- Dates – Grand Final: Saturday, 26 May 2012 – 21:00 CEST
- Host – Venue & Location: Crystal Hall (Bakı Kristal Zalı, Baku Crystal Hall), Baku, 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
- Presenter (s): Leyla Guliyeva (Leyla Mutallim qizi Guliyeva – Aliyeva, Leyla Mütəllim qızı Quliyeva – Əliyeva), Eldar ‘Ell’ Gasımov (Eldar “Ell” Parviz oglu Gasimov, Eldar Pərviz oğlu Qasımov) e Nargiz Birk-Peterson (Nargiz Ilgar qizi Birk-Petersen – Abbaszadeh; Nərgiz İlqar qızı Abbaszadə)
- Musical Director: —
- Director: Ladislaus Kiraly
- Executive Producer: Adil Kerimli
- Executive Supervisor: Jon Ola Sand
- Multicamera Director: Ladislaus Kiraly
- Host broadcaster: İctimai Televiziya və Radio Yayımları Şirkəti (İTV)
- Opening Act: Alim Qasimov performing a short mugham intro followed by traditional Azerbaijani dancers, Ell and Nikki with “Running Scared”.
- Interval Act: Emin Agalarov performed “Never Enough“, a track taken from the album ‘After the Thunder’.
- Motto: Light your fire! (Öz məşəlini alovlandır!)
- Participants – Number of entries: 42: Final 26 [🇫🇷 France (52ª), 🇮🇸 Iceland (25ª), 🇷🇺 Russia (15ª), 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan (5ª), 🇲🇩 Moldova (8ª), 🇩🇰 Denmark (41ª), 🇩🇪 Germany (52ª), 🇺🇦 Ukraine (10ª), 🇷🇴 Romania (14ª), 🇬🇧 United Kindom (51ª), 🇪🇸 Spain (48ª), 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina (17ª), 🇷🇸 Serbia (7ª), 🇮🇪 Ireland (43ª), 🇬🇷 Greece (31ª), 🇱🇹 Lithuania (13ª), 🇭🇺 Hungary (10ª), 🇸🇪 Sweden (49ª), 🇪🇪 Estonia (17ª), 🇮🇹 Italy (35ª), 🇦🇱 Albania (9ª), 🇨🇾 Cyprus (30ª), 🇳🇴 Norway (48ª), 🇹🇷 Turkey (33ª), 🇲🇹 Malta (24ª), 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia (12ª)]; First Semi-Final 18 [🇮🇸 Iceland (25ª), 🇫🇮 Finland (43ª), 🇦🇱 Albania (9ª), 🇬🇷 Greece (31ª), 🇷🇺 Russia (15ª), 🇨🇭 Switzerland (51ª), 🇭🇺 Hungary (10ª), 🇲🇪 Montenegro (4ª), 🇱🇻 Latvia (12ª), 🇷🇴 Romania (14ª), 🇧🇪 Belgium (51ª), 🇮🇱 Israel (31ª), 🇸🇲 San Marino (3ª), 🇨🇾 Cyprus (30ª), 🇩🇰 Denmark (41ª), 🇦🇹 Austria (44ª), 🇲🇩 Moldova (8ª), 🇮🇪 Ireland (43ª)]; Second Semi-Final 18 [🇸🇮 Slovenia (17ª), 🇺🇦 Ukraine (10ª), 🇳🇱 The Netherlands (50ª), 🇸🇪 Sweden (49ª), 🇧🇬 Bulgaria (8ª), 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina (17ª), 🇸🇰 Slovakia (7ª), 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia (12ª), 🇪🇪 Estonia (17ª), 🇧🇾 Belarus (9ª), 🇷🇸 Serbia (7ª), 🇲🇹 Malta (24ª), 🇵🇹 Portugal (43ª), 🇭🇷 Croatia (19ª), 🇬🇪 Georgia (5ª), 🇹🇷 Turkey (33ª), 🇳🇴 Norway (48ª), 🇱🇹 Lithuania (13ª)]
- Debuting countries: —
- Return: 🇲🇪 Montenegro (4ª)
- Non-returning countries: 🇦🇲 Armenia (6ª), 🇵🇱 Poland (16ª)
- Vote – Voting system: Each country awarded 12, 10, 8–1 points to their 10 favourite songs.
- Nil Points: —
- Winning song:
“Euphoria” – Loreen – 🇸🇪 Sweden (5ª)
About/Overview. The 2012 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. It is the furthest East that the contest had ever been held. Baku provided a unique setting for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. The slogan for the competition this year was Light Your Fire, which was fitting given that the event was being held in Azerbaijan, the Land of Fire. The United Kingdom sent its oldest ever participant, 76 year old Engelbert Humperdinck, whilst Russia was represented by the Buranovskiye Babushki who had a combined age of more than 500!.
A Euphoric win for Sweden. Sweden’s participant Loreen had been the main favourite ever since she appeared in the widely popular Swedish selection show, Melodifestivalen, earlier that year. Her song Euphoria took Europe by storm and Sweden won the 2012 competition by a landslide. The song went on to be a worldwide hit and reached number one in several countries selling more than two million copies.
Facts and figures. 42 broadcasters took part while initially 43 had signed up. It was the Armenian broadcaster ARMTV which pulled out at the last minute; The ruling champion of the contest, Eldar “Ell” Gasimov also co-hosted the shows in Baku; “Euphoria” received the highest number of 12 points of any entry in the contest’s history with eighteen countries giving the song top marks; Rona Nishliu took one of the highest notes in the history of the contest in her entry “Suus”; The world-famous twins, Jedward took part for the second year in a row for Ireland.
Final.
- Dates – First Semi-Final: Tuesday, 22 May 2012 – 21:00 CEST
- Host – Venue & Location: Crystal Hall (Bakı Kristal Zalı, Baku Crystal Hall), Baku, 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
- Presenter (s): Leyla Guliyeva (Leyla Mutallim qizi Guliyeva – Aliyeva, Leyla Mütəllim qızı Quliyeva – Əliyeva), Eldar ‘Ell’ Gasımov (Eldar “Ell” Parviz oglu Gasimov, Eldar Pərviz oğlu Qasımov) e Nargiz Birk-Peterson (Nargiz Ilgar qizi Birk-Petersen – Abbaszadeh; Nərgiz İlqar qızı Abbaszadə)
- Musical Director: —
- Director: Ladislaus Kiraly
- Executive Producer: Adil Kerimli
- Executive Supervisor: Jon Ola Sand
- Multicamera Director: Ladislaus Kiraly
- Host broadcaster: İctimai Televiziya və Radio Yayımları Şirkəti (İTV)
- Opening Act: —
- Interval Act: Natig Rhythm Group
- Motto: Light your fire! (Öz məşəlini alovlandır!)
- Participants – Number of entries: 42: Final 26 [🇫🇷 France (52ª), 🇮🇸 Iceland (25ª), 🇷🇺 Russia (15ª), 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan (5ª), 🇲🇩 Moldova (8ª), 🇩🇰 Denmark (41ª), 🇩🇪 Germany (52ª), 🇺🇦 Ukraine (10ª), 🇷🇴 Romania (14ª), 🇬🇧 United Kindom (51ª), 🇪🇸 Spain (48ª), 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina (17ª), 🇷🇸 Serbia (7ª), 🇮🇪 Ireland (43ª), 🇬🇷 Greece (31ª), 🇱🇹 Lithuania (13ª), 🇭🇺 Hungary (10ª), 🇸🇪 Sweden (49ª), 🇪🇪 Estonia (17ª), 🇮🇹 Italy (35ª), 🇦🇱 Albania (9ª), 🇨🇾 Cyprus (30ª), 🇳🇴 Norway (48ª), 🇹🇷 Turkey (33ª), 🇲🇹 Malta (24ª), 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia (12ª)]; First Semi-Final 18 [🇮🇸 Iceland (25ª), 🇫🇮 Finland (43ª), 🇦🇱 Albania (9ª), 🇬🇷 Greece (31ª), 🇷🇺 Russia (15ª), 🇨🇭 Switzerland (51ª), 🇭🇺 Hungary (10ª), 🇲🇪 Montenegro (4ª), 🇱🇻 Latvia (12ª), 🇷🇴 Romania (14ª), 🇧🇪 Belgium (51ª), 🇮🇱 Israel (31ª), 🇸🇲 San Marino (3ª), 🇨🇾 Cyprus (30ª), 🇩🇰 Denmark (41ª), 🇦🇹 Austria (44ª), 🇲🇩 Moldova (8ª), 🇮🇪 Ireland (43ª)]; Second Semi-Final 18 [🇸🇮 Slovenia (17ª), 🇺🇦 Ukraine (10ª), 🇳🇱 The Netherlands (50ª), 🇸🇪 Sweden (49ª), 🇧🇬 Bulgaria (8ª), 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina (17ª), 🇸🇰 Slovakia (7ª), 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia (12ª), 🇪🇪 Estonia (17ª), 🇧🇾 Belarus (9ª), 🇷🇸 Serbia (7ª), 🇲🇹 Malta (24ª), 🇵🇹 Portugal (43ª), 🇭🇷 Croatia (19ª), 🇬🇪 Georgia (5ª), 🇹🇷 Turkey (33ª), 🇳🇴 Norway (48ª), 🇱🇹 Lithuania (13ª)]
- Debuting countries: —
- Return: 🇲🇪 Montenegro (4ª)
- Non-returning countries: 🇦🇲 Armenia (6ª), 🇵🇱 Poland (16ª)
- Vote – Voting system: Each country awarded 12, 10, 8–1 points to their 10 favourite songs.
