Female Artists

Netta Barzilai

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameNetta Barzilai Born22 January 1993 Nationality???????? Israeli National SelectionHaKokhav HaBa L’Eurovizion 2018 In Eurovision2018 Lisbon SongToy (2018) Biography Neta Barzilai is an Israeli singer-songwriter, musician, songwriter, composer and DJ. Barzilai was born, raised and educated in Hod Hasharon. At the age of three months, she moved with her family to Nigeria, due to her father’s work, and at the end of the period she returned to Israel. She took an electronic music course at the Rimon School of Music and in 2016 performed the song “Selfie Destruction Blues” with Tomer Katz at “Electrimon”. From September 2017, she was a participant in the show HaKokhav HaBa L’Eurovizion, which she won in February 2018. For the Eurovision Song Contest, Doron Medalie and Stav Berger composed the song “Toy”. She was the immediate favourite at the bookmakers and managed to win Eurovision. On May 30, 2018, Barzilai won the ACUM Award for Outstanding Achievement in the International Arena. On February 1, 2019, the song and clip “Bassa Sababa” was released On May 10, she released the song “Nana Banana”. Barzilai began appearing around the world between Pride Parades across Europe and hosting programs in the United States. The record was set when Neta appeared in China on October 19 in front of hundreds of millions of television viewers and tens of thousands in the audience. In November 2019, she released the theme song of the show Pop Up Music 2, “We have the power”, together with Omer Adam, Moshe Peretz and Rotem Cohen She later released a duet with Omar Adam “Beg”. In February 2020, Netta released the song “Ricki Lake” and 3 months later the song “Cuckoo”. The latter premiered at Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, the alternative show for Eurovision 2020. She performed with the song “Iggy LOVE” at the Proud Youth Awards where she was chosen as the Inspirational Artist of the Year 2020. She also appeared in the comedy film The Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. On June 25, 2020, Barzilai’s EP, called “Goody Bag” was released. In September, a cover version of the song “Balav Ehad” was released, which she recorded together with Sarit Haddad. In June 2021, the joint song by Netta with Static and Ben-El Tavori, “Zero Effort”. On August 6, 2021, the Russian band Little Big released the single “Mustache”, featuring Netta. In October of the same year, she released the single “CEO”. Its first under the American record label Disney Music Group. On April 6, 2022, Neta’s song “I Love My Nails” was released. As of May 2022, Barzilai is ranked 9th on the list of the most played Israeli artists on Spotify, with about 1 million monthly listeners. Out of 12 Israelis who have passed the threshold of one million listeners, Barzilai is the only woman on this opening list. Entries Toy Country???????? Israel Year2018 LanguageEnglish LyricsDoron MedalieStav Berger MusicDoron MedalieStav Berger BackingsLilah AmarAvshalom ArielMaayan BukrisSheyna HeidiDanielle Mazuz Results Semi Points: 283Position: 1Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: 529Position: 1Running order: 7 https://youtu.be/84LBjXaeKk4

