Belarus' Eurovision Journey: A Winning Streak?

Belarus has never won the Eurovision Song Contest. The country first participated in 2004 and has since entered the competition 16 times, making it to the final six times. Belarus achieved its best-ever placing in 2007, when Dmitry Koldun's Work Your Magic came sixth. In 2021, Belarus was disqualified from the contest after submitting a song with lyrics that were deemed to have political undertones. The country was expelled from the competition and has been unable to participate since.

Belarus's best Eurovision finish

Belarus has never won the Eurovision Song Contest. The country joined the competition in 2004 and has participated 16 times, with its last appearance being in 2019. Belarus has qualified for the final six times: in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2019.

The country's best finish was in 2007, when Dmitry Koldun's song "Work Your Magic" placed sixth overall. This was the first time Belarus qualified for the Grand Final and it remains the country's only top-ten finish.

Belarus was disqualified from the 2021 contest after its entry was deemed to violate the rules against political entries. The country was also suspended from competing in 2022.

While Belarus is yet to win the adult Eurovision Song Contest, it has achieved great success in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, winning the competition in 2005 and 2007.

Belarus's 2021 Eurovision disqualification

Belarus has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 16 times since its debut in 2004. However, the country was disqualified from the 2021 contest.

Belarus had originally planned to participate in the 2021 contest in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The country selected Galasy ZMesta as their representative, with the song "Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You)". However, the entry was deemed ineligible to compete by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) due to violation of the contest's rules against political entries.

The song was criticised for its lyrics, which were deemed to mock anti-government protests. This included the line "I will teach you to toe the line", which was feared to legitimise Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko's violent suppression of protestors in the disputed 2020 election.

After their initial entry was rejected, Belarus submitted a second song, titled "Pesnyu pro zaytsa (Song About Hares)". However, this was also rejected by the EBU for the same reasons as their previous attempt, and Belarus was subsequently disqualified from the 2021 contest on 26 March 2021. This marked the first time Belarus was absent from the contest since its debut in 2004.

On 28 May 2021, the EBU voted to suspend the membership of the Belarusian broadcaster BTRC for three years. BTRC was expelled from the EBU on 1 July 2021, losing the rights to broadcast and participate in the contest.

Belarus's Eurovision broadcasters

Belarus has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 16 times since its debut in 2004. The Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC) has been the country's broadcaster and has been in charge of selecting the nation's entry. From 2012 to 2020, BTRC organised a national final to choose the Belarusian entry. However, in 2021, the broadcaster selected their entry internally.

BTRC was a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) since 1 January 1993, making it eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. Belarus entered the contest in the same year that semi-finals were introduced to determine the finalists. Belarus has qualified for the final six times: in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2019.

In 2021, Belarus was disqualified from the contest due to violations of the rules against political entries. The original entry, "Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You)", performed by Galasy ZMesta, was deemed ineligible. BTRC was given the opportunity to submit a new version or a different song, but their replacement entry, "Pesnyu pro zaytsa (Song About Hares)", was also disqualified for the same reasons. As a result, Belarus was absent from the 2021 contest for the first time since its debut.

On 28 May 2021, the EBU voted to suspend BTRC's membership, and the broadcaster was expelled from the EBU on 1 July 2021. The suspension was initially set to last three years, but in April 2024, the EBU declared that there was "no reason to change [its] position at the current time," making the suspension indefinite. This means that Belarusian broadcasters will remain excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest and will be unable to obtain rights for certain shows transmitted on the Eurovision network.

Belarus's Junior Eurovision success

Belarus has never won the Eurovision Song Contest, but it has achieved great success in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, winning the competition in 2005 and 2007. The country hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in the capital, Minsk, in 2010 and 2018.

Belarus has participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest every year since its inception in 2003 until 2020. The Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC) has been responsible for the selection process of its participants since its debut. The country was one of two countries to have never missed an edition of the contest, along with the Netherlands, until the broadcaster was expelled from the EBU in 2021.

In 2005, Belarus took home the top prize with Ksenia Sitnik's performance of the song "My vmeste". This was followed by another win in 2007, with Alexey Zhigalkovich's performance of the song "S druz'yami".

Belarus has a strong track record in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, having participated in every edition since 2003 and achieving two first-place finishes. The country's success in the competition has made it a popular event in Belarus, with high viewing figures and interest from the public.

In addition to its wins, Belarus has also achieved other notable placements in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. In 2019, Liza Misnikova represented Belarus with the song "Pepelny (Ashen)" and took 11th place with 114 points. Belarus also placed fourth in the inaugural contest in 2003, with Volha Satsiuk's performance of the song "Tantsuy", scoring 103 points.

Belarus's Eurovision voting and points

Belarus has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 16 times since its debut in 2004. The country's first appearance in a final was in 2007, with the song "Work Your Magic" performed by Dmitry Koldun, where it placed sixth. This remains Belarus' only top-ten placement.

Belarus has qualified for the final six times: in 2007 with "Work Your Magic", in 2010 with "Butterflies", in 2013 with "Solayoh", in 2014 with "Cheesecake", in 2017 with "Story of My Life", and in 2019 with "Like It".

In 2019, Belarus placed tenth in the semi-final, receiving a total of 122 points: 44 points from televoting and 78 points from the juries. In the final, Belarus placed 24th out of 26 participating countries, scoring 31 points: 13 points from televoting and 18 points from the juries.

Belarus was expelled from the 2021 contest due to the political nature of their song's lyrics, which mocked the Belarusian pro-democracy movement. The country has been unable to participate in the contest since 1 July 2021, following the suspension of the Belarusian Television and Radio Company's (BTRC) membership in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Frequently asked questions