Male Artists

Guy Sebastian

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameGuy Theodore Sebastian Born26 October 1981 Nationality🇦🇺 Australian National SelectionInternal Selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongTonight Again (2015) Biography Guy Theodore Sebastian AM, born on October 26, 1981, is an acclaimed Australian singer who rose to fame as the winner of the inaugural season of Australian Idol in 2003. He later served as a judge on Australia’s The X Factor from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2015 to 2016. Currently, he is a coach on The Voice Australia since 2019. Sebastian also represented Australia at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, securing a respectable fifth-place finish. Sebastian’s musical journey has been marked by great success, with ten of his albums reaching the top ten charts, including three that claimed the number one spot. His first seven albums achieved either platinum or multi-platinum certification, demonstrating their popularity among fans. Furthermore, he has attained an impressive twenty-three top twenty singles, with fourteen of them entering the top ten, including six number one hits. Remarkably, Sebastian holds the record as the only Australian male artist to achieve six number one singles, placing him third overall among all Australian acts. His exceptional accomplishments include ten multi-platinum certified singles, with the remarkable “Battle Scars” earning an impressive 12× platinum certification. Notably, his debut single “Angels Brought Me Here” was the highest-selling song in Australia from 2000 to 2009, showcasing his immense popularity during that decade. Sebastian’s outstanding achievements have earned him a staggering total of 69 platinum and seven gold certifications, making him the Australian Idol contestant with the highest certifications and sales, surpassing all others. Beyond his domestic success, Sebastian has collaborated with prominent American musicians such as Brian McKnight, Robin Thicke, Steve Cropper, John Mayer, Jordin Sparks, Eve, and Lupe Fiasco. His collaboration with Fiasco on the song “Battle Scars” enjoyed considerable success, spending 20 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and achieving platinum certification. Additionally, the song reached number two in Norway and New Zealand. Sebastian has also made an impact in New Zealand, with an album and six singles reaching the top ten charts, including two number one hits. He has earned six platinum and three gold certifications in New Zealand. In 2015, his Eurovision song charted in the top 50 in five European countries, further expanding his international recognition. Sebastian’s outstanding talent and contributions to the music industry have garnered him numerous accolades. He has been nominated for 34 ARIA Awards, ultimately winning seven, including categories such as Best Pop Release and Best Live Act. Other notable awards include the APRA Urban Work of the Year, the [V] Oz Artist of the Year, Urban Music Awards for Best Male Artist and Best R&B Album, as well as an International Songwriting Competition award for “Battle Scars.” Sebastian has had the honor of performing at prestigious events, including appearances for Pope Benedict XVI, Oprah Winfrey, and Queen Elizabeth II. Furthermore, he demonstrates a strong commitment to charity and has previously served as an ambassador for World Vision Australia and the Australian Red Cross. Together with his wife Jules, Sebastian established The Sebastian Foundation, aiming to make a positive impact through charitable initiatives. In recognition of his significant contributions to music and charity, Sebastian was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours. In October 2020, Guy Sebastian released his ninth studio album titled “T.R.U.T.H.” The album made an impressive debut by reaching the number one position on the ARIA charts, marking Sebastian’s third album to achieve this milestone in his career. Additionally, “T.R.U.T.H.” has been certified gold, attesting to its commercial success and popularity among listeners. Furthermore, Sebastian’s music video for the song “Standing With You” was honored with an ARIA Award for Best Video at the 2020 ARIA Music Awards, acknowledging the visual excellence and artistic merit of the production. Entries Song Title Country🇦🇺 Australia Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsGuy SebastianDavid Ryan HarrisLouis Schoorl MusicGuy SebastianDavid Ryan HarrisLouis Schoorl BackingsCarmen SmithAaron MarcellusBrandon WinbushDevin Michaei Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: 196Position: 5Running order: 12 https://youtu.be/H0EhhZWXTng

