Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012
Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Finnish entry was selected through Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), a national selection that consisted of an introduction show, four performance shows and a final, organised by the Finnish broadcaster Yle. Pernilla Karlsson represented Finland with the song "När jag blundar", which failed to qualify from the first semi-final, achieving 12th place with 41 points.[1][2]
| Eurovision Song Contest 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country |  | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2012 | |||
| Selection date(s) | Introduction show: 27 January 2012 Performance shows: 3 February 2012 10 February 2012 17 February 2012 24 February 2012 Final: 25 February 2012 | |||
| Selected entrant | Pernilla Karlsson | |||
| Selected song | "När jag blundar" | |||
| Finals performance | ||||
| Semi-final result | Failed to qualify (12th, 41 points) | |||
| Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
| ||||
Before Eurovision
Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2012
On 16 May 2011, Yle confirmed participation in the 2012 contest by announcing that the national selection format from previous years would undergo changes.[3] On 15 August 2011, Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (Contest for New Music) was announced as the new format for the Finnish selection.[4]
Format
Six shows were aired over a four-week period which included a finalist presentation show and wildcard voting round on 27 January 2012, two performance shows held at M1 Studios in Helsinki where four artists were eliminated on 3 and 10 February, a live gig performance show at Club Dom in Helsinki where two artists were eliminated on 17 February, and a preliminary elimination and a final held at the Helsinki Ice Hall on 24 and 25 February.[5][6] The hosts were Anne Lainto and Joona Kortesmäki.[5]
Judges
The judges were announced on 14 September 2012 by Yle.[7] They selected the finalist entries and were responsible for eliminating entries during the shows preceding the final. The panel was composed of:
- Pauliina Ahokas, Executive Director, Music Export Finland
- Sami Häikiö, Project Manager, Music Export Finland
- Anna Laine, Programmer, Radio Helsinki
- Tomi Saarinen, Head of Music, YleX
- Jorma Hietamäki, Head of Music, Yle Radio Suomi
Competing entries
A submission period was opened on the same until 1 October for singers and songwriters to submit their entries with a requirement that at least one of the songwriters and the leading vocalist must be a Finnish citizen or have a permanent residence in Finland.[4][8] On 3 October 2011, Yle announced that 540 songs were submitted.[9] A selection panel composed of 11 music professionals evaluated the submissions and on 2 November 2011, 40 entries were shortlisted and premiered online.[5] On 27 January 2012, Anne Lainto and Joona Kortesmäki announced the twelve songs that the juries selected from the 40 that were shortlisted previously.[10]
| Artist | Song (English translation) | Music (m) / Lyrics (l) |
|---|---|---|
| Aili | "Mun taivas" (My heaven) | Jussi Petäjä (m & l) |
| Aura Pineda | "Kunpa vois" (I wish I could) | Ape Anttila (m), Sana Mustonen (l) |
| Freeman & Uusi Fantasia | "Noitanainen" (Sorceress) | Leo Friman (m), Kroko-Roc (m), Street Kobra (m), Ercola (m), Mariska (l) |
| Iconcrash | "We Are The Night" | Janni Peuhu (m & l), Rory Winston (l) |
| Jari & Taika | "Aamuyön ikuisuus" (The eternity of the small hours) | Jari Mustajärvi (m & l) |
| Kaisa Vala | "Habits Of Human Beings" | Kaisa Vala (m & l) |
| Kirahvi nimeltä Tuike | "Sinisulkien viimeinen" (The last of the blue-feathered) | Mikko Tirri (m), Visa Kurki (l) |
| Leola | "Rytmit rikkoutuu" (Rhythms fall apart) | Kuisma Eskola (m & l) |
| Mica Ikonen | "Antaa mennä" (Let it go) | Lauri Hämäläinen (m & l), Mica Ikonen (m & l) |
| Pernilla Karlsson | "När jag blundar" (When I close my eyes) | Jonas Karlsson (m & l) |
| Stig | "Laululeija" (Song kite) | Matti Mikkola (m), DJPP (m), Paula Vesala (l) |
| Ville Eetvartti | "Lasikaupunki" (Glass city) | Jyri Sariola (m), Tero Myllyvirta (l), Joni Pekkarinen (l) |
Shows
Show 1
