Country Cyprus Selected entrant Christina Metaxa | Selection date(s) February 7, 2009 Selected song "Firefly" | |
Selection process National final
100% Televoting Semi-final result Failed to qualify (14th) | ||
Cyprus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. CyBC announced that Cyprus's 2009 Eurovision entry would be selected through a national final where the general public will be the one to decide the winner via 100% televoting. The national final was held on February 7, 2009.
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Background
Cyprus has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest twenty-six times since its first entry in 1981. Its best placing was fifth, which it achieved three times: in 1982 with the song "Mono I Agapi" performed by Anna Vissi, in 1997 with "Mana Mou" performed by Hara and Andreas Constantinou, and 2004 with "Stronger Every Minute" performed by Lisa Andreas. Cyprus's least successful result was in 1986 when it placed last in 1986 with the song "Tora Zo" by Elpida, receiving only three points in total. However, its worst finish in terms of points received was when it placed second to last in 1999 with "Tha'nai Erotas" by Marlain Angelidou, receiving only two.
The Cypriot national broadcaster, Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) broadcasts the event in Cyprus each year and organizes the selection process for its entry. Selection processes have varied over the years from full national finals such as in 2004, 2006, and 2008, where the public chooses both the song and performer, to internal selections such as in 2005 and 2007 where the artist and sometimes song also is chosen by CyBC. For 2009, CyBC chose to hold a national final as it had the previous year.
National final
The national final was held on February 7, 2009 at CyBC's Studio 3 in Nicosia, Cyprus. The original selection date was set for January 31, 2009, but it was rumored to be changed to accommodate a possible guest appearance by Sakis Rouvas. The selection process was almost identical to that of 2008's. A submission deadline for songs was set for November 28, 2008 with the condition that writers be residents of Cyprus for at least two years. Cypriots, regardless of their country of residence, could also have submitted a song. The songs could be sung in any language, but they could not be submitted to multiple broadcasters in the contest.
Out of all of the entries received, 20 were chosen originally and then a seven-member jury cut down the number of songs to ten which proceeded to the national final where the public chose the entrant completely by televoting. The seven member jury was drawn from a pot of fourteen suggested candidates and their identities will not be revealed throughout the duration of the final. In the case that the televoting system went down, the jury would have be used as an alternative to choose the entrant. The names of the ten finalist songs for the national final were announced on December 16, 2008, while the singer for each song was announced on January 20, 2009.
At Eurovision
As Cyprus is not one of the "Big Four", nor the host of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, after Evdokia Kadi placed 15th in the second semi-final in 2008, Cyprus had to compete in the second semi-final to proceed onto the final in Moscow. Christina performed seventh in the semi-final on 14 May, following Norway and preceding Slovakia, however she failed to qualify Cyprus to the final for the fourth consecutive year.