Måns Zelmerlöw

© EBU/Elena Volotova About Quick Facts NameMåns Petter Albert Sahlén Zelmerlöw Born13 June 1986 Nationality🇸🇪 Swedish National SelectionMelodifestivalen 2015Melodifestivalen 2008Melodifestivalen 2007 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongHeroes (2015) Biography Måns Petter Albert Sahlén Zelmerlöw, born on June 13, 1986, in the Lund Cathedral Parish, Malmö County, is a Swedish presenter, musician, and songwriter.Måns Zelmerlöw attended a music-focused program at Lars-Erik Larsson Gymnasium in Lund, where he primarily focused on choir singing and later sang in the Lund University Male Voice Choir. In 2002, he participated in a production of the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, where he played one of Joseph’s eleven brothers. He competed in TV4’s Idol 2005 where he finished in fifth place. In 2006, he emerged as the winner of TV4’s “Let’s Dance” together with Maria Bild. In the second half of 2006, he played the lead role of Danny Zuko in the musical Grease, which was staged in Malmö. Zelmerlöw reached the final of Melodifestivalen, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, in 2007 with the song “Cara Mia,” which finished in third place with the second-highest number of viewer votes. The song topped the Swedish sales chart. In 2007, he performed the song on TV programs such as Allsång på Skansen and Lotta på Liseberg. On October 5, 2007, he hosted Lilla Melodifestivalen (the Junior Melodifestivalen). At the same time, he appeared in the musical Footloose, where he played the villain Tommy. The musical premiered on November 8, 2007, at Storan in Gothenburg and was staged in Stockholm from February 20, 2008. In 2008, he participated in the Diggiloo Tour along with Lasse Holm, Linda Bengtzing, Lotta Engberg, Thomas Pettersson, Molly Sandén, Nanne Grönvall, Stefan and Kim, and Magnus Johansson. He participated again in Melodifestivalen 2009, this time with the song “Hope & Glory” (lyrics: Måns Zelmerlöw, Fredrik Kempe; music: Fredrik Kempe, Henrik Wikström). He advanced directly to the final at the Globe Arena, where he took the lead after the jury groups had voted. After the viewers’ votes were cast, Zelmerlöw finished in fourth place with 144 points. In 2009, he participated in the TV program Så ska det låta together with Lill Lindfors. He also performed in “Allsång på Skansen.” He hosted “Sommarkrysset” directly from Gröna Lund and went on The MZW Tour, which consisted of a five-member band and four dancers. The tour started in Västerås on June 26 and concluded on August 15, 2009, in Kristinestad. During the year, Zelmerlöw also performed at Crown Princess Victoria’s birthday, which was broadcast on Swedish Television on July 14, 2009. During the second semifinal of Dansbandskampen 2009, he served as a guest judge in the second round, where his songs were the evening’s theme. On November 10, 2009, it was announced that Zelmerlöw would be one of the three hosts of Melodifestivalen 2010. He co-hosted the show with Dolph Lundgren and Christine Meltzer. He also took on the role of Romeo in Romeo and Julia. In connection with Dansbandskampen 2010, he co-wrote a song with Peter Wennerberg for Elisa’s titled “Varenda veranda,” which the band also recorded for the album “Det här är bara början” in 2011. For Christmas 2010, Zelmerlöw released the solo album “Christmas with Friends.” On February 23, 2011, it was announced that he would be the new host of Allsång på Skansen. For Christmas, Zelmerlöw released the album “Kära vinter” (Dear Winter). Måns Zelmerlöw released the single “Ett lyckligt slut” in collaboration with the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation in 2012. The same year, he participated in the panel of opinions in SVT’s music program Inför Eurovision Song Contest. He was named “Årets Lundensare” (Lund Citizen of the Year) by the Grandiosa Society in Lund. For the third consecutive summer, he hosted Allsång på Skansen in 2013. However, during the final episode on August 13, he announced his intention to quit. Zelmerlöw participated as a songwriter in Melodifestivalen 2013 with the song “Hello Goodbye,” performed by Erik Segerstedt and Tone Damli, which advanced to the Second Chance round. In the fall of 2013, he played the lead role in a new version of the musical Spök (Ghost) alongside Loa Falkman, Sussie Eriksson, and Lena Philipsson, among others. In February 2014, he released the personal album “Barcelona Sessions,” which he had been working on for almost two years. Zelmerlöw competed in Melodifestivalen 2015 with the song “Heroes”, which he won, thus earning the opportunity to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. Zelmerlöw won with 288 points, achieving the largest margin of victory (150 points) in Melodifestivalen history. In the Eurovision final on May 23, Zelmerlöw won with 365 points. During the summer of 2015, Måns Zelmerlöw made several appearances at music festivals in Sweden and Finland. Following that, he embarked on a European tour in September. Before the tour, he also visited Shanghai, China to promote his latest album, “Perfectly Damaged,”. In January 2016, Zelmerlöw traveled to Australia and surprised audiences by joining Guy Sebastian‘s Concert Tour, “You..Me..Us Tour,” as a guest artist. He performed with his band at two dates. In May 2016, Zelmerlöw co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm alongside Swedish TV presenter Petra Mede. During the three shows, he performed his winning song “Heroes,” as well as his new song “Fire in the Rain.” Additionally, he showcased two musical sketches, co-written with Edward af Sillén, titled “Story of ESC” and the highly acclaimed “Love, Love, Peace, Peace” with Petra Mede. In October 2016, Zelmerlöw appeared in the TV series “Chevaleresk” with host Alexander Wiberg, which was broadcast on TV6. In 2021, Zelmerlöw returned to Melodifestivalen as a host for the final together with Shima Niavarani and Christer Björkman. In the same year, he joined the Swedish edition of “The Masked Singer,” where he is part of the panel. In 2022, Zelmerlöv was one of the participants in TV4’s show Så mycket bättre (So Much Better). Entries Song Title Country🇸🇪 Sweden Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsAnton Malmberg Hård af SegerstadJoy DebLinnea Deb MusicAnton Malmberg Hård af SegerstadJoy