On 27 January 2012, in addition to the announcement of the twelve finalists, a wildcard televote was announced among three demos which were not among the twelve finalists.[10] The voting for the wildcard was open until 2 February 2012. On 10 February 2012, The Spyro and the song "Teleport My Heart" received the wildcard.[11]
| Wildcard vote – 27 January 2012 – 2 February 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artist | Song | Music (m) / Lyrics (l) | Televote | Place |
| Jessica Wolff | "Better" | Janne Hyöty (m), Niklas Rosström (m), Paul Oxley (m & l) | 18% | 2 |
| Martina | "Checkmate" | Hermanni Kovalainen (m & l), Aatu Mällinen (m & l), Adam Powers (m & l), Lene Dissing (m & l) | 7% | 3 |
| The Spyro | "Teleport My Heart" | Hape Haavikko (m), Olli Pitkänen (l) | 75% | 1 |
Show 2
The second show took place on 3 February 2012 at M1 Studios in Helsinki.[12] Six of the twelve finalists presented their songs in front of the jury panel, which selected four to qualify to the fourth performance show.[12]
| Show 2 – 3 February 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | Artist | Song | Result |
| 1 | Mica Ikonen | "Antaa mennä" | Advanced |
| 2 | Jari & Taika | "Aamuyön ikuisuus" | Eliminated |
| 3 | Stig | "Laululeija" | Advanced |
| 4 | Aili | "Mun taivas" | Advanced |
| 5 | Kirahvi nimeltä Tuike | "Sinisulkien viimeinen" | Eliminated |
| 6 | Pernilla Karlsson | "När jag blundar" | Advanced |
Show 3
The third show took place on 10 February 2012 at M1 Studios in Helsinki.[11] The remaining finalists presented their songs in front of the jury panel, which selected four to qualify to the fourth performance show.[11] The wildcard voting results from the first show were announced with the public awarding The Spyro and the song "Teleport My Heart" with a wildcard for the fourth performance show.[11]
| Show 3 – 10 February 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | Artist | Song | Result |
| 1 | Iconcrash | "We Are The Night" | Advanced |
| 2 | Aura Pineda | "Kunpa vois" | Eliminated |
| 3 | Freeman & Uusi Fantasia | "Noitanainen" | Advanced |
| 4 | Leola | "Rytmit rikkoutuu" | Eliminated |
| 5 | Ville Eetvartti | "Lasikaupunki" | Advanced |
| 6 | Kaisa Vala | "Habits Of Human Beings" | Advanced |
Show 4
The fourth show was a live gig performance show held at Club Dom in Helsinki, which was pre-recorded on 10 February and aired on 17 February 2012.[13][14] The eight qualifying songs from the previous two shows and the wildcard performed their songs in front of jury, which eliminated two songs: "Mun taivas" performed by Aili and "Teleport My Heart" performed by The Spyro.[13] The qualifying songs proceeded to final preliminary.
| Show 4 – 17 February 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | Artist | Song | Result |
| 1 | Kaisa Vala | "Habits Of Human Beings" | Advanced |
| 2 | Mica Ikonen | "Antaa mennä" | Advanced |
| 3 | Aili | "Mun taivas" | Eliminated |
| 4 | Freeman & Uusi Fantasia | "Noitanainen" | Advanced |
| 5 | Iconcrash | "We Are The Night" | Advanced |
| 6 | Pernilla Karlsson | "När jag blundar" | Advanced |
| 7 | Ville Eetvartti | "Lasikaupunki" | Advanced |
| 8 | Stig | "Laululeija" | Advanced |
| 9 | The Spyro | "Teleport My Heart" | Eliminated |
Show 5
The fifth show was held on 24 February 2012 during the rehearsals for the final at the Helsinki Ice Hall.[15] Public televoting was open from 17 February 2012 during the airing of the fourth show with the top five qualifying to the final and the bottom two facing elimination by jury vote.[13] Joona Kortesmäki revealed the qualifiers in two groups. In the first group, "Antaa mennä" performed by Mica Ikonen, "När jag blundar" performed by Pernilla Karlsson and "Lasikaupunki" performed by Ville Eetvartti were the qualifiers while "Habits Of Human Beings" performed by Kaisa Vala faced elimination.[15] In the second group "We Are The Night" performed by Iconcrash and "Laululeija" performed by Stig were the qualifiers while "Noitanainen" performed by Freeman and Uusi Fantasia faced elimination.[15] The bottom two songs were performed in front of a jury which selected "Habits Of Human Beings" performed by Kaisa Vala as the final qualifier.[15]
| Show 5 – 24 February 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | Artist | Song | Result |
| 1 | Mica Ikonen | "Antaa mennä" | Advanced |
| 2 | Pernilla Karlsson | "När jag blundar" | Advanced |
