Belgium

Axel Hirsoux

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameAxel Hirsoux Born26 September 1982 Nationality🇧🇪 Belgian National SelectionEurosong 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongMother (2014) Biography Axel Hirsoux is a Belgian singer. He was born in Gosselies on the 26th of September, 1982. Axel’s journey in singing contests began in 2001, where he also met his vocal coach, Ness, in 2002. When he was 23, he auditioned for the fifth season of Star Academy in France, where he was almost selected. In 2007, he performed the duet “Vivo per lei” with Hélène Ségara in front of an audience of 1,500. He also performed the musical Notre-Dame de Paris with an amateur group. He participated in the second season of The Voice Belgique in 2013 where he performed Daniel Balavoine’s “Tous les cris les SOS”. He was picked by Quentin Mosimann and Natasha St-Pier, and he decided to join Natasha’s team. However, he was eliminated during the duel rounds. On March 16, 2014, he was the winner of Eurosong, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. Axel Hirsoux secured more than 50% of the audience votes and four times the maximum score of 12 from seven countries’ judges. With 224 points, he was chosen to represent Belgium at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, performing the song “Mother”. He ended up in 14th place out of sixteen participants, not progressing to the final round. He signed a deal with Universal Music Belgium and released a single “Bellissimo” on July 21, 2014. This was a cover of the Italian song “Anche se Fuori È Inverno” by Deborah Iurato, penned by Fiorella Mannoia, which ranked No.1 in Italy. In December 2014, he released the single “Because You Need Me” in duet with Camille. He also performed this title in duet with Suzy, Portugal’s representative at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, on Portugal’s national RTP channel. While his album was slated for release in June 2015, he announced the end of his partnership with the record label in January. In June 2015, he launched his first French single, “Haut L’humain…”, marking the start of a new collaboration with Gun / Lali Factory. In December of the same year, the song “Après l’hiver” penned by Iza Loris, Sabine Cardinal, and Elias was released. In March 2016, he released another single, “Au plus près de mes rêves”. Like Mégan Giart, another participant of The Voice Belgique, he promoted the national release of Beauty and the Beast by performing the title track “Histoire éternelle”. In May 2017, he appeared on the television show “Les talents chantent l’Eurovision” on RTBF, with Johnny Logan, Sandra Kim, and Tom Dice. He made a comeback in October 2018 with the single “Être aimé”, produced by Pierre Jaconelli for THN International. During the promotion of this song, the singer discussed his weight loss of sixty kilos. In 2019, he performed at the Palais des Sports in Paris in the rock opera Siddhartha. He also performed at the Eurovision related event J’Aime La Vlie in The Netherlands. In 2022, Axel Hirsoux qualified during the talent show The Voice: La Plus Belle Voix, aired on TF1. Entries Mother Country🇧🇪 Country Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsAshley HicklinRafael Artesero MusicAshley HicklinRafael Artesero Backings– DancersIsabelle Beenaert Results Semi Points: 28Position: 14Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/wr3m4ghnq6w