Nadav Guedj

© Elena Volotova/EBU About Quick Facts NameNadav Guedj Born02 November 1998 Nationality🇮🇱 Israeli National SelectionHaKokhav Haba 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongGolden Boy (2015) Biography Nadav Guedj (born November 2, 1998 in Paris) is an Israeli singer and actor. When he was three years old, his family moved to Israel and settled in the village of Neve Yamin. When he was 13, his parents divorced, and a year later, he moved with his mother and brother to live in Netanya. He served as a vocalist in the band “Tza’irei HaSharon,” the representative band of the city of Netanya. Guedj enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in November 2016 and was assigned to an army band in the Education Corps. In December 2014, Guedj became known for the first time when he started participating in the second season of the reality show Hakokhav Haba, the show in order to select the contestant for the Eurovision Song Contest. The prizes for winning the show included an air conditioner, an iPhone 6, a one-year communication package, and representing Israel at Eurovision 2015, held in Vienna, Austria. He performed the song “Golden Boy”. The song received over twenty million views on YouTube and reached the top spot twice on the Israeli Media Forest chart, as well as ranking third in the 100fm chart. In the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest, he finished in 9th place out of 27 countries. In August 2015, Guedj filmed the music video for the song “Summer Together,” written and composed by Doron Medalie. The video was funded by Coca-Cola’s Summer Love events. In the same month, he released his third single, “Good Vibes,” written and composed by Ruby Feier and Guedj himself, with musical production by Yanon Yahel. The song reached the top spot on the Israeli Media Forest chart. In November 2015, Guedj released his fourth single, “Jump,” which he composed together with Ruby Feier. In March 2016, he released the ballad “Make You Mine.” Later that year, he released his debut album, self-titled “Nadav Guedj.” In December 2017, Guedj released his first Hebrew-language single, “Ulai nidaber” which he also composed with Kfir Ben Salman. On August 19, 2018, he released his second single from his second album, “Ma at omra”. In July 2019, he released the single “38 Ma’alot” which is also the theme song from the movie “Full Gaz” directed by Kobi Mahat. Guedj also appeared as an actor in the film. In November 2019, he released his fourth single from his second album, “Lirkod”. Acting Career Guedj started his acting career in 2019 when he joined the cast of the third season of the youth series “Kadabra” in the role of Adi Gaon. In the same year, he played the role of Didi in Kobi Mahat’s film “Full Gaz” In 2021, he had a guest role in the sequel series. On 29 September of that year, his song and video “Auto plastic” was released. Entries Golden Boy Country🇮🇱 Israel Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsDoron Medalie MusicDoron Medalie BackingsHananel EdriImri Ziv DancersDor RaybiTomer TenenboymAdam Cohen Results Semi Points: 151Position: 3Running order: 9 Results Finals Points: 97Position: 9Running order: 3 https://youtu.be/-w-2K9U8UIs