| 3 | Ville Eetvartti | "Lasikaupunki" | Advanced |
| 4 | Kaisa Vala | "Habits Of Human Beings" | Advanced |
| 5 | Iconcrash | "We Are The Night" | Advanced |
| 6 | Freeman & Uusi Fantasia | "Noitanainen" | Eliminated |
| 7 | Stig | "Laululeija" | Advanced |
Final
The final took place on 25 February 2012 at the Helsinki Ice Hall in Helsinki where the six finalist songs were performed and two rounds of televoting selected the winner.[2] The first of two rounds of televoting selected "När jag blundar" performed by Pernilla Karlsson, "Laululeija" performed by Stig and "Lasikaupunki" performed by Ville Eetvartti as the three superfinalists.[2] In the second round of televoting, Pernilla Karlsson and the song "När jag blundar" was the winner.[2]
The show featured interval performances by The Rasmus, Anna Abreu, and 2011 Finnish entrant Paradise Oskar.[2]
| Final – 25 February 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | Artist | Song | Televote | Place |
| 1 | Iconcrash | "We Are The Night" | — | — |
| 2 | Pernilla Karlsson | "När jag blundar" | 29.8% | 1 |
| 3 | Mica Ikonen | "Antaa mennä" | — | — |
| 4 | Kaisa Vala | "Habits Of Human Beings" | — | — |
| 5 | Stig | "Laululeija" | 17% | 3 |
| 6 | Ville Eetvartti | "Lasikaupunki" | 18% | 2 |
| Superfinal – 25 February 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | Artist | Song | Televote | Place |
| 1 | Pernilla Karlsson | "När jag blundar" | 53.4% | 1 |
| 2 | Stig | "Laululeija" | 17.8% | 3 |
| 3 | Ville Eetvartti | "Lasikaupunki" | 28.7% | 2 |
At Eurovision
Finland competed in the first half of the first semi-final (9th on stage), on 22 May 2012, following Belgium and preceding the Israel. Finland received 41 points and placed 12th, thus failing to qualify for the final on 26 May.[1]
Split results
- In the Semi-final Finland came 12th with 41 points: the public awarded Finland 12th place with 36 points and the jury awarded 12th place with 57 points.[16]
Points awarded to Finland
| 12 points | 10 points | 8 points | 7 points | 6 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 points | 4 points | 3 points | 2 points | 1 point |
.svg.png){kind=small}
Points awarded by Finland
Semi-final 1Points awarded in first semi-final:[1]
|
FinalPoints awarded in the final:[17]
|
References
- "Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Semi-Final (1)". Eurovision.tv.
- Escuerdo, Victor M. (25 February 2012). "Pernilla Karlsson winner of UMK in Finland". Eurovision.tv.
- Busa, Alexandru (16 May 2011). "Finland: Selection format revamped". Esctoday.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- Escuerdo, Victor M. (15 August 2011). "Finland unveils new format for 2012". Esctoday.com.
- Escuerdo, Victor M. (2 November 2011). "Finland's contenders online!". Eurovision.tv.
- Repo, Juha (24 October 2011). "Finland: UMK final will take place in Helsinki Ice Hall". Esctoday.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2011.
- Escuerdo, Victor M. (14 September 2011). "Finland announces dates for national selection". Eurovision.tv.
- "UUSI MUSIIKKIKILPAILU 2012 SÄÄNNÖT" (PDF) (in Finnish). YLE. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-15. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
- Repo, Juha (3 October 2011). "Finland: Record number of submissions for UMK, many newcomers". Esctoday.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011.
- Escuerdo, Victor M. (27 January 2012). "UMK launched in Finland. Meet the Top 12 contestants". Eurovision.tv.
- Escuerdo, Victor M. (10 February 2012). "Finland: two more acts evicted in UMK". Eurovision.tv.
- Escuerdo, Victor M. (3 February 2012). "Four acts through in Finland". Eurovision.tv.
- Wells, Simon (17 February 2012). "Finland: Two further acts eliminated". escXtra.com. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- "FINNISH SHOWS 2012". Eurovision.tv.
- Escuerdo, Victor M. (24 February 2012). "Finland ready for the UMK Final". Eurovision.tv.
- Siim, Jarmo (18 June 2012). "Eurovision 2012 split jury-televote results revealed". Eurovision.tv.
- "Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Grand Final". Eurovision.tv. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22.
External links
- (in Finnish) Competition rules Yle
- (in Finnish) UMK Finland site Yle
- (in Swedish) UMK Finland site Yle