jiandani, Sanjay (14 December 2012). "Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be in Malmö". ESCToday. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  2. Jiandani, Sanjay (18 November 2013). "Bosnia Herzegovina: BHRT confirms participation in Copenhagen". ESCToday. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  3. Jiandani, Sanjay (19 December 2013). "Eurovision 2014: Bosnia & Herzegovina will not compete in Copenhagen". ESCToday. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  4. Jiandani, Sanjay (9 September 2014). "Bosnia & Herzegovina: BHRT confirms participation in Eurovision 2015". esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  5. Jiandani, Sanjay (31 October 2014). "Bosnia & Herzegovina: Participation in Vienna uncertain; deadline extended". esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  6. Jiandani, Sanjay (17 November 2014). "Bosnia & Herzegovina: BHRT will not return to Eurovision in 2015". esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  7. Jiandani, Sanjay (29 September 2016). "Bosnia & Herzegovina: BHRT will not participate in Eurovision 2017". esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  8. 1 2 Anthony, Granger (13 November 2023). "Bosnia & Herzegovina: BHRT Remains Sanctioned by the EBU". Eurovoix. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  9. "Bosnia & Herzegovina's "primary goal" is Eurovision comeback but 2020 return "difficult"". 29 December 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  10. "Bosnia & Herzegovina: BHRT Considering Returning to Eurovision in 2025". Eurovoix. 2024-04-18. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  11. "Marcel Bezençon Awards". eurovision.tv. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  12. Klier, Marcus (18 May 2009). "The Eurovision 2009 Marcel Bezençon Awards". esctoday.com. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  13. Vaš komentator već 13.godina: Dejan Kukrić :) Budite sa...

Works cited