Country Netherlands Selected song "Shine" | Selected entrant De Toppers | |
Selection process Artist: Internal Selection
Song: Nationaal Songfestival 2009
1/3 Jury
2/3 Televoting Selection date(s) Artist: September 2008
Song: 1 February 2009 Semi-final result Failed to qualify (17th) | ||
The Netherlands were present at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, sending their 50th entry. Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), the Dutch broadcaster, sent De Toppers to Moscow after they were internally selected. The competing song was selected at Nationaal Songfestival contest on 1 February, where "Shine" was announced the winner.
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Rumoured artists
Dutch Eurovision fans set up an Internet poll in July 2008 with the intent of selecting the best artist to send for the Netherlands. Anouk was selected by the poll, and she has also stated that she would represent the Netherlands in 2009, but would prefer not to participate in a national final.
However, in September 2008, Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) announced that De Toppers would represent the Netherlands in Moscow. The trio, consisting of René Froger, Jeroen van der Boom and Gordon (Dutch national final contestant in 1990 and 2003), are highly popular in the Netherlands, and NOS hoped that they would boost Eurovision figures in the Netherlands, as well as ratings of the national final.
Possible withdrawal
Since De Toppers were announced as the Dutch representatives for Eurovision 2009, complications within the band and with TROS and NOS have resulted in their entry to Eurovision coming under threat.
Disagreements between the band and TROS over the planned docusoap "Op weg naar Moskou" have become the main reason for the row in the band. The main reason for no agreement between the two bodies is due to the band's manager, Benno de Leeuw, being hospitalised for a week.
Since the disagreement started, Gerard Joling has since stated that he has pulled out of the band, and NOS would have to look for a new Dutch representative. NOS has stated that they are trying to patch things up between the band, and if it cannot be solved then NOS will have to look for another entrant: "We made a choice for De Toppers, and that means all three of them or none of them."
On 11 November 2008, it was confirmed that Jeroen van der Boom will take Gerard Joling's place in the group, and that De Toppers will still represent The Netherlands in Moscow with the national song selection taking place on 1 February 2009.
Nationaal Songfestival 2009
Nationaal Songfestival 2009, the Dutch national final used to select the song that De Toppers will sing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was held on 1 February 2009. An open call for songs was held until 31 October 2008. Due to the public feud between the band members, the deadline was extended to 23 November.
A total of 330 songs were submitted to TROS, which De Toppers listened to without knowing the composers, removing possible bias that may arise. It was announced on 5 December that De Toppers had selected the songs that will be sung in February. The six songs selected and their titles and authors were released on 18 December 2008. The group has said that they are all "happy and powerful compositions".
During the show, the past representatives Saskia & Serge, Ben Cramer, Heddy Lester, Getty Kaspers from Teach-In, Bill van Dijk, Frizzle Sizzle's Laura Vlasblom, Rosina Brochard from Harmony and Marcha acted as the jury.
The winning song was "Shine", written by Bas van den Heuvel and Gordon (under the pseudonym Ger van de Westelaken). The song was preferred by the televoting public, which made up two-thirds of the votes, however the second placed song, "Angel of the Night", was preferred by the jury members which made up the remaining one-third of the result.
At Eurovision
Since the Netherlands was not one of the "Big Four" nor the host of the 2009 contest, The Toppers had to compete in one of the two semi-finals. The Netherlands competed in the second semi-final on 14 May, performing 19th and last in the running order, following Estonia. However the group failed to qualify The Netherlands to the final for the fifth successive contest.