- Nil Points: —
- Winning song:
“Party for everybody” – Buranovskiye Babushki – 🇷🇺 Russia (1ª)
First Semi-Final. [Q] – Qualifiers qualifier
R/o | country | PARTICIPANT(S) | SONG – TRANSLATE – LANGUAGE | Ponts | rank | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
01 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro RTCG | Rambo Amadeus (Рамбо Амадеус) | Euro neuro (Еуро Неуро) English[b] | 020 | 15 | |
02 | 🇮🇸 Iceland RÚV qualifier | Gréta Salóme and Jónsi (Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir & Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson) | Never forget (Gleymdu aldrei, Mundu eftir mér, Remember me) English | 075 | 08 | |
03 | 🇬🇷 Greece ERT qualifier | Eleftheria Eleftheriou (Ελευθερία Ελευθερίου) | Aphrodisiac (Αφροδισιακό) English | 116 | 04 | |
04 | 🇱🇻 Latvia LTV | Anmary | Beautiful song (Skaista dziesma) English | 017 | 16 | |
05 | 🇦🇱 Albania RTSH qualifier | Rona Nishliu | Suus (Personale, për veten, Personal) Albanian[c] | 146 | 02 | |
06 | 🇷🇴 Romania TVR qualifier | Mandinga | Zaleilah Spanish, English | 120 | 03 | |
07 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland SRG SSR idée suisse | Sinplus | Unbreakable (Infrangibile, Unzerstörbar, Incassable) English | 045 | 11 | |
08 | 🇧🇪 Belgium VRT | Iris (Airis) | Would you? (Voudrais-tu?) English | 016 | 17 | |
09 | 🇫🇮 Finland YLE | Pernilla Karlsson | När jag blundar (Kun suljen silmäni, When I close my eyes) Swedish | 041 | 12 | |
10 | 🇮🇱 Israel IBA | Izabo (איזבו) | Time (זמן) English, Hebrew | 033 | 13 | |
11 | 🇸🇲 San Marino SMRTV | Valentina Monetta | The social network song (Oh Oh – Uh – Oh Oh) [Facebook Uh, Oh, Oh (A Satirical Song)] English[d] | 031 | 14 | |
12 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus CyBC qualifier | Ivi Adamou (Ήβη Αδάμου) | La la love (Λα Λα Αγάπη) English | 091 | 07 | |
13 | 🇩🇰 Denmark DR qualifier | Soluna Samay | Should’ve known better (Burde have vidst bedre, Debería haberlo sabido) English | 063 | 09 | |
14 | 🇷🇺 Russia RTR qualifier | Buranovskiye Babushki (Бурановские Бабушки, Брангуртысь песянайёслэн, Брангуртысь песянайёс, Brangurtısь Pesjanajos, Buranovo Grannies) | Party for Everybody (Вечеринка для всех) Udmurt, English | 152 | 01 | |
15 | 🇭🇺 Hungary MTV qualifier | Compact Disco | Sound of Our Hearts (Szíveink dallama, Szívünk hangjai) English | 052 | 10 | |
16 | 🇦🇹 Austria ÖRF | Trackshittaz | Woki mit deim Popo (Waggle your ass, Wackel mit deinem Popo, Shake your booty) German[e] | 008 | 18 | |
17 | 🇲🇩 Moldova TRM qualifier | Pasha Parfeny (Pavel Parfeny) | Lăutar (Traditional musician) English[f] | 100 | 05 | |
18 | 🇮🇪 Ireland RTÉ qualifier | Jedward | Waterline English | 092 | 06 |
- Dates – Second Semi-Final: Thursday, 24 May 2012 – 21:00 CEST
- Host – Venue & Location: Crystal Hall (Bakı Kristal Zalı, Baku Crystal Hall), Baku, 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
- Presenter (s): Leyla Guliyeva (Leyla Mutallim qizi Guliyeva – Aliyeva, Leyla Mütəllim qızı Quliyeva – Əliyeva), Eldar ‘Ell’ Gasımov (Eldar “Ell” Parviz oglu Gasimov, Eldar Pərviz oğlu Qasımov) e Nargiz Birk-Peterson (Nargiz Ilgar qizi Birk-Petersen – Abbaszadeh; Nərgiz İlqar qızı Abbaszadə)
- Musical Director: —
- Director: Ladislaus Kiraly
- Executive Producer: Adil Kerimli
- Executive Supervisor: Jon Ola Sand
- Multicamera Director: Ladislaus Kiraly
- Host broadcaster: İctimai Televiziya və Radio Yayımları Şirkəti (İTV)
- Opening Act: —
- Interval Act: Marija Šerifović, Dima Bilan, Alexander Rybak, Lena, Ell & Nikki along with traditional Azerbaijani instruments.
- Motto: Light your fire! (Öz məşəlini alovlandır!)
- Participants – Number of entries: 42: Final 26 [🇫🇷 France (52ª), 🇮🇸 Iceland (25ª), 🇷🇺 Russia (15ª), 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan (5ª), 🇲🇩 Moldova (8ª), 🇩🇰 Denmark (41ª), 🇩🇪 Germany (52ª), 🇺🇦 Ukraine (10ª), 🇷🇴 Romania (14ª), 🇬🇧 United Kindom (51ª), 🇪🇸 Spain (48ª), 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina (17ª), 🇷🇸 Serbia (7ª), 🇮🇪 Ireland (43ª), 🇬🇷 Greece (31ª), 🇱🇹 Lithuania (13ª), 🇭🇺 Hungary (10ª), 🇸🇪 Sweden (49ª), 🇪🇪 Estonia (17ª), 🇮🇹 Italy (35ª), 🇦🇱 Albania (9ª), 🇨🇾 Cyprus (30ª), 🇳🇴 Norway (48ª), 🇹🇷 Turkey (33ª), 🇲🇹 Malta (24ª), 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia (12ª)]; First Semi-Final 18 [🇮🇸 Iceland (25ª), 🇫🇮 Finland (43ª), 🇦🇱 Albania (9ª), 🇬🇷 Greece (31ª), 🇷🇺 Russia (15ª), 🇨🇭 Switzerland (51ª), 🇭🇺 Hungary (10ª), 🇲🇪 Montenegro (4ª), 🇱🇻 Latvia (12ª), 🇷🇴 Romania (14ª), 🇧🇪 Belgium (51ª), 🇮🇱 Israel (31ª), 🇸🇲 San Marino (3ª), 🇨🇾 Cyprus (30ª), 🇩🇰 Denmark (41ª), 🇦🇹 Austria (44ª), 🇲🇩 Moldova (8ª), 🇮🇪 Ireland (43ª)]; Second Semi-Final 18 [🇸🇮 Slovenia (17ª), 🇺🇦 Ukraine (10ª), 🇳🇱 The Netherlands (50ª), 🇸🇪 Sweden (49ª), 🇧🇬 Bulgaria (8ª), 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina (17ª), 🇸🇰 Slovakia (7ª), 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia (12ª), 🇪🇪 Estonia (17ª), 🇧🇾 Belarus (9ª), 🇷🇸 Serbia (7ª), 🇲🇹 Malta (24ª), 🇵🇹 Portugal (43ª), 🇭🇷 Croatia (19ª), 🇬🇪 Georgia (5ª), 🇹🇷 Turkey (33ª), 🇳🇴 Norway (48ª), 🇱🇹 Lithuania (13ª)]
- Debuting countries: —
- Return: 🇲🇪 Montenegro (4ª)
- Non-returning countries: 🇦🇲 Armenia (6ª), 🇵🇱 Poland (16ª)
- Vote – Voting system: Each country awarded 12, 10, 8–1 points to their 10 favourite songs.
