Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025

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Eurovision Song Contest 2025
Participating broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle)
CountryFlag of Finland.svg  Finland
National selection
Selection process Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2025
Selection date(s)8 February 2025
Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄20242025

Finland will be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, which will be held in Basel, Switzerland. The Finnish participating broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) will organise the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2025 in order to select its entry for the contest.

Contents

Background

Prior to the 2025 contest, Yleisradio (Yle) has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Finland fifty-seven times since its first entry in 1961. It had won the contest once in 2006 with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" performed by Lordi. In the 2024 contest, "No Rules!" performed by Windows95man managed to qualify Finland to the final and placed nineteenth. [1]

As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, Yle organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. Yle had been selecting its entries for the contest through national final competitions that had varied in format over the years. Between 1961 and 2011, a selection show that was often titled Suomen euroviisukarsinta highlighted that the purpose of the program was to select a song for Eurovision. However, since 2012, the broadcaster had organised the selection show Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), which focuses on showcasing new music with the winning song being selected as the Finnish Eurovision entry for that year. Yle confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2025 contest on 3 June 2024, announcing that its entry would again be selected through Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu. [2]

Before Eurovision

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu2025

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu2025 will be the thirteenth edition of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the music competition organised by Yle to select its entries for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition will consist of a final on 8 February 2025, to be held at the Nokia Arena in Tampere and hosted by Sanni and Jasmin Beloued  [ fi ]. [3] [4]

Competing entries

A submission period was opened by Yle which lasted between 19 August 2024 and 25 August 2024. [5] At least one of the writers and the lead singer(s) had to hold Finnish citizenship or live in Finland permanently in order for the entry to qualify to compete. [6] A panel of nine experts appointed by Yle alongside five audience juries selected seven entries for the competition from 485 received submissions, a new record during the current format of the competition. [7] [8] The experts were Tapio Hakanen (Head of Music at YleX), Aija Puurtinen  [ fi ] (lecturer at Sibelius Academy and UMK vocal coach), Amie Borgar (Head of Music at Yle X3M and Yle Vega), Johan Lindroos  [ sv ] (Head of Music at Yle Radio Suomi), Katri Norrlin  [ fi ] (music editor at YleX), Samuli Väänänen (Senior Editor at Spotify), Jani Juntunen (Head of Radio Music at Nelonen Media), Saara Everi (Head of Marketing at PME Records) and Marcus Sjöström (Head of Music at Radio NRJ Finland). [9] The competing entries were announced in a televised programme on 8 January 2025, hosted by Mikko Silvennoinen, Eva Frantz  [ fi; sv ], Jasmin Beloued, Katri Norrlin and Sanni, while their music videos were released between 9 and 17 January. [9] [10]

On 22 January, it was announced that One Morning Left had been disqualified due to a contract violation; the band published a statement the same day, announcing it was being disbanded due to child grooming allegations made against its lead vocalist, Mika Lahti. [11] [12]

Key:  Entry disqualified

ArtistSongSongwriter(s)
Costee  [ fi ]"Sekaisin"
Erika Vikman "Ich komme"
Goldielocks  [ fi ]"Made Of"
  • Ella Mäntynen
  • Lauri Mäntynen
  • Topi Kilpinen
Neea River "Nightmares"
Nelli Matula  [ fi ]"Hitaammin hautaan"
One Morning Left "Puppy"
  • Johannes Naukkarinen
  • Juuso Turkki
  • Leevi Luoto
  • Mika Lahti
  • Saku Ahola
Viivi  [ fi ]"Aina"
  • Antti Riihimäki
  • Emma Johansson
  • Joonas Keronen
  • Lauri Halavaara
  • Viivi Korhonen

