Vital Statistics 2: The Results

The dust has settled and fans have had a good chance to paw over the results. Before the Grand Final, we gave you an overview of some of 2021's vital statistics, and now the Contest is over we thought you’d enjoy a little more analysis, starting with our new champions.

Italy has been knocking at the door for some time now. Between Måneskin’s victory and the Mediterranean nation’s last win in 1990 (Toto Cutugno’s Insieme: 1992) they’ve enjoyed 77% of their entries finishing inside the top 10, with six top 5 finishes, and two runner-up spots.

Watch: First reaction of Måneskin from Italy after winning Eurovision Song Contest 2021

‘Rock ’n’ roll never dies’: The Year of the Band

Måneskin weren’t the only group to taste success. Unusually, every single competing band managed to qualify for the Grand Final. The Roop (Lithuania), Hooverphonic (Belgium), Go_A (Ukraine), Daði og Gagnagnið (Iceland), Hurricane (Serbia), The Black Mamba (Portugal) and Blind Channel (Finland) all made it to the Saturday night showpiece.

Not only did they qualify, but 6 of the 8 groups managed to score highly enough to account for half of the spaces on the left-hand side of the scoreboard. Quite an achievement.

• 🇮🇹 Italy (Champions) / Måneskin – Zitti E Buoni
• 🇮🇸 Iceland (4th) / Da∂i Freyr og Gagnamagni∂ – 10 Years
• 🇺🇦 Ukraine (5th) / Go_A – Shum
• 🇫🇮 Finland (6th) / Blind Channel – Dark Side
• 🇱🇹 Lithuania (8th) / The Roop – Discoteque
• 🇵🇹 Portugal (12th) / The Black Mamba – Love Is On My Side
• 🇷🇸 Serbia (15th) / Hurricane – Loco Loco
• 🇧🇪 Belgium (19th) / Hooverphonic – The Wrong Place

We’re counting Denmark’s Fyr og Flamme as a duo and not a band, but even so they came achingly close to qualifying, taking 11th place in the second Semi-Final and mirroring Croatia’s Albina who took 11th place in the first Semi-Final.

Talking our language

It was a great year for diversity of language in the Contest too, with the top three songs being performed in French and Italian, as well as Ukrainian in Go_A’s 5th place finish!

Non-English songs:

• 🇮🇹 Italy (Italian, Champions) / Måneskin – Zitti E Buoni
• 🇫🇷 France (French, Runner-up) / Barbara Pravi – Voilà
• 🇨🇭 Switzerland (French, 3rd) / Gjon’s Tears – Tout l’Univers
• 🇺🇦 Ukraine (Ukrainian, 5th) / Go_A – Shum
• 🇦🇱 Albania (Albanian, 21st) / Anxhela Peristeri – Karma
• 🇪🇸 Spain (Spanish, 24th) / Blas Cantó – Voy A Querdarme

This marks the first non-English language top three since… Dublin 1995 🇮🇪

1. 🇳🇴 Norway / Secret Garden – Nocturne (Norwegian)
2. 🇪🇸 Spain / Anabel Conde -Vuelve conmigo (Spanish)
3. 🇸🇪 Sweden / Jan Johanse – Se på mig (Swedish)

…and before that, Rome 1991 🇮🇹

1. 🇸🇪 Sweden / Carola – Fångad av en stormvind (Swedish)
2. 🇫🇷 France / Amina – C’est le dernier qui a parlé qui a raison (French)
3. 🇮🇱 Israel / Duo Datz – Kan (Hebrew)

…by coincidence France were runners-up then too!

Rock bottom

At the bottom of the table we saw a spate of ‘nil points’ awarded by televoters with the dreaded zero being dished out to Jeangu Macrooy (The Netherlands), Blas Cantó (Spain), Jendrik (Germany) and James Newman (United Kingdom) who also received zero points from the juries.

All four artists took the absolutely brutal news in their stride, smiling and cheering; an advert for sportsmanship.