Eugent Bushpepa

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameEugent Bushpepa Born02 July 1984 Nationality???????? Albanian National SelectionFestival i Këngës 2017Festival i Këngës 2008 In Eurovision2018 Lisbon SongMall (2018) Biography Eugent Bushpepa is an Albanian rock singer and songwriter. He was born in Rrëshen. Eugent first came into contact with music at the age of 6, when he was involved with the band ‘Pioneri’ , and then expanded his musical activity by attending various festivals in Albania. He began taking fifth-guitar lessons. After graduating from high school, he moved to Bologna, Italy, to follow medical studies. In 2005 he returned to Albania, where he studied at the University of Tirana. At the same time, he performed as a singer in a tv show and since then he has remained active in the Albanian music scene. He achieved his first success in Albania through the song “Maska e Madhështisë” (2007), with which he participated in the 4th edition of Top Fest. He participated in Top Fest three more times, with the songs “Viktimë” (2010), “Udhëtari” (2012), “Pranë Finishit” (2015). In the same competition, he also participated with the group “Sunrise” where he sang the song “Ëngjëll”. In 2007, Bushpepa and his band opened for Deep Purple at their concert in Tirana. He also was a supporting act for the Duff McKagan band during their performance in Tirana. A year later, he took part in Festival i Këngës for the first time. During the Beer Festival 2013 held in Korça, Bushpepa performed alongside Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Guns N ‘Roses guitarist. In 2014, Eugent performed as a vocalist supporting the band Darkology during their tours, as well as with the band Overkill on their European tour. In 2017, Bushpepa participated in The Voice of Albania. In December 2017, he won the 56th Festival i Këngës with the song “Mall”. Herewith, he won the ticket to represent Albania in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Bushpepa reached an 11th place in the Grand Final.In 2020, he released a single “Stay with me tonight”, which reached the number 1 spot in the Albanian charts. In 2022, Bushpepa went on tour with the band Core Leoni. The band released an album, “III” and a single, “Deep in my soul”. Entries Mall Country???????? Albania Year2018 LanguageAlbanian LyricsEugent Bushpepa MusicEugent Bushpepa BackingsGreta RadovaniErinda AgolliDenis HimaBesnik NikolliGerti Himadi Results Semi Points: 162Position: 8Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: 184Position: 11Running order: 12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyl1b1fVmdU