Saara Aalto

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameSaara Sofia Aalto Born02 May 1987 Nationality???????? Finnish National SelectionEuroviisut 2004Euroviisut 2011Uuden Musiikin Kilpailussa 2016Uuden Musiikin Kilpailussa 2018 In Eurovision2018 Lisbon SongMonsters (2018) Biography Saara Aalto is a Finnish singer, songwriter and voice actor, born in oulunsalo. Saara wrote her first songs at the age of five and in 1998, at the age of 11, won the Kotkan Meri Song Contest. She represented Finland at the International Golden Deer Song Contest (Cerbul de Aur) in Romania in 2004. In the same year, she took part in Euroviisut, the Finnish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, as a member of the group Heidi Kyrö & Just. She graduated from Madetoja Music High School in 2005, after which he moved to Helsinki to study music education at the Sibelius Academy. In 2007, She made her first public appearance when she competed in the Talent Suomi competition, finishing in the top three. Aalto perofrmed in the musicals “High School Musical 1 & 2” and “Wicked”. In 2011, she took part in Euroviisut again, this time solo with the song “Blessed with Love”. In may 2011, her first album, also titled “Blessed with love”, was released. In November 2011, Aalto’s second album, “Enkeleita – Angels”, was released, which, in addition to traditional Finnish and foreign Christmas songs, also featured Aalto’s own compositions.In 2012, Aalto participated in The Voice of Finland. After the competition, Aalto continued touring and opened the Blessed with Love online store selling eco-jewelery. Aalto’s third album, “You Had My Heart”, was released in may 2013. The album was the first one to hit the charts. In the same month, Aalto performed in Shanghai with opera lecturer José Carreras. A month later, she performed at the closing gala of the Shanghai International Film Festival. Aalto’s first Chinese album, “Ai De Zhu Fu”, was released in Finland and China in September 2013. In November-December 2013, Saara had her first concert hall tour. She also appeared in Disney’s animated film “Frozen”, as the voice of princess Anna. Saara participated in the 2016 Uuden Musiikin Kilpailussa (UMK), now the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “No Fear”. She became 2nd again. She also took part in The X Factor UK in 2016. Here, she also took the 2nd place. Newspaper Iltalehti chose her as the Finn of the year and she won the Finland Prize. The Finland Prize is a recognition of the Minister for Education and Culture for her outstanding artistic career. In 2017, Lidl launched an international advertising campaign in which Saara sang in the 20 languages spoken in Lidl’s market areas. She was one of the four judges of X Factor Finland. In 2018, Saara Aalto was chosen to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Monsters”. A month before Eurovision she released a new album called “Wild wild wonderland”, followed by a concert tour. In november 2019 a new album called “Fairytale: Joulun taikaa” was released. The single “Koska et oo täällä enää” became a hit in Finland. Also an international version of the album, “Fairytale: international” was released. In the autumn of 2021, Aalto played the role of Scaramouche in the musical “We Will Rock You” in Helsinki. In December of the same year, she went on a christmas tour together with Teemu Roivanen. In June 2022, Saara released a charity single, “This world”, in aid of Save The Children. Entries Monsters Country???????? Finland Year2018 LanguageEnglish LyricsSaara AaltoJoy DebLinnea DebKi Fitzgerald MusicSaara AaltoJoy DebLinnea DebKi Fitzgerald BackingsTuuli IkonenHeli LyytikäinenTeemu RoivanenYves CueniKane Horn Results Semi Points: 108Position: 10Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 46Position: 25Running order: 17 https://youtu.be/hdjiuCUUpPc

Mélanie René

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameMélanie René Born01 September 1990 Nationality🇨🇭 Swiss National SelectionDie grosse Entscheidungsshow 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongTime To Shine (2015) Biography Melanie René, performing under the stage name Melyz (* September 1, 1990, in Geneva), is a Swiss singer. She was born in Geneva to Mauritian parents. At the age of seven, she started performing at family gatherings and festivities. In 1995, her family moved to the French department of Haute-Savoie. In 2009, she represented Switzerland at the Gregoriu International Festival in the Romanian city of Brăila with a self-composed song titled “Il chante avec les anges”, a tribute to her grandfather, and won the competition. In 2010, she attended the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, England, as well as the Institute of Modern Music in Brighton, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance. On January 31, 2015, she wonthe Swiss national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, Die grosse Entscheidungsshow, with her self-written song “Time to shine.” In the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, Mélanie René finished last, failing to qualify for the final. On January 25, 2018, Mélanie René announced on her Facebook page that she would start a new project after a year of experimentation, associated with a new musical style that she described as “electro-pop with a small alternative side.” Along with this announcement, she revealed her new stage name, Melyz, bidding farewell to her birth name. She had already created her YouTube channel under the same name on August 22, 2017, and released her first music video in the new style, “Dancefloor,” on April 13, 2018. On January 27, 2019, Melyz’ first EP “Don’t Tell On Us” was released. It was followed by a single and video, “Don’t Tell”, on the 1st of March. Within’ a month, the song had 50k views. Due to COVID19, Melyz could only release a new song on November 13 2020. The song was called “Bad together”. In February 2022, Melyz released a new song, “Look at me now”. Entries Song Title Country🇨🇭 Switzerland Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsMélanie René MusicMélanie René BackingsAnissa Condemi MontemouhinIdyl NahlaFlavie Crisinel CheuwaNatacha Karine Montille Results Semi Points: 4Position: 17Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/ya1r_nFHiCQ