- Nil Points: —
- Winning song:
“Euphoria” – Loreen – 🇸🇪 Sweden (2ª)
About/Overview. The 2012 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. It is the furthest East that the contest had ever been held. Baku provided a unique setting for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. The slogan for the competition this year was Light Your Fire, which was fitting given that the event was being held in Azerbaijan, the Land of Fire. The United Kingdom sent its oldest ever participant, 76 year old Engelbert Humperdinck, whilst Russia was represented by the Buranovskiye Babushki who had a combined age of more than 500!.
A Euphoric win for Sweden. Sweden’s participant Loreen had been the main favourite ever since she appeared in the widely popular Swedish selection show, Melodifestivalen, earlier that year. Her song Euphoria took Europe by storm and Sweden won the 2012 competition by a landslide. The song went on to be a worldwide hit and reached number one in several countries selling more than two million copies.
Facts and figures. 42 broadcasters took part while initially 43 had signed up. It was the Armenian broadcaster ARMTV which pulled out at the last minute; The ruling champion of the contest, Eldar “Ell” Gasimov also co-hosted the shows in Baku; “Euphoria” received the highest number of 12 points of any entry in the contest’s history with eighteen countries giving the song top marks; Rona Nishliu took one of the highest notes in the history of the contest in her entry “Suus”; The world-famous twins, Jedward took part for the second year in a row for Ireland.
Second Semi-Final. [Q] – Qualifiers
• 🇧🇾 Belarus: “All My Life” (English) – Alyona Lanskaya (Алёна Ланская). Alyona Lanskaya participated in Eurofest 2012 singing the song “All My Life” in a bid to represent Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 held in Baku, Azerbaijan. However she was later disqualified following an investigation about rigged televoting which made her song the winning entry. After advancing to the semi-finals that was held on December 21, 2011, she qualified for the Eurofest 2012 finals as one of the five chosen from the 15 entries. The finals was held on 14 February 2012 where the song came first and won by 12 points from televotes making the song Belarus’ entry for Eurovision Song Contest 2012. However on February 24, 2012 it was announced that Lanskaya was disqualified after the Belorussian President conducted an investigation leading to her “unfair” win in Eurofest 10 days earlier. There were rumours circulating that the producers had rigged the televoting giving her 12 points making her the winner. In response to the allegations, the president ordered an immediate investigation and it was later confirmed to be true. This was the first time that an act who won a national selection was disqualified since Ukraine’s original artist was disqualified in 2010. She was replaced by Litesound instead, who got second place in Eurofest finals, and were internally chosen as the new representatives of Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku.
• 🇮🇹 Italy: “Per Sempre” (Forever) (Italian) – Nina Zilli. Nina Zilli competed in the “Big Artists” section of the Festival di Sanremo 2012, placing seventh in a field of fourteen entries. During the contest, Zilli was also chosen by a specific jury to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 (was announced by the ESC 2011 winners Ell & Nikki), but it was announced that it would not be with her festival song. After being confirmed as the Italian entry to the contest, one week later RAI and Universal Music Italy announced that the song was replaced by “L’amore è femmina (Out of Love)”, also performed by Nina Zilli in English-Italian language.
• 🇸🇲 San Marino: “Facebook Uh, Oh, Oh (A Satirical Song)” (Italian) – Valentina Monetta. “Facebook Uh, Oh, Oh (A Satirical Song)” was chosen internally by the San Marino broadcaster SMRTV to represent San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. On 18 March 2012, a few days after the song was announced, the EBU-UER deemed that the song contained an unreasonable commercial message for Facebook, which resulted in the lyrics’ disqualification; according to the Eurovision Rule 1.2.2.g, commercial messages within songs are not allowed. San Marino was given the option of submitting a new song, or revising the lyrics to remove any references to Facebook, no later than 12:00 CET on 23 March 2012. On 22 March 2012, SMRTV announced that the song and its lyrics has been revised with a new title, “The Social Network Song (OH OH – Uh – OH OH)”, with mostly the same lyrics, except without directly mentioning Facebook.
• 🇩🇰 Denmark: “Nowhere” (English) – Valen:Tine (Tine Lynggaa). Speaking of technicalities, last year’s Dansk Melodi Grand Prix allowed ‘Nowhere’, by Tine Lynggaa (performing as Valen:Tine) through to the National Finals. Even though it broke DR’s date rule, the October release still sneaked in under the EBU date of September 1st. Unfortunately it was never written as a Eurovision song, so the demo version uploaded to YouTube in the summer by Lynggaa was enough to qualify as a prior performance and into the ‘disqualified’ playlist went ‘Nowhere’.
Participation map
Participating countries
Did not qualify from the semi final
Countries that participated in the past but not in 2012
ESC 2012 Scoreboard Grand Final Ι Detailed voting results:
Final:
ESC 2012 Scoreboard First Semi-Final Ι Detailed voting results:
First Semi-Final:
ESC 2012 Scoreboard Second Semi-Final Ι Detailed voting results:
Second Semi-Final:
The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 was the 57th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, following the country’s victory at the 2011 contest with the song “Running Scared” by Ell and Nikki. It was the first time Azerbaijan hosted the contest – only four years after the country made its debut. 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 on 22 and 24 May, and a final on 26 May 2012. The three live shows were presented by Azerbaijani television presenter Leyla Aliyeva, model Nargiz Birk-Petersen and the previous edition’s winner Eldar Gasimov.
Forty-two countries participated in the contest. Montenegro returned to the contest for the first time since 2009. Meanwhile, Armenia withdrew due to security concerns in relation to the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan. Poland also did not participate due to financial concerns.
The winner was Sweden with the song “Euphoria”, performed by Loreen and written by Thomas G:son and Peter Boström. Russia, Serbia, host country Azerbaijan and Albania rounded out the top five, with Albania achieving their best result to date. Out of the “Big Five” countries, Germany, Italy and Spain all managed to rank within the top 10, finishing eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively.
The lead-up to the contest was met with political concerns and protests surrounding the host country, including its human rights record and allegations by advocacy groups that Baku was carrying out forced evictions in the construction of the contest’s venue, along with objections to the contest’s presence by Iranian officials – who felt that the event was anti-Islamic because it was, according to them, a “gay parade”.

Baku Crystal Hall, Baku – host venue of the 2012 contest.
1.Location. Azerbaijan got the right to host the 2012 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest after winning the previous 2011 edition with the song “Running Scared” performed by Ell and Nikki. Baku, the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region, was named the host city for the contest, with the venue being the Baku Crystal Hall, built a few months prior to the contest on the city’s coastline.
Shortly after Azerbaijan’s victory at the 2011 edition, officials announced that a new 23,000-seat concert venue was to be built near National Flag Square in Baku, as a potential venue for the event. Three days later, other venue options were revealed by organisers, such as the 37,000-seat Tofiq Bahramov Stadium and the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Exhibition Complex. On 2 August 2011, Alpine Bau Deutschland AG was awarded the contract to construct the Baku Crystal Hall. Preparations for construction began in the area shortly after the announcement. Even though the full cost of the contract was not named, the government allocated 6 million AZN for the construction of the venue.
On 8 September 2011, Azad Azerbaijan TV (ATV) reported that Baku Crystal Hall would be the venue of the contest, but no formal confirmation was made at the time by the EBU. On 31 October 2011, Ismayil Omarov, the director general of Azerbaijani national broadcaster İctimai Television announced that a decision on the venue choice would be taken by the steering committee in January 2012. On 25 January 2012, it was confirmed that the Baku Crystal Hall would be the venue of the contest. Even though the venue had an extended capacity of 23,000 people, only 16,000 people were able to attend each show. Tickets for the contest became available online for purchase on 28 February 2012.
2.Format. In a meeting of the Eurovision Reference Group on 29 June 2011, it was decided that the televoting system would revert the format used most recently in the 2009 contest, in which the phone and SMS lines opened for a fifteen-minute window after all songs had been performed, instead of opening before the show starts, which was the system used between 2010 and 2011. The results format of each show remained the same with each country’s votes being decided on a 50:50 split between televoting and a national jury. Each participating country had their own national jury, which consisted of five professional members of the music industry.
Under the official rules released on 24 November 2011, the number of participants in the grand final was raised to 26, including the host nation, the “Big Five”, and the ten qualifiers from each semi-final. This was the second time in the Eurovision Song Contest that 26 countries were in the grand final, the first being the 2003 contest.

Presenters of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, from left to right – Leyla Aliyeva, Eldar Gasimov and Nargiz Birk-Petersen
2.1.Semi-final allocation draw. The draw that determined the semi-final running order was held on 25 January 2012 at the Buta Palace. The participating countries, excluding the automatic finalists (Azerbaijan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), were split into six pots, based upon how those countries voted in past contests. From these pots, half (or as close to half as possible) competed in the first semi-final on 22 May 2012. The other half in that particular pot competed in the second semi-final on 24 May 2012. This draw also acted as an approximate running order, in order for the delegations from the countries to know when their rehearsals would commence and determine which semi-final the automatic finalists would be allowed to vote in.

