United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996

Last updated

Eurovision Song Contest 1996
Participating broadcaster British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
National selection
Selection process The Great British Song Contest 1996
Selection date(s)Semi-final
1 March 1996
Final
8 March 1996
Selected artist(s) Gina G
Selected song"Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit"
Selected songwriter(s)
Finals performance
Final result8th, 77 points
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄1995 •1996• 1997►

The United Kingdom was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit", composed by Steve Rodway, with lyrics by Simon Tauber, and performed by Gina G. The British participating broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), selected its entry through a national final.

Contents

Before Eurovision

The Great British Song Contest 1996

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) developed The Great British Song Contest 1996 in order to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1996. Eight acts competed in the competition which consisted of a semi-final on 1 March 1996 and a televised final on 8 March 1996. Both semi-final and final were broadcast on BBC1.

Semi-final

The qualifying round for the contest (the first since 1960's selection), a special edition of Top of the Pops , was broadcast on BBC1 on 1 March 1996 and hosted by Nicky Campbell. It was announced that the four songs with the highest number of telephone votes would qualify for the final. A recap of the songs were also featured during the following morning's edition of Live & Kicking with voting lines reopened for a short time. The top four songs were announced later that evening during The National Lottery Live and went forward to the final on 8 March. [1]

Semi-final –1 March 1996 [2]
DrawArtistSongSongwriter(s)Result
1Layla"Find Love" Marcus Vere, Simon WilkinsonAdvanced
2 Code Red "I Gave You Everything"Deni Lew, Nicky Graham, Wayne Hector Advanced
3Esseness"I Never Knew"Stuart Elliot, Rick Driscoll, Mike ConnarisEliminated
4Dan Anderson"Sometimes It Rains"Louisa Scott, Ronnie James ScottEliminated
5Lois"I Just Want To Make Love 2 U" Ben Keen, Paul Thompson, Mike ConnarisEliminated
6Twin Hazey"Louise"Keith Summers, David Whitehouse, Michael FlahertyEliminated
7 Zeitia Massiah "A Little Love" Pam Sheyne, Eliot Kennedy Advanced
8 Gina G "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" Steve Rodway, Simon TauberAdvanced

Final

The BBC held the final on 8 March 1996 at BBC Television Centre in London. Hosted by Terry Wogan, it was broadcast on BBC1 at 20:00. For the first time since 1985, there was no simultaneous broadcast with BBC Radio 2. The winning entry was announced at the end of the show following a further public phone vote. The guest performers were Irish boy band Boyzone, who performed their version of Cat Stevens' "Father and Son" and actress Nicola Hughes who performed "The Acid Queen" from the rock musical The Who's Tommy .

Final –8 March 1996 [2]
DrawArtistSongTelevotePlace
1 Zeitia Massiah "A Little Love"41,1053
2 Code Red "I Gave You Everything"41,7912
3 Gina G "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit"113,5761
4Layla"Find Love"2,5784

At Eurovision

With the exception of host nation Norway, who were exempted, all 29 countries wishing to participate in the 1996 contest had to go through an audio-only pre-qualifying round held on 20 March. The lowest-placed seven songs would be eliminated and would not appear in Oslo. Gina G was placed third with 153 points, thus qualifying for the final. [3]

On the night of the final Gina G performed 2nd in the running order, following Turkey and preceding Spain. At the end of the voting it had received 77 points, placing 8th out of 23 contestants. [4] The United Kingdom jury awarded its 12 points to Cyprus.

When Belén Fernández de Henestrosa, the Spanish spokesperson, announced the votes of the Spanish jury, she awarded six points to "Holland" (the Netherlands), which host Ingvild Byrn misheard as "Poland." The official results table corrected this error, and the Netherlands' seventh-place result was restored at the expense of the United Kingdom, who ultimately finished eighth. [5] Despite this result, 'Just a Little Bit' is one of the most successful of the UK's entries at Eurovision, not only topping the UK singles chart but also finding success in America, where the song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 1998.[ citation needed ]

Voting

Qualifying round

Final

Related Research Articles

The United Kingdom was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 with the song "Love Shine a Light", written by Kimberley Rew, and performed by Katrina and the Waves. The British participating broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), selected its entry through a national final. The entry went on to win Eurovision with an unprecedented 227 points. This is the last win for the United Kingdom so far.

