Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020

{{main|Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest}}

Prior to the 2020 Contest, Georgia had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest thirteen times since their first entry in 2007.{{cite web |title=Georgia Country Profile |url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/by-country/country?country=50 |access-date=20 November 2014 |publisher=EBU}} The nation's highest placing in the contest, to this point, has been ninth place, which was achieved on two occasions: in 2010 with the song "Shine" performed by Sofia Nizharadze and in 2011 with the song "One More Day" performed by Eldrine. The nation briefly withdrew from the contest in 2009 after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) rejected the Georgian entry, "We Don't Wanna Put In", for perceived political references to Vladimir Putin who was the Russian Prime Minister at the time.{{cite web |last=Bakker |first=Sietse |date=10 March 2009 |title=Georgian song lyrics do not comply with Rules |url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=1993 |access-date=20 November 2014 |publisher=Eurovision.tv}}{{cite web |last=Jonze |first=Tim |date=11 March 2009 |title=Eurovision 2009: Georgia pulls out of contest over 'Putin song' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/mar/11/georgia-eurovision-song-contest-2009 |access-date=20 November 2014 |work=The Guardian}} The withdrawal and fallout was tied to tense relations between Georgia and then host country Russia, which stemmed from the 2008 Russo-Georgian War.{{cite web |date=19 February 2009 |title=Putin jibe picked for Eurovision |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7899014.stm |access-date=20 November 2014 |work=BBC News}} Following the introduction of semi-finals, Georgia has, to this point, failed to qualify to the final on five occasions. In {{Escyr|2019}}, Georgia failed to qualify to the final with the song "Keep On Going" performed by Oto Nemsadze.

The Georgian national broadcaster, Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB), broadcasts the event within Georgia and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. GPB confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest on 9 June 2019.{{Cite web |last=Farren |first=Neil |date=9 June 2019 |title=Georgia: Eurovision 2020 Participation Confirmed |url=https://eurovoix.com/2019/06/09/georgia-eurovision-2020-participation-confirmed/ |access-date=3 March 2022 |website=Eurovoix}} Georgia has selected their entry for the Eurovision Song Contest both through national finals and internal selections in the past. In 2019, the Georgian entry was selected via the reality television show Georgian Idol. For their 2020 participation, the artist was selected through Georgian Idol, while the song was selected internally by the broadcaster.

The Georgian artist for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was selected through the ninth season of Georgian Idol, the Georgian version of the reality television singing competition format Idols created by Simon Fuller. The competition premiered on 26 October 2019 and concluded with a final on 31 December 2019. All shows in the competition were hosted by Ruska Makashvili with the live shows taking place at the Tbilisi Concert Hall in Tbilisi, broadcast on the GPB First Channel as well as online at the broadcaster's website 1tv.ge.{{Cite web |last=Maude |first=James |date=9 November 2019 |title=Ten finalists announced after third audition round on Georgian Idol |url=https://www.escunited.com/ten-finalists-announced-after-third-audition-round-on-georgian-idol/ |website=escunited.com}}

A four-member judging panel determined the contestants that would advance to the live shows and commented on the contestants' performances during the live shows. The judging panel consisted of:{{cite web |date=1 October 2019 |title=Georgian Idol jury revealed ahead of Eurovision 2020 selection |url=https://escxtra.com/2019/10/01/georgian-idol-jury-revealed-ahead-of-eurovision-2020-selection/ |access-date=30 October 2019 |archive-date=29 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029162522/https://escxtra.com/2019/10/01/georgian-idol-jury-revealed-ahead-of-eurovision-2020-selection/ |url-status=dead }}

• Tinatin Berdzenishvili – Director General of GPB and Head of EBU Gender Balance Initiative{{cite web |title=Tinatin Berdzenishvili - IBC2020 - The world's most influential media, entertainment & technology show |url=https://show.ibc.org/speakers19/tinatin-berdzenishvili |access-date=30 October 2019 |archive-date=8 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108100325/https://show.ibc.org/speakers19/tinatin-berdzenishvili |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |date=4 April 2019 |title=Tinatin Berdzenishvili appointed as the head of EBU Gender Balance Initiative |url=https://1tv.ge/en/news/tinatin-berdzenishvili-appointed-as-the-head-of-ebu-gender-balance-initiative/ |access-date=30 October 2019}}
• David Evgenidze – Songwriter and music producer of the GPB First Channel
• Natia Todua – Singer
• {{ill|David Aladashvili|ka|დავით ალადაშვილი}} – Pianist{{cite web |title=David Aladashvili, piano - LPR |url=https://lpr.com/lpr_artists/david-aladashvili-piano-opus-13/ |access-date=30 October 2019}}