Achievements

In much more pleasant news, several countries achieved their best Eurovision results for a while:

1. 🇮🇹 Italy – champions for the first time since 1990 and their third victory, they now have the same number of wins as Norway and Denmark.
2. 🇫🇷 France – their best result since Amina’s 1991 runner-up Le Dernier Qui a Parlé.
3. 🇨🇭 Switzerland – one place better than Luca Hänni’s 2019 entry She Got Me and their highest placing since Anni Cotton’s third place for Moi, Tout Simplement in 1993.
4. 🇮🇸 Iceland – achieved an incredible result despite having to rely on rehearsal footage when a member of Gagnamagnið was diagnosed with COVID-19. The nation’s best result since 2009.
5. 🇺🇦 Ukraine – another top result for Ukraine, who are now the only competing country with a 100% qualification record. Something they’ll hope to keep.
6. 🇫🇮 Finland – aside from Lordi’s 2006 win, this is Finland’s highest ever placing.
7. 🇲🇹 Malta – Destiny achieved the island nation’s best result since Chiara took second place with Angel in 2005.
8. 🇱🇹 Lithuania – The Roop couldn’t quite top the 6th place taken by LT United for We Are The Winners in 2006, but 8th is the country’s best finish since then.
9. 🇷🇺 Russia – the Russians continue their record of finishing in the Top 10 in Grand Finals (when they qualify) that stretches back to 2012.
10. 🇬🇷 Greece – Stefania brings home the best Greek result since 2013’s Alcohol Is Free.

Rounding off the fabled ‘left-hand side’ of the scoreboard are Bulgaria, Portugal and Moldova finishing in 11th, 12th and 13th, respectively.

Living on Video

Which music videos did the numbers of the official Eurovision YouTube channel?

These figures are calculated between 1 February – 16 May 2021 (Turquoise Carpet).

1. 🇷🇺 Russia (9th place) / Manizha – Russian Woman
2. 🇷🇸 Serbia (15th place) / Hurricane – Loco Loco
3. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan (20th place) / Efendi – Mata Hari
4. 🇺🇦 Ukraine (5th place) / Go_A – Shum
5. 🇲🇹 Malta (7th place) / Destiny – Je Me Casse
6. 🇨🇭 Switzerland (3rd place) / Gjon’s Tears – Tout l’Univers
7. 🇨🇾 Cyprus (16th place) / Elena Tsagrinou – El Diablo
8. 🇮🇱 Israel (17th place) / Eden Alene – Set Me Free*
9. 🇫🇮 Finland (6th place) / Blind Channel – Dark Side
10. 🇳🇴 Norway (18th place) / TIX – Fallen Angel*

Champions Italy came 12th but it’s worth noting that some acts like Måneskin (and Iceland’s Daði Freyr) released the official music videos on their own YouTube channels.

Watch: 10 Years – Daði og Gagnamagnið (Official Video)



* Israel and Norway’s views were spread over two videos on the official Eurovision YouTube channel.

Tried and tested.

Which songs qualified for Eurovision Song Contest 2021 via a national final with other competing acts?

• 🇮🇹 Italy (Champions) / Måneskin – Zitti E Buoni
• 🇫🇷 France (Runner-up) / Barbara Pravi – Voilà
• 🇫🇮 Finland (6th) / Blind Channel – Dark Side
• 🇱🇹 Lithuania (8th) / The Roop – Discoteque
• 🇷🇺 Russia (9th) / Manizha – Russian Woman
• 🇵🇹 Portugal (12th) / The Black Mamba – Love Is On My Side
• 🇸🇪 Sweden (14th) / Tusse – Voices
• 🇳🇴 Norway (18th) / TIX – Fallen Angel
• 🇦🇱 Albania (21st) / Anxhela Peristeri – Karma

Already in the bag

Which songs were selected internally (excluding returning 2020 acts who’d won national finals featuring original songs the year before).

• 🇨🇭 Switzerland (3rd) / Gjon’s Tears – Tout l’Univers
• 🇲🇹 Malta (7th) / Destiny – Je Me Casse
• 🇬🇷 Greece (10th) / Stefania – Last Dance
• 🇧🇬 Bulgaria (11th) / Victoria – Growing Up is Getting Old
• 🇨🇾 Cyprus (16th) / Elena Tsagrinou – El Diablo
• 🇧🇪 Belgium (19th) / Hooverphonic – The Wrong Place
• 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan (20th) / Efendi – Mata Hari
• 🇸🇲 San Marino (22nd) / Senhit – Adrenalina
• 🇳🇱 The Netherlands (23rd) (Hosts) / Jeangu Macrooy – Birth of a New Age
• 🇪🇸 Spain (24th) / Blas Cantó – Voy A Querdarme*
• 🇩🇪 Germany (25th) / Jendrik – I Don’t Feel Hate
• 🇬🇧 United Kingdom (26th) / James Newman – Embers

* Spain offered the general public the choice of two songs. Voy A Querdame was selected.

Any interesting stats we’ve forgotten? Let us know on our social channels: follow the official Eurovision Song Contest Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook accounts.