The United Kingdom was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 with the song "Lonely Symphony ", written by George De Angelis and Mark Dean, and performed by Frances Ruffelle. The British participating broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), selected its entry through a national final, after having previously selected the performer internally.

The United Kingdom was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1995 with the song "Love City Groove", written by Paul Hardy, Jay Williams, Tatsiana Mais, and Stephen Rudden, and performed by Love City Groove. The British participating broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), selected its entry through a national final. It finished in 10th place with a total of 76 points.

Estonia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Kaelakee hääl" written by Priit Pajusaar and Kaari Sillamaa. The song was performed by Maarja-Liis Ilus and Ivo Linna. The Estonian broadcaster Eesti Televisioon (ETV) organised the national final Eurolaul '96 in order to select the Estonian entry for the 1996 contest in Oslo, Norway. Thirteen songs competed in the national final and "Kaelakee hääl" performed by Maarja-Liis Ilus and Ivo Linna was selected as the winner by a jury panel.

Sweden was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Den vilda", composed by Peter Grönvall, with lyrics by Nanne Grönvall, and performed by the band One More Time. The Swedish participating broadcaster, Sveriges Television (SVT), selected its entry through Melodifestivalen 1996.

Ireland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "The Voice", written by Brendan Graham, and performed by Eimear Quinn. The Irish participating broadcaster, Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ), selected its entry through a national final, which eventually won the contest.

Portugal was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "O meu coração não tem cor" composed by Pedro Osório, with lyrics by José Fanha, and performed by Lúcia Moniz. The Portuguese participating broadcaster Radiotelevisão Portuguesa (RTP) organised the national final Festival RTP da Canção 1996 in order to select its entry for the 1996 contest in Oslo, Norway. The competition took place on 7 March 1996 where "O meu coração não tem cor" performed by Lúcia Moniz emerged as the winner following the votes from ten regional juries.

Germany was represented at the qualifying round for the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Planet of Blue", written by Hanne Haller and Anna Rubach, and performed by Leon. The German participating broadcaster on behalf of ARD, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), organised the national final Ein bisschen Glück in order to select their entry for the contest. The entry failed to make it through the pre-selection round, meaning Germany was not represented at the Eurovision Song Contest for the first and only time.

Belgium was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Liefde is een kaartspel", composed by John Terra and Siirak Brogden, with lyrics by Daniël Ditmar, and performed by Lisa del Bo. The Belgian participating broadcaster, Flemish Belgische Radio- en Televisieomroep Nederlandstalige Uitzendingen (BRTN), selected its entry through a national final.

The Netherlands participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "De eerste keer" written by Piet Souer and Peter van Asten. The song was performed by Maxine and Franklin Brown. The Dutch broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) returned to the Eurovision Song Contest after a one-year absence following their relegation in 1995 as one of the bottom six countries in the 1994 contest. NOS organised the national final Nationaal Songfestival 1996 in order to select the Dutch entry for the 1996 contest in Oslo, Norway. Five acts competed in the national final which consisted of six shows: five semi-finals and a final. Five entries qualified from to compete in the final on 3 March 1996 where "De eerste keer" performed by Maxine and Franklin Brown was selected as the winner following the votes from 13 regional juries.