María Ólafs

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameMaría Ólafsdóttir Born02 February 1993 Nationality🇮🇸 Icelandic National SelectionSöngvakeppnin 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongUnbroken (2015) Biography María Ólafsdóttir, also known as María Ólafs, (* March 21, 1993, in Blönduós) is an Icelandic singer and actress. María Ólafsdóttir was selected from over 200 submissions, along with eleven others, by the Icelandic television station RÚV for the national selection competition Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2015. She advanced to the final show through the semifinals and eventually emerged as the winner. The song “Unbroken” was originally sung in Icelandic as “Lítil skref”. Both the Icelandic and the English versions became hits in Iceland, the English one reaching the no. 1 spot in the Icelandic charts. Unfortunately, she did not qualify for the final in the second semifinal. María Ólafsdóttir released two solo singles in 2016 titled “Hold My Hand” and “Baby Take The Wheel”. In 2018, she released a cover version of the song “Turn It Up” by Germante in Icelandic, titled “Hækka í botn”. In 2021, after a few years of silence, María started a band: Löður. Their first release came in November of that year: ” ,,Þér fylgja englar”, followed in January 2022 by “Himinn og haf”. In September 2022, the video of the song “Þegar þú ert hér” was released. Entries Unbroken Country🇮🇸 Iceland Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsPálmi Ragnar ÁsgeirssonÁsgeir Orri ÁsgeirssonSæþór KristjánssonMaría Ólafsdóttir MusicPálmi Ragnar ÁsgeirssonÁsgeir Orri ÁsgeirssonSæþór Kristjánsson BackingsFriðrik DórÁsgeir Orri ÁsgeirssonHera Björk ÞórhallsdóttirAlma Rut KristinsdóttirÍris Hólm Jónsdóttir Results Semi Points: 14Position: 15Running order: 12 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/0Jl-Hr137uM

Amber

© EBU/Elena Volotova About Quick Facts NameAmber Bondin Born26 May 1991 Nationality🇲🇹 Maltese National SelectionMalta Eurovision Song Contest 2015Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2014Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2013Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012Malta Eurosong 2011 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongWarrior (2015) Biography Amber Bondin (stage name Amber; born May 26, 1991 in Kalkara) is a Maltese singer. Amber Bondin received her first vocal training at the age of 16 from Maltese musician Brian Cefai before participating in the casting shows Trid Tarah and The Academy. At the age of 18, she was placed second in the first season of the talent show I.D and fourth in the Malta Hit Song Contest with her song “Take it easy.” Shortly after, she won the Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza with her song “Trid Taprezza.” In 2011, Bondin competed in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, with the songs “Catch 22” and “Touch Wood.” She finished in 13th place. In 2012, she participated in the MESC again and placed third with the song “Answer with your eyes.” Bondin served as a backing vocalist for Malta’s representative Kurt Calleja at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, where they ranked 21st with the song “This is the night.” In 2013, she took part in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest once more with the song “In Control,” finishing in fourth place. In 2014, she competed in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Because I have you,” achieving the same result as the previous year. Bondin also was a member of the Maltese jury at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2014. In 2014, the singer applied again with the song “Warrior,” written by Elton Zarb, and became one of the 20 semi-finalists. She won the final with 72 points. However, she did not qualify for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna after participating in the second semi-final. In early 2016, Amber entered the top-10 with a new song, “What they say”. The song reached the no. 1 spot in Bay’s Top 40. On 10 November 2016, Amber’s album “Redemption” was released. A new single and video were released in October 2017: “No Neverland”. In July 2018, Amber had her first experience as an actress, when she played in the musical “Il-Ħanina Maddalena” and the rock opera “Ġensna” half a year later. Amber released the singles “Dance the night away” and “Untaggable”. She teamed up with Pamela for the song “Russian roulette”. At almost the same time, the solo single “Alive” was released and later in 2019 “That’s life”. Also in 2019, she played in another musical, “Il-Kbir Għadu Ġej”. In May 2020 she hosted two shows with Dorian Cassar, replacing the semifinals of the Eurovision Song Contest. They were cancelled, due to COVID19. The same duo also hosted the 2020 Junior Malta Eurovision Song Contest. They also hosted the show Magic on TVM. In december 2020 Amber teamed up with the band SterjoTipi for the song “Oazi”. It was followed in February 2021 by the solo song “Put away your money”, which became a no. 1 in the Maltese airplay charts. With Aidan, she released the song “Naħseb Fik”. And on th 3rd of June 2021 her new album “1991” was released. “Save yourself the time” was the first single from that album. It easily reached the Airplay Top10 too. ‘Dan il-Milied’”became a no. 1 in the charts again. In May 2022 a new single, “I need you” came out. Again a hit for Amber. She also released a christmas song, “Mument maġiku”. In 2023, she hosted the Malta Eurovision Song Contest together with Glen Vella. Entries Warrior Country🇲🇹 Malta Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsMatt ‘Muxu’ Mercieca MusicElton Zarb Backings– Results Semi Points: 43Position: 11Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/SaJxu3vorLc

