Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998
| Eurovision Song Contest 1998 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country |
 | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Nationaal Songfestival 1998 | |||
| Selection date(s) | 8 March 1998 | |||
| Selected entrant | Edsilia Rombley | |||
| Selected song | "Hemel en aarde" | |||
| Finals performance | ||||
| Final result | 4th, 150 points | |||
| Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
| ||||
The Netherlands were present at the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, held in Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom.
The Dutch national final to select their entry, the Nationaal Songfestival 1998, was held on 8 March at the Rai Congrescentrum in Amsterdam, and was hosted by Paul de Leeuw and Linda de Mol. The final decision was weighted 50-50 between a panel of "experts" and telephone voting across the country.
The winning entry was "Hemel en aarde," performed by Edsilia Rombley and written and composed by Eric van Tijn and Jochem Fluitsma.
National final
| Draw | Artist | Song | Informal translation | Points | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sylvia Samson | Mijn wens voor 2000 | My wish for 2000 | 38 | 7th |
| 2 | Frederique Spigt | Mijn hart kan dat niet aan | My heart can't take it anymore | 70 | 3rd |
| 3 | Marco Marle | Hou me nu maar vast | Hold me now | 29 | 8th |
| 4 | Ryan van den Akker and Lone van Rozendaal | Over | Over | 48 | 5th |
| 5 | Edsilia Rombley | Hemel en aarde | Heaven and earth | 138 | 1st |
| 6 | Nubia | Ze kwamen overzee | They came from over the sea | 65 | 4th |
| 7 | Nurlaila | Alsof je bij me bent | As if you're with me | 84 | 2nd |
| 8 | Claudia Nelson | Zintuigen | Senses | 40 | 6th |
At Eurovision
Rombley was the eighteenth performer on the night of the Contest, following Cyprus and preceding Sweden. At the Contest, she performed under her first name only. At the close of the voting the song had received 150 points, placing 4th in a field of 25 competing countries. It was the best placing the Netherlands had seen since their last win in 1975.
The Dutch conductor at the contest was Dick Bakker for the third and last time.
Voting
Points awarded to Netherlands
| 12 points | 10 points | 8 points | 7 points | 6 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 points | 4 points | 3 points | 2 points | 1 point |
Points awarded by Netherlands
| 12 points |  |
| 10 points | .svg.png){kind=small} |
| 8 points |  |
| 7 points |  |
| 6 points |  |
| 5 points |  |
| 4 points |  |
| 3 points |  |
| 2 points |  |
| 1 point |  |