Running Order Confirmed For Eurovision Grand Final
The running order has been confirmed for the Grand Final of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, which takes place on Saturday 14th May, at the Globe Arena in Stockholm:
1. Belgium
Laura Tesoro, What’s The Pressure.
19-year-old Laura Tesoro from Antwerp is a multi-talented performer: she sings, dances, acts and presents. She got her first television role when she was 8 and by the time she was 11 she was starring in the musical Annie.
2. Czech Republic
Gabriela Gunčíková, I Stand.
Gabriela was a finalist in the second season of SuperStar and won the “New Artist” award at the 2011 Český Slavík awards. She has made two albums and played over a hundred concerts around the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
3. The Netherlands
Douwe Bob, Slow Down.
In 2012 Douwe Bob was voted best singer-songwriter in the Netherlands and has become established in the Dutch music scene with the #1 album Pass It On and hits like Sweet Sunshine and Hold Me Now.
4. Azerbaijan
Samra, Miracle.
Samra reached the quarter finals in The Voice of Turkey. When The Voice came to Azerbaijan in 2015, her performance of Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball during a blind audition amazed the audience and she reached the competition’s final.
5. Hungary
Freddie, Pioneer.
When Freddie had to give up his promising basketball career because of a serious injury, he turned to music for comfort and took up playing the guitar.
6. Italy
Francesca Michielin, No Degree Of Separation.
Aged 16, Francesca won Italian X Factor, and her single and EP entitled Distratto (#1 on iTunes) was certified as double platinum.
7. Israel
Hovi Star, Made Of Stars.
Since 2009, Hovi Star has released several singles and joined the dubbing ensemble for the Hebrew versions of Disney and Pixar box office hits including Frozen, Lego, Cinderella, Inside Out and others.
8. Bulgaria
Poli Genova, If Love Was A Crime.
Poli won the the reality musical show Musical Academy, and is the Bulgarian voice of Judy Hoops in the new Disney film Zootropolis.
9. Sweden
Frans, If I Were Sorry.
Frans first gained recognition at the age of seven during the 2006 World Cup when he released a tribute song, entitled Who’s Da Man, paying homage to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He soon became known as Zlatan-Frans.
10. Germany
Jamie-Lee, Ghost.
A schoolgirl from Hanover, Jamie-Lee Kriewitz cast a spell over a million viewers when she won the The Voice of Germany last December. Just two months later she went on to win the German national selection Eurovision.
11. France
Amir, J’ai cherché.
In 2013 Amir took part in The Voice where he reached the final. J’ai cherché is Amir’s first single.
12. Poland
Michał Szpak, Color Of Your Life.
In 2011, Michał came second in the X Factor final. In 2013 Michał won the Golden Samovar at the Russian Song Festival in Zielona Góra, with the song “Dark Eyes” (Очи чёрные).
13. Australia
Dami Im, Sound Of Silence.
A classically trained pianist, Dami learnt how to speak English through listening to pop songs. She took the X Factor crown in 2013 and went on to achieve a number one album with Dami I’m. Hits include Alive, Super Love and Gladiator.
14. Cyprus
Minus One, Alter Ego.
Minus One is a Greek Cypriot band that plays everything, from pop and rock classics to today’s hits. The band plays covers but rearranges them in line with their own sound.
15. Serbia
Sanja Vučić ZAA, Goodbye (Shelter).
Sanja is lead vocalist for the band ZAA and has had voice coaching from opera star Katarina Jovanović, who said that “it is important for Sanja to remain who she is and retain her distinctiveness”.
16. Lithuania
Donny Montell, I’ve Been Waiting for This Night.
In 2008, Montell won the Grand Prix at the Belorussian festival, Slavianskij Bazar. He later represented Lithuania at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan.
17. Croatia
Nina Kraljić, Lighthouse.
24 year old student Nina was selected by state broadcaster HRT to represent Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest after winning The Voice.
18. Russia
Sergey Lazarev, You Are The Only One.
In 2015, Sergey won all possible Russian music awards, including the First Russian National Music Award as the Best Singer of the Year. He is also the voice of Prince Arthur from Shrek The Third, and Troy Bolton (Zak Efron) in High School Musical.
19. Spain
Barei, Say Yay!
Barbara Reyzábal, known as Barei, was is from Madrid and has a music career spanning over 15 years. She has released two albums so far; Billete para no volver (No-return Ticket) and Throw The Dice.
20. Latvia
Justs, Heartbeat.
Beginning his musical journey as a street musician in Riga, Justs provides lead vocals for Latvian hip-hop artists Gacho, and is part of funk-rock band TaxFree and Bunch of Gentlemen.
21. Ukraine
Jamala, 1944.
Jamala made her first record at the age of nine, and has since has graduated from the National Music Academy where she majored in opera. In 2009, Jamala won The New Wave, the International Contest of Young Singers, in Jūrmala.
22. Malta
Ira Losco, Walk On Water.
Ira is one of the biggest names in Maltese music, with a career spanning over 15 years. She has opened for Elton John twice, and her chart hits include What I’d Give, The Person I Am, and Me Luv U Long Time.
23. Georgia
Nika Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz, Midnight Gold.
With Young Georgian Lolitaz, Nika Kocharov created a film soundtrack in 2003, which was later awarded the best soundtrack of the year.
24. Austria
ZOË, Loin d’ici.
19-year old Zoe Straub from Vienna is the daughter of Papermoon’s founder Christof Straub. She has been a singer and songwriter since 2013, but is also a TV personality and actress.
25. United Kingdom
Joe and Jake, You’re Not Alone.
Joe Woolford and Jake Shakeshaft first met as fellow competitors on The Voice UK, where they quickly bonded over their love of music, followed by a shared love of peri-peri chicken and football.
26. Armenia
Iveta Mukuchyan, LoveWave.
Iveta is an Armenian singer, songwriter, actress and fashion model.