Tom Dice

About Quick Facts NameTom Eeckhout Born25 November 1989 Nationality🇧🇪 Belgian National SelectionEurosong 2023Internal selection 2010 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongMe And My Guitar (2010) Biography Tom Dice, born Tom Eeckhout on November 25, 1989, in Eeklo, Belgium, is a celebrated singer-songwriter whose musical journey has captivated audiences both domestically and internationally. Dice’s musical inclinations were evident from a young age, initially exploring choral singing at the Sint-Jozef primary school, before venturing into guitar lessons at the age of eight. Despite an initial desire to learn the trumpet, it was the guitar that would become his instrument of choice, leading to the composition of his first song by twelve. This early exploration of music laid the foundation for his artistic identity, which would become more defined when he joined the band “The Dice” at fifteen. Adopting Tom Dice as his stage name, he began to carve out his niche as a performer, songwriter, and composer, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of artists including Gavin DeGraw, Taylor Swift, and Damien Rice. The turning point in Dice’s career came in 2008 when he participated in the second season of X Factor Belgium. Encouraged by his classmates to audition, Dice was pleasantly surprised by the positive reception from the jury, which contrasted sharply with the feedback he had grown accustomed to in his hometown. His journey on X Factor, where he finished second, was a significant milestone, leading to the release of his debut single “Bleeding Love,” an acoustic cover of the Leona Lewis hit, in June 2009. The single’s success in Belgium and Poland marked Dice’s arrival on the music scene, earning him a nomination for a TMF Award in the Best Young Artist category. In November 2009, another opportunity arose that would elevate Dice’s career to new heights. He was selected to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo with the song “Me and My Guitar.” Breaking with a long tradition of less successful selection processes, the choice of Dice was a gamble that paid off. He became the first Belgian act since 2004 to reach the finals, ultimately securing a commendable sixth place. This achievement not only showcased his talent on an international stage but also solidified his position as a prominent figure in the Belgian music industry. Following his Eurovision success, Dice released his debut album “Teardrops” in April 2010. The album, which achieved gold status, featured a blend of original songs and covers, highlighting Dice’s growth as an artist and his commitment to crafting music that resonates on a personal level. The album’s singles, including “Me and My Guitar” and “Lucy,” alongside his debut single “Bleeding Love,” reflected his journey from a hopeful musician to a seasoned artist with a distinct voice and vision. Beyond his early achievements, Dice continued to evolve, exploring new musical landscapes and collaborating with other artists. His subsequent albums, “I’ve Come a Long Way” and “Better Days,” showcased his versatility and dedication to his craft, even as he ventured into the local political scene in Eeklo in 2018 without aspirations of being elected. In 2019, he formed The Starlings with Kato Callebaut, further expanding his musical repertoire and participating in the VTM program “Love for Music.” In 2023, The Starlings participated in the Belgian final for the Eurovision Song Contest. With the song “Rollercoaster”, the duo reached a 2nd place in the contest. Entries Me And My Guitar Country🇧🇪 Belgium Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsTom EeckhoutAshley HicklinJeroen Swinnen MusicTom EeckhoutAshley HicklinJeroen Swinnen BackingsJimmy ColmanMátyás Blanckaert Results Semi Points: 167Position: 1Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 143Position: 6Running order: 7 https://youtu.be/lTsnwGrPKEI?si=r-W9oyqSrpAx5ALH

Witloof Bay

About Quick Facts MembersSenjka Danhieux (RoxorLoops)Etienne DebaisieuxBenoît GiauxNicolas DorianFlorence HubyAlexia Saffery Active2005- Nationality🇧🇪 Belgium National SelectionEurovision 2011: Qui? A vous de choisir! In Eurovision2011 Düsseldorf SongWith Love Baby (2011) Biography Witloof Bay is a Belgian a cappella group. In 2005, a group of six friends united by their passion for jazz, pop, a cappella, and beatboxing formed a musical ensemble. Drawing inspiration from influential groups like The Real Group, Take 6, The Swingle Singers, and The Singers Unlimited, they began performing together. The band showcases versatility by singing in both English and French, appealing to a diverse audience. The members of the band hail from various regions across Belgium – Wallonia, Flanders, and Brussels – embodying a true representation of the country’s rich cultural tapestry. One of the members, RoxorLoops, was also a member of Beatoxic, who took part in the Belgian national final for the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. Their debut, self-titled album was released in 2008, marking their official entry into the music scene. A significant milestone for the group came on February 12, 2011, when Witloof Bay was chosen to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. Despite their unique performance, the group narrowly missed a spot in the final, falling short by just one point. Their song, “With love baby” reached the Wallon Ultratop. The group was also able to perform in Germany, Finland, Argentina, Luxembourg, Estonia and France. In 2012, the band was nominated for an award for best live performance at D6Bels. Performances continued, of course in Belgium but also in The Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany. In March 2013, the band was able to perform in Bogota, Bolivia. In June of that year, they released the video of a new song, “Elle s’en va”, written and composed by Nicolas Dorian. A month later, they performed in Canada and Taiwan. In October, they started a new show called “Show B”. It was in January 2015 when Witloof Bay made its debut in Poland. In May, Nicolas Dorian was a backing vocal in the Eurovision Song Contest with Loïc Nottet. After a 6 months break, they started performing again in January 2016, although just occasionally. The members of Witloof Bay started their own projects. RoxorLoops took part in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2020, the Danish national final for Eurovision, in collaboration with Jasmine Rose. They performed the song “Human”. Entries With Love Baby Country🇧🇪 Belgium Year2011 LanguageEnglish LyricsRoxorLoopsBenoît Giaux MusicRoxorLoopsBenoît Giaux Backings– Results Semi Points: 53Position: 11Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/22xexkRESXw?si=SeZEhVX3FihaQRBr

