I’m sitting here bleary eyed and bursting with pride following this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. I’m an unashamed Eurovision tragic, and I’ve been up at 4:55 am three times this week (just enough time to grab a piece of paper to take notes to remember who to vote for and a Coke to wake up). This was the big one though, Guy Sebastian’s appearance, the first time Australia has competed and voted in the competition’s 60 year history.
Other singers got pitchy as the nerves caught up with them, but not Guy. A consumate professional, he truly did Australia proud with “Tonight Again,” a song that had me grooving around the loungeroom. But of course, a great song and performance is no guarantee of Eurovision success. There was a part of me before the event that worried that there might be some backlash from people who thought Guy and Australia had no place in Europe’s contest. I feared we might end up getting no points at all. Instead we got 196, including two douze points (that’s the maximum of 12 for those playing at home). Thanks Sweden and Austria! That put us in fifth place, behind the winner Sweden, Russia, Italy, and Belgium.
Fifth is more than credible in a field of 27, especially considering some of my favourites Lithuania and Cyprus were number 18 and 22 respectively. It’s not enough to see us back next year, but more than enough for us to hold our heads high. Personally I’ve had so much fun voting and even getting up early for it. It was amazing to feel part of a contest that’s been one of my year’s highlights for more than two decades.
Thank you Austria for including us in the celebrations. And thank you Guy for doing this country proud.