Semi-final allocation draw ceremony at the Buta Palace in Baku.
Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 | Pot 5 | Pot 6 |
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Stage design of the contest.
2.2.Graphic design. The design of the contest was built around the motto “Light your fire!”, inspired by the nickname of Azerbaijan itself, “Land of Fire”.
Each introductory video postcard began with a shot of the artist and performers, followed with the flag and country name in a handwritten font with a background resembling the yellow, orange and red fire of the 2012 theme art. The postcards consisted of various shots of Azerbaijan, with a caption displaying ‘Azerbaijan’ and underneath ‘Land of …’ (e.g. Land of Abundance; Land of Poetry etc.), which were then followed by the name of a town or geographic feature, showing the landscape and culture of the country. Some postcards focused on the host city of Baku with text changing to ‘Baku’ and underneath ‘City of …’ (e.g. City of Jazz; City of Leisure etc.). The postcards finished with a shot of the Crystal Hall displayed in the colours of the performing country’s flag. These postcards acted as a tourism mechanism to present the country to a wider audience.
The artist, song and number graphics as well as tables and voting graphics were kept the same as those used in 2011, with a slight modification to incorporate the 2012 theme art. The lower points (1-7) were highlighted in red squares while the top points (8, 10, 12) were highlighted in orange squares with each square increasing in size in relation to the point value. Both sets of graphics were designed by London brand design agency Turquoise Branding.
2.3.National host broadcaster. İctimai Television (İTV), which was the EBU member that broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan, is one of country’s public-service broadcasters. Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Technology of Azerbaijan, Iltimas Mammadov, stated that telecom networks were ready to host the event. Azerbaijan’s largest telecommunications operator, Azercell, was chosen as the presenting partner for the contest. On 1 December 2011, İTV named the German production company Brainpool as its official production partner for the contest, citing the quality of its work on the previous year’s contest.
3.Participating countries. On 17 January 2012, the EBU announced that initially forty-three countries would take part in the 2012 contest. The 57th edition saw the return of Montenegro, who was last represented by Andrea Demirović in 2009. Poland decided not to participate, due to the financial burden of the UEFA Euro 2012 (which Poland co-hosted with Ukraine) and the 2012 Summer Olympics. Armenia, who had originally planned to participate, later withdrew their application due to security concerns related to the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan, subsequently reducing the number of participating countries to 42.
3.1.Returning artists. Four artists returned in this year’s contest. Kaliopi for Macedonia who previously participated in the 1996 contest with the song “Samo ti”, which placed in 26th position in the pre-qualifying round. Kaliopi would then go on to represent Macedonia once more at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016.
Jónsi for Iceland and Željko Joksimović for Serbia both previously participated in 2004. Joksimović had represented Serbia and Montenegro in 2004 with the song “Lane moje” which placed second in that year, and co-hosted the 2008 contest with Jovana Janković. Jónsi performed “Heaven” in 2004, which placed 19th.
For a second consecutive year Jedward participated for Ireland, after their 8th-place finish at the 2011 contest with the song “Lipstick”.
Martina Majerle, who represented Slovenia in 2009, returned as a backing vocalist for Slovenia.
Lys Assia, the winner of the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956, had entered her song “C’était ma vie” written by Ralph Siegel and Jean Paul Cara into the Swiss national selection for the 2012 contest. The song, however, only came eighth in a closely fought national selection. Assia attended the event in Baku as a guest of honour.
3.2.Languages. The Finnish entry, “När jag blundar”, sung by Pernilla Karlsson, was only Finland’s second entry in Swedish (after “Fri?” by Beat in 1990) and the first entry at all to be sung in Swedish since 1998. Russia’s entry, “Party for Everybody”, sung by Buranovskiye Babushki, was the first entry ever to be performed in Udmurt. The Georgian entry, “I’m a Joker” was the first Eurovision entry containing the Georgian language while the Bulgarian song “Love Unlimited” had a few words in the Azerbaijani language, both of whom never appeared at the contest before.
3.3.Semi-final 1. Azerbaijan, Italy and Spain voted in the first semi-final. The EBU allowed the Albanian broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) to defer transmission and only use jury votes due to the Qafa e Vishës bus accident.
3.4.Semi-final 2. France, Germany and the United Kingdom voted in the second semi-final. Germany requested that they vote in this semi-final. Before it withdrew, Armenia was drawn to perform in the first half of this semi-final.
3.5.Final.
3.6.Participants and results.
3.7.All the national selections for Eurovision Song Contest 2012:
• National Selections in 2012:
COUNTRY | EVENT | WINNER |
---|---|---|
🇦🇱 Albania | Festivali i Këngës #50 | Rona Nishliu – “Suus“ |
🇦🇹 Austria | Österreich rockt den Song Contest | Trackshittaz – “Woki mit deim Popo“ |
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | Milli Seçim Turu 2012 (artist selection) [n] | Sabina Babayeva – “When the Music Dies” |
🇧🇾 Belarus | Eurofest 2012 | Litesound – “We Are the Heroes” |
🇧🇪 Belgium | Eurosong 2012: Een song voor Iris (song selection) [o] | Iris – “Would You?” |
🇧🇬 Bulgaria | Bylgarskata pesen za Evroviziya 2012 | Sofi Marinova – “Love Unlimited” |
🇨🇾 Cyprus | A Song for Ivi (song selection) [p] | Ivi Adamou – “La La Love” |
🇩🇰 Denmark | Melodi Grand Prix 2012 | Soluna Samay – “Should’ve Known Better” |
🇪🇪 Estonia | Eesti Laul 2012 | Ott Lepland – “Kuula“ |
🇫🇮 Finland | Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2012 | Pernilla Karlsson / Pernilla – “När jag blundar“ |
🇬🇪 Georgia | (Georgian Selection 2012) | Anri Jokhadze – “I’m a Joker” |
🇩🇪 Germany | Unser Star für Baku | Roman Lob – “Standing Still” |
🇬🇷 Greece | Ellinikós Telikós 2012 | Eleftheria Eleftheriou – “Aphrodisiac” |
🇭🇺 Hungary | A Dal 2012 | Compact Disco – “Sound of Our Hearts” |
🇮🇸 Iceland | Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2012 | Gréta Salóme & Jónsi – “Never Forget” / “Mundu eftir mér” |
🇮🇪 Ireland | Eurosong 2012 | Jedward – “Waterline” |
🇱🇻 Latvia | Eirodziesma 2012 | Anmary – “Beautiful Song” |
🇱🇹 Lithuania | Eurovizija atranka Lietuvoje 2012 | Donny Montell – “Love Is Blind” |
🇲🇹 Malta | MESC 2012 | Kurt Calleja – “This Is the Night” |
🇲🇩 Moldova | Selecția Națională 2012 | Pasha Parfeny – “Lăutar“ |
🇳🇱 The Netherlands | Nationaal Songfestival 2012 | Joan Franka – “You and Me” |
🇳🇴 Norway | Melodi Grand Prix 2012 | Tooji – “Stay” |
🇵🇹 Portugal | Festival da Canção 2012 | Filipa Sousa – “Vida minha“ |
🇷🇴 Romania | Selecția Națională 2012 | Mandinga – “Zaleilah” |
🇷🇺 Russia | Evrovidenie 2012 | Buranovskiye Babushki – “Party for Everybody” |
🇸🇮 Slovenia | EMA 2012 | Eva Boto – “Verjamem“ |
🇪🇸 Spain | Eurovisión – Pastora Soler (song selection) [q] | Pastora Soler – “Quédate conmigo“ |
🇸🇪 Sweden | Melodifestivalen 2012 | Loreen – “Euphoria” |
🇨🇭 Switzerland | Die Große Entscheidungsshow 2012 | Sinplus – “Unbreakable” |
🇺🇦 Ukraine | Vidbir 2012 | Gaitana – “Be My Guest” |
• Internal Selections in 2012:
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Maya Sar – “Korake ti znam“ |
🇭🇷 Croatia | Nina Badrić – “Nebo“ |
🇫🇷 France | Anggun – “Echo (You and I)” |
🇮🇱 Israel | Izabo – “Time” |
🇮🇹 Italy | Nina Zilli – “L’amore è femmina (Out of Love)” |
🇲🇪 Montenegro | Rambo Amadeus – “Euro Neuro” |
🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia | Kaliopi – “Crno i belo” (Црно и бело) |
🇸🇲 San Marino | Valentina Monetta – “The Social Network Song (Oh Oh – Uh – Oh Oh)” |
🇷🇸 Serbia | Željko Joksimović – “Nije ljubav stvar” (Није љубав ствар) |
🇸🇰 Slovakia | Max Jason Mai – “Don’t Close Your Eyes” |
🇹🇷 Turkey | Can Bonomo – “Love Me Back” |
🇬🇧 United Kindom | Engelbert Humperdinck – “Love Will Set You Free” |
3.8.Connections:
4.Detailed voting results. The EBU and PwC audit company checked and verified the individual jury and televoting results, which were combined to create the overall national vote for the contests. On 18 June 2012, the EBU published the following results.[54][55]
4.1.Semi-final 1.
Place | Combined | Jury | Televoting | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Country | Points | Country | Points | Country | Points | |
1 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 152 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 131 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 189 |
2 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 146 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 107 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 132 |
3 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 120 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 103 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 131 |
4 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 116 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 90 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 116 |
5 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 100 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 87 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 110 |
6 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 92 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 81 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 99 |
7 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 91 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 76 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 85 |
8 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 75 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 75 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 79 |
9 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 63 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 72 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 53 |
10 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 52 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 72 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 49 |
11 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 45 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 70 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 39 |
12 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 41 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 57 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 36 |
13 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 33 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 45 | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 25 |
14 | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 31 | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 42 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 24 |
15 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 20 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 38 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 18 |
16 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 17 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 28 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 16 |
17 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 16 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 27 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 15 |
18 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 8 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 17 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 2 |
Total score
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🇲🇪 Montenegro | 20 | 12 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||
🇮🇸 Iceland | 75 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
🇬🇷 Greece | 116 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 3 | |||||
🇱🇻 Latvia | 17 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
🇦🇱 Albania | 146 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 4 | ||
🇷🇴 Romania | 120 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 12 | ||||
🇨🇭 Switzerland | 45 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||||
🇧🇪 Belgium | 16 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
🇫🇮 Finland | 41 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 3 | |||||||||||||
🇮🇱 Israel | 33 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | |||||||||||||
🇸🇲 San Marino | 31 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
🇨🇾 Cyprus | 91 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 8 | |||||||
🇩🇰 Denmark | 63 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 6 | ||||||||||
🇷🇺 Russia | 152 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 7 | |||
🇭🇺 Hungary | 52 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||||||||||||
🇦🇹 Austria | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
🇲🇩 Moldova | 100 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 10 | ||||
🇮🇪 Ireland | 92 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
4.1.1.12 points. Below is a summary of the maximum 12 points each country awarded to another in the first semi-final:
N. | Contestant | Nation(s) giving 12 points |
---|---|---|
5 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇲🇪 Montenegro, 🇨🇭 Switzerland |
🇷🇺 Russia | 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇫🇮 Finland, 🇮🇱 Israel, 🇱🇻 Latvia | |
3 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇲🇩 Moldova, 🇪🇸 Spain |
2 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇮🇸 Iceland |
🇬🇷 Greece | 🇨🇾 Cyprus, 🇷🇴 Romania | |
1 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 🇭🇺 Hungary |
🇮🇪 Ireland | 🇸🇲 San Marino | |
🇲🇩 Moldova | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
🇲🇪 Montenegro | 🇦🇱 Albania |
4.2.Semi-final 2.
Place | Combined | Jury | Televoting | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Country | Points | Country | Points | Country | Points | |
1 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 181 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 145 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 180 |
2 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 159 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 141 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 148 |
3 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 104 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 109 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 128 |
4 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 100 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 102 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 114 |
5 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 80 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 97 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 88 |
6 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 77 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 77 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 72 |
7 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 70 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 66 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 70 |
8 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 64 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 62 | 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia | 63 |
9 | 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia | 53 | 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia | 58 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 59 |
10 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 45[h] | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 55 | 🇳🇱 The Netherlands | 51 |
11 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 45[h] | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 52 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 39 |
12 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 42 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 49 | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 37 |
13 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 39 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 42 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 37 |
14 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 36 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 40 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 34 |
15 | 🇳🇱 The Netherlands | 35[i] | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 40 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 32 |
16 | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 35[i] | 🇳🇱 The Netherlands | 31 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 27 |
17 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 31 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 27 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 24 |
18 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 22 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 25 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 15 |
Total score
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🇷🇸 Serbia | 159 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 3 | ||
🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia | 53 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 8 | ||||||||||||
🇳🇱 The Netherlands | 35 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
🇲🇹 Malta | 70 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 12 | |||||||
🇧🇾 Belarus | 35 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 7 | |||||||||||||||
🇵🇹 Portugal | 39 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 3 | ||||||||||||
🇺🇦 Ukraine | 64 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | ||||||
🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 45 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||||
🇸🇮 Slovenia | 31 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
🇭🇷 Croatia | 42 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
🇸🇪 Sweden | 181 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 8 | ||
🇬🇪 Georgia | 36 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
🇹🇷 Turkey | 80 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||
🇪🇪 Estonia | 100 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||
🇸🇰 Slovakia | 22 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
🇳🇴 Norway | 45 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 77 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | |||||||
🇱🇹 Lithuania | 104 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 10 |
4.2.1.12 points. Below is a summary of the maximum 12 points each country awarded to another in the second semi-final:
N. | Contestant | Nation(s) giving 12 points |
---|---|---|
6 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 🇪🇪 Estonia, 🇬🇪 Georgia, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇳🇱 The Netherlands, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇸🇰 Slovakia |
4 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, 🇫🇷 France, 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia, 🇸🇮 Slovenia |
2 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇹🇷 Turkey |
🇭🇷 Croatia | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina, 🇷🇸 Serbia | |
🇪🇪 Estonia | 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
1 | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 🇺🇦 Ukraine |
🇬🇪 Georgia | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | |
🇲🇹 Malta | 🇬🇧 United Kindom | |
🇹🇷 Turkey | 🇲🇹 Malta | |
🇺🇦 Ukraine | 🇧🇾 Belarus |
4.3.Final.
Place | Combined | Jury | Televoting | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Country | Points | Country | Points | Country | Points | |
1 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 372 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 296 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 343 |
2 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 259 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 173 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 332 |
3 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 214 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 157 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 211 |
4 | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 150 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 157 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 176 |
5 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 146 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 154 | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 151 |
6 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 120 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 152 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 125 |
7 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 112 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 125 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 117 |
8 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 110 | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 118 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 106 |
9 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 101 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 104 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 89 |
10 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 97 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 98 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 89 |
11 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 81 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 94 | 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia | 79 |
12 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 71[j] | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 85 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 78 |
13 | 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia | 71[j] | 🇫🇷 France | 85 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 75 |
14 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 70 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 82 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 68 |
15 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 65 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 71 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 63 |
16 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 65 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 70 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 57 |
17 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 64 | 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia | 69 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 56 |
18 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 55 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 60 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 45 |
19 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 46 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 53 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 39 |
20 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 46 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 53 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 37 |
21 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 41 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 51 | 🇬🇧 United Kindom | 36 |
22 | 🇫🇷 France | 21 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 50 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 20 |
23 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 21 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 30 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 18 |
24 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 19 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 24 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 16 |
25 | 🇬🇧 United Kindom | 12 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 14 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 10 |
26 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 7 | 🇬🇧 United Kindom | 11 | 🇫🇷 France | 0 |
Total score
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🇬🇧 United Kindom | 12 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇭🇺 Hungary | 19 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇦🇱 Albania | 146 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||
🇱🇹 Lithuania | 70 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 5 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 55 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇷🇺 Russia | 259 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | |||
🇮🇸 Iceland | 46 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇨🇾 Cyprus | 65 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇫🇷 France | 21 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇮🇹 Italy | 101 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
🇪🇪 Estonia | 120 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇳🇴 Norway | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 150 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
🇷🇴 Romania | 71 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇩🇰 Denmark | 21 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇬🇷 Greece | 64 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇸🇪 Sweden | 372 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | |||
🇹🇷 Turkey | 112 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
🇪🇸 Spain | 97 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇩🇪 Germany | 110 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
🇲🇹 Malta | 41 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia | 71 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇮🇪 Ireland | 46 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇷🇸 Serbia | 214 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||
🇺🇦 Ukraine | 65 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🇲🇩 Moldova | 81 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 5 |
4.3.1.12 points. Below is a summary of the maximum 12 points each country awarded to another in the grand final:
N. | Contestant | Nation(s) giving 12 points |
---|---|---|
18 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇪🇪 Estonia, 🇫🇮 Finland, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇭🇺 Hungary, 🇮🇸 Iceland, 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇮🇱 Israel, 🇱🇻 Latvia, 🇳🇱 The Netherlands, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇷🇺 Russia, 🇸🇰 Slovakia, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇬🇧 United Kindom |
4 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇸🇲 San Marino, 🇨🇭 Switzerland |
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 🇱🇹 Lithuania, 🇲🇹 Malta, 🇹🇷 Turkey, 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
🇷🇸 Serbia | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇲🇪 Montenegro, 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
2 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇸🇪 Sweden |
🇬🇷 Greece | 🇦🇱 Albania, 🇨🇾 Cyprus | |
🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina, 🇷🇸 Serbia | |
1 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 🇬🇪 Georgia |
🇲🇩 Moldova | 🇷🇴 Romania | |
🇷🇴 Romania | 🇲🇩 Moldova | |
🇷🇺 Russia | 🇧🇾 Belarus | |
🇪🇸 Spain | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
🇹🇷 Turkey | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan |
4.3.2.Spokespersons. The order in which each country announced their vote was determined in a draw following the jury results from the final dress rehearsal. Similar to the 2011 contest an algorithm was used to add as much excitement as possible. The spokespersons are shown alongside each country.
