Austria is making a significant change in its Eurovision selection process for 2024. The original plan of a public vote has been replaced by an internal selection with the assistance of a professional jury, as revealed by Eberhard Forcher, the talent scout for the Austrian public broadcaster ORF. The decision will be made from the pool of 60 song submissions no later than December of this year. This change in approach was announced via a Facebook post by Forcher.
The Austrian internal selection process
Eberhard Forcher stated that a special internal selection commission will narrow down the submitted songs to 15. Different juries will decide whether artists and songs progress to the next phase. All of the 15 selected potential entrants will record a music video for the selection commission to judge. The announcement of Austria’s 2024 will be done before in December 2023.
In June, the Austrian delegation had confirmed their intention to opt for an internal selection process for Eurovision 2024. However, a shift in plans occurred in early September when Martin Gastinger, the new entertainment director at ORF, indicated a desire to involve the public in evaluating and selecting the potential candidates. Despite this, the latest decision reinstates the internal selection process.
Among the 60 current submissions, mainly sourced through active efforts by radio presenters Eberhard Forcher and Peter Schreiber, a rigorous selection will take place to identify the top 15 candidates. These selected entrants will be invited to ORF’s studios in Vienna to record their songs. The recordings will then be sent to the professional jury for the final decision, to be announced by December at the latest. Legal constraints have led to the abandonment of the initial plan for a public vote, according to Forcher.
One aspect that remains consistent for 2024 is the continued collaboration between Austria, Germany, and Switzerland in Eurovision. The three largest German-speaking countries in Europe are enhancing their cooperative programming, including Eurovision, with successful audience engagement witnessed during the 2023 contest in Liverpool. The collaborative efforts garnered substantial viewership, with both Countdown and Aftershow attracting 3,714,000 and 2,750,000 viewers respectively. Looking ahead, while specific program details are yet to be disclosed, the collaboration between the countries for joint programs remains confirmed.
Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023
Turning back to Eurovision 2023, Teya and Salena took on the role of representing Austria in Liverpool. Their quirky performance of “Who the Hell is Edgar?” propelled them to become fan favorites and secured Austria’s first place in the final since 2018. Ultimately, they amassed a total of 120 points, clinching the 15th position in the Saturday final. This was the result of an 8th place ranking by the jury, awarding them 104 points, and a 21st place ranking by the public, adding 16 points to their score.