Kristian Kostov

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameKristian Konstantinov Kostov Born15 March 2000 Nationality🇷🇺 Russian National SelectionInternal selection 2017 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongBeautiful mess (2017) Biography Kristian Kostov is a Russian/Bulgarian singer. Kristian Kostov was born in Moscow. His mother, Zaure, is Kazakh, and his father, Konstantin Kostov, is Bulgarian. From early childhood, Kristian was interested in music, and his parents decided to send him to the Neposedy studio. In 2006, he was cast in the Neposedy group and began his studies there . In the same year, he performed at the Kremlin together with Yulia Nachalova, participated in numerous concerts at various venues in Moscow. Together with the group he went on tour in Russia and abroad. Neposedy repeatedly participated in various competitions. In 2009 they opened Eurovision in Moscow. In 2011, Kostov won the Grand Prix at the international children’s competition “Sound Kids”. In 2012 he became a resident of the production center Jazz Parking. Kostov also represented Bulgaria at the Children’s New Wave 2012, where he took seventh place. In October of the same year, he was invited to become a member of the new children’s television project “Shkola muzyki” by Lina Arifulina, where he took the third place. At the age of 13, Kristian took part in the Russian television project Golos. Deti (The Voice Kids), where he reached the final. In 2014, as part of the combined choir “Deti Zeml” (which united the Open Kids group, students of the school-studio “Respublika KIDS”, Sofia Tarasova and other famous children) recorded the song “Mir bez voyny”. In the summer of 2015, at the age of 15, Kristian Kostov took part in the 4th season of the X-Factor Bulgaria. He was the youngest participant in the fourth season. Kristian reached the 2nd place in the contest. In 2016, Kostov signed a contract with the Bulgarian music label Virginia Record. On October 7, 2016, he released his debut single with the song “Ne si za men” (“Not for me”). For two weeks the song was at the top of the national hitparade of the most frequently aired Bulgarian songs on radio and television. In addition, as a guest artist, Kristian Kostov recorded the song “Vdigam Level” (“Leveling Up”) with the duo Pavell & Venci Venc’, which spent 14 consecutive weeks at the top of the same hitparade. Later, on January 13, 2017, “You Got Me Girl” was released – the English version of the song “Ne si za men”. On March 13, 2017, it was officially announced that Kristian Kostov would represent Bulgaria at Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv in May. Kostov performed the song “Beautiful Mess”. He took 2nd place, which was a record for Bulgaria in the entire history of performances at the competition. At the beginning of 2019, he participated in the Chinese Singer Professional Singer Television Competition, but did not reach the finals. At 18, Kostov became the youngest participant in this show. On March 15, 2019, the EP album “Prologue” was released on Chinese music platforms. It consists of five songs: two covers of famous Chinese songs, “Beautiful mess” (Inspired by China), “Live it up” with Chinese singer Tifa Chen, and an instrumental version of “Live it up”. The album was ranked among the top ten albums by Western artists of 2019 on the Chinese music platform QQ. In February 2020, the single “Honest” was released. On 10 July of the same year, his EP “Mood” came out, followed by the music video “Thinking” on 8 August. In January 2021. the project VOSTOK released an EP on all the Chinese platforms: “Time”. Kristian released several songs, but a music video came out in August 2022: “Intentional”. Entries Beautiful Mess Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2017 LanguageEnglish LyricsBorislav MilanovSebastian ArmanJoacim Bo PerssonAlex OmarAlexander V. Blay MusicBorislav MilanovSebastian ArmanJoacim Bo PerssonAlex OmarAlexander V. Blay BackingsVlado MihailovCesár SampsonBorislav Borisov Dimitrov Results Semi Points: 403Position: 1Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 615Position: 2Running order: 25 https://youtu.be/OMmm-G078LM

Hovig

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameHovig Demirjian Born03 January 1989 Nationality🇨🇾 Cypriot National SelectionInternal selection 2017Eurovision Song Project 2015Eurovision 2010: Epilogi tis kypriakis symmetochis In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongGravity (2017) Biography Hovig Demirjian, better known as Hovig, is a Cypriot singer of Armenian descent. He was born on January 3, 1989 in Nicosia, Cyprus. He studied marketing and worked in business but quickly gave it up to become a singer. He learned to play guitar and piano and studied jazz and voice. His first major achievement was second place in a music competition in Larnaca. He became more widely known in Cyprus under the nickname “The Messenger of Music”. On June 1, 2009 he released his first record “Den mou milás alithiná – i istoría échei teleiósei” under the name Hovig. In 2009, Demirjian participated in the Greek version The X Factor. He placed seventh. After The X Factor he returned to Cyprus where he developed a solo music career. He released several singles including the songs “Xaná” in 2010, “Mystiká” in 2012 and “Egó gia ména” in 2013. He also toured internationally singing in various concerts in Greece, the Middle East and Russia. After The X Factor, Demirjian competed to represent Cyprus in the European Eurovision Song Contest twice, in 2010 and 2015. In 2010 he came third with the song “Goodbye” and in 2015 he came fourth with the song “Stone in a River”. On 21 October 2016, Hovig was announced as the Cypriot entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. The song was called “Gravity” and was released on March 1, 2017. He took part in the first semi-final of the competition where he was ranked 5th and went on to the final, where he got the 21st place. After the contest, Hovig was able to perform in Saint Petersburg, Russia, twice that year. In January, 2018, Hovig released a new single: “Words are never easy”. A year later, he was able to perform in Los Angeles. On 12 October, 2020, a song in Greek was released; self composed with lyrics of George and Grigoris Vaxavanelis. The song was called “O iroas sou”. On March 7, 2021, it was followed by the song “”Lusabats | Gnórimi Skiá”, a duet with Arpi. The song was in two languages: Greek and Armenian. In July of the same year, it was followed by the song “An diliazo mi thimwneis”. In December of the same year, Hovig wrote a song for McDonalds. All proceeds from sales were going to the first Ronald McDonald House in Cyprus. Entries Gravity Country🇨🇾 Cyprus Year2017 LanguageEnglish LyricsThomas G:son MusicThomas G:son BackingsLars SäfsundPavlos LazarouMarios Charalambous Results Semi Points: 164Position: 5Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 68Position: 21Running order: 19 https://youtu.be/ZDe9FCLgE04