Laura Tesoro

© EBU About Quick Facts NameLaura Tesoro Born19 August 1996 Nationality🇧🇪 Belgian National SelectionEurosong 2016 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongWhat’s the pressure (2016) Biography Laura Tesoro is a Belgian singer and actress, who was born in Antwerp. Tesoro is a child of an Italian father and a Belgian mother. Between 2009 and 2010 she went to the Royal Lyceum of Antwerp and then she went to the Pius X Institute, where she graduated in word art drama. In 2008 Tesoro came into the picture for the first time with a guest role in the tv-series Witse. That same year she was on stage for the first time as Annie in the musical of the same name. After that she took part in the musical program Ketnetpop at the end of 2009. In 2012 she made her appearance in the tv-series Familie. In 2014 she appeared in the third edition of The Voice van Vlaanderen, where she ended up as runner-up in the final. In the same year she stopped Familie and released her first single “Outta here” in August. This appeared at the end of August 2014 in 23rd place in the Flemish charts. Tesoro participated in Eurosong in 2016, the Belgian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. She won with the song “What’s the pressure” and thus representedBelgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm. After the Eurovision song contest, she became a co-presenter of Belgium’s Got Talent in 2016 alongside Koen Wauters. She did so in 2021 for the fourth consecutive season. In 2017 she became one of the coaches in The Voice Kids and presented the program The Band on tv-channel VTM. Her single “Higher” was released in 2017. It was listed in the Flemish Ultratop 50 for 23 weeks. The single “Beast” was released at the end of October 2017 and a year later she released her single “Mutual” on November 30, 2018. “Up” followed in early 2019. In 2019 she was also one of the artists in “Love for Music”. Her debut album “Limits” was released later that year, of which the first single “Limits” was released earlier. A little later, the second single, “Press Pause”, was released, which became a major radio hit. In the meantime, she could also be seen in 2019 as the female lead actress Sarah in the musical “’40-’45” by Studio 100. The single “Hold On” was released in May 2020. “Strangers” was released in November 2020, a song she sang with Loïc Nottet. She co-hosted another show, 2 meisjes op het strand. In 2021 she was a jury member in The Voice van Vlaanderen. In 2022 she was a guest artist at I Can See Your Voice. In April 2022 she released the single “Not easy”, in October 2022 “We here”. In January 2023 she released the single “These Nights”, which she sang together with OSKI. As a voice actress, she could be heard in dubbings of several films. In 2016, for example, she voiced Moana in the Flemish version of the Disney film Moana and Princess Poppy in Trolls. In 2017 she could be heard as Rebel in the film The Emoji Movie and in 2018 she took on the role of Gwen Stacey in the Flemish version of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Entries What’s the Pressure Country🇧🇪 Belgium Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsSanne PutseysLouis FavreYannick Werther MusicSanne PutseysBirsen Uçar BackingsMelany BholaTanja DaeseLaurens HagensRebecca LouisKevin van der Meer Results Semi Points: 274Position: 3Running order: 18 Results Finals Points: 181Position: 10Running order: 1 https://youtu.be/xDBjhAGaeWg

Sennek

About Quick Facts NameLaura Groeseneken Born30 April 1990 Nationality???????? Belgian National SelectionInternal selection 2018 In Eurovision2018 Lisbon SongA matter of time (2018) Biography Sennek, officially named Laura Groeseneken, is a Belgian singer born in Leuven. Sennek played regularly with Ozark Henry since 2014. She was also a member of dubstep collective AKS, with whom she toured world wite. Sennek wrote the song “Gravity again” with Hooverphonic‘s Alex Callier. The song was used for a worldwide campaign for the brand Cacharel. In 2018, she represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest of 2018 with the song “A matter of time”. In 2019 she wrote the song “Hold me down” for the Norwegian preselection for Eurovision Melodi Grand Prix. Carina Dahl sang the song. On May 31, 2019, one year after her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, the singer released a new single: “Endlessly”. It took Sennek two years to release something again, but in August 2021 the song “Overtones” came out, in October of the same year followed by “Kaleidoscope” and “Butterfly” in November. Entries A Matter Of Time Country???????? Belgium Year2018 LanguageEnglish LyricsLaura GroesenekenAlex CallierMaxime Tribèche MusicLaura GroesenekenAlex CallierMaxime Tribèche BackingsMonique HarcumNina BabetStef Caers Results Semi Points: 91Position: 12Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Z2cZE2gCfWg