Related Research Articles

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with the song "När jag blundar" written by Jonas Karlsson. The song was performed by Pernilla Karlsson. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2012 in order to select the Finnish entry for the 2012 contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. 13 entries were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of four performance shows and a final, taking place in January and February 2012. Six entries ultimately competed in the final on 25 February where votes from the public selected "När jag blundar" performed by Pernilla Karlsson as the winner.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Marry Me" written by Krista Siegfrids, Erik Nyholm, Kristofer Karlsson and Jessika Lundström. The song was performed by Krista Siegfrids. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2013 in order to select the Finnish entry for the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden. 12 entries were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of two heats, a semi-final and a final, taking place in January and February 2013. Eight entries ultimately competed in the final on 9 February where the 50/50 combination of votes from a four-member judging panel and votes from the public selected "Marry Me" performed by Krista Siegfrids as the winner.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with the song "Something Better" written by Topi Latukka and Henri Oskár. The song was performed by the band Softengine. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2014 in order to select the Finnish entry for the 2014 contest in Copenhagen, Denmark. 12 entries were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of two heats, a semi-final and a final, taking place in January and February 2014. Eight entries ultimately competed in the final on 1 February where the 50/50 combination of votes from a four-member judging panel and votes from the public selected "Something Better" performed by Softengine as the winner.

<i>Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu</i> Finnish TV music contest

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu is an annual music contest organised by the Finnish public broadcaster Yle. It made its debut in 2012 as the Finnish selection format for the Eurovision Song Contest, replacing the previous Finnish Eurovision selection Suomen euroviisukarsinta which had been held since 1961.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Aina mun pitää" written and performed by the band Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2015 in order to select the Finnish entry for the 2015 contest in Vienna, Austria. 18 entries were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of three semi-finals and a final, taking place in February 2015. Six entries competed in each semi-final and the top three from each semi-final, as selected solely by a public vote, advanced to the final. Nine entries competed in the final on 28 February where the combination of votes from eight jury groups representing different factions of Finnish society and votes from the public selected "Aina mun pitää" performed by Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät as the winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät</span> Finnish punk band

Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät was a Finnish punk rock band, formed in 2009 in a charity workshop for adults with developmental disabilities. They are the main focus of the 2012 Finnish documentary film The Punk Syndrome. In 2015, they qualified for the finals of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu, which they later won; they represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 but got knocked out in the semi-final. The group disbanded in December 2016 when guitarist Pertti Kurikka turned 60 years old and retired from playing punk rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aina mun pitää</span> 2015 single by Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät

"Aina mun pitää" is a song by Finnish punk rock band Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät. The song won Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) 2015 and represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "Sing It Away" written by Sandhja Kuivalainen, Milos Rosas, Heikki Korhonen, Petri Matara and Markus Savijoki. The song was performed by Sandhja. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2016 in order to select the Finnish entry for the 2016 contest in Stockholm, Sweden. 18 entries were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of three semi-finals and a final, taking place in February 2016. Six entries competed in each semi-final and the top three from each semi-final, as selected solely by a public vote, advanced to the final. Nine entries competed in the final on 27 February where the 50/50 combination of votes from ten jury groups representing different factions of Finnish society and votes from the public selected "Sing It Away" performed by Sandhja as the winner.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Blackbird" and performed by Lasse Piirainen and Leena Tirronen under the name Norma John. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2017 in order to select the Finnish entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ten entries were selected to compete in the national final on 28 January 2017 where the 50/50 combination of votes from ten international jury groups and votes from the public selected "Blackbird" performed by Norma John as the winner.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song "Monsters" written by Saara Aalto, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb and Ki Fitzgerald. The song was performed by Saara Aalto, who was internally selected by the Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) in November 2017 to represent the nation at the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal. The national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2018 was organised in order to select the song that Aalto would perform. Three songs were selected to compete in the national final on 3 March 2018 where the 50/50 combination of votes from eight international jury groups and votes from the public selected "Monsters" as the winning song.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Look Away" written and performed by Ville Virtanen under the stage name Darude and Sebastian Rejman. Darude and Sebastian Rejman were internally selected by the Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) in January 2019 to represent the nation at the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel. The national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu2019 was organised in order to select the song that Darude and Rejman would perform. Three songs were selected to compete in the national final on 2 March 2019 where the 50/50 combination of votes from eight international jury groups and votes from the public selected "Look Away" as the winning song.

