Italy: Here are the 26 Sanremo 2021 contestants in the Campioni Category

Friday, 18 December 2020

The 26 contestants that will compete in the Campioni Category at next year's Sanremo festival were revealed this evening during the Sanremo Giovani show.

A total of 26 acts will compete in the 71st edition of the Sanremo Festival marking the highest number since 1988. The winner of Sanremo festival will be eligible to represent Italy at Eurovision 2021 next May in Rotterdam.

Tonight the Sanremo Giovani show took place at the Teatro del Casinò di Sanremo during which the artistic director of the iconic festival, Amadeus, revealed the final line up of the 2021 Sanremo Festival. The acts that will compete in the Campioni Category are:
- Francesco Renga – Quando trovo te
- Coma_Cose – Fiamme negli occhi
- Gaia Gozzi – Cuore amaro
- Irama – La genesi del tuo colore
- Madame – Voce
- Fulminacci – Santa Marinella
- Willie Peyote – Mai dire mai (La locura)
- Orietta Berti – Quando ti sei innamorato
- Ermal Meta – Un milione di cose da dirti
- Fasma – Parlami
- Arisa – Potevi fare di più
- Gio Evan – Arnica
- Måneskin – Zitti e buoni
- Aiello – Ora
- Ghemon – Momento perfetto
- La Rappresentante di Lista – Amare
- Malika Ayane – Ti piaci così
- Max Gazzè e Trifluoperazina Monstery Band –Il farmacista
- Annalisa – Dieci
- Bugo – E invece sì
- Colapesce e Dimartino – Musica leggerissima
- Noemi – Glicine
- Random – Torno a te
- Francesca Michielin e Fedez – Chiamami per nome
- Extraliscio feat. Davide Toffolo – Bianca luce nera
- Lo Stato Sociale – Combat Pop
Among the candidates we see some past ESC participants stand out! Namely, Ermal Meta who represented Italy along with Fabrizio Moro in Eurovision 2018 and finished 5th, Francesca Michielin who flew the flag in 2016 and came 16th. In addition Sanremo 2014 winner, Arisa, is back ( which didn't go on to Eurovision as Emma was internally selected that year ) along with more other former Sanremo participants that have achieved remarkable placings.

Sanremo 2021 set to run from March 2 to March 6 and will take place with the public present at Teatro Ariston. The winner of the Campioni category will have the right to represent Italy at the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest, next May in Rotterdam.

Italy in Eurovision

Italy has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 45 times since making its debut at the first contest in 1956. After a 14-year absence from 1998 and on, the country returned to the contest in 2011. Italy has won the contest twice in 1964 with Gigliola Cinquetti and her song “Non ho l’età”. Italy’s second victory in the contest came in 1990 with Toto Cutugno and the song “Insieme: 1992”.

Italy’s come back to the contest has proved to be very successful, the country having finished in the top ten in seven times of the last eight contests (2011–2019), with Raphael Gualazzi second in 2011, Nina Zilli ninth in 2012, Marco Mengoni seventh in 2013 and Il Volo third in 2015, Francesco Ghabbani 6th in Kiev. In 2018 the winners of Sanremo 2018 ,Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro, represented Italy in Eurovision in Lisbon with their song “Non mi avete fatto niente”. The Italian duo achieved an honorable 5th place in the Grand final with 308 points and a remarkable 3rd placing in the public voting.

In 2019 , Mahmood, winner of Sanremo 2019 represented the country in Tel Aviv with his entry Soldi. The Italian representative kept the good results for Italy achieving a 2nd place in the Grand Final in Tel Aviv.

This year Diodato might have won the Sanremo festival with 'Fai Rumore' but unfortunately didn't have the chance to perform in Rotterdam as the contest was cancelled de to the coronavirus pandemic. Lets remember Diodato's stunning performance of "Fai Rumore'" in Arena di Verona broadcasted during the alternative show "Europe Shine A Light" last May: