Ukraine are favourites to win Eurovision 2022 with protest vote against Russian invasion
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is set to be “extremely political.” See who is leading the betting to win.
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Eurovision fans will serve up a protest vote against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, backing the Kalush Orchestra and their stirring rap folk song Stefania to win the 2022 contest in Italy.
As the 40 competing artists rehearse for the singing Olympics in Turin – with Russia banned from the stage this year – Ukraine are the firm favourites with betting agencies, ahead of host country Italy’s Mahmood and Blanco and Sweden’s Cordelia Jakobs.
“We feel a big responsibility, since we received permits to leave Ukraine to be here. We have a duty to be useful to our country at this moment,” Kalush Orchestra said in a statement after arriving in Italy.
Eurovision organisers have always struggled to minimise the politics of partisan voting blocs and protests at the world’s biggest singing competition, which began 66 years ago as a cultural diplomatic mission to unite disparate European nations.
Kalush Orchestra was a last-minute replacement for the Ukrainian selection show winner Alina Pash, who withdrew during an investigation of a trip she made to the disputed territory of Crimea, an area Russia seized control of in 2014.
One of Kalush Orchestra’s members had to be replaced as he is fighting in the Kyiv defence forces. Their song Stefania has been adopted by besieged Ukrainians as an homage to their motherland and has generated millions of streams, video views and TikTok clips.
Australia’s entrant Sheldon Riley, who won the Australia Decides selection show with his song Not The Same, said this year’s event would be “extremely political.”
“It would be incredible if Ukraine won this competition,” he said.
“It would be such a such a voice for so many people who need hope right now, and that was what the contest was made for … and there’s no country that deserves the love and hope the contest brings than Ukraine.”
While the public vote will be sentimentally weighted in favour of the war-torn country, the official jury vote from each competing nation, which determines 50 per cent of the result, focuses on the performances – with a dash of partisan points for buddy countries.
One of Australia’s allies since we were invited to compete in 2015, represented by Guy Sebastian in Austria, is Sweden.
Longtime Eurovision creative director and television producer Paul Clarke believes the Swedish, Italian and Spanish artists are strong rivals to Ukraine.
“I think this year is about people wanting to support Ukraine on stage and the crowd will go wild for that amazing moment,” he said. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean they will win.
“The Italian entry is one of the strongest in recent years – even with (Italian act) Maneskin winning last year – and it’s the same with Sweden, Cordelia’s song has such a memorable melody.
“Slo-Mo by Chanel is the best Spanish entry since the sixties.”
The 2022 Eurovision Song Contest airs on SBS.
Semi-final 1 is on May 11 at 5am and repeated on May 13 at 8.30pm.
Semi-final 2, featuring Sheldon Riley, airs on May 13 at 5am and repeated on May 14 at 8.30pm.
The Grand Final airs on May 15 at 5am and repeated at 7.30pm.
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Originally published as Ukraine are favourites to win Eurovision 2022 with protest vote against Russian invasion
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