Roberto Bellarosa

About Quick Facts NameRoberto Bellarosa Born23 Augustus 1994 Nationality🇧🇪 Belgian National SelectionEurovision 2013: A vous de choisir la chanson! In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongLove Kills (2013) Biography Roberto Bellarosa is a Belgian singer. Born on August 23, 1994, in Wanze, Belgium, Bellarosa’s talent for singing became evident early in his life. Encouraged by his family, Bellarosa began attending music school at the age of nine, where he learned to play the drums. Despite being trained as a drummer, his true passion lay in singing, and he soon began to pursue a career as a vocalist. His big break came in 2012 when he auditioned for the inaugural season of The Voice Belgique. His talents led him to victory, marking the beginning of his professional music career. Shortly after his victory on The Voice, Bellarosa released his debut single “Je Crois,” which achieved significant chart success in Belgium. His debut album, “Ma voie” (My Way), was released later that year, featuring a mix of pop songs in both French and English. In 2013, Bellarosa was selected to represent Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Love Kills.” Despite being one of the youngest contestants, he managed to secure a respectable 12th place in the final, marking one of Belgium’s better showings in recent years. Following his Eurovision appearance, Bellarosa continued to make music and perform at concerts. In August 2014, the single “Agathe” was released, written and composed by singer Pascal Obispo. In September 2014, he participated in the unreleased single “Kiss & Love” for the benefit of Sidaction. On the 27th and 28th of November of the same year, he performed as the opening act for Pascal Obispo’s concerts at Forest National. He released his second album “Suis Ta Route” in 2015, further cementing his place in the Belgian music scene. The songs “Suis Ta Route” and “My Girl/Ma Muse” were released as singles. In May 2016 he performed at the Special Olympics Belgium. In November 2021, Roberto Bellarosa made a comeback with a new single, “Le Remède”. Exactly a year later, his new single “À zéro” was released, followed by “Raison de s’aimer” in February 2023. Entries Love Kills Country🇧🇪 Belgium Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsJukka ImmonenIain Farquharson MusicJukka ImmonenIain Farquharson BackingsIvan VermeerMagali DavidVigrinie Luypaerts DancersCassandra MarkopoulosManelle Jebira Results Semi Points: 75Position: 5Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 71Position: 12Running order: 6 https://youtu.be/dCl7OUFNSCA

Loïc Nottet

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameLoïc Edward Nottet Born10 April 1996 Nationality🇧🇪 Belgian National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongRythm Inside (2015) Biography Loïc Nottet is a Belgian singer, songwriter and dancer. He was born in Charleroi in 1996. In 2014, Loïc Nottet gained recognition after participating in the TV show The Voice Belgique, the Walloon edition of The Voice. Although he reached the finals, he did not win. Following his stint on The Voice, Nottet signed a record deal with Sony Music Belgium. In November 2014, Nottet was chosen by the RTBF to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015. His song “Rhythm Inside” was unveiled in March of that year. Nottet successfully advanced to the grand final on May 23, 2015. The day after the semi-final, “Rhythm Inside” entered the iTunes charts in 23 countries and reached number one in Belgium. It also topped the Flemish Ultratop 50 for four weeks starting from May 30, 2015. Nottet’s single earned a platinum certification in Belgium. During the final on May 23, 2015, Nottet achieved fourth place. It was one of Belgium’s best results in Eurovision history, with only Sandra Kim, Urban Trad, and Jean Vallée achieving higher rankings, albeit in smaller competitions. In 2017, Nottet released his debut album titled “Selfocracy.” The album included the hit single “Million Eyes” and his third single “Mud Blood,” both of which gained popularity in Wallonia and France. “Million Eyes” reached number 23 on the Flemish Ultratop 50 and number 2 on the Walloon Ultratop 50, earning a gold certification. The song even received a diamond certification in France, a rare achievement for a Belgian artist. “Mud Blood” didn’t perform as well in Flanders but had several weeks on the Walloon and French charts. “Selfocracy” became the best-selling album in Wallonia, according to Ultratop’s year-end overview. Later in 2017, Nottet embarked on his Selfocracy Tour, promoting the album in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In addition to his musical accomplishments, Nottet won the sixth season of the French TV show Danse Avec Les Stars in partnership with Denitsa Ikonomova in 2015. He also received the MTV European Music Award for “Best Belgian Act” in 2017. Nottet released two more singles, “Doctor” and “Go to Sleep,” in late 2017, which were not included in his debut or second album. In 2018, Nottet surprised fans with a new single called “On Fire,” which quickly climbed the Belgian download charts, reaching the 23rd position on the Walloon Ultratop 50. Shortly after, he released the music video for the single on his YouTube channel. “On Fire” served as the lead single from his second album, released in 2019. Nottet also announced additional shows in Brussels and Paris. Following the second single “29,” the release of “Heartbreaker” achieved high chart positions in both Wallonia and Flanders. In 2020, Nottet announced the Sillygomania Tour, which was initially postponed due to COVID-19 and took place in late 2021. The tour culminated with a sold-out show at Vorst Nationaal. After concluding the Sillygomania Tour in 2021, Nottet closed the chapter on “Selfomania” (a combination of “Selfocracy” and “Sillygomania”). In November 2022, he made a comeback with the release of his single “Mélodrame,” accompanied by a music video that quickly surpassed a million views. On February 9, 2023, Nottet released his first novel titled “Les Aveuglés: Le Palais Des Murmures.” He had started writing the book five years earlier while still engrossed in “Selfocracy.” Nottet mentioned that the book’s themes strongly overlap with those explored in “Selfocracy.” Entries Rythm Inside Country🇧🇪 Belgium Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsBeverly Jo Scott MusicLoïc Nottet BackingsKatie BernsteinMichael StorrsSusanna Marie CorkSarah CoveyNicolas Dorian Results Semi Points: 149Position: 2Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: 217Position: 4Running order: 13 https://youtu.be/G48p8eNhnd8

