Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014

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Eurovision Song Contest 2014
Country  Switzerland
National selection
Selection processDie Grosse Entscheidungs Show 2014
Selection date(s)1 February 2014
Selected entrantSebalter
Selected song"Hunter of Stars"
Selected songwriter(s)
  • Sebastiano Paù-Lessi
Finals performance
Semi-final resultQualified (4th, 92 points)
Final result13th, 64 points
Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2013 • 2014 • 2015►

Switzerland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Swiss entry was selected through the national final Die Große Entscheidungsshow, organised by the Swiss broadcaster Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR). Sebalter represented Switzerland with the song "Hunter of Stars", which qualified from the second semi-final to compete in the final. Switzerland placed 13th in the final, scoring 64 points.

Before Eurovision[]

Die Grosse Entscheidungs Show 2014[]

Die Grosse Entscheidungs Show 2014 was the fourth edition of the Swiss national final format that selected Switzerland's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. The national final was a collaboration between four broadcasters in Switzerland: the Swiss-German broadcaster Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF), the Swiss-French broadcaster Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS), the Swiss-Italian broadcaster Radiotelevisione svizzera (RSI) and the Swiss-Romansh broadcaster Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha (RTR).[1][2]

Selection process[]

SRG SSR detailed several changes that modified the procedure of the selection from that of previous years.[3] The selection process took place in three stages before the finalists for the live show and ultimately the winner are selected. The first stage of the competition included SRF/RTR, RTS and RSI each conducting varying selections in order to determine the candidates they submitted for the second stage of the competition. SRF/RTR submitted nine candidates, RTS submitted six candidates and RSI submitted three candidates. The second stage was an Expert Check live audition, where the 18 selected candidates performed the songs that qualified from their respective broadcaster selections. A jury panel selected three artists and songs to qualify from the SRF/RTR selection, two from the RTS selection and one from the RSI selection. The six artists and songs proceed to the third stage, the televised national final, where the winning artist and song was selected to represent Switzerland in Copenhagen.[1]

SRF/RTR selection[]

The SRF/RTR selection involved an online internet voting platform where interested artists could submit their songs and have them listed for public listening. The platform began accepting entries on 30 September 2013 and concluded on 28 October 2013. 159 entries were submitted following the submission deadline, including entries from 2006 Cypriot entrant Annet Artani and 2011 Croatian entrant Daria Kinzer.[4][5][6] Internet users had between 4 and 18 November 2013 to vote for their favourite entries.[4] The internet votes were combined with the votes from an expert jury and on 22 November 2013, the top nine entries for the Expert Check were announced.[2][7] The three candidates ultimately selected from the SRF/RTR selection for the national final were "Together Forever" performed by 3forAll, "La luce del cuore" performed by Nino Colonna and "I Still Believe" performed by Yasmina Hunzinger.[8]

RTS selection[]

The RTS selection involved interested artists submitting their entries to the broadcaster between 30 September 2013 and 28 October 2013. Following an internal selection, RTS received 34 entries that were evaluated by the votes from internet users (50%), who had from 4 to 18 November 2013 to vote for their favourite entries, and the votes of an expert jury (50%).[9][10] The top six entries for the "Expert Check" were announced on 21 November 2013.[7] The two candidates ultimately selected from the RTS selection for the national final were "Au paradis" performed by Christian Tschanz and "Une terre sans vous" performed by Natacha & Stéphanie.[8]

RSI selection[]

RSI opened a submission period between 21 July 2013 and 30 September 2013 for interested artists and composers to submit their entries.[11] Seven candidates, including the winner of the singing competition Fattore Voce 2013 Agata Pelloni, were to be selected to proceed to the RSI selection that would have been broadcast via radio on RSI Rete Tre from Lugano, however the broadcaster opted to suspend the selection and extend the submission deadline to 28 October 2013.[12][13][14] Instead on 13 November 2013, a jury panel consisting of 2008 Swiss entrant Paolo Meneguzzi, Ramona Cerutti and Igor Negrini evaluated the 23 entry submissions received and selected the three candidates that proceeded to the "Expert Check".[15][16] The candidate ultimately selected from the RSI selection for the national final was "Hunter of Stars" performed by Sebalter.[8]

Expert Check[]