Alexander Rybak

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameAlexander Igorevich Rybak Born13 May 1986 Nationality🇳🇴 Norwegian National SelectionMelodi Grand Prix 2018Melodi Grand Prix 2009 In Eurovision2018 Lisbon2009 Moscow SongThat’s how you write a song (2018)Fairytale (2009) Biography Alexander Rybak, is a Norwegian singer-composer, violinist, pianist and actor. He was born in Minsk, Belarus, in those days part of the Soviet Union. He played the violin and piano since he was five years old, but after a while he chose to concentrate on the violin. Alexander practiced violin with his father Igor Rybak until he was a teenager, when Alexander began studying at the Barratt Due Music Institute. During that time he played in the Vivaldi Orchestra, which was led by his father, and the Barrat Dues Junior Orchestra. From 2000 to 2003, Alexander was a student of violinist, conductor and educator Alf Richard Kraggerud, followed by study with Eileen Siegel, 3rd Concertmaster in the Oslo Philharmonic, and with Lena Rist-Larsen, violin educator and Norwegian master of accordion. He has also had lessons and masterclasses with many other great names. In the summer of 2002, Alexander received a scholarship in the form of a free course in New Jersey, where he studied under Stephen Shipps, and where he was selected to conduct a masterclass with Pinchas Zukerman. Alexander Rybak had participated in several Norwegian courses and festivals, such as “Valdres Sommersymfoni” and the international Hemsedal Festival for dancers and musicians, where Rybak participated as one of the musicians. He was a concertmaster during Halsnøy’s symphony project in the summer of 2004, and soloist with several good orchestras such as the Minsk Chamber Orchestra and the Kringkastingsorkesteret. He has toured in Chicago, Spain, Russia and Poland. In the same year he won Anders Jahre’s cultural award. In the fall of 2005, Rybak performed the violin concerto “Musica Avventurosa” by young composer Daniel Thornhill, together with the orchestra Ung Symphoni. Alexander Rybak participated in the tv-show Idol. In 2006, he won the talent contest Kjempesjansen. In 2007, Rybak debuted as an actor when he was the fiddler in Fiddler on the roof. In 2008, Alexander was featured on the children’s album “Magiske kroker & hemmeligheter”. In November 2008, Elisabeth Andreassen invited Rybak on a tour in 2009, with songs from “Bettans” record Spellemann, with music from both Norway and Sweden with inspiration from folk tones. In 2009, Alexander Rybak won Melodi Grand Prix 2009 with the song “Fairytale”. He was able to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest and won the contest. “Fairytale” became a huge hit all over Europe. Shortly after the contest Rybak released the album “Fairytales”. Rybak was awarded the Musician of the Year award under the Spellemann Prisen 2009.In 2010, another album, “No boundaries” was released. Also a Russian version, “Nebesa Evrope”, was released. A year later, he hosted the tv show Allsang På Grensen and released an album entirely in Swedish: “Visa vid vindens änger”. In may 2012 he sang a duet and had a small tour with Paula Seling. In 2013 Rybak composed a song for Melodi Grand Prix called “I’m With You” sung by Annsofi Pettersen. In 2015, he composed “Still Here” for Franklin Calleja in the Maltese National Finals. He also composed a song for the Belarusian group Milki entitled “Accent”, which got 4th place in the national final. In the same year he released an album called “Trolle og den magiske fela” and a year later it was followed by “I came to love you”. In 2018, Rybak took part in Melodi Grand Prix again with the song “That’s how you write a song”. For the second time, Rybak was able to represent his country in the Eurovision Song Contest. Rybak won the semifinal, but ended up just in 15th place in the final.In 2019, Rybak’s children’s musical “Trolle og den magiske fela” premiered. The show sold over 10,000 tickets and had to schedule extra performances to curb the demand. In 2020, Rybak co-wrote an entry for Melodi Grand Prix 2020 with JOWST. Singer Magnus Bokn sang the song, which reached the Melodi Grand Prix final. Rybak started attending Columbia College Chicago online from his home in Norway in the fall of 2020. By August 2021, he had moved to Chicago to continue his studies in person. He graduated from Columbia in July 2022. He released a new single in that year, “Memories”. He teamed up with Annsofi Klevfoss to release a new single “No More Me And You” in February 2023, exactly 10 years after Annsofi presented Alexanders song in Melodi Grand Prix. Two months later, he released a solo song and video, “1000 views”. In September, his new song “Kid” was released. Meanwhile, Rybak told his fans that he had been stalked for a while by a woman. That happened for over an entire year. Entries That’s How You Write A Song Country🇳🇴 Norway Year2018 LanguageEnglish LyricsAlexander Rybak MusicAlexander Rybak BackingsLisa BørudLene Kokai FlageJens Jeffry TrinidadFrode VasselAlvaro Estrella Results Semi Points: 266Position: 1Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 144Position: 15Running order: 7 https://youtu.be/N17BdRwOvBA Fairytale Country🇳🇴 Norway Year2009 LanguageEnglish LyricsAlexander Rybak MusicAlexander Rybak BackingsKarianne KjærnesJorunn HaugeSigbjørn RuaTorkjell BørsheimHallgrim Hansegård Results Semi Points: 266Position: 1Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 144Position: 15Running order: 7 https://youtu.be/WXwgZL4zx9o

