Azerbaijan's Eurovision Success: Secrets Behind The Glory

Azerbaijan has a strong record in the Eurovision Song Contest, having placed in the top ten seven times since its debut in 2008. The country won the contest in 2011 with the song Running Scared, performed by Ell and Nikki, and has since achieved consistent success, with five consecutive top-five results between 2009 and 2013. Azerbaijan's performance in the contest has become a matter of national pride, with the country investing significant resources into their participation and even issuing a postage stamp to commemorate their 2011 win.

Azerbaijan's debut in 2008

Azerbaijan made its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008, the last country in the Caucasus to do so. The country is known as the 'Land of Fire' and is home to the world's first oil well, dug in the mid-1800s.

Azerbaijan's first entry was "Day After Day", written by Govhar Hasanzadeh and Zahra Badalbeyli, and performed by Elnur and Samir. The song was selected through a national final titled 'Land of Fire 2008', organised by the Azerbaijani broadcaster İctimai Television (İTV). The competition took place on 2 February 2008, with Elnur Hüseynov selected as the winner by a jury. The song "Day After Day" was then internally selected and announced on 8 February, with Samir Javadzadeh joining Elnur as a duet partner.

Azerbaijan was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on 20 May 2008, performing in position 7. "Day After Day" was one of the 10 qualifying entries, with Azerbaijan placing sixth out of 19 participating countries in the semi-final with 96 points. In the final, Azerbaijan performed in position 20 and placed eighth out of 25 participating countries, scoring 132 points.

Elnur and Samir's performance featured the duo dressed as an angel and devil, symbolising the eternal dialogue between good and evil. They performed with four dancers, with Samir performing on a throne that fell apart towards the end of the song. Pyrotechnic effects were also incorporated into the performance.

Azerbaijan's debut at Eurovision in 2008 proved to be a success, sparking a series of triumphs for the country.

Ell and Nikki's win in 2011

Azerbaijan's first Eurovision win came in 2011, with the song "Running Scared" by Ell and Nikki. Ell and Nikki were the first mixed-gender duo to win the contest since 1963 and the first winners from Azerbaijan.

"Running Scared" was composed by Stefan Örn and Sandra Bjurman from Sweden, along with Iain Farquharson from the United Kingdom. The music was composed by Örn, Bjurman, and Farquharson, while the lyrics were written by Örn and Bjurman. The song was selected by İctimai Television (İTV) from around 70 submissions, and Ell and Nikki were chosen as performers through Milli Seçim Turu 2011, a national selection competition.

Ell and Nikki performed "Running Scared" in the first semi-final of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on May 10, 2011, in Düsseldorf, Germany. They performed in position 18, following Lithuania's "C'est ma vie" by Evelina Sašenko and preceding Greece's "Watch My Dance" by Loukas Yorkas feat. Stereo Mike. They qualified for the final, placing second out of 19 countries in the semi-final with 122 points.

In the final, Ell and Nikki performed "Running Scared" again in position 19, following Austria's "The Secret Is Love" by Nadine Beiler and preceding Slovenia's "No One" by Maja Keuc. They received 221 points, placing first out of 25 countries and winning the contest. "Running Scared" set a new record for the lowest average score on a Eurovision winner, earning 5.26 points per jury and breaking the previous record held by "My Number One" by Helena Paparizou in 2005.

Following their win, Ell and Nikki travelled to various European countries to perform their winning entry. They also received the "Peace and Friendship Award" in Zonguldak's Ereğli district for carrying a Turkish flag onstage during the final scene. Azerbaijan issued a postage stamp commemorating their victory, and the duo became the official faces of Nar Mobile, one of Azerbaijan's mobile communication providers.

Azerbaijan's popularity and national pride

The contest holds significant importance for Azerbaijan, as it became a matter of "national pride" after consistently placing in the top 10 since its debut. This pride was further emphasised when Azerbaijan hosted the competition in 2012, spending a record-breaking ₼300 million (€160 million) on the event, including constructing a new arena. The country's commitment to the contest is evident through its consistent placement as the most-watched show on Azerbaijani television, despite the time difference resulting in a midnight broadcast.

The Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliyev, demonstrated the high regard for the competition in 2013 when he launched an inquiry into the country's failure to award Russia any points in the final. This inquiry underscores the weight that Azerbaijan places on its participation and performance in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Since its debut, Azerbaijan has participated in the contest 16 times, showcasing a combination of local talent and international collaborations. The country's dedication to the competition and its success have fostered a sense of national pride, with the country celebrating its achievements and investing significantly in its continued participation.

Azerbaijan's selection process

In the past, Azerbaijan has used internal selections for both the artist and song, as well as national finals to select their artist, followed by an internal selection for the song. From 2011 to 2013, Azerbaijan organised a national final called Milli Seçim Turu to select the performer, song, or both for Eurovision. In 2014, the broadcaster used a talent show format called Böyük Səhnə, where the winning performer was given an internally selected song.

Since 2015, the broadcaster has internally selected both the artist and song that represented Azerbaijan. This procedure was used to select the 2023 entry, "Tell Me More" by the duo TuralTuranX. The selection of the artist and song was based on the decision of İTV and a focus group, with "Tell Me More" chosen from over 200 submissions from local and international songwriters.

For the 2024 contest, Azerbaijan initially shortlisted 15 artists, which was narrowed down to six finalists following live auditions and jury voting. The six finalists were Emy Lia, Ilkin Dovlatov & Etibar Asadli & Mila Miles, AISEL, Fahree, Qorqud, and Sabina Guluzadeh. The broadcaster did not initially reveal the songs of these finalists, instead giving the artists time to prepare before presenting their entries to the Eurovision audience.

Azerbaijan's spending on hosting in 2012

Azerbaijan's debut at Eurovision in 2008 was successful, and the country has since achieved a string of consecutive top-five results. The contest has become a matter of "national pride" in Azerbaijan, with the country's president, Ilham Aliyev, launching an inquiry in 2013 after Azerbaijan failed to award Russia any points in the final.

Azerbaijan spent ₼300 million (€160 million) on hosting the 2012 contest, which was held in the country's capital, Baku, following their win in 2011. This included the cost of building a completely new arena for the event. As of 2024, this is the largest amount of money ever spent by any host country on organising the contest.

The 2012 contest was the 57th edition of Eurovision and the first time Azerbaijan had hosted the competition. It was organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster İctimai Television (İTV). The contest was held at the Baku Crystal Hall and consisted of two semi-finals and a grand final.

Forty-two countries participated in the 2012 contest, with Sweden taking the top spot with the song "Euphoria", performed by Loreen. The lead-up to the contest was met with political concerns and protests surrounding the host country, including its human rights record and allegations of forced evictions in the construction of the contest venue.

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