Molly Sterling

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameMolly Jane Sterling Born08 March 1998 Nationality🇮🇪 Irish National SelectionEurosong 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongPlaying With Numbers (2015) Biography Molly Jane Sterling is an Irish singer and songwriter. Her upbringing took place in Puckane, County Tipperary. She received her education at Kilkenny College and later attended St. Andrew’s College in Dublin. In terms of her career, Sterling gained initial recognition by winning the Teen Idol contest in November 2011, which earned her a recording prize from Popstar Studios. She also achieved a second-place award for Girl’s Vocal Solo at the 2012 Kilkenny Music Festival. Furthermore, she supported Runaway GO during a performance at Nenagh Arts Centre on June 9, 2012. In May 2014, Sterling finished as the runner-up in TV3’s All Ireland Schools’ Talent Search. Later that year, she released her debut EP, titled “Strands of Heart,” in November 2014. Moving on to her involvement in the Eurovision Song Contest, on February 27, 2015, Sterling was chosen to represent Ireland in the 2015 edition of the competition with her song “Playing with Numbers.” Despite her participation in the second semi-final, she did not qualify for the final round. In January 2016 Molly released a new single, “Hands off”. In July of the same year she did a summer tour on Majorca. On 25 October of the same year, her solo single and video “Plain static” came out. It was on 1 August 2018 that the follow up, “Stripped down”, was released. On 22 March 2019 Molly Sterling gave a solo concert in a sold out Whelan’s in Dublin, a month after her new video “Feeble” was released. In 2020, during the COVID19 lockdowns, Molly came out as having a mental illness. She confesses she already suffered from it when she was at the Eurovision Song Contest. She also came out having been abused by someone in the music industry. Molly Sterling started the Reclaim Project in 2022, a community space for gender minorities and women who are challenging power abuse in the arts through creative collaboration. Entries Playing With Numbers Country🇮🇪 Ireland Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsGreg FrenchMolly Sterling MusicGreg FrenchMolly Sterling Backings Jimmy RainsfordDarren SweeneyNaomi ClarkePóilín LyncJessica Supple Results Semi Points: 35Position: 12Running order: 2 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/3B5sdNJF0lk