- 🇦🇱 Albania – Andri Xhahu
- 🇲🇪 Montenegro – Marija Marković
- 🇷🇴 Romania – Paula Seling
- 🇦🇹 Austria – Kati Bellowitsch
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine – Oleksiy Matias
- 🇧🇾 Belarus – Dmitry Koldun
- 🇧🇪 Belgium – Peter Van de Veire
- 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan – Safura Alizadeh
- 🇲🇹 Malta – Keith Demicoli
- 🇸🇲 San Marino – Monica Fabbri
- 🇫🇷 France – Amaury Vassili
- 🇬🇧 United Kindom – Scott Mills
- 🇹🇷 Turkey – Ömer Önder
- 🇬🇷 Greece – Adriana Magania
- 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina – Elvir Laković Laka
- 🇲🇩 Moldova – Olivia Fortuna
- 🇧🇬 Bulgaria – Anna Angelova
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland – Sara Hildebrand
- 🇸🇮 Slovenia – Lorella Flego
- 🇨🇾 Cyprus – Loucas Hamatsos
- 🇭🇷 Croatia – Nevena Rendeli
- 🇸🇰 Slovakia – Mária Pietrová
- 🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia – Kristina Talevska
- 🇳🇱 The Netherlands – Vivienne van den Assem
- 🇵🇹 Portugal – Joana Teles
- 🇮🇸 Iceland – Matthías Matthíasson
- 🇸🇪 Sweden – Sarah Dawn Finer (as Lynda Woodruff)
- 🇳🇴 Norway – Nadia Hasnaoui
- 🇱🇹 Lithuania – Ignas Krupavičius
- 🇪🇪 Estonia – Getter Jaani
- 🇩🇰 Denmark – Louise Wolff
- 🇱🇻 Latvia – Valters Frīdenbergs
- 🇪🇸 Spain – Elena S. Sánchez
- 🇫🇮 Finland – Mr Lordi
- 🇬🇪 Georgia – Sopho Toroshelidze
- 🇮🇹 Italy – Ivan Bacchi
- 🇷🇸 Serbia – Maja Nikolić
- 🇩🇪 Germany – Anke Engelke
- 🇷🇺 Russia – Oxana Fedorova
- 🇭🇺 Hungary – Éva Novodomszky
- 🇮🇱 Israel – Ofer Nachshon
- 🇮🇪 Ireland – Gráinne Seoige[k]
5.Other countries.
- 🇦🇩 Andorra – On 19 October 2011, Andorra announced that there are no plans for the country to participate in 2012 due to financial difficulties; the country also had planned to withdraw from the EBU entirely.
- 🇦🇲 Armenia – On 7 March 2012, the EBU announced that Armenian Public Television (ARMTV) had decided to withdraw from participation despite originally being included in the list of participating countries. Its decision came after President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan gave a speech on 28 February 2012 when he stated “Our main enemies are Armenians of the world and the hypocritical and corrupt politicians under their control.” The country was consequently fined by the EBU and were expected to face further penalties, such as exclusion from participation in future contests if it failed to comply with the EBU requirements. Armenia had been in a continuous state of war with Azerbaijan since the early 1990s because of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
- 🇨🇿 Czech Republic – On 24 November 2011, it was reported that the Czech Republic would not compete at the 2012 contest, following the release of a television schedule by Česká televize (ČT).
Liechtenstein – On 26 November 2011, it was announced that two official EBU documents, published in March and October 2011, showed Liechtenstein’s only national broadcaster 1FLTV as being granted active EBU membership, sparking speculations of a début for the nation. However, on 29 November 2011, these documents were later confirmed as editing mistakes, and thus a début had yet to be planned.
- 🇱🇺 Luxembourg – On 31 December 2011, RTL Luxembourg confirmed that Luxembourg would not participate at the Eurovision in Baku.
- 🇲🇨 Monaco – It had been reported on 23 November 2011, at an EBU meeting in Geneva, that Monaco were considering a return to the 2012 contest. However, on 3 December 2011, Phil Bosco, a former head of delegation told a French-speaking website that the Monegasque national broadcaster Télé Monte Carlo (TMC) did not intend to return to the Eurovision Song Contest any time in the near future, as there were no financial budget available.
Morocco – In an interview with the French delegation it had been revealed that Morocco were “likely to return” to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 with a new broadcaster 2M TV. Reports about the proposed return of Morocco to the contest, after an absence of more than 30 years, were further enhanced at an EBU meeting in Geneva.
- 🇵🇱 Poland – On 16 December 2011, it had been reported on the official Facebook page of Telewizja Polska (TVP) that Poland were not returning for the 2012 contest. This was confirmed a few days later, stating that the broadcaster had decided to focus on the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship (which Poland co-hosted with Ukraine) and Summer Olympics. TVP stated that a return in 2013 has not been ruled out.
6.Broadcasts. Most countries sent commentators to Baku or commentated from their own country, in order to add insight to the participants and, if necessary, the provision of voting information.
Country | Show(s) | Broadcaster(s) | Commentator(s) | – |
---|---|---|---|---|
🇦🇱 Albania | All shows | TVSH | Andri Xhahu | |
🇦🇹 Austria | All shows | ORF eins | Andi Knoll | – |
Final | Stermann and Grissemann and Lukas Plöchl | |||
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | All shows | İTV | Konul Arifgizi and Saleh Baghirov | – |
🇧🇾 Belarus | All shows | Belarus-1 | Denis Kurian | |
🇧🇪 Belgium | All shows | één, Radio 2 | Dutch: André Vermeulen and Peter Van de Veire | – |
La Une | French: Jean-Pierre Hautier and Jean-Louis Lahaye | – | ||
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | All shows | BHT 1 | Dejan Kukrić | – |
🇧🇬 Bulgaria | All shows | BNT | Georgi Kushvaliev and Elena Rosberg | |
🇭🇷 Croatia | All shows | HRT 1 | Duško Ćurlić | |
🇨🇾 Cyprus | All shows | RIK 1 | Melina Karageorgiou | – |
🇩🇰 Denmark | All shows | DR1, DR HD | Ole Tøpholm | – |
🇪🇪 Estonia | All shows | ETV | Marko Reikop | |
🇫🇮 Finland | All shows | YLE TV2, YLE HD | Finnish: Tarja Närhi and Tobias Larsson | – |
YLE FST5 | Swedish: Eva Frantz and Johan Lindroos | |||
YLE Radio Suomi | Finnish: Sanna Kojo and Jorma Hietamäki | |||
🇫🇷 France | SF2 | France Ô | Audrey Chauveau and Bruno Berberes | – |
Final | France 3 | Cyril Féraud and Mireille Dumas | – | |
France Bleu | Fabien Lecœuvre and Serge Poezevara | |||
🇬🇪 Georgia | All shows | 1TV | Temo Kvirkvelia | |
🇩🇪 Germany | All shows | Das Erste | Peter Urban | – |
NDR 2 | Thomas Mohr | – | ||
hr3 | Tim Frühling | – | ||
🇬🇷 Greece | All shows | NET | Maria Kozakou | – |
🇭🇺 Hungary | All shows | m1 | Gábor Gundel Takács | – |
🇮🇸 Iceland | All shows | Sjónvarpið | Hrafnhildur Halldorsdóttir | – |
🇮🇪 Ireland | Semi-finals | RTÉ Two | Marty Whelan | – |
Final | RTÉ One | |||
RTÉ Radio 1 | Shay Byrne and Zbyszek Zalinski | – | ||
🇮🇱 Israel | All shows | IBA | No commentary | |
🇮🇹 Italy | SF1 | Rai 5 | Federica Gentile | – |
Final | Rai 2 | Filippo Solibello and Marco Ardemagni | – | |
🇱🇻 Latvia | All shows | LTV1 | Valters Frīdenbergs | – |
Final | Kārlis Būmeisters | – | ||
🇱🇹 Lithuania | All shows | LRT | Darius Užkuraitis | |
🇲🇰 FYRO Macedonia | All shows | MRT | Karolina Petkovska | |
🇲🇹 Malta | All shows | TVM | Elaine Saliba and Ronald Briffa | |
🇲🇩 Moldova | All shows | Moldova 1 | Marcel Spătari | |
🇲🇪 Montenegro | All shows | TVCG 1 | Dražen Bauković and Tamara Ivanković | |
🇳🇱 The Netherlands | All shows | Nederland 1 | Jan Smit and Daniël Dekker | – |
🇳🇴 Norway | All shows | NRK1 | Olav Viksmo-Slettan | – |
🇵🇹 Portugal | All shows | RTP1 | Pedro Granger | – |
🇷🇴 Romania | All shows | TVR 1 | Leonard Miron and Gianina Corondan | – |
🇷🇺 Russia | All shows | Russia-1 | Olga Shelest and Dmitry Guberniev | – |
🇸🇲 San Marino | All shows | SMtv San Marino | Lia Fiorio and Gigi Restivo | – |
🇷🇸 Serbia | SF1 | RTS1 | Dragan Ilić | – |
SF2/Final | Duška Vučinić-Lučić | |||
🇸🇰 Slovakia | All shows | Jednotka, Rádio Slovensko | Roman Bomboš | |
