Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006

Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Country	Slovenia
National selection
Selection process	EMA 2006 2/3 ... Televote/SMS 1/3 ... Jury
Selection date(s)	29 January 2006
Selected entrant	Anžej Dežan
Selected song	"Mr Nobody"
Finals performance
Semi-final result	Failed to qualify (16th, 49 points)
Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2005 • 2006 • 2007►

Slovenia chose its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 on 29 January in their selection, EMA 2006, when 14 songs competed for the votes of the public and a panel of experts. The three voting groups would determine the winner. EMA veteran Saša Lendero and her ethnic dance song "Mandoline", won both the televoting and SMS votes while in the end, the jury decided the outcome and Anžej Dežan with the song Plan B won the competition, causing much controversy. This was second time in 3 years that voting jury expelled the televoting winner from their votes. In 2004 also Natalija Verboten with Cry On My Shoulder had won televoting and SMS votes, but the jury gave her 0 points. If they had get only 1 point - both, Lendero in 2006 or Verboten in 2004 would have won this year's Slovenian preselection. Many polemics and discussions were raised after this - people and media wondering if jury did this on purpose. More dispute was caused when accusations were made that the song was a copy of a song called Santa Maria sung by Austrian singer Simone, therefore breaking the contest rules. The European Broadcasting Union, however, did not see it as a copy, and therefore the song was not disqualified. The song is written by Urša Vlašič and composed by Matjaž Vlašič.

The song, performed in English in Athens as "Mr Nobody", did not come in the top 10 in the semi-final, finishing 16th with 49 points, therefore not qualifying for the final.

Eighteen-year-old Anžej Dežan born on the 17 June 1987 in Celje, was one of the youngest performers in Athens. He was a newcomer to this year EMA, but has past experience by providing the backing vocals to Slovenian superstar Nuša Derenda's song in 2005. He originally came to fame on 'Bitka talentov,' the same talent show which discovered Slovenia's 2005 Eurovision singer Omar Naber. Anžej has already recorded a duet with EMA runner-up Saša Lendero. Anžej is a very style conscious young man, and goes through more image and hairstyle changes in a couple of years, than most people manage in a lifetime.

EMA 2006

At Eurovision

Because Slovenia failed to qualify in 2005 Anžej was forced to compete in the Eurovision semi-final,he came 16th with 49 points failing to qualify to the Grand Final.Therefore, Slovenia will have to compete in the semi-final again in ESC 2007.

See also

• Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest
• Eurovision Song Contest 2006