Blanche

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameEllie Delvaux Born10 June 1999 Nationality🇧🇪 Belgian National SelectionInternal selection 2017 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongCity lights (2017) Biography Blanche, whose real name is Ellie Delvaux, is a Belgian. At a very young age, Ellie, inspired by her big brother, also a singer under the name of Oliver Lord, sang and learned to play the guitar and the piano. In January 2016, aged 16, she was selected for season 5 of The Voice Belgium, and passed the Blind Auditions performing Adele’s song “Daydreamer”. She survived the battles, and in the end reached the quarter finals of “The Voice”. After her participation in The Voice Belgium, she was spotted by Pierre Dumoulin, leader of the group Roscoe. The latter composed the song “City Lights”, with which she took the stage name Blanche (which is her third first name) The song was spotted by the Belgian national selection for Eurovision, and so on November 22, 2016, RTBF announced that they had chosen Blanche and her song to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The title and its clip were unveiled on March 8, 2017, and from then on Blanche appeared as one of the great favorites of the competition. In the end, she finished in 4th place. On January 26, 2018, during the D6Bels Music Awards evening, rewarding the best artists of the year and organized by RTBF, she was rewarded by the public in the “Pop” category, as well as by music professionals in the category A few days later, on January 30, 2018, she received 2 awards at the Music Industry Awards (MIA) organized by the Flemish public television VRT and Kunstenpunt, in the categories Revelation of the Year and Hit of the Year. for the song “City Lights”. She also received an award at the European Border Breakers Award (EBBA) ceremony in Groningen. On May 24, 2018, during the show Van Gils & gasten (nl) broadcast on the Flemish television channel Één, Blanche unveiled her new single “Wrong Turn”. First single from his debut album scheduled for 2019, it was officially released in Belgium on May 25, 2018. On July 20, 2018, the single “Soon” was released, the second single from the upcoming album. On April 1, 2020, Blanche announced that the release of her debut album “Empire” would be delayed until May 29, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The single with the same name, however, was released in February 2020, just before the pandemic, and she released several other singles in 2020. In 2022, Blanche started studies in cinema and filmmaking. Entries City Lights Country🇧🇪 Belgium Year2017 LanguageEnglish LyricsPierre DumoulinBlanche MusicPierre Dumoulin BackingsSusanna Marie CorkJess Peet Results Semi Points: 165Position: 4Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 363Position: 4Running order: 23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxsCmChDYwA

Eliot Vassamillet

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameEliot Vassamillet Born29 December 2000 Nationality???????? Belgian National SelectionInternal selection 2019 In Eurovision2019 Tel Aviv SongWake up (2019) Biography Eliot Vassamillet, also known as just Eliot, is a Belgian singer. He was born in Mons, Wallonia. Eliot participated in the seventh season of The Voice Belgium in 2018. He chooses to join Slimane’s team. He was eliminated during the eleventh episode, the first one where he was able to perform live. On January 14, 2019, Télépro published an article which launched the rumor that Eliot had been chosen to represent Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest. The next day, RTBF officially confirmed that Eliot Vassamillet was going to be Belgium’s representative in 2019. The song he was going to sing was called “Wake up”. Unfortunately, he did not manage to reach the final with the song. After Eurovision, it remained silent around Eliot, until he published a new song in November 2021: “Find a way”. Entries Wake Up Country???????? Belgium Year2019 LanguageEnglish LyricsPierre DumoulinEliot Vassamillet MusicPierre DumoulinEliot Vassamillet BackingsRenato BennardoJulien MichelElya LufwaMahdy Coulibaly Results Semi Points: 70Position: 13Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/iFB9NnjU4ns