Final | Rádio FM | Daniel Baláž and Pavol Hubinák | – | |
🇸🇮 Slovenia | All shows | RTV SLO | Andrej Hofer | |
🇪🇸 Spain | SF1 | La 2 | José María Íñigo | – |
Final | La 1 | |||
🇸🇪 Sweden | All shows | SVT1 | Gina Dirawi and Edward af Sillén | – |
SR P3 | Carolina Norén and Björn Kjellman | |||
🇨🇭 Switzerland | SF1/Final | SF zwei | German: Sven Epiney | – |
RTS Deux | French: Jean-Marc Richard and Nicolas Tanner | – | ||
SF1 | RSI La 2 | Italian: Clarissa Tami and Paolo Meneguzzi | – | |
Final | RSI La 1 | |||
🇹🇷 Turkey | All shows | TRT 1, TRT HD, TRT Türk, TRT Müzik, TRT Avaz | Bülend Özveren and Erhan Konuk | – |
🇺🇦 Ukraine | All shows | First National | Timur Miroshnychenko and Tetyana Terekhova | – |
🇬🇧 United Kindom | Semi-finals | BBC Three | Scott Mills and Sara Cox | – |
Final | BBC One | Graham Norton | – | |
BBC Radio 2 | Ken Bruce | – |
Country | Show(s) | Broadcaster(s) | Commentator(s) | – |
---|---|---|---|---|
🇦🇲 Armenia | All shows | Armenia 1 | Gohar Gasparyan and Artur Grigoryan | – |
🇦🇺 Australia | All shows[l] | SBS One | Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang | – |
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Final[m] | CCTV-15 | No commentary | |
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | All shows | Arna Media | Norberg Makhambetov and Kaldybek Zhaysanbay | |
![]() |
All shows | KTRK | Elmar Osmonov and Aibek Akmatov |
7.Incidents.
7.1.Human rights concerns. Azerbaijan’s large investment in hosting the Eurovision contest was widely discussed in Western media as an attempt to “mitigate misgivings about its poor democracy and human rights record”. Elnur Majidli, an activist imprisoned during the Arab Spring-inspired 2011 Azerbaijani protests, was released in an apparent effort to soften Azerbaijan’s image ahead of the contest, but many political prisoners remained. Human Rights Watch reported a “violent crackdown on protesters” on the eve of the contest, and Amnesty International condemned the “stern crackdown of freedom of expression, dissent, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), critical journalists, in fact anyone who criticised the Aliyev regime too strongly” that continued up to the contest.
Human Rights Watch also criticised the Azerbaijani government and the Baku City Authority for carrying out forced evictions against local residents, in order to allow for the demolition of flats to make way for construction in the neighbourhood where the Baku Crystal Hall was built. The Public Association for Assistance to Free Economy, a transparency and economic rights campaign group, had described the evictions as a “violation of human rights”, and as having “no legal authority”. However, in a statement to the BBC, the EBU said that on a recent visit to Baku they had observed “that the construction of the concert hall [which] media reports refer to was already well under way on a clean construction site and thus there are no demolitions needed”. The EBU cited the “apolitical” nature of the contest and the Azerbaijani government’s claim that the construction was not tied to the contest.
The contest’s eventual winner Loreen met local human rights activists during the contest, the only entrant to do so. She later told reporters, “Human rights are violated in Azerbaijan every day. One should not be silent about such things.” An Azerbaijan government spokesman criticized her in response, saying that the contest should not “be politicised” and requested the EBU prevented further meetings of a similar nature. Swedish diplomats replied that the EBU, the Swedish broadcaster SVT and Loreen had not acted against the competition’s rules.
On 26 May, a flash mob of anti-government protesters were quickly dispersed by police. Activists expressed fears that they would face a crackdown when the international spotlight left Azerbaijan again at the end of the contest. Before presenting the results of the German vote, the German spokesperson Anke Engelke gave a live statement that alluded to the human rights issues in Azerbaijan, saying: “Tonight nobody could vote for their own country. But it is good to be able to vote. And it is good to have a choice. Good luck on your journey, Azerbaijan. Europe is watching you.”
7.2.Tensions with Iran. Iranian officials objected to Azerbaijan hosting the contest, with Iranian clerics Ayatollah Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari and Ayatollah Ja’far Sobhani condemning Azerbaijan for “anti-Islamic behaviour”, while also claiming that Azerbaijan was hosting a gay parade. This led to protests in front of Iranian embassy in Baku, where protesters carried slogans mocking the Iranian leaders. Ali Hasanov, head of the public and political issues department in Azerbaijani president’s administration, said that gay parade claims were untrue, and advised Iran not to meddle in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs. In response, Iran recalled its ambassador from Baku, while Azerbaijan demanded a formal apology from Iran for its statements in connection with Baku’s hosting of the contest, and later also recalled its ambassador from Iran.
On 30 May, the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan announced that they had thwarted a series of planned terror attacks against the contest, among the targets being Baku Crystal Hall, as well as Marriott and Hilton hotels in Baku. On 22 August, The Daily Telegraph reported that according to Western intelligence services, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei personally gave orders to the elite Quds Force unit to launch terrorist attacks against the West and its allies, including Azerbaijan during the contest.
8.Other awards. In addition to the main winner’s trophy, the Marcel Bezençon Awards and the Barbara Dex Award were contested during the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. The OGAE, “General Organisation of Eurovision Fans” voting poll also took place before the contest.
8.1.Marcel Bezençon Awards. The Marcel Bezençon Awards, organised since 2002 by Sweden’s then-Head of Delegation and 1992 representative Christer Björkman, and 1984 winner Richard Herrey, honours songs in the contest’s final. The awards are divided into three categories: Artistic Award, Composers Award, and Press Award.
Category | Country | Song | Performer(s) | Composer(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Artistic Award | 🇸🇪 Sweden | “Euphoria” | Loreen |
|
Composers Award | ||||
Press Award | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | “When the Music Dies” | Sabina Babayeva |
|
8.2.OGAE. OGAE, an organisation of over forty Eurovision Song Contest fan clubs across Europe and beyond, conducts an annual voting poll first held in 2002 as the Marcel Bezençon Fan Award. After all votes were cast, the top-ranked entry in the 2012 poll was also the winner of the contest, “Euphoria” performed by Loreen; the top five results are shown below.
Country | Song | Performer(s) | OGAE result |
---|---|---|---|
🇸🇪 Sweden | “Euphoria” | Loreen | 375 |
🇮🇹 Italy | “L’amore è femmina (Out of Love)” | Nina Zilli | 212 |
🇮🇸 Iceland | “Never Forget” | Greta Salóme and Jónsi | 211 |
🇷🇸 Serbia | “Nije ljubav stvar“ | Željko Joksimović | 199 |
🇳🇴 Norway | “Stay” | Tooji | 164 |
8.3.Barbara Dex Award. The Barbara Dex Award is a humorous fan award given to the worst dressed artist each year. Named after Belgium’s representative who came last in the 1993 contest, wearing her self-designed dress, the award was handed by the fansite House of Eurovision from 1997 to 2016 and is being carried out by the fansite songfestival.be since 2017.
