Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020

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

Prior to the 2020 Contest, Serbia had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest twelve times since its first entry in 2007, winning the contest with their debut entry "{{lang|sr-latn|Molitva|italics=no}}" performed by Marija Šerifović.{{cite web|title=Serbia Country Profile|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/by-country/country?country=51|access-date=3 October 2014|publisher=EBU}} Since 2007, nine out of twelve of Serbia's entries have featured in the final with the nation failing to qualify in 2009, 2013 and 2017. Serbia's 2019 entry "{{lang|sr-latn|Kruna|italics=no}}" performed by Nevena Božović qualified to the final and placed eighteenth.

The Serbian national broadcaster, Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), broadcasts the event within Serbia and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. RTS confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest on 25 July 2019.{{cite news|last1=Jiandani|first1=Sanjay|date=25 July 2019|title=Serbia:RTS confirms participation in Eurovision 2020|url=http://esctoday.com/176944/serbia-rts-confirms-participation-in-eurovision-2020/|access-date=25 July 2019|newspaper=Eurovision News, Polls and Information by Esctoday|publisher=esctoday.com}} Between 2007 and 2009, Serbia used the {{lang|sr-latn|Beovizija}} national final in order to select their entry. However, after their 2009 entry, "{{lang|sr-latn|Cipela|italics=no}}" performed by Marko Kon and Milaan, failed to qualify Serbia to the final, the broadcaster shifted their selection strategy to selecting specific composers to create songs for artists. In 2010, RTS selected Goran Bregović to compose songs for a national final featuring three artists, while in 2011 Kornelije Kovač, Aleksandra Kovač and Kristina Kovač were tasked with composing one song each. In 2012, the internal selection of Željko Joksimović and the song "{{lang|sr-latn|Nije ljubav stvar|italics=no}}" secured the country's second highest placing in the contest to this point, placing third. In 2013, RTS returned to an open national final format and organized the Beosong competition. The winning entry, "{{lang|sr-latn|Ljubav je svuda|italics=no}}" performed by Moje 3, failed to qualify Serbia to the final at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest. In 2015, RTS selected Vladimir Graić, the composer of Serbia's 2007 Eurovision Song Contest winning entry "{{lang|sr-latn|Molitva|italics=no}}", to compose songs for a national final featuring three artists.{{cite web|date=26 September 2014|script-title=sr:Србија поново на „Песми Евровизије“|url=http://www.rts.rs/page/magazine/ci/story/421/%D0%9C%D1%83%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0/1707585/%D0%A1%D1%80%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0+%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE+%D0%BD%D0%B0+%E2%80%9E%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%B8+%D0%95%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B5%E2%80%9C.html|access-date=3 October 2014|work=RTS|language=sr}} RTS internally selected the Serbian entries in 2016 and 2017 with the decision made by RTS music editors.{{cite web|date=26 September 2014|script-title=sr:Србија поново на „Песми Евровизије“|url=http://www.rts.rs/page/magazine/ci/story/421/%D0%9C%D1%83%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0/1707585/%D0%A1%D1%80%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0+%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE+%D0%BD%D0%B0+%E2%80%9E%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%B8+%D0%95%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B5%E2%80%9C.html|access-date=3 October 2014|work=RTS|language=sr}} In 2018 and 2019, RTS returned to using the {{lang|sr-latn|Beovizija}} national final in order to select their entry, managing to qualify every year to the final since.

{{lang|sr-latn|Beovizija 2020}} was the tenth edition of the {{lang|sr-latn|Beovizija}} national final organised by RTS in order to select the Serbian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. The competition simultaneously celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest 1990, the only hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest by the former Yugoslav Radio Television.{{Cite web|title=Beovizija 2020: Grupa "Hurricane" odnela ubedljivu i očekivanu pobedu|url=https://evrovizija.rs/2020/03/02/beovizija-2020-grupa-hurricane-odnela-ubedljivu-i-ocekivanu-pobedu/|access-date=2020-03-03|website=evrovizija.rs|date=March 2020 }} The selection consisted of two semi-finals featuring twelve songs each to be held on 28 and 29 February 2020, respectively, and a final featuring twelve songs to be held on 1 March 2020. All shows were hosted by Dragana Kosjerina and Jovan Radomir with backstage interviews conducted by Kristina Radenković and Stefan Popović.{{Cite web|title=Eurovision 2020 - Hurricane (Serbia / Сербия)|url=https://esckaz.com/2020/ser.htm|access-date=24 September 2021|website=ESCKAZ}} The three shows were broadcast on RTS1 and RTS Planeta as well as streamed online via the broadcaster's website rts.rs.{{Cite web|last=Serbia|first=RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of|title=На "Беовизији" сусрешће се шведска зима и аустралијско лето|url=http://www.rts.rs/page/rts/ci/%D0%95%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B3/%D0%95%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B3+2020/story/3116/beovizija-2020/3841223/beovizija-2020-voditelji-jovan-radomir-stefan-popovic.html|access-date=2020-02-10|website=www.rts.rs}}

Artists and songwriters were able to submit their entries between 28 August 2019 and 9 December 2019. Artists were required to be Serb citizens and submit entries in one of the official languages of the Republic of Serbia, while songwriters of any nationality were allowed to submit songs. At the closing of the deadline, 90 submissions were received.{{Cite web|last=Serbia|first=RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of|title=Отворен конкурс за српску композицију на „Евросонгу 2020" |url=https://www.rts.rs/rts/pesma-evrovizije/pesma-evrovizije-2020/beovizija-2020/3642006/otvoren-konkurs-za-srpsku-kompoziciju-na-evrosongu-2020.html |access-date=2024-01-14 |date=2019-08-28 |website=www.rts.rs}}{{cite web|last=Emily|first=Herbert|date=23 December 2019|title=Serbia: 90 songs submitted for Beovizija 2020|url=https://eurovoix.com/2019/12/23/serbia-90-songs-beovizija-2020/|access-date=23 December 2019|work=eurovoix.com|language=en}} A selection committee consisting of RTS music editors reviewed the submissions and selected twenty-four entries to proceed to the national final. The selected competing entries were announced on 9 January 2020 and among the competing artists was Sanja Vučić (as part of the group Hurricane) who represented Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016.{{Cite web|last=Serbia|first=RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of|title=Beovizija 2020: U izboru za srpsku pesmu 24 kompozicije|url=https://www.rts.rs/rts/pesma-evrovizije/pesma-evrovizije-2020/beovizija-2020/3804218/beovizija-2020-u-izboru-za-srpsku-pesmu-24-kompozicije.html|access-date=2024-01-06|website=www.rts.rs}}

Two semi-finals took place at the Studio 8 of RTS in Košutnjak, Belgrade on 28 and 29 February 2020. In each semi-final twelve songs competed and six qualifiers for the final were decided by a combination of votes from a jury panel consisting of Aleksandar Ristić (evrovizija.rs journalist), Natalija Milosavljević (Radio S music editor), Dragoslav Stanisavljević (musician), Ana Štajdohar (singer) and Dragoljub Ilić (composer), and the Serbian public via SMS voting.{{Cite web|last=Serbia|first=RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of|title=Беовизија 2020: Објављене су песме и редослед наступа у полуфиналима|url=http://www.rts.rs/page/rts/ci/%D0%95%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B3/%D0%95%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B3+2020/story/3116/beovizija-2020/3841104/beovizija-2020-objavljene-su-pesme-i-redosled-nastupa-u-polufinalima.html|access-date=2020-02-06|website=www.rts.rs}}

In addition to the competing entries, other performanced featured during the shows. In semi-final 1, former Eurovision contestants Extra Nena, who represented Yugoslavia in 1992, Milan Stanković, who represented Serbia in 2010, Maya Sar, who represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2012, and Tijana Bogićević, who represented Serbia in 2017, were featured as guest performers during the show.{{Cite web|last=Vesković|first=Đorđe|date=28 February 2020|title=Beovizija 2020: Prvi finalisti su…|url=https://evrovizija.rs/2020/02/28/beovizija-2020-prvi-finalisti-su/|access-date=25 September 2021|website=ESC Serbia|language=Serbian}} In semi-final 2, former Eurovision contestants Bebi Dol, who represented Yugoslavia in 1991, Nevena Božović, who represented Serbia in 2013 as member of the group Moje 3 and in 2019, Tijana Dapčević, who represented Macedonia in 2014, and Sanja Ilić and Balkanika, which represented Serbia in 2018, were featured as guest performers during the show.{{Cite web|last=Jukić|first=Svetlana|date=1 March 2020|title=Beovizija 2020: Kompletirana lista finalista|url=https://evrovizija.rs/2020/03/01/beovizija-2020-kompletirana-lista-finalista/|access-date=25 September 2021|website=ESC Serbia|language=Serbian}}

The final took place at the Studio 8 of RTS in Košutnjak, Belgrade on 1 March 2020 and featured the twelve qualifiers from the preceding two semi-finals. The winner, "Hasta la vista" performed by Hurricane, was decided by a combination of votes from a jury panel consisting of Nevena Božović (represented Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 as part of Moje 3 and in 2019), Aleksandra Milutinović (composer), Milan Đurđević (musician), Aleksandra Kovač (singer) and Dragan Brajović (composer), and the Serbian public via SMS voting.{{Cite web|last=Serbia|first=RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of|title=Друго полуфинале "Беовизије 2020" – изабрани сви финалисти|url=https://www.rts.rs/page/rts/ci/%D0%95%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B3/%D0%95%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B3+2020/story/3116/beovizija-2020/3871147/drugo-polufinale-beovizije-2020-neka-takmicenje-pocne.html|access-date=2020-03-01|website=www.rts.rs}} Former Eurovision contestants Hari Mata Hari, who represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2006, Marija Šerifović, who won the contest for Serbia in 2007, Mladen Lukić, which represented Serbia in 2018 as part of the group Balkanika, and singers Ivana Vladović and Olga Popović were featured as guest performers during the show.{{Cite web|last=Vesković|first=Đorđe|date=2 March 2020|title=Beovizija 2020: Grupa "Hurricane" odnela ubedljivu i očekivanu pobedu|url=https://evrovizija.rs/2020/03/02/beovizija-2020-grupa-hurricane-odnela-ubedljivu-i-ocekivanu-pobedu/|access-date=25 September 2021|website=ESC Serbia|language=Serbian}}

File:Харикејн са наградом ОГАЕ Србије.jpg

File:Награда ОГАЕ Србије - плакета.jpg

Following the event, the fan organisation OGAE Serbia voted on the best song at {{lang|sr-latn|Beovizija }} 2020 as decided by association members. The award was won by the winning song "{{lang|es|Hasta la vista|i=no}}" with 149 points. Second place, with 103 points, came from the song "{{lang|sr-latn|Oči Meduze|i=no}}" by Andrija Jo, while third place went to Thea Devy and her song "{{lang|sr-latn|Sudnji dan|i=no}}" with 84 points. Andrija Jo was also the winner of the OGAE Second Chance, which was awarded after a round of voting with all entries, not including the winning song of the event.{{cite web | url=http://www.evropesma.org/2020/03/nagrada-ogae-srbije-pripala-je-grupi-hurricane-andrija-jo-i-pesma-oci-meduze-predstavljace-ogae-srbiju-na-ogae-second-chance/ | title=Nagrada OGAE Srbije pripala je grupi Hurricane! Andrija Jo i pesma "Oči Meduze" predstavljaće OGAE Srbiju na OGAE Second Chance | OGAE Serbia :: Vaš evrovizijski svet }}

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. Serbia was placed into the second semi-final, to be held on 14 May 2020, and was scheduled to perform in the first 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 Serbia was set to perform in position 7, following the entry from Czech Republic and before the entry from Poland.{{Cite news|author=Eurovision Song Contest|date=14 May 2020|title=Part two of Eurovision Song Celebration|newspaper=Eurovision Song Contest |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/part-two-of-the-eurovision-song-celebration|access-date=3 June 2020}} Whilst footage from the music video shoot was shown before the song was broadcast on Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, the excerpt of the song aired was from the Beovizija performance.{{cite web |author1=Eurovision Song Contest |title=Shine a Light 2020 songs - part 2 |url=https://eurovision.tv/video/the-songs-of-2020-part-2-eurovision-europe-shine-a-light |website=Eurovision Song Contest |access-date=4 June 2020 |date=17 May 2020}}

Jelena Karleusa later performed "Hasta la vista" alongside the group during an online concert later in May 2020.{{cite web |last1=Adams |first1=William Lee |title=Jelena Karleusa sings Hasta La Vista with Hurricane |date=25 May 2020 |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2020/05/25/jelena-karleusa-sings-hasta-la-vista-alongside-hurricane-during-youbox-online-concert/254666/}} An English language version of "Hasta la vista" was also subsequently released in May 2020.{{cite web |last1=Adams |first1=William Lee |title=Hasta La Vista English version lyrics |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2020/05/05/hasta-la-vista-lyrics-hurricane-english-version/253990/ |website=Wiwibloggs |access-date=4 June 2020 |date=5 May 2020}}

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• {{URL|http://www.rts.rs/page/rts/ci/rtspredstavlja/story/266/najnovije/3383071/beovizija-2019-u-izboru-za-srpsku-pesmu-24-kompozicije.html|Official RTS Eurovision site}}

{{Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest}}

{{Eurovision Song Contest 2020}}

{{Beovizija}}

2020

Category:Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020

Eurovision