Trijntje Oosterhuis

About Quick Facts NameJudith Katrijntje Oosterhuis Born05 February 1973 Nationality🇳🇱 Dutch National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongWalk Along (2015) Biography Trijntje Oosterhuis is a Dutch singer. She was born in Amsterdam in 1973. As a child, she played together with her brother Tjeerd in the children’s musical Wordt er in de ruimte ook gelezen? by Marjan Berk. Together with her brother Tjeerd, Oosterhuis formed the band Total Touch, which brought a musical mix of 80s, soul, 90s, R&B, funk, pop, and dance. The band originated in the 1980s when the brother and sister were still teenagers. The lineup of Total Touch changed several times in the years before their breakthrough, but brother and sister Oosterhuis were always the ones who kept the group alive. In 1991, the band won first prize in the music category during the finals of the Kunstbende competition. That same year, the band was in the spotlight during the Grote Prijs van Nederland. In 1994, Oosterhuis got the opportunity to tour the world with saxophonist Candy Dulfer in the backing choir. The tour was supposed to last for six weeks, but in the end, they traveled for two years in different periods. In 1995, Oosterhuis contributed to the successful song “Ademnood” by Linda, Roos & Jessica. Furthermore, it was the year in which Total Touch was offered a record deal with the BMG Music label. The band’s self-titled debut album was released a year later. The first single, “Touch Me There,” became a big hit in the summer of 1996 due to heavy radio and TV airplay. On August 14, 1996, during the opening of the Amsterdam ArenA, Oosterhuis sang the hymn “De zee,” written by John Ewbank. This performance resulted in a top 10 hit and a lot of media attention. In September, the second Total Touch single “Somebody Else’s Lover” was released, which gave the group their final breakthrough in the Netherlands. The single reached the third position in the charts and was certified platinum. After several hit singles and a debut album that was awarded platinum five times, Total Touch took a step back in 1997 to focus on a new album. Meanwhile, Oosterhuis scored a big hit with the song “Wereld zonder jou,” a duet with Marco Borsato. In April 1998, Total Touch returned with their second album, “This way,” of which the first single, “I’ll say goodbye,” became a big hit. The album achieved double platinum status. Oosterhuis also scored another solo hit at the end of 1998 with the song “Vlieg met me mee,” the title track of the Dutch movie Abeltje. In the same year, Oosterhuis embarked on some solo projects. She performed alongside jazz pianist Herbie Hancock at the 24th North Sea Jazz Festival. She also participated in the music tour Marlboro Flashbacks, where she delved into the repertoire of Stevie Wonder, a personal favorite of the singer. A live recording of this tour was released on CD titled “For once in my life,” which achieved platinum status. In 2001, Oosterhuis and her brother decided to disband Total Touch as a band for the time being. In the fall, Trijntje embarked on a solo tour of theaters. On Tuesday, January 28, 2002, Oosterhuis was one of the acts at the celebration in the Amsterdam ArenA for the wedding of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta. In March 2002, Oosterhuis embarked on a theater tour in the Netherlands. The singer’s first true solo album, titled “Trijntje Oosterhuis,” was released in March 2003 by EMI Music, with the first single “Free” released in February. She also recorded an exclusive song for the charity CD “Hoop! Peace Songs Voor War Child,” which was released on May 2. Since its opening on June 19, 2002, the song “In this together” can be heard in the pre-show of the attraction PandaDroom at lunapark Efteling. Around the same period, a compilation CD and DVD of Total Touch were released by BMG. Oosterhuis went on tour again to promote her solo album, performing in Dutch theaters. The album was certified gold. In addition to “Free,” the album also spawned singles such as “What about us,” “It’s you I need,” and “Don’t say that you love me.” Following the birth of Princess Amalia on December 7, Oosterhuis, along with Carel Kraayenhof and violinist Janine Jansen, released the song “Nu dat jij er bent,” written by John Ewbank. The proceeds from the single went entirely to the children’s fund of Jantje Beton. In February 2004, Oosterhuis received the Gouden Harp (Golden Harp). It was the second Harp award Oosterhuis received; she had previously won the Zilveren Harp (Silver Harp) in 1997. In early 2004, the singer signed a record deal with the American jazz label Blue Note. A new live album by the singer, “Strange fruit,” featuring songs by Billie Holiday and George Gershwin, performed with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and the Houdini’s, was released. Two weeks after its release, the album achieved gold status, later reaching platinum status. Around the same time, the singer embarked on another theater tour, this time with a more acoustic setting. Recordings were made for a live DVD during one of the concerts. In November, the DVD “A thousand days – Live & acoustic” was released by EMI Music. Oosterhuis ended the year by releasing a Christmas single, “Merry Christmas baby,” together with saxophonist Candy Dulfer. The song, along with a Christmas song by singer Do, was released by radio station Sky Radio and reached the seventh position in the Top 40 chart. On January 1, 2005, Oosterhuis participated in the charity single “Als je iets kan doen” by Artiesten Voor Azië. The proceeds from the song went entirely to the victims of the Asian tsunami on Christmas 2004. Afterward, Oosterhuis focused on creating a new studio album. The album, titled “See you as I do,” was released in September. Its title track was chosen as the first single and became a modest hit. At the end of November,

