Australia decides: Kate Miller-Heidke to Tel Aviv

In the first-ever Australian televised national selection Eurovision - Australia Decides, broadcast from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Kate Miller-Heidke was chosen to represent her country in Tel Aviv.

Kate's first reaction: “I’m totally overwhelmed! This has been a peak experience already, and I’m dying with excitement at what’s to come. Thanks to everyone who voted, and to all the other artists who provided such a brilliant, eclectic and stiff competition. I’ve had a ball, and I’m so grateful and thrilled that I get to represent Australia at Eurovision in 2019.”

Kate will perform her song Zero Gravity in the second half of the first Semi-Final on the 14th of May.

135 points

After winning over the Australian public with 87 points and a jury of industry experts with 48 points, an impressive 135 points overall, Kate was crowned the winner of Eurovision - Australia Decides.

Electric Fields took out second place with their song 2000 and Whatever being awarded 114 points overall, while Sheppard came in third place with On My Way on 87 points.

About Kate

Kate Miller-Heidke is an award-winning singer-songwriter who traverses the worlds of contemporary pop, folk and opera. She has released four studio albums in Australia, achieving multi-platinum status and appearing in the top 10 album and singles charts numerous times.

Her most recent album O Vertigo! debuted at number four on the Australian album charts, broke Australian crowdfunding records and was nominated for an ARIA award. Her previous albums include Nightflight, which reached number two on the ARIA chart, and Curiouser, which reached double platinum sales in Australia and spawned the multi-platinum hits Last Day On Earth and Caught In The Crowd. She has performed with the New York Metropolitan Opera and the English National Opera, written an opera for children called The Rabbits, and co-wrote the music and lyrics for the recent hit stage production Muriel’s Wedding: The Musical.

How Australia decided

During the Jury Preview Show on Friday 8 February, a Jury of industry experts has voted. During the Live TV Final on Saturday 9 February, the Australian public was able to cast its vote for their favourite acts. The public vote made up half of the overall vote . The finalist with the most points overall has been chosen to represent Australia at the 64th Eurovision Song Contest in May.

Show 

Myf Warhust and Joel Creasy, known to the Australian audience as their commentators for the Eurovision Song Contest, will host the live show.

Casey Donovan, winner of the second season of Australian Idol, opened the show with a high-energy performance of Guy Sebastian's 2015 Eurovision Song Contest entry Tonight Again. Australia ranked 5th that year in the Grand Final with 196 points.

The ten finalists performed in the following order:

• Ella Hooper – Data Dust (LISTEN)
• Electric Fields – 2000 and Whatever (LISTEN)
• Mark Vincent – This Is Not The End (LISTEN)
• Aydan – Dust (LISTEN)
• Courtney Act – Fight for Love (LISTEN)
• Leea Nanos – Set Me Free (LISTEN)
• Sheppard – On My Way (LISTEN)
• Alfie Arcuri – To Myself (LISTEN)
• Kate Miller-Heidke – Zero Gravity (LISTEN)
• Tania Doko – Piece of Me (LISTEN)

During the voting, Dami Im took to the stage and performed an emotional acoustic rendition of Sound of Silence on the piano. This song took Australia to the 2nd place on the scoreboard during the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm. She also performed her brand new single Dreamer.

Australia in Eurovision

It all started in 2015 when Guy Sebastian became the first ever artist to represent Australia in the competition. His song Tonight Again reached a very respectable 5th place. A year later, it went even better for Australia; Dami Im took her song Sound of Silence to second place, just after winner Ukraine. In 2017 Isaiah represented Australia in Kyiv with the song Don’t Come Easy.  He came ninth in the Grand Final. The most recent Australian entrant was Jessica Mauboy. She sang We Got Love on stage in Lisbon and reached a 20th place in the Grand Final.

What do you think of Australia's decision for the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest? Let us know in the comments!