Eurovision Song Contest 2003

Infobox Eurovision
name = Eurovision Song Contest 2003
theme = "Magical Rendez-vous"


final = Start date|2003|05|24
presenters = Marie N Renārs Kaupers
conductor =
director = Sven Stojanovic
host = flagicon|LAT Latvijas Televīzija
venue = Skonto Hall, Riga, Latvia
winner = flagicon|TUR Turkey
"nowrap|Every Way That I Can"
vote = Each country awards 1–8, 10, and 12 points to their ten favourite songs
entries = 26
debut = flagicon|UKR Ukraine
return = flagicon|ISL Iceland flagicon|IRL Ireland flagicon|NED Netherlands flagicon|NOR Norway flagicon|POL Poland flagicon|POR Portugal
withdraw = flagicon|DEN Denmark flagicon|FIN Finland flagicon|MKD FYR Macedonia flagicon|LTU Lithuania flagicon|SUI Switzerland
null = flagicon|GBR United Kingdom
interval =
opening =
con = Eurovision Song Contest
pre = ◄2002
nex = 2004►

The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on May 24, 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Every Way That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning songwriters were Erener and Demir Demirkan. Belgium and Russia were second and third respectively, within three points of Turkey's score.

The 2003 contest was the last to take place over one evening; in 2004 a semi-final system was introduced. Twenty-six countries competed, at the time the biggest field in the contest's history. Six countries that sat out the 2002 contest returned from relegation, and were joined by Ukraine, making its debut. The 2003 contest's start-list was the last to be influenced by the relegation rule.

The pre-contest favourites, Russia's t.A.T.u, attracted much media attention. Among the other noteworthy contestants were Alf Poier, an outspoken comedian representing Austria; Ich Troje, who attempted to represent two countries; and F.L.Y., a trio of musical veterans representing the host country. Jemini, representing the United Kingdom, finished the contest without a point, the first British entrants to do so.

Hosting

Latvia won the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest on 25 May 2002, represented by Marie N performing "I Wanna". It was Latvia's first victory, and meant that LTV would host the 2003 contest. [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/05/25/eurovision.contest/index.html Eurovision joy for Latvia's Marija] . CNN (26 May 2002). Retrieved on 21 March 2008.] Arvids Babris, head of the Latvian delegation at the 2002 contest, said that although LTV's funds were limited, the broadcaster would host the 2003 event; [Sietse Bakker. [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/712 Latvia promised to host Eurovision in 2003] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 21 March 2008.] later, the Latvian government pledged €2.3 million for the event. [Sietse Bakker. [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/731 Latvian government assures financial assistance] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 21 March 2008.] The Skonto Hall in Riga, which seats 5,000 spectators, was chosen to host the contest. [ [http://www.am.gov.lv/en/news/Newsletters/CurrentLatvia/2002/okt/4054/?print=on Bookings for Eurovision 2003 in Latvia to open in December] . Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia (21 October 2002). Retrieved on 21 March 2008.] Babris was appointed as its producer. [Sietse Bakker. [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/737 Arvids Babris will produce the contest in Latvia] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 21 March 2008.] In December 2002, LTV announced that the contest would be hosted by Marie N, alongside Renars Kaupers, the lead singer of Brainstorm, the Latvian representatives at the 2000 contest. [Sietse Bakker (1 December 2002). [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/996 Renars Kaupers and Marie N hosts 2003 show] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 21 March 2008.] In March 2003, Danish newspaper B.T. reported that the contest could be moved as it was running behind schedule; the general director of LTV, Uldis Grava, replied, saying: "We [Grava, Bjorn Erichsen of Danmarks Radio and Werner Rumphorst of the EBU] talked about co-operation and about programme exchanges, and neither of them said a single word that would indicate any doubts, lack of trust or accusation." [Sietse Bakker (16 March 2003). [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/1414 LTV: "Eurovision will take place in Riga!"] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 21 March 2008.] Swedish public broadcaster Sveriges Television produced the contest for the second year running (with Sven Stojanovic as director), and Swedish lighting company "Spectra+", having supplied the 2000 and 2002 contests, were involved for the third time. [Sietse Bakker (13 December 2002). [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/992 SVT to produce 2003 Eurovision Song Contest] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 21 March 2008.] [ [http://livedesignonline.com/news/lighting_spectra_lands_third/ Spectra+ lands third Eurovision contract] . Live Design (17 April 2003). Retrieved on 21 March 2008.] The contest's tagline was "Magical Rendez-vous". [Ain Hinsberg (21 May 2003). [http://www.infoturism.ee/eng/uudis.php?id=678&cat=37 Eurovision and Reval HG] . Infoturism.ee. Retrieved on 23 March 2008.] An official CD of the contest was released, on the EMI/CMC label. [ [http://www.ebu.ch/news/press_archive/press_breves_2003_110_esc_cd.php Eurovision Song Contest Riga 2003: CD available now] . EBU. Retrieved on 24 March 2008.]