Elhaida Dani

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameElhaida Dani Born17 February 1993 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Kënges 2015Festivali i Kënges 2012 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongI’m Alive (2015) Biography Elhaida Dani is an Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Shkodër, Albania, Dani displayed her musical talents from a young age. Born into an Albanian Muslim family in Shkodër, she started singing at the age of four and received piano lessons. She later pursued musicology at the University of Arts in Tirana. Dani’s initial ventures into the music industry began in 2009, where she won several music festivals, including Star Academy, Sunčane Skale, Festivalul George Grigoriu, and Nova Musica. Despite an unsuccessful attempt to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, she achieved success in the ninth edition of Top Fest with the song “S’je më” in June 2012. From 2013 to 2015, Dani gained further recognition by auditioning for the first season of The Voice of Italy, impressing the judges and eventually winning the competition. This led to a record contract with the Italian subsidiary label of Universal Music. In 2014, she won Festivali i Këngës and became Albania’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, performing the song “I’m Alive” after a change from the originally selected “Diell.” Albania qualified for the grand final and secured the 17th place. Since 2016, Dani has been involved in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris, playing the role of Esmeralda and touring worldwide. She also participated in Kënga Magjike, finishing second in December 2017. After a three-year hiatus, Dani released her second extended play, “Zanin”, in September 2021, collaborating with renowned Albanian songwriters and producers. Furthermore, she showcased her dancing skills on the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars Albania, consistently earning high scores from the jury during the live shows since October 2022. Entries Song Title Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsSokol Marsi MusicArber ElshaniKristijan Lekaj BackingsGerona HyskaOlsa PapandiliErga Halilaj Results Semi Points: 62Position: 10Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 34Position: 17Running order: 26 https://youtu.be/fsH9iVaZSaA

