Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025
| Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 2025 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) | |||
| Country |  Australia | |||
| Selection process | Internal selection | |||
| Announcement date | 25 February 2025 | |||
| Competing entry | ||||
| Song | "Milkshake Man" | |||
| Artist | Go-Jo | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Placement | ||||
| Semi-final result | Failed to qualify (11th) | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
| ||||
Australia was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "Milkshake Man", written by Amy Sheppard, George Sheppard, Jason Bovino, and Marty Zambotto, and performed by Zambotto under his project Go-Jo. The Australian participating broadcaster, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), internally selected its entry for the contest.
Background
[edit]The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) had broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in Australia since 1983, and the contest had gained a cult following over that time, primarily due to the country's strong political and cultural ties with Europe. Paying tribute to this, the 2014 semi-finals included an interval act featuring Australian singer Jessica Mauboy.[1] Australian singers had also participated at Eurovision representing other countries, including Olivia Newton-John (United Kingdom 1974), two-time winner Johnny Logan (Ireland 1980 and 1987), Gina G (United Kingdom 1996), and Jane Comerford as lead singer of Texas Lightning (Germany 2006).[2]
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) invited SBS to participate in the contest representing Australia for the first time in 2015, as a guest participant to celebrate the 60th edition of the event, being granted automatic entry into the final along with the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom) and the host country (Austria).[3] It had since competed in every edition of the contest, i.e. nine times, being required to qualify from its semi-final since 2016. In 2024, it entered the song "One Milkali (One Blood)" by Electric Fields, which failed to qualify for the final, ending in 11th place in the first semi-final with 41 points.[4]
Before Eurovision
[edit]Internal selection
[edit]On 25 February 2025, SBS announced that it had internally selected the Australian entrant and entry for the contest, and revealed them that day: the entrant was Go-Jo with the song "Milkshake Man". The song was written by Go-Jo alongside Amy Sheppard, George Sheppard, and Jason Bovino, all current or former members of the band Sheppard, which competed in the first edition of Eurovision – Australia Decides in 2019 with "On My Way".[5]
At Eurovision
[edit]The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 took place at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, and consisted of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 13 and 15 May and the final on 17 May 2025.[6] During the allocation draw held on 28 January 2025, Australia was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.[7] Go-Jo was later drawn to open the semi-final.[8] At the end of the show, the country was not announced among the 10 qualifiers, and Australia did not qualify for the final.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ Vincent, Peter (2014-05-08). "Jessica Mauboy performs at Eurovision Song Contest". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2021-10-28.
- ^ "Eurovision Song Contest invites Australia to join 'world's biggest party'". The Guardian. 2015-02-10. Retrieved 2021-10-28.
- ^ "Australia to compete in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 2015-02-10. Retrieved 2021-10-28.
- ^ "Australia". Eurovision.tv. EBU. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
- ^ "Go-Jo to represent Australia at Basel 2025 with 'Milkshake Man'". Eurovision.tv. EBU. 2025-02-25. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
- ^ "Basel will host Eurovision Song Contest 2025". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
- ^ "Eurovision 2025: Semi-Final Draw Results". Eurovision.tv (Press release). European Broadcasting Union. 2025-01-28. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ^ "Eurovision semi-finals running order announced". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2025-03-27. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
- ^ "Eurovision 2025: The Second Semi-Final Qualifiers". Eurovision.TV. European Broadcasting Union. 2025-05-15. Retrieved 2025-05-15.