Denmark was represented at the qualifying round for the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Kun med dig", written by Jascha Richter and Keld Heick, and performed by Dorthe Andersen and Martin Loft. The Danish participating broadcaster, Danmarks Radio (DR), organised the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 1996 in order to select its entry for the contest. The entry failed to make it through the pre-selection round, meaning Denmark was not represented at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Norway was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "I evighet", written by Torhild Nigar, and performed by Elisabeth Andreassen. The Norwegian participating broadcaster, Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK), selected its entry through the Melodi Grand Prix 1996. In addition, NRK was also the host broadcaster and staged the event at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, after winning the previous edition with the song "Nocturne" by Secret Garden. This was the last of four Eurovision appearances as a main performer by Andreassen, a record shared with Lys Assia, Fud Leclerc, Valentina Monetta, and Peter, Sue and Marc.

Hungary was represented at the qualifying round for the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Fortuna", written and performed by Gjon Delhusa. The Hungarian participating broadcaster, Magyar Televízió (MTV), selected its entry through a national final. The entry failed to make it through the pre-selection round.

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Niin kaunis on taivas" written by Timo Niemi. The song was performed by the singer Jasmine. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) returned to the Eurovision Song Contest after a one-year absence following their relegation from 1995 as one of the bottom nine countries in the 1994 contest. Yle organised the national final Euroviisut 1996 - Euroviisut ja Emma in order to select the Finnish entry for the 1996 contest in Oslo, Norway. Ten entries selected to compete in the national final were presented on 3 February 1996 and votes from the public selected "Niin kaunis on taivas" performed by Jasmine as the winner with 67,907 votes, which was announced during a televised programme on 5 February 1996.

Croatia was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Sveta ljubav", written by Zrinko Tutić, and performed by Maja Blagdan. The Croatian participating broadcaster, Hrvatska radiotelevizija (HRT), selected its entry through Dora 1996.

Macedonia was represented at the qualifying round for the Eurovision Song Contest 1996, with the song "Samo ti" (Само ти), written and performed by Kaliopi. The Macedonian participant broadcaster, Macedonian Radio Television (MRT), selected its entry through the Skopje Fest 1996. The entry, which would have been the first-ever entry from independent Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest, failed to make it through the pre-selection round.

Israel was represented at the qualifying round for the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Shalom Olam" (שלום עולם), written by Eyal Madan and Doran Vitenberg, and performed by Galit Bell. The Israeli participating broadcaster, the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), selected its entry through Kdam Eurovision 1996. The entry failed to make it through the pre-selection round.

Russia attempted to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 in Oslo, Norway. The Russian entry was selected through a national final, organised by the Russian broadcaster Rossiya Channel (RTR). Andrey Kosinsky was chosen to represent Russia with the song "Ya eto ya". However, Russia was one of seven countries which failed to qualify for the Eurovision final from a pre-qualifying round, so they were not present in Norway.

Bosnia and Herzegovina was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Za našu ljubav", written by Sinan Alimanović, Adnan Bajramović, and Aida Frljak, and performed by Amila Glamočak. The Bosnian-Herzegovinian participating broadcaster, Radiotelevizija Bosne i Hercegovine (RTVBiH), selected its entry for the contest through a national final, after having previously selected the performer internally. They finished on 22nd place out of 23 countries with 13 points. It was the worst result for Bosnia and Herzegovina until 2016.

Cyprus was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Mono gia mas" (Μόνο για μας), composed by Andreas Giorgallis, with lyrics by Rodoula Papalambrianou, and performed by Constantinos. The Cypriot participating broadcaster, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC), selected its entry through a national final.

References

  1. ↑ "Eurovision United Kingdom 1996".
  2. 1 2 Roxburgh, Gordon (2020). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Volume Four: The 1990s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. pp. 229–254. ISBN   978-1-84583-163-9.
  3. ↑ Roxburgh, Gordon (2020). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Volume Four: The 1990s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. pp. 255–261. ISBN   978-1-84583-163-9.
  4. ↑ "Final of Oslo 1996". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "Eurovision Song Contest 1996". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 18 May 1996. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  6. 1 2 Roxburgh, Gordon (2020). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Volume Four: The 1990s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. p. 259. ISBN   978-1-84583-163-9.
  7. 1 2 "Results of the Final of Oslo 1996". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
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.