Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Iceland
Member station	RÚV
National selection events	National final Söngvakeppnin 1986–1994 2000–2001 2003 2006–2019 Internal Selection 1995–1997 1999 2004–2005
Participation summary
Appearances	31 (24 finals)
First appearance	1986
Best result	2nd: 1999, 2009
Worst result	Last: 1989, 2001, 2018 SF Nul points: 1989
External links
Iceland's page at Eurovision.tv
For the most recent participation see Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018

Iceland has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 31 times since its debut in 1986, missing only two contests since then, in 1998 and 2002, when prevented from competing due to finishing outside qualification places the preceding years. The country's best result is two second-place finishes, with Selma in 1999 and Yohanna in 2009.

Iceland has achieved a total of five top ten placements, with the others being Stjórnin finishing fourth (1990), Heart 2 Heart seventh (1992) and Birgitta eighth (2003). Since the introduction of the semi-final round in 2004, Iceland has failed to qualify for the final seven times, including for the last four years (2015–18). As of 2018, Iceland is the only Nordic country that has yet to win the Eurovision Song Contest.

History

Iceland's best position at the contest is second place, which they have achieved twice: in 1999 when Selma represented Iceland with the song "All Out of Luck", and came second to Sweden's Charlotte Nilsson and in 2009 when Yohanna came second to Norway's Alexander Rybak with the ballad "Is It True?".

In contrast Iceland's worst result is last place, which has been achieved twice to date: In 1989 when Daníel Ágúst got nul points for his entry "Það sem enginn sér" and in 2001 when Two Tricky received 3 points for their performance of "Angel".

With the introduction of semi-finals in 2004, Iceland automatically qualified for the final that year thanks to Birgitta's 8th place the previous year. In 2008, Iceland reached the final for the first time since then, when Euroband sang "This Is My Life". Since the two semi-final system was introduced in 2008, Iceland has qualified for the final in seven straight contests; however, it failed to qualify for the final in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Despite these mixed fortunes, Iceland is the second most successful country never to win the contest (behind only Malta).

Sigríður Beinteinsdóttir has participated four times (as a member of a group in 1990 and 1992, as a solo artist in 1994, and as a background vocalist in 2007). Hera Björk has participated four times (as background vocalist in 2008, 2009 and 2015 and as solo artist in 2010). Stefán Hilmarsson has participated twice (as a member of a group in 1988 and as a member of a duo 1991), as have Selma Björnsdóttir (1999 and 2005), Eiríkur Hauksson (as a member of a group in 1986 and as a solo artist in 2007), Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson (as a solo artist in 2004 and member of a duo in 2012) and Gréta Salóme Stefánsdóttir (as member of a duo in 2012 and solo artist in 2016).

The Icelandic broadcaster for the contest is Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV).

Contestants

Table key

• NOTE: If a country had won the previous year, they did not have to compete in the semi-finals the following year. In addition, back in 2004-2007, the top ten countries who were not members of the big four did not have to compete in the semi finals the following year. If, for example, Germany and France placed inside the top ten, the countries who placed 11th and 12th were advanced to the following year's grand final along with the rest of the top ten countries.

Voting history

As of 2018, Iceland's voting history is as follows:

Most points given in the grand finals only Rank Country Points 1  Sweden 200 2  Denmark 194 3  Norway 138 4  France 102 5  Finland 81 Most points received in the grand finals only Rank Country Points 1  Sweden 112 2  Norway 108 3  Denmark 102 4  United Kingdom 72 5  Portugal 58

Most points given in the semis and finals Rank Country Points 1  Sweden 268 2  Denmark 244 3  Norway 190 4  Finland 162 5  Portugal 115 Most points received in the semis and finals Rank Country Points 1  Sweden 182 2  Denmark 157  Norway 157 4  Finland 141 5  Spain 109

Commentators and spokespersons

Iceland has broadcast the show since 1970. The first to be broadcast live was the 1983 edition after the plan to broadcast the 1982 contest failed. Since 1985, RÚV has broadcast the contest on the radio using same commentator for TV and radio and the Internet broadcast since early 2000s.

Conductors

All conductors are Icelandic except those with a flag.

• Note: Szymon Kuran changed his nationality to Iceland in 1991.

Prior to 1999, the Icelandic entry was performed without orchestral accompaniment in 1988 and 1989.^[1]

Photogallery

• 
  Eiríkur Hauksson at Helsinki (2007)
• 
  Euroband at Belgrade (2008)
• 
  Yohanna at Moscow (2009)
• 
  Hera Björk at Oslo (2010)
• 
  Eythor Ingi at Malmö (2013)
• 
  Pollapönk at Copenhagen (2014)
• 
  María Ólafs at Vienna (2015)
• 
  Greta Salóme at Stockholm (2016)
• 
  Svala at Kyiv (2017)
• 
  Ari Ólafsson at Lisbon (2018)

References

External links

• Points to and from Iceland eurovisioncovers.co.uk
• Iceland 2011 Tirydou Finales Nationales