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Exclusive: Here are this year's national juries!

01 May 2015 at 15:00 CEST
Since 2009, the outcome of the Eurovision Song Contest is determined not only by you - millions of viewers from around Europe - but also by music industry professionals. In each country, viewers and a national jury both make up 50 percent of the outcome of the contest.

The full list which you can find it at the bottom of this story is preliminary, and changes may occur due to unforeseen circumstances in the lead up to the Final. Keep an eye on this story to follow any changes in the juries in the lead up to the shows!

Facts & figures

Jury members and back-up jury members combined, the list reveals some interesting facts and figures:

  • 106 jury members are female, 131 are male, 3 are still missing
  • The average age is 40 years (age on the day of the Final)
  • The two youngest jury members are 17 (in Israel and Sweden)
  • The oldest jury member is 86 (in Slovenia)
  • There are 2 teenagers, 35 jury members in their twenties, 81 in their thirties, 70 in their forties, 32 in their fifties, 15 in their sixties, 1 in his seventies and 1 in his eighties

Former participants

We have spotted at least these former Eurovision Song Contest participants on the list: Aram MP3 from Armenia (2014), Roberto Bellarosa (2013) and Witloof Bay-member Florance Huby from Belgium (2011), Søren Poppe from Rollo & King from Denmark (2001), Marie Myriam from France (1977), Ryan Dolan from Ireland (2013), Margaret Berger from Norway (2013), Cleo from Poland (2014), Alsou from Russia (2000, also host in 2009), Dina Garipova from Russia (2013), Nevena from the group Moje Tri from Serbia (2013 and Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2007), Rosa Lopéz (2002), Dani Diges (2010), Pastora Soler (2012) and Ruth Lorenzo (2014) from Spain, Hind Laroussi from The Netherlands (2008) and Gabriel from the band Sinplus from Switzerland (2012). 

In addition to them also the following former participants are a part of the lineup: Hind (2008 for The Netherlands), Manuel Ortega (Austria 2002), Sophie Gelovani (Georgia 2013), Birgitta Haukdal (Iceland 2003), Liora (Israel 1995), Ralfs Eilands (part of PeR, Latvia 2013), Geta Burlacu (Moldova 2008), Michal Wisniewski (Ich Troje, Poland 2003 and 2006), Inês Santos (Portugal 1998), Adelaide Ferreira (Portugal 1985), OVI (Romania 2010 and 2014), Nicola della Valle (San Marino 2008), Marko Kon (Serbia 2009) and Tinkara Kovac (Slovenia 2014).

The list also contains several former backing vocalists, song writers, composers, producers and choreographers who have been involved with past Eurovision Song Contest entries.

Almost iconically, the oldest person is not only Slovenia's backup jury member, but Dušan Hren was also Yugoslavia's first Head of Delegation at the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest.

How does it work?

Traditionally, the jury members will come together to watch the second Dress Rehearsal of each show live as it happens via a dedicated satellite channel at each country's public broadcaster headquarters. Their work will be supervised by a notary, and the EBU's independent observers of PwC reserve the rights to pay ad-hoc surprise visits to the jury gatherings in order to re-assure that the jury voting is being conducted in accordance with the Rules of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Each jury member is asked to evaluate the vocal capacity, the performance on stage, the composition and originality of the song and the overall impression by the act, and rank all entries, except their own country's contribution, in order. Each jury member should vote independently from the others. 

After their submission, the EBU and PwC intensely work to check and verify the jury rankings. In case of apparent irregularities, a national jury vote may be discarded. 

The jury ranking is then combined with the ranking of the televote, on the night of the live show. In the unlikely case of problems with the televoting result, the EBU Executive Supervisor will decide to only use a country's jury vote.

Being a juror

There are strict admission rules to become a member of the jury

  • Members of the jury must not have been part of the jury in the previous two years;
  • Members of the jury must be aged of at least 16 on the day they vote;
  • Members of the jury must not be employees of Participating Broadcasters;
  • Members of the jury must pursue a profession in or related to the music industry;
  • Members of the jury shall be citizens of the country they represent;
  • No member of a jury shall be connected in any way with any of the participating songs entered and/or artists performing in the contest in such a way that they cannot vote in complete independence and impartiality.

Just like viewers at home, juries will vote during the Final and during one of the two Semi-Finals.

Since last year, the European Broadcasting Union announces the list of national jury members in advance.

Remarks and changes

  • The Albanian jury is not yet complete and therefore, not yet approved (Friday, 1st of May, 12:00 CEST)
  • The Swiss jury misses their back-up jury member, which will be added shortly (Friday, 1st of May, 12:00 CEST)
  • Minor changes were made in the order of jury members of The Netherlands, Latvia, Russia, and Moldova (Friday, 1st of May, 13:45 CEST)
  • The Dutch back-up jury member was not eligible according to the Rules and will be replaced (Friday, 1st of May, 14:00 CEST)
  • Changes were made in the juries of Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Switzerland (Sunday 17th of May, 13:40 CEST)