Polina Gagarina

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NamePolina Sergeyevna Gagarina Born27 March 1987 Nationality🇷🇺 Russian National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongA Million Voices (2015) Biography Polina Sergeyevna Gagarina, born on March 27, 1987 in Moscow, is a Russian pop singer, film and television actress, voice actress, dubbing artist, composer, and photo model. Polina Gagarina spent her childhood in Greece. Her mother, a professional dancer, signed a contract with a Greek producer in 1991 to work as a ballet artist at “Alsos” in Athens. Gagarina lived there for three years and started her first grade in September 1993. During summer vacation in Russia, at her grandmother’s insistence, she stayed with her in Saratov. She enrolled in a music school. After the contract with the Greek producer ended, Gagarina’s mother returned to Moscow, where Polina also moved. After graduating from the music school, at the age of 14, Gagarina entered the State Music School of Pop and Jazz Art. In 2003, at the age of 16, Gagarina participated in the television project Star Factory-2. She emerged as the winner of the competition. After the project ended, Gagarina decided to discontinue her collaboration with Fadeev. In the spring of 2011, the music show Narodnaya Zvezda-4 (People’s Star-4) started in Ukraine, where selected participants from the public performed duets with stars from the Russian and Ukrainian music scenes. Gagarina sang with Mikhail Dimov from Odessa. In April 2011, a youth series titled Bolshie Nadezhdy (Great Expectations) was released on the Russian MTV, with Gagarina’s song “Ya Obezhayu” as the official soundtrack. In August 2011, Gagarina received the “Golden Gramophone” award for her song “Ya Tebya Ne Proshu Nikogda” from Russkoe Radio Ukraine. Later that year, she released the single “Oskolki” along with its music video. In January 2012, Gagarina released a new single titled “Spektakl Okonchen”, accompanied by a music video. In the spring, the Ukrainian TV series Katina Lyubov premiered, featuring Gagarina’s song “Vernis Lyubov” as its soundtrack. In June, Fabrika Zvyozd returned on Channel One in Russia, with the theme “Russia vs. Ukraine.” Popular participants from Russia and Ukraine competed in musical battles to determine which team was better. Gagarina won three out of four battles, contributing to Russia’s victory. She also became an ambassador for the 2013 Summer Universiade held in Kazan. In August, Gagarina released the single “Net”, followed by the music video on August 31. On September 29, she won the RU.TV award in the category of “Best Ringtone” for the song “Spektakl Okonchen”. During the summer of 2012, Gagarina voiced the character Mavis in the animated film Hotel Transylvania. On December 1, she received the Golden Gramophone award for “Spektakl Okonchen”. She also participated in the Pesnya Goda 2012 (Song of the Year 2012) telefest, becoming a multiple award winner. On December 3, “Spektakl Okonchen” was recognized as one of the top 20 songs of 2012 on the project “Krasnaya Zvezda”. In the same year, Gagarina became one of the hosts of the talk show Vkusno Zhit. At the Zvukovaya Dorozhka 2013 ceremony held on April 19 at the Izvestia Hall in Moscow, Gagarina won the “Sexy ZH” prize. On May 25, 2013, at the RU.TV Awards, she won the category of Best Female Performer. On June 7, 2013, she won the Breakthrough of the Year award at the MUZ-TV channel. On June 17, at the annual Fashion People Awards-2013 ceremony, Gagarina was named the Fashion singer. On July 22, 2013, she released a new single titled “Navek”. She received her second Golden Gramophone award for “Net”. On April 14, 2014, the song “Shagay” premiered. On November 12, Gagarina released her first single, “DAY,” from her English-language album, a collaboration with Anton Belyaev, a member of the group Therr Maitz. On March 11, 2015, Channel One announced that Gagarina would represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song “A Million Voices.” Shortly before that, she participated in the celebrity impersonation show Toch-v-Toch (Exactly Like) as a contestant. On May 19, 2015, she won first place in the first semifinal of Eurovision with 182 points. On May 23, 2015, in the Eurovision final, she achieved second place. From June 2015, Gagarina ended her collaboration with producer and composer Konstantin Meladze. In September 2015, Gagarina became one of the coaches on the TV show The Voice on Channel One. In October 2015, she released the new single “Ya Ne Budu” along with its music video. In September 2016, she returned as a coach on The Voice. In 2018, Gagarina was registered as a trusted person of Vladimir Putin. During the 2018 presidential elections, she joined the Putin Team movement, which supported Putin. In 2018, she also served as a trusted person for Sergei Sobyanin, a candidate for the Mayor of Moscow. Since 2018, Gagarina has been a member of the Council for Culture and Art under the President of the Russian Federation. According to Forbes, in 2020, Polina Gagarina ranked second in the list of Russian Instagram bloggers in terms of earnings, with a reported income of $0.89 million. She publicly supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On March 18, 2022, she performed at the Luzhniki stadium during a rally-concert commemorating the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, titled “Za mir bez natsizma! Za Rossiyu! Za Prezidenta!” (For peace without Nazism! For Russia! For the President!). In March 2022, Latvia and Estonia banned Gagarina from entering their countries due to her support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On January 7, 2023, amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gagarina was included in Ukraine’s sanctions list for “supporting Russian occupiers and the cruel war by Russia against Ukraine.” The sanctions involve asset freezes, a complete cessation of commercial operations, and a halt to fulfilling economic and financial obligations. In November 2022, her concerts in Kazakhstan were canceled due to her support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On February 3, 2023, Gagarina was added to Canada’s sanctions list for her involvement in spreading Russian disinformation and propaganda. Entries A Million