Participation

Twenty-four countries participated in the 2002 contest in Tallinn; of these, fourteen were expected to compete in 2003. The bottom ten in Tallinn would be relegated, to allow countries to compete for the first time. [Sietse Bakker (25 May 2002). [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/689 Latvia won the 47th Eurovision Song Contest] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 23 March 2008.] In reality, only five countries were relegated—nineteen countries that entered in 2002 competed in Riga. The FYR Macedonia, Finland, Switzerland, Lithuania and Denmark were forced to sit out the contest. The nineteen qualifiers were joined by the six countries that had sat out the 2002 contest: Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Portugal. The twenty-sixth contestant was Ukraine, making its debut at the contest. [Sietse Bakker. [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/780 EBU released list of participant for 2003] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 23 March 2008.] Originally, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania and Belarus had planned 2003 debuts, but the EBU's late changes to the relegation procedure meant that they could not compete. [Sietse Bakker. [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/747 No new countries at next Eurovision Song Contest] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 23 March 2008.] All three nations made their debuts in 2004. RTBF was the Belgian broadcaster at the forty-eighth contest, marking the first Walloon entry since 2000. Twenty-six entries was the highest number in the contest's history at that point; it remains the most to have competed in a Eurovision final. The draw for the running order took place in December 2002 in Riga: Iceland would open the contest and Slovenia would complete it. [Sietse Bakker (1 December 2002). [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/997 Draw of running order finally available] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 23 March 2008.]

National selections

Austria, having failed to finish in the top five at Eurovision since 1989, selected comedian Alf Poier to represent them in a televised national final on 14 March 2003. Poier beat former Eurovision contestant Petra Frey into second place. He described his song, "Weil der Mensch zählt" ("Because people matter"), as "a hymn to individualism and against collectivism". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3050191.stm Joy and humiliation at Eurovision] . BBC News (24 May 2003). Retrieved on 23 March 2008.] Ireland, back from relegation, used a reality series, "You're A Star", to select their entry. The winner was Mickey Harte; his Eurovision song reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart. [ [http://m.rte.ie/entertainment/news/2003/0512/hartem.html Mickey Harte's second week at No 1] . RTÉ News (12 May 2003). Retrieved on 23 March 2008.] Spain also used a reality series; Beth, a runner-up of "Operación Triunfo" was chosen. Ich Troje tried to represent Poland and Germany with different songs: they won the Polish final on 27 January with "Keine Grenzen-Żadnych granic" ("No borders"; performed in Polish, German and Russian), but lost in Germany. [ [http://www.ndrtv.de/grandprix/rueckblick/grandprix2003/2003_ve_troje.html Troje: "Liebe macht Spaß"] . NDR.de. Retrived on 23 March 2008.] The German contestant was Lou. A member of the Belgian group, Urban Trad, was expelled from the group after it was reported that she had been a member of a far-right political group—this was later denied by the group as the reason for her absence. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2781265.stm 'Far-right' Eurovision singer dropped] . BBC News (19 February 2003). Retrieved on 23 March 2008.]

In Latvia, three former "Eirodziesma" contestants won the right to represent the host country as F.L.Y., performing "Hello From Mars". [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20030602204725/www.eurovision.tv/public/participants/23328.html Latvia] . Eurovision.tv. Retrieved on 22 March 2008.] Sweden's "Melodifestivalen" took place on 15 March at the Globe Arena in Stockholm; Fame won the right to represent the country in Riga. [ [http://www.svd.se/kulturnoje/nyheter/artikel_84388.svd Festivalyra utan överraskningar] . "Svenska Dagbladet" (16 March 2003). Retrieved on 22 March 2008.] Estonia chose "Claire's Birthday" as their representative—the band later changed their name to Ruffus. [ [http://www.doteurovision.com/2003/songs/estonia.htm Estonia 2003] . Doteurovision.com. Retrieved on 23 March 2008.] Among the contestants to be chosen internally (without a televised selection) were t.A.T.u from Russia: the self-styled "lesbian" duo had already scored a chart-topper throughout Europe with "All the Things She Said", [ [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,888109,00.html 'Lesbian' Russian act tops UK charts] . "The Guardian" (3 February 2003. Retrieved on 23 March 2008.] and quickly became favourites to win the contest. [Chris Sams (29 April 2003). [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/28/1051381900474.html Tatu will leave a mark at Eurovision] . "The Sydney Morning Herald". Retrieved on 23 March 2008.]

Twelve languages were represented at the contest: eleven real and one constructed. Belgium's "Sanomi" was described by its composer as "a danceable folk pearl sung in an imaginary and thus universal language". [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/eurovision/2003/contestants/belgium.shtml Contestants: Belgium] . BBC Radio 2. Retrieved on 22 March 2008.] Most of the entries included lyrics in English.