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GPB opened a public application from 26 July 2019 until 15 September 2019, with applicants attending preliminary auditions held in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi. Following the audition shows in front of the judging panel, aired between 26 October 2019 and 9 November 2019, 36 contestants were shortlisted and the judges selected the top ten contestants that would progress to the live shows, which were announced on 10 November 2019.{{Cite web |title=Tornike Kipiani (Georgia) |url=https://esckaz.com/2020/geo.htm |access-date=3 March 2022 |website=ESCKAZ}}{{Cite web |date=10 November 2019 |title="საქართველოს ვარსკვლავის" ფინალური ათეული |url=https://1tv.ge/video/saqartvelos-varskvlavis-finaluri-ateuli-3/ |access-date=3 March 2022 |website=1TV |language=ka}}

One contestant was eliminated during each of the first six live shows between 16 November 2019 and 21 December 2019.{{Cite web |last=Walpole |first=Natalie |date=12 November 2019 |title=10 contestants qualify to Georgian Idol live shows |url=https://escxtra.com/2019/11/12/10-contestants-qualify-to-georgian-idol-live-shows/ |access-date=3 March 2022 |website=escXtra}} The results of the live shows were determined exclusively by a public vote through televoting and voting via Facebook messenger.

Each of the four remaining contestants performed during the final live show on 31 December 2019. The winner, Tornike Kipiani, was determined exclusively by a public vote through televoting and voting via Facebook messenger.{{Cite web |last=Petersen |first=Christian |date=31 December 2019 |title=Georgia: Tornike Kipiani to Eurovision 2020 |url=https://eurovisionworld.com/esc/georgia-tornike-kipiani-to-eurovision-2020 |access-date=3 March 2022 |website=eurovisionworld.com}}{{Cite web |last=Mamsikashvili |first=Rezo |date=31 December 2019 |title=Poll results: Tamar Kakalashvili is your favourite to win Georgian Idol 2020 |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2019/12/31/poll-results-tamar-kakalashvili-is-your-favourite-to-win-georgian-idol-2020/247165/ |access-date=3 March 2022 |website=Wiwibloggs}}

Tornike Kipiani's song was internally selected by a five-member expert commission consisting of Giorgi Asanishvili, Lana Kutateladze, Davit Evgenidze, Natia Mshvenieradze and Natia Uznadze. Kipiani worked with Georgian producer Aleko Berdzenishvili to record the selected song at the Bravo Records Studios in Tbilisi.{{Cite web |date=4 March 2020 |title=Tornike Kipiani's song and video clip is published on Eurovision's official Youtube page |url=http://bravorecords.ge/studio/eng/news?info=635 |access-date=3 March 2022 |website=Bravo Records}} The song "Take Me as I Am", written and composed by Tornike Kipiani himself, premiered on 3 March 2020 together with the music video on the GPB First Channel programme {{lang|ka-latn|Akhali dghe|italics=yes}}, hosted by Helen Kalandadze.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=4 March 2020 |title=ევროვიზიის ოფიციალურ YouTube-გვერდზე თორნიკე ყიფიანის სიმღერამ ერთ დღეში 139 000-ზე მეტი ნახვა დააგროვა |url=https://1tv.ge/news/evroviziis-oficialur-youtube-gverdze-tornike-yifianis-simgheram-ert-dgheshi-139-000-ze-meti-nakhva-daagrova/ |access-date=3 March 2022 |website=1TV |language=ka}} The music video was directed by Temo Kvirkvelia.{{Cite web |date=3 March 2020 |title=Georgia releases Tornike Kipiani's song 'Take Me As I Am' |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/georgia-national-selection-georgian-idol |access-date=3 March 2022 |website=eurovision.tv}}

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 28 January 2020, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. Georgia was placed into the second semi-final, which was to be held on 14 May 2020, and was scheduled to perform in the second half of the show.{{cite web |last=Groot |first=Evert |date=28 January 2020 |title=Which country performs in which Eurovision 2020 Semi-Final |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/host-city-insignia-exchange-semi-final-allocation-draw-2020 |access-date=28 January 2020 |website=eurovision.tv |publisher=European Broadcasting Union}} However, due to 2019-20 pandemic of Coronavirus, the contest was cancelled.

During the Eurovision Song Celebration YouTube broadcast in place of the semi-finals, it was revealed that Georgia was set to perform in position 16, following the entry from Portugal and before the entry from Bulgaria.{{Cite web |author=Eurovision Song Contest |date=14 May 2020 |title=Part two of Eurovision Song Celebration |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/part-two-of-the-eurovision-song-celebration |access-date=3 June 2020}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/user/GeorgianStarR2/videos|Official Georgian Idol YouTube channel] (in Georgian)
• [https://1tv.ge/en/eurovision/ Official Georgia in Eurovision website]
• [https://1tv.ge/show/saqartvelos-varskvlavi/ Official Georgian Idol website] (in Georgian)

{{Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest}}

{{Eurovision Song Contest 2020}}

2020

Category:Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020

Eurovision