JOWST

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameJoakim With Steen Born27 June 1989 Nationality???????? Norwegian National SelectionMelodi Grand Prix 2017 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongGrab the moment (2017) Biography Joakim With Steen (born 26 June 1989), best known under the stage name Jowst (usually stylized JOWST), is a Norwegian musician, songwriter and music producer. Steen was born in Trondheim and grew up in the Tiller district. When he was 14, the family moved to Steinkjer. In Steinkjer, he became interested in guitar, bands, rock and songwriting, and started the alternative rock band Enter. They attended UKM (Ung Kultur Møtes is a public cultural initiative for young people between the ages of 13 and 20, and takes place every year across the country) and played on smaller local stages. Steen later studied music production at Noroff in Oslo, and started Red Line Studio where he has worked as a sound technician and producer since 2011. Steen has worked with a number of artists in hip-hop, electronic music, pop and rock. In 2016, he wrote and produced the song “Grab the Moment” under the stage name JOWST. This was his first original release under his own name, and he brought along the singer and songwriter Aleksander Walmann on vocals. The song was released for streaming and sale on 15 February 2017 and won Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. Steen and Walmann later represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, where “Grab the Moment” splaced tenth in the final on 13 May. The song was awarded ‘Song of the Year’ at the NRJ Music Awards. In August of the same year, both JOWST and Aleksander released a new song, “That feeling”. In the same year, JOWST produced songs for Eurovision participants Manel Navarro and Martina Barta. On 9 March 2018, JOWST and Kristian Kostov teamed up and released a song called “Burning bridges”. One day later, his song “Talk to the hand”, a song Aleksander Wallman sang at Melodi Grand Prix 2018, ended up in top4. Later that year, he teamed up with Manel Navarro again and with Maria Celin to release the song “Roller coaster ride”. In January 2019, a new JOWST single was released, “Everybody knows”. He teamed up with Chris Medina for the song “Happier”. JOWST has released music with Warner Music, Sony Music, UpNorth, and in the end of 2019 started his own label JOWST AS. In the same year, he started a podcast, called Jowstcast. JOWST released a new single in March 2020: “Kiss the ring”, featuring Jæger. In September of the same year, he teamed up with Aleksander Walmann again, for a song called “Into the wild”. In March 2021, he teamed up with Agnete for the song “Barely breathing”. Entries Grab The Moment Country???????? Norway Year2017 LanguageEnglish LyricsJonas McDonnell MusicJoakim With Steen BackingsAdrian JørgensenOle-André EnggravFrode VasselOle Arnold Børud Results Semi Points: 189Position: 5Running order: 12 Results Finals Points: 158Position: 10Running order: 17 https://youtu.be/U-Bk0PCotY0

