And now we are approaching the pointy end of things with the almost but not-quite podium finishers!
10th – Czechia – 129 Points
This is a great little song that got almost every point it could wring out of the televoters and juries. It got five first-place votes and a lot of single-digit placings. Unfortunately, using the scale of points doesn’t translate to high marks. Televoters didn’t get it, so its points were limited. Except in Finland, who gave it ten?
Average Jury Rank – 12.079 Average Televote Position – 13.25
9th – Australia – 151 Points
Unpopular opinion – Europe’s televoters don’t want to see Australia winning the grand final. It’s OK for them to win the semi-final, but a hard no when it comes to the big show. Twelve first-place votes for this rock fest and, again, a slew of low singing figure scores meant that the juries loved the song craft and songwriting.
Average Jury Rank – 10.944 Average Televote Position – 16.917
8th – Estonia – 168 Points
This will be the first contender in “Shock of the Contest“. A song aimed at the final juries got seven first-place votes, and Alika’s voice and craft meant that she rocketed up in their estimation. Televoters… Meh… They just saw a boring ballad by a woman in a blue dress and a pianola and gave it hardly any love at all outside of its neighbours. That’s a shame – but televoters are thick.
Average Jury Rank – 9.736 Average Televote Position – 18.083 (One last place)
7th – Belgium – 182 Points
A slightly camp hat daddy gains eleven first-place votes with the juries who have, again, seen a song that is well crafted and produced t within an inch of its life. Televoters in Eastern Europe ignored it – as one would expect from the less culturally aware countries – and it got all of its televoters from what could be deemed as “Western” Europe – that tells you all you need to know about televoters.
Average Jury Rank – 10.579 Average Televote Position – 14.527
6th – Ukraine – 243 Points
Sympathy is still strong for Ukraine here, though not in big enough numbers for them to take votes off the winner (Spoiler). Seven first-place votes in the jury but a lot of 23-24-25 killed this Marmite song. They either loved it or disliked it. Televoters threw it a few sympathy votes, which were c, converted into points, but even this is higher than, in my opinion, this song deserves to be.
Average Jury Rank – 13.663 Average Televote Position – 7.028
Czechia-
Back to our favourite serie, this season: were the juries doi g their work properly? – in this case partly, yes but just not enough. Again a musically well crafted song, should have received much wider recognition.
Between the semi final and final they lost 1/3 of its televoters. Which is never a good thing. The televoters wouldn’t recognize a good song even if it will be the only song presented to them.
Australia-
Juries were giving them a big push at the back. 23 juries thought this deserve recognition. But when you loose 128 televoters points between the semi and the final, than you have no chance what so ever.
Estonia –
In their semi, they received points for each country televotrts, which could vote. It was enough fro a comfortable qualification, albit from the 10th place.
I suspect they wouldn’t have qualified if they were at semi 1.
This support is all gone in the final. Lithuania was the only country from their semi, whose televoters still voted for this song but giving them half of the points they gave them in the semi(5 instead of 10 points).
Ukraine- The juriesbwere jot impressed and were just saying no for this song.
The televoters said maybe but not with a conviction.