Junior Eurovision 2020: Australia drops out from the upcoming contest in Poland

Junior Eurovision 2020: Australia drops out from the upcoming contest in Poland
Wednesday, 15 July 2020

  • SBS, the Australian national broadcaster, has revealed that the country will be withdrawing from this year's Junior Eurovision due to the covid- 19 outbreak. 

    Following Wales, the Aussies won't be participating in Junior Eurovisio 2020, a decision taken due to the covid-19 pandemic and the still active travel restrictions. The Australian Goverment has enforced a ban on all international flights from and to the country, which is unknown up to what time will be extended. 

    An SBS spokesperson has told TV Tonight it has advised the EBU it is not participating.“Due to the current travel restrictions and the ongoing uncertainty around this situation, Australia will not be competing in the Junior Eurovision Contest 2020,” they said.

    This development marks the second withdrawal by a country that had taken part in last year's edition and won't be present in the contest in Warsaw on November 29. 

     

    Australia in Junior Eurovision 

    The participation of Australia in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest first began in Sofia, Bulgaria, at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015. Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) an associate member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) was responsible for the selection process of their participants at the 2015 and 2016 contests, with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) taking over the country's participation from the 2017 contest.

    The first representative to participate for the nation at the 2015 contest was Bella Paige with the song "My Girls", which finished in 8th place out of 17 participating entries, achieving a score of 64 points. Australia continued their participation at the 2016 contest, having internally selected Alexa Curtis with her song "We Are", which finished in 5th place, scoring 202 points. Isabella Clarke in 2017 and Jael Wena in 2018 both placed 3rd, Australia's best results to date.

    Last year Jordan Antony represented the nation with his entry 'We will rise" that finished in 8th place receiving a total of 121 points. 

     

    Source: TV Tonight