Manel Navarro

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameManel Navarro Quesada Born07 March 1996 Nationality???????? Spanish National SelectionObjetivo Eurovisión 2017 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongDo it for your lover (2017) Biography Manel Navarro Quesada (Sabadell, Catalonia, Spain, March 7, 1996), better known as Manel Navarro, is a Spanish singer, guitarist and composer. He was born in Sabadell, Barcelona. In 2014 he rose to fame after winning the second edition of the regional contest for young musical talents Teen Star. It allowed him to sign his first record contract with TeenStarRecord. He also recorded the first theme of his authorship debuting as a composer, entitled “Brand new day”. In 2016 Manel signed with the record label Sony Music Entertainment (SME), and released his first single, “Candle”. With his new song, “Do it for your lover”, Manel participated in Objetivo Eurovisión 2017, the preselection to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. The voting ended in a tie with Mirela, who had been the winner of the popular vote. The jury voted again to break the tie and, by two votes to one, Manel was chosen as representative in the face of criticism and boos from the audience. As soon as the result was known, a barrage of criticism of the winner and the production of the gala was unleashed on social media, as well as allegations of fraud in the voting to favor Manel. Even the PSOE, an opposition party at the time, asked the government and RTVE for explanations about the gala. Manel participated on May 13 in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 performing in sixteenth place. He ended up in 26th and last place. On June 2, 2017, Manel published the song “Keep on Falling”, which tells his own story of personal improvement. In August, he launched the #LoSuperé anti-bullying campaign, which was joined by celebrities such as Carlos Baute, Gemeliers, Adrián Rodríguez and Nathan Trent. In April 2018 he announced his signing by the Universal Music label and published the song “Voulez-vous Danser?”. At 24 October 2019, Manel released a new single, “Mi mejor despedida”. For this song he teamed up with Funambulista. The song was also released in Catalan language as “El comiat de la vida”. On 22 January, 2020, another duet was released, now between Manel and Belén Aguillera: “Que te vaya bien”. In the same year, he teamed up with Bely Basarte for “Quiéreme”. In March 2021, Manel released a single with David Otero, “Que tengas suerte”, soon followed by “Que tal?” with Miki Nuñez. T Soon after those songs, it was time for Manel’s debut album “Cicatriz”. The album was released on digital download, CD and vynil at 23 April 2021. In October of that year, he teamed up with Danny Romero for the song “Pierda”. Entries Do It For Your Lover Country???????? Spain Year2017 LanguageEnglishSpanish LyricsManel NavarroAntonio Rayo “Rayito” MusicManel NavarroAntonio Rayo “Rayito” BackingsÁlex GonzálezAlejandro de los SantosMarc Montserrat RuizEdgar RegincósPol Niubó Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: 5Position: 26Running order: 16 https://youtu.be/qAOXHdLdlqQ

Isaiah

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameIsaiah Firebrace Born21 November 1999 Nationality???????? Australian National SelectionEurovision – Australia You Decide 2022Internal selection 2017 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongDon’t come easy (2017) Biography Isaiah Firebrace is an Australian singer. He was born in Portland, Victoria, Australia. Firebrace is an Aboriginal Australian. Isaiah’s musical career began when he auditioned for the X-Factor Australia in 2016. He won the final of the contest and released the song he sang there on single: “It’s gotta be you”. It became a big hit in Australia, but it also hit the charts in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and The Netherlands. On 9 December, 2016, his debut album “Isaiah” was released. Shortly after this, Isaiah was selected to represent Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. He sang the song “Don’t come easy”. Isaiah reached the final with the song and even reached a 9th place. After this, Isaiah released a couple of non-album singles. “Know me better” was seen as a turning point for the singer, who was until then looking for the right style. He teamed up with Stan Walker and together with him, was featured in the album “Deadly hearts – walking together”. In December 2020, he released a new single, “You”. In 2021, Isaiah performed throughout Australia with his “Spirit & beyond tour”. In 2022, he participated in Eurovision – Australia You Decide, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. This time, he sang a duet with Evie Eirie, “When I’m with you”. They ended up in 10th place. Entries Don’t Come Easy Country???????? Australia Year2017 LanguageEnglish LyricsAnthony EgiziiDavid MusumeciMichael Angelo MusicAnthony EgiziiDavid MusumeciMichael Angelo BackingsAaron MaloneDaniel Adrian KelaartAaron Mendoza Results Semi Points: 160Position: 6Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: 173Position: 9Running order: 14 https://youtu.be/YTCP4S1dqwA