Finland originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "Looking Back" written by Joonas Angeria, Whitney Phillips, Connor McDonough, Riley McDonough and Toby McDonough. The song was performed by Aksel Kankaanranta. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2020 in order to select the Finnish entry for the 2020 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Six entries were selected to compete in the national final on 7 March 2020 where the 50/50 combination of votes from eight international jury groups and votes from the public selected "Looking Back" performed by Aksel Kankaanranta as the winner.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Dark Side" written by Aleksi Kaunisvesi, Joonas Porko, Joel Hokka, Niko Moilanen and Olli Matela. The song was performed by the band Blind Channel. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2021 in order to select the Finnish entry for the 2021 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Seven entries were selected to compete in the national final on 20 February 2021 where the combination of votes from seven international jury groups and votes from the public selected "Dark Side" performed by Blind Channel as the winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cicciolina (song)</span> 2020 single by Erika Vikman

"Cicciolina" is a song recorded by Finnish singer Erika Vikman, and written by Vikman, Janne Rintala, Mika Laakkonen, and Saskia Vanhalakka, with production handled by Laakkonen. The song was released through Warner Music Finland and Mökkitie Records on 27 January 2020, as the lead single from Vikman's self-titled debut album, after having been announced as one of the competing entries in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2020, the Finnish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. Vikman performed the song during the final of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu on 7 March 2020, where it finished as the runner-up.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy, with the song "Jezebel" written by Lauri Ylönen and Desmond Child, and performed by The Rasmus. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu2022 in order to select the Finnish entry for the contest. Seven entries were selected to compete in the national final on 26 February 2022, where the combination of votes from seven international jury groups and votes from the public selected the winner.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom, with the song "Cha Cha Cha" performed by Käärijä. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu2023 in order to select the Finnish entry for the contest. Seven entries were selected to compete in the national final on 25 February 2023, where the combination of votes from seven international jury groups and votes from the public selected the winner.

Finland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "No Rules!" performed by Windows95man, featuring uncredited live vocals from Henri Piispanen. The Finnish participating broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu2024 in order to select its entry for the contest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyan Kicks</span> Finnish rock band

Cyan Kicks is a Finnish rock band from Helsinki, founded in 2016. The band combines heavy rock, pop melodies and electronic music in their sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Rules!</span> 2024 song by Windows95man

"No Rules!" is a song by Finnish visual artist Teemu Keisteri, known professionally by his stage name persona, Windows95man. It was written and composed by Henri Piispanen, Jussi Roine, and Keisteri, and released on 16 January 2024 through All Day Entertainment Oy. The song represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, where it placed 19th with 38 points at the grand final.

Neea Jokinen, known professionally as Neea River, is a Finnish singer-songwriter. She released her debut single "All The Way" in 2023, and has since released 10 singles. In January 2025, she was announced to compete in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu with her single "Nightmares".

References

  1. "Finland". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  2. Farren, Neil (3 June 2024). "🇫🇮 Finland: Eurovision 2025 Participation Confirmed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  3. "The Contest for New Music UMK returns to Tampere in February 2025". Tampere.fi. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  4. "He ovat uudet UMK-juontajat" [They are the new UMK presenters]. Is.fi (in Finnish). 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  5. "Finland's Contest for New Music (UMK) 2025 song search starts – who will be on the UMK stage next year?". Yle. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  6. "THE CONTEST FOR NEW MUSIC (UMK) RULES.pdf". Yle. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  7. "A record number of song submissions for Finland's 'UMK', returning on 8 February". Eurovision.tv. EBU. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  8. "UMK makes a spectacular return to Tampere – tickets available on Thursday, October 3rd at 9 AM!". Yle. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  9. 1 2 "Presenting the artists for UMK 2025". Yle. 8 January 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  10. Granger, Anthony (8 January 2025). "Today: 🇫🇮 Uuden Musikiin Kilpailu 2025 Artists to be Revealed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  11. "One Morning Left Will Not Continue in the Contest for New Music UMK". Yle. 22 January 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  12. One Morning Left [@onemorningleftofficial] (22 January 2024). "Tietoomme on tullut, että sosiaalisessa mediassa yhtyeemme jäsentä kohtaan on esitetty anonyymisti vakavia syytöksiä. Syytösten mukaan Mika Lahti olisi väitetysti viestitellyt vuosien 2007-2010 välisenä aikana IRC-Galleriassa mahdollisesti alaikäisen henkilön kanssa - tiedostamattaan tai tiedostaen" [It has come to our attention that serious accusations have been made anonymously against a member of our band on social media. According to the accusations, Mika Lahti allegedly communicated with a possibly minor person in IRC-Galleria between 2007 and 2010, knowingly or unknowingly.] (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 January 2024 via Instagram.