The first ever Eurovision – Australia Decides song contest was held on the Gold Coast in Queensland tonight, with 10 incredible Australian acts taking to the stage to compete for the chance to represent the nation at Eurovision.
700 submissions came down to tonight’s Top 10, with Ella Hooper, Courtney Act, Electric Fields, Aydan, Alfie Arcuri, Sheppard, Mark Vincent, Leea Nanos, Tania Doko and Kate Miller-Heidke all delivering memorable performances.
After a stunning performance of her song Zero Gravity, Kate Miller-Heidke was crowned winner and will go on to represent Australia at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Kate Miller-Hedike performs Zero Gravity at Eurovision – Australia Decides.
Kate received top points from the jury with a score of 48, plus an additional score of 87 from the votes of the Australian public.
After winning Eurovision – Australia Decides, Kate will be heading to Tel Aviv in May 2019 for the 64th annual Eurovision Song Contest. She’ll be following in the footsteps of Guy Sebastian, Dami Im, Isaiah Firebrace and Jessica Mauboy.
A long-time fan of Eurovision, Kate says she’s excited to be representing Australia.
“I’ve always loved watching Eurovision, particularly as a kind of niche artist,” she tells TV WEEK.
“I love how experimental it is and how the show gives scope for extreme music in some ways. And it’s open you know, it’s open to any genre. It’s a real unique, theatrical, lavish, over-the-top, camp experience. For all those reasons I was really drawn to it.”
The Top 10 competing at Eurovision – Australia Decides.
Kate’s elaborate and theatrical performance wowed viewers tonight, with the artist describing her song and stage show as “slightly bonkers.”
“The scale of this production is way beyond anything I’ve ever been involved with before and it takes a huge lot of effort and talent to put it together,” Kate reveals.
“So there was a lot of consultation and furious work going on with the costume, and the set, and the lighting, and the projections, and I kind of had to remind myself to practice the bloody song as well!
“It’s a theatrical song and it’s a slightly bonkers song as well, so all of that and more was reflected in the staging.”
Of course, Kate will be joined in Israel by our hosts Joel Creasey and Myf Warhurst.
“We call ourselves the contestant’s drunk, embarrassing aunt and uncle, we’re the ones giving them lots of encouragement,” Myf reveals.
“Eurovision is just one of the most bizarre, exciting, hilarious things you can be involved in,” Myf tells TV WEEK. “You build up to it every year and you go ‘oh my god, here we are again!’ And you settle in and it’s just great.
Meanwhile, Joel is just plain excited to head to Tel Aviv in Israel in May.
“I’ve always wanted to go to Tel Aviv – it’s supposedly the new gay capital of the world! I’ve always wanted to go, I’ve had a lot of friends go there to the party scene. I’m pumped!”
Congratulations to Kate on an incredible win – we can’t wait to see more at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest.
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