Eurovision Song Contest 1998
Country Finland
National selection
Selection processEuroviisut 1998
Selection date(s)14 February 1998
Selected entrantEdea
Selected song"Aava"
Selected songwriter(s)
  • Alexi Ahoniemi
  • Tommy Mansikka-Aho
Finals performance
Final