Individual entries

"Eurovision Week"

Full preparations for the 2003 contest began on 18 May 2003 at the Skonto Hall. There were rehearsals, press conferences and participants were also involved in an Internet chat. The first performer to rehearse was Birgitta Haukdal from Iceland, on 19 May; she was also first at the Press Centre and on the web chat. [http://web.archive.org/web/20030602021415/www.eurovision.tv/public/25144.html Event] . Eurovision.tv. Retrieved on 22 March 2008.] t.A.T.u.'s first rehearsal dominated proceedings on 20 May—the band were supposed to rehearse the day before, but had turned up a day late, claiming that Yulia Volkova was suffering from a sore throat. The group were booed by journalists at the Press Centre. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3045939.stm Eurovision row over Tatu] . BBC News (21 May 2003). Retrieved on 22 March 2008.] Sarah Yuen from the EBU said "They are the bad girls of pop…we shouldn’t have expected them to come here and be nice and pleasant." [ [http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2003/05/23/story100070.asp tATu plan to take Eurovision by storm] . BreakingNews.ie. Retrieved on 22 March 2008.] With the entrants' press conferences and web chats completed, two dress rehearsals were held on 23 May, in front of an estimated 12,000 people. The organisers of the contest held a press conference; one of the issues complained about was the lack of invitations for the after-party. The final dress rehearsal was held on 24 May, the day of the contest. A simulation of the voting procedure was also held, in which the presenters linked up with all twenty-six countries by satellite for the first time.

On the day of the contest, bookmaker William Hill's odds placed Russia as joint favourites to win the contest with Spain. Ireland, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway and Iceland were behind in third, fourth and joint fifth respectively. Austria, at 100-1, were favourites to finish last. [Sietse Bakker (24 May 2003). [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/1630 William Hill: update of the betting figures!] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 22 March 2008.]

how

.]

Voting

The voting procedure was unchanged from 2002: all participating nations awarded 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12 points to their ten favourite songs, in ascending order. Countries voted in the same order as they had performed. Bosnia & Herzegovina and Russia used juries, due to the countries' poor telecommunications. Poland's voting was done entirely by text message; [Aija Medinika (24 May 2003). [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/1631 Poland will use SMS-voting only] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 23 March 2008.] all other countries planned to use a televote. Among the spokespeople were three former Eurovision contestants: Marlayne for the Netherlands, Ines for Estonia, and Sandrine François for France. Kattis Ahlström, co-host of the 2000 contest, announced the Swedish results.

Iceland were first to vote: they awarded their twelve points to Norway, giving Jostein Hasselgård an early lead. Austria were next, awarding one point to Germany and twelve points to Turkey. The jury in Sarajevo also awarded their twelve points to Turkey. As the Bosnian spokesperson announced the votes, she mistakenly awarded five points to Croatia, rather than Austria. As a result, the votes were announced again from the beginning. Cyprus awarded twelve points to Greece, amidst booing in the hall—Greece reciprocated. The Russian jury awarded twelve points to Romania. Ukraine, making their debut, gave their twelve points to Russia. The host country's top score also went to t.A.T.u.; Russia picked up five twelve-point scores in total, more than any other country.

With just Slovenia left to vote, Belgium's Urban Trad led the contest with 162 points: Turkey were second with 157 and Russia third with 152. Three points were awarded to Belgium, putting them on 165 and leaving Russia out of the running. Turkey won ten points, giving them victory with 167 points. The final twelve points went to Russia, leaving them on 164. Norway were fourth and Sweden fifth, with the United Kingdom last, without a point.

Implications

Turkey's victory meant that they would stage the 2004 contest. During the week of the contest, the EBU unveiled a two-night system for the contest in 2004: a semi-final would be held before a grand final. The "Big Four", along with the top ten from the 2003 contest, would automatically qualify for the 2004 final. [ [http://www.eurovision.tv/page/contest-details?event=9 Eurovision Song Contest 2004] . Eurovision.tv. Retrieved on 23 March 2008.] The fourteen eventual qualifiers were Turkey, Belgium, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Poland, Spain, Iceland, Romania, Ireland, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. All the other countries would compete in the semi.

After the contest, Russia's Channel One complained that Irish broadcaster RTÉ had used a back-up jury, and that it had cost them victory. A statement by Channel One said "Considering [the] insignificant difference in points between the first and third places, there are grounds to believe that the contest results could be much different for Russia." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2947872.stm Russia launches Eurovision appeal] . BBC News (29 May 2003). Retrieved on 22 March 2008.] RTÉ responded by publishing the unused results of the Irish televote, which showed that had the jury not been used, Turkey would still have won.Sietse Bakker (27 June 2003). [http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/1707 Irish televoting results finally announced] . ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 22 March 2008.]

The United Kingdom's last-place finish was greeted with much consternation in the British media. Terry Wogan, long-time commentator on the contest for the BBC, said that the UK was suffering from "post-Iraq backlash". Chris Cromby from Jemini said "The monitors were off. Maybe it was sabotage, but we couldn't hear anything...we used the floor monitors, the others used their own." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2937700.stm Eurovision flops blame equipment] . BBC News (26 May 2003). Retrieved on 26 March 2008.] The UK's result was their worst-ever at Eurovision; by contrast, Turkey's win was their first. Alf Poier's sixth place was Austria's best result for fourteen years, Poland's seventh place was their best in nine, and Romania's tenth place was one place behind their best-ever. Belgium's second place was their first top-five finish in seventeen years, but Latvia's third-from-bottom finish was their worst result in four attempts; it was also the worst placing for a host country since 1992.

Results

References

External links

* [http://www.eurovision.tv/ Eurovision Song Contest]