Boggie

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameBoglárka Csemer Born30 November 1986 Nationality🇭🇺 Hungarian National SelectionA Dal 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongWars For Nothing (2015) Biography Boglárka Csemer, known by her stage name Boggie (born November 30, 1986, in Budapest), is a Hungarian singer. She began her music studies at the age of 13. Two years later, she started studying classical singing and classical piano at the Árpád Fasang Music School. She attended this school until 2007 while also being a student of jazz vocals at the Erkel Ferenc Elementary Art Education Institution and Jazz Music Vocational High School from 2004. Between 2006 and 2007, she completed a French-language tour guide vocational training course. In 2007, she began studying vocals at the Kőbánya Music Studio. In March 2009, she founded the Csemer Boglárka Quartet. In 2011, her song “Japánkert” won the special prize of the Hungarian Jazz Federation at the Jazzy Song Contest. In 2012, the Quartet performed at the Talent Exchange of the Palace of Arts (Művészetek Palotája) during the Jazz Showcase. In 2012 and 2013, she was invited to be a jury member for the National Chanson Competition. In 2014, she also performed with the French band Accordzeam. In 2012, she began working on her first album. By then, her mature style required a change of name, so instead of the previous name CSBQ (Csemer Boglárka Quartet), the singer started using the shorter stage name Boggie. This also signaled her connection to France, the French language, and her intention to steer her production towards international waters. In 2013, her album titled “Boggie” was released. The album features her own compositions in Hungarian, French, and English. Her debut album reached the fourth position on the Mahasz sales chart in Hungary and debuted at the third position on the jazz album chart of the American Billboard magazine. It also ranked 17th on the world music albums chart of the same magazine.At the end of 2013, the music video for the song “Parfüm” was released simultaneously with the original version of the song titled “Nouveau parfum.” In early 2014, due to good promotion and an original concept, the video gained significant popularity. Her debut album ranked high on the American Billboard charts, reaching the 4th and later the 17th position. Few Hungarian artists have achieved such recognition on this famous list. In 2014, her second full-length album titled “All Is One Is All” was released, featuring songs that aligned with the principles of her previous album, also sung in Hungarian, French and English. This album received the prestigious Hungarian Phonogram Award in the category of “POP Album of the Year” at the FONOGRAM Awards ceremony. /she also won the Bravo Otto award in the category of “Best Music Video.” In November 2014, her song “Fearless” became the campaign song for the Westend shopping mall’s birthday campaign. In 2015, she was nominated as “Singer of the Year” at the Glamour Woman of the Year awards. Additionally, the music video for her song “Parfüm” was among the 17 nominees for “Highlights of Hungary” in 2015. In the same year, she received a Phonogram Award for her second album. Boggie participated in the Hungarian national selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest called A Dal in 2015 with her song “Wars for Nothing.” Boggie became the winner of the 2015 Hungarian selection and the representative of Hungary at the 60th Eurovision Song Contest held in Vienna. She qualified for the final from the semifinals, placing eighth, and ultimately finished 20th with 19 points in the grand final on May 23. As a performing artist since 2009, she has had the opportunity to perform at numerous outstanding concert venues both in Hungary and abroad. In addition to Hungary, she has performed concerts in France, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Austria, the Baltic region, Sweden, Germany, and the United States. In October 2015, she embarked on her first six-stop tour in Western Europe, followed by her second tour in the United States. In 2016, she began working on her third full-length album while giving birth to her daughter, Lenke. In 2017, she established her own record label and released her third album titled “3.” In March 2018, Boggie became a SXSW ARTIST, being selected for the world’s most significant music showcase festival in Austin, USA. In 2018, on the fifth anniversary of Hangvilla in Veszprém, she established an award that recognizes young performers who play live, have an impact on the audience, and are true artists. They are dedicated performers who play quality live music with perfect sound engineering or sound adjustment. In 2018, Boggie was the first to receive this recognition, which included the opportunity to perform at Hangvilla. In 2019, she was invited to perform in Düsseldorf and the Swedish Live at Heart showcase festival. She ended the year with a four-stop tour in the Baltic region. In the same year, she reached an important milestone in her career: as the only female performer, she had a sold-out performance in the “Hey, June!” popular music series at the Palace of Arts (MÜPA). On 27 January 2020 Boggie’s new song and video “Nem kell bántani” was released. She started a radio tour to promote the song. Unfortunately she was not able to finish it due to COVID19. Instead, she did living room concerts. The tour was postponed until august. On 2 July 2021, a new single was released, “Füst”. It was followed by an EP, “Bemutató”, on 16 September. In 2022, Boggie represented Hungary at the European Music Festival in Algeria. On 29 October of that year, her new album “Fragilité” was released. A year later, Boggie was present at the European Music Festival in Algeria again. Entries Wars For Nothing Country🇭🇺 Hungary Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsSára Hélène Bori MusicÁron SebestyénBoglárka Csemer BackingsKrisztina Szeder-SzabóOrsolya SapszonMilán SzakonyiDomonkos Dely Results Semi Points: 67Position: 8Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 19Position: 20Running order: 22 https://youtu.be/MdybVsBESQc