Place | Country | Performer(s) | Votes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇦🇱 Albania | Rona Nishliu | 829 |
2 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | Jedward | 551 |
3 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | Sofi Marinova | 232 |
4 | 🇳🇱 The Netherlands | Joan Franka | 163 |
5 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | Gaitana | 145 |

Cover art of the official album
9.Official album. Eurovision Song Contest: Baku 2012 was a compilation album put together by the European Broadcasting Union, and released by Universal Music Group on 4 May 2012. The album featured all 42 songs that entered in the 2012 contest, including the semi-finalists that failed to qualify into the grand final.
9.1.Charts.
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
German Compilation Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 2 |
10.Notes.
- [a] Armenia withdrew after the semi-final allocation draw.
- [b] Contains phrases in Montenegrin and German
- [c] a b Although the song was completely in Albanian, the title is in Latin.
- [d] Contains phrases in Italian.
- [e] Specifically Mühlviertlerisch, a Central Bavarian dialect spoken in Upper Austria.
- [f] a b Although the song was completely in English, the title is in Romanian
- [g] Contains phrases in Arabic, Azerbaijani, English, French, Greek, Italian, Romani, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish and Turkish.
- [h] a b Despite finishing with the same number of points as Bulgaria, Norway is deemed to have finished in tenth place due to receiving points from a greater number of countries, which resulted in Norway qualifying for the final over Bulgaria.
- [i] a b Despite finishing with the same number of points as Belarus, the Netherlands is deemed to have finished in fifteenth place due to receiving points from a greater number of countries.
- [j] a b Despite finishing with the same number of points as Macedonia, Romania is deemed to have finished in twelth place due to receiving points from a greater number of countries.
- [k] Ireland was originally scheduled to announce its votes as the 32nd country, but instead voted 42nd (last). The reason for this was technical difficulties in the minutes running up to the voting presentation.
- [l] Broadcast on 26 May, 26 May and 27 May 2012.
- [m] Broadcast on 1 December 2013, shortened to two hours.
- [n] A total of 72 artists were split in eight heats. Weekly heats consisted of five shows aired from Monday to Friday. The winning artist of each heat qualified for the semi-final. Each of the finalists performed 3 songs in the final. Sabina Babayeva won Milli Seçim Turu 2012. Her Eurovision song “When the Music Dies” was selected internally by a jury.
- [o] Iris was internally selected to represent Belgium at Eurovision 2012. The song “Would You?” that Iris would perform at Eurovision was selected through a national final called Eurosong 2012: Een song voor Iris. From all the submitted songs a jury selected two songs for the competition.
- [p] Ivi Adamou was internally selected to represent Cyprus at Eurovision 2012. The song “La La Love” that Ivi performed at Eurovision was selected through a show, “A Song for Ivi” with three songs.
- [q] Pastora Soler was internally selected to represent Spain at Eurovision 2012. The song “Quédate Conmigo” that Pastora performed at Eurovision was selected through a national final with three songs.
11.Trivial / Fun facts.
- Buranovskiye Babushki had 404 years among them.
- Televoting would once again start after all the songs were performed, not from the first song.
- 42 broadcasters took part while initially 43 had signed up for it. Armenian broadcaster ARMTV pulled out last minute.
- Euphoria received the highest number of 12 points of any entry with 18 countries giving the song their top marks.
← Eurovision Song Contest 2011 • Eurovision Song Contest 2012 • Eurovision Song Contest 2013 → |
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Countries (in order of appearance) |
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Final | United Kingdom ⦁ Hungary ⦁ Albania ⦁ Lithuania ⦁ Bosnia and Herzegovina ⦁ Rusia ⦁ Iceland ⦁ Cyprus ⦁ France • Italy ⦁ Estonia ⦁ Norway • Azerbaijan ⦁ Romania • Denmark ⦁ Greece ⦁ Sweden (winner) • Turkey ⦁ Spain ⦁ Germany ⦁ Malta ⦁ FYRO Macedonia ⦁ Ireland ⦁ Serbia ⦁ Ukraine ⦁ Moldova |
First Semi-Final | Montenegro ⦁ Iceland ⦁ Greece ⦁ Latvia ⦁ Albania ⦁ Romania ⦁ Switzerland ⦁ Belgium ⦁ Finland • Israel ⦁ San Marino • Cyprus • Denmark ⦁ Russia (winner) ⦁ Hungary ⦁ Austria ⦁ Moldova ⦁ Ireland |
Second Semi-Final | Serbia ⦁ FYRO Macedonia ⦁ The Netherlands ⦁ Malta ⦁ Belarus ⦁ Portugal ⦁ Ukraine ⦁ Bulgaria ⦁ Slovenia • Croatia ⦁ Sweden (winner) ⦁ Georgia ⦁ Turkey • Estonia • Slovakia • Norway ⦁ Bosnia and Herzegovina ⦁ Lithuania |
Artists (in order of appearance) |
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Final | Engelbert Humperdinck ⦁ Compact Disco ⦁ Rona Nishliu ⦁ Donny Montell ⦁ Maya Sar ⦁ Buranovskiye Babushki ⦁ Greta Salóme and Jónsi ⦁ Ivi Adamou ⦁ Anggun ⦁ Nina Zilli ⦁ Ott Lepland ⦁ Tooji • Sabina Babayeva ⦁ Mandinga ⦁ Soluna Samay ⦁ Eleftheria Eleftheriou • Loreen (winner) ⦁ Can Bonomo ⦁ Pastora Soler • Roman Lob ⦁ Kurt Calleja ⦁ Kaliopi • Jedward ⦁ Željko Joksimović • Gaitana • Pasha Parfeny |
First Semi-Final | Rambo Amadeus ⦁ Greta Salóme and Jónsi ⦁ Eleftheria Eleftheriou ⦁ Anmary ⦁ Rona Nishliu ⦁ Mandinga ⦁ Sinplus ⦁ Iris ⦁ Pernilla ⦁ Izabo • Valentina Monetta ⦁ Ivi Adamou ⦁ Soluna Samay • Buranovskiye Babushki (winner) • Compact Disco ⦁ Trackshittaz ⦁ Pasha Parfeny • Jedward |
Second Semi-Final | Željko Joksimović ⦁ Kaliopi ⦁ Joan Franka ⦁ Kurt Calleja ⦁ Litesound ⦁ Filipa Sousa ⦁ Gaitana ⦁ Sofi Marinova ⦁ Eva Boto ⦁ Nina Badrić • Loreen (winner) ⦁ Anri Jokhadze ⦁ Can Bonomo • Ott Lepland • Max Jason Mai ⦁ Tooji ⦁ Maya Sar • Donny Montell |
Songs (in order of appearance) |
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Final | “Love Will Set You Free” ⦁ “Sound of Our Hearts” ⦁ “Suus” ⦁ “Love Is Blind” ⦁ “Korake ti znam” ⦁ “Party for Everybody” ⦁”Necer Forget” ⦁ “La La Love” ⦁ “Echo (You and I)” • “L’amore è femmina (Out of Love)” • “Kuula” • “Stay” ⦁ “When the Music Dies” ⦁ “Zaleilah” ⦁ “Should’ve Known Better” • “Aphrodisiac” • “Euphoria” (Winner) • “Love Me Back” • “Quédate conmigo” • “Standing Still” • “This Is the Night” ⦁ “Crno i belo” (Црно и бело) • “Waterline” • “Nije ljubav stvar” (Није љубав ствар) • “Be My Guest” • “Lăutar“ |
First Semi-Final | “Euro Neuro” ⦁ “Never Forget” ⦁ “Aphrodisiac” ⦁ “Beautiful Song” ⦁ “Suus” ⦁ “Zaleilah” ⦁ “Unbreakable” ⦁ “Would You?” ⦁ “När jag blundar” • “For Life” • “Time” • “The Social Network Song (Oh Oh – Uh – Oh Oh)” • “La La Love” • “Party for Everybody” (winner) • “Sound of Our Hearts” ⦁ “Woki mit deim Popo” • “Lăutar” • “Waterline” |
Second Semi-Final | “Nije ljubav stvar” (Није љубав ствар) ⦁ “Crno i belo” (Црно и бело) ⦁ “You and Me” ⦁ “This Is the Night” ⦁ “We Are the Heroes” ⦁ “Vida minha” ⦁ “Be My Guest” ⦁ “Love Unlimited” ⦁ “Verjamem” • “Nebo” • “Euphoria” (Winner) • “I’m a Joker” • “Love Me Back” • “Kuula” • “Don’t Close Your Eyes” ⦁ “Stay” • “Korake ti znam” • “Love Is Blind” |
Non-participating entries: Belarus: Alyona Lanskaya (Алёна Ланская) – “All My Life” • Italy: Nina Zilli – “Per Sempre” (Forever) • San Marino: Valentina Monetta – “Facebook Uh, Oh, Oh (A Satirical Song)” |
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