The "Expert Check" of the eighteen selected candidates was webcast from the SRF Studio in Zürich on 30 November 2013 and was hosted by Sven Epiney.[17] The candidates performed their songs in front of an expert panel which assessed the performers on criteria such as live performance skills, voice quality and stage presence. The expert panel consisted of two permanent judges, choreographer Rafael Antonio and vocal coach Freda Goodlett, who were joined by representatives of the four Swiss broadcasters who only assessed the candidates from their respective selections. The representative of SRF/RTR was director of strategic marketing at Universal Music Switzerland Moritz Faccin, the representatives of RTS were the director of Option Musique Catherine Colombara and RTS entertainment production manager Emile Felber, and the representative of RSI was musician Nicola Locarnini. Three artists and songs qualified from the SRF/RTR selection, two from the RTS selection and one from the RSI selection.[8]

Draw Artist Song (English translation) Channel Result
1 Yasmina Hunzinger "I Still Believe" SRF/RTR Selected
2 3 for All "Together Forever" SRF/RTR Selected
3 Swissters "Celebration" SRF/RTR Eliminated
4 Lola Sparkes "Baby Can't You See" RTS Eliminated
5 Christian Tschanz "Au paradis" (In paradise) RTS Selected
6 Tanita "Another Day Alone" RTS Eliminated
7 Natacha & Stéphanie "Une terre sans vous" (A land without you) RTS Selected
8 Paula Marengo "J'ai envie de toi" (I want you) RTS Eliminated
9 Joel Murner "In My Life" RTS Eliminated
10 Jasmine "Higher Love" RSI Eliminated
11 Sebalter "Hunter of Stars" RSI Selected
12 Valentino Alfano "103 parole" (103 words) RSI Eliminated
13 Gosia "I'm Not Afraid" SRF/RTR Eliminated
14 Nino Colonna "La luce del cuore" (The light of the heart) SRF/RTR Selected
15 Arxplendida "Mercurii diei" (Wednesday) SRF/RTR Eliminated
16 Hot Connection "Music From the Sixties" SRF/RTR Eliminated
17 One Day Remains "Alpha" SRF/RTR Eliminated
18 Martin Kirchberger "Yourope" SRF/RTR Eliminated

National final[]

Die Grosse Entscheidungs Show 2014 took place on 1 February 2014 at the Bodensee Arena in Kreuzlingen, hosted by Sven Epiney. The show was televised on SRF 1, RSI La 2 with Italian commentary by Sandy Altermatt and Ale Bertoglio and RTS Deux with French commentary by Valérie Ogier and Jean-Marc Richard.[18][19] The competition was also streamed online at the respective official website of each Swiss broadcaster as well as at the official Eurovision Song Contest website eurovision.tv.[20] The show consisted of two parts: in the first part the six candidate songs in contention to represent Switzerland were performed and in the second part each artist performed a cover version of a song of their choice. For the cover song round, Christian Tschanz performed "Aux Champs-Élysées" by Joe Dassin, 3 for All performed "All For Love" by Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting, Nino Colonna performed "L'Italiano" by Toto Cutugno, Yasmina Hunzinger performed "Heavy on My Heart" by Anastacia, Natacha & Stéphanie performed "Papaoutai" by Stromae, and Sebalter performed "Wake Me Up" by Avicii.[21] In addition to the performances from the competing artists, Danish Eurovision Song Contest 2013 winner Emmelie de Forest performed "Only Teardrops" as the interval act.[22]

The combination of televoting (50%) and the votes of an expert jury (50%) selected "Hunter of Stars" performed by Sebalter as the winner.[22] The jury consisted of Luisa Rossi, Igor Negrini, Stefan Büsser, Catherine Colombara, Thierry Romanens, Pele Loriano, Tamara Steffen, Tanja Dankner, René Spescha and Dominik Flaschka.[23]

Draw Artist Song (English translation) Composer(s) Place
1 Christian Tschanz "Au paradis" (In paradise) Christian Tschanz 4
2 3 for All "Together Forever" Domenico Livrano, Ricardo Sanz, Lars van Everdingen, Rick Laine 3
3 Nino Colonna "La luce del cuore" (The light of the heart) Nino Colonna 5
4 Yasmina Hunzinger "I Still Believe" Marin Subasic, Sven Welter 2
5 Natacha & Stéphanie "Une terre sans vous" (A land without you) Alizé Oswald, Xavier Michel 6
6 Sebalter "Hunter of Stars" Sebastiano Paù-Lessi 1

At Eurovision[]

Sebalter at the second semi-final dress rehearsal

During the semi-final allocation draw on 20 January 2014 at the Copenhagen City Hall, Switzerland was drawn to compete in the second half of the second semi-final on 8 May 2014.[24] In the second semi-final, the producers of the show decided that Switzerland would perform 12th, following Macedonia and preceding Greece.[25] Switzerland qualified from the second semi-final and competed in the final on 10 May 2014.[26] During the winner's press conference for the second semi-final qualifiers, Switzerland was allocated to compete in the second half of the final.[27] In the final, the producers of the show decided that Switzerland would perform 20th, following Spain and preceding Hungary.[28] At the end of voting, Switzerland finished 13th overall with 64 points, marking the country's best placing in the final since 2005. It was later revealed that Switzerland finished 4th in the second semi-final, the best placing for a Swiss participant in the semi-final era.[29]

On stage, Sebalter was joined by one backing vocalist and four musicians: Patric Scott, Marco Cuzzovaglia, Rocco Casella, Mattia Bordignon and Christoph Pedretti. The Swiss performance featured Sebalter playing the violin and drum on a backdrop of fiery elements projected on the LED screens and the use of pyrotechnic effects.[30]

In Switzerland, three different stations broadcast the contest.[31] Sven Epiney provided German commentary for both semi-finals airing on SRF zwei and the final airing on SRF 1.[32] Sandy Altermatt and Alessandro Bertoglio provided Italian commentary for the second semi-final airing on RSI La 2 and the final airing on RSI La 1.[33] Jean-Marc Richard and Valérie Ogier provided French commentary for the second semi-final airing on RTS Deux and the final airing on RTS Un.[34] The Swiss spokesperson revealing the result of the Swiss vote in the final was Kurt Aeschbacher.[35]

Voting[]

Points awarded to Switzerland[]

Points awarded by Switzerland[]

Detailed voting results[]

The following members comprised the Swiss jury:[38]

Detailed voting results from Switzerland (Semi-final 2)[39] hide
Draw Country M. van Lier M. Freymond I. Broggini S. Bellwald P. Vonlanthen Average Jury Rank Televote Rank Combined Rank Points
01  Malta 8 4 9 2 4 4 9 6 5
02  Israel 12 7 7 12 14 11 12 12
03  Norway 11 3 1 1 1 3 11 9 2
04  Georgia 5 8 12 14 13 12 14 13
05  Poland 4 14 5 13 5 9 5 8 3
06  Austria 3 2 6 3 2 2 1 1 12
07  Lithuania 13 11 11 11 12 14 13 14
08  Finland 2 1 2 5 3 1 7 3 8
09  Ireland 10 6 3 8 11 7 10 10 1
10  Belarus 14 13 14 7 7 13 8 11
11  Macedonia 9 9 4 6 6 6 2 2 10
12   Switzerland
13  Greece 7 12 13 9 8 10 4 7 4
14  Slovenia 6 5 8 4 10 5 6 5 6
15  Romania 1 10 10 10 9 8 3 4 7
Detailed voting results from Switzerland (Final)[40] hide
Draw Country M. van Lier M. Freymond I. Broggini S. Bellwald P. Vonlanthen Average Jury Rank Televote Rank Combined Rank Points
01  Ukraine 25 20 17 13 12 20 21 22
02  Belarus 23 21 20 20 17 23 22 23
03  Azerbaijan 24 17 21 8 19 22 25 24
04  Iceland 12 12 22 22 13 17 17 17
05  Norway 10 10 2 2 3 4 12 6 5
06  Romania 11 19 18 16 14 15 13 15
07  Armenia 15 9 14 9 11 11 10 12
08  Montenegro 18 18 19 15 18 21 16 20
09  Poland 16 25 9 25 9 18 7 14
10  Greece 13 22 25 24 25 24 9 16
11  Austria 6 1 8 1 1 1 1 1 12
12  Germany 17 5 12 12 8 9 4 4 7
13  Sweden 1 6 7 19 20 8 6 5 6
14  France 3 15 23 23 10 13 23 19
15  Russia 14 24 16 10 21 19 18 21
16  Italy 21 14 4 14 22 14 5 9 2
17  Slovenia 22 16 13 5 23 16 20 18
18  Finland 4 4 3 4 4 2 15 7 4
19  Spain 19 3 6 11 15 10 3 3 8
20   Switzerland
21  Hungary 5 13 10 18 16 12 8 10 1
22  Malta 7 8 15 6 7 6 14 11
23  Denmark 9 11 11 7 5 7 11 8 3
24  Netherlands 8 2 5 3 2 3 2 2 10
25  San Marino 20 23 24 21 24 25 24 25
26  United Kingdom 2 7 1 17 6 5 19 13

References[]

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