Will there be a shock winner at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest?
The Eurovision Song Contest is one of the most popular annual events that takes place across Europe. Over 180 million people tuned into the 2019 contest, which was won by the Netherlands. The final of the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest final takes place on 22nd May in Rotterdam, where thirty-nine countries will take part in the live-streamed musical event.
The current favorites to win in 2021
There are a few acts that will be confident of winning the final, with the Eurovision song contest odds placing Malta as 4/1 favorite to win, who will be represented by their act, Destiny. They have never won the contest before but have finished in 2nd place on two occasions. Despite being the favorites, Malta will have to navigate a semi-final before they reach the main stage.
The second favorites to win are France, who are at 5/1 odds. Unlike the predicted winners, France has won the contest on five occasions, however, they haven’t won it since 1977. Switzerland, Italy, and Bulgaria will also perhaps all fancy their chances of winning this year as well.
Will 2021 see a shock winner?
The United Kingdom hasn’t seen a Eurovision winner since 1997 – on that occasion, Katrina and the Waves won with the song “Love, Shine a Light.” The UK’s representation in 2021 will be James Newman, a singer-songwriter who has had a successful career in the industry – though many bookmakers believe that he is unlikely to win.
Ireland is also seen as huge outsiders to win, but they are actually the most successful country in Eurovision’s history. They have won the competition on seven occasions, with the last success coming in 1996.
A previous shock winner
The 2011 edition was won by Azerbaijan, and it was seen as a huge shock at the time. This was their first success in the competition, having only entered for the first time four years previously.
How many times has the host nation won Eurovision?
The host nation of the final has won Eurovision on seven occasions. The last time this occurred was in 1994 when the competition was won by Ireland. Looking back towards the upcoming contest, the Netherlands are, however, seen as huge outsiders to win.
A further brief history of Eurovision winners
The first edition of the contest was held in 1956. On that occasion, it was won by Switzerland. In 1969, four countries won the contest, which was the first and only time in which there were joint winners, all garnering the same score from international judges and the public vote. The United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, and France all came in first place that year.
A few years later, in 1974, ABBA won their contest, and the Swedish pop group would go on to become music icons. Their winning song “Waterloo” is still popular all over the world.
There are several other countries that are yet to taste success in Eurovision. This list includes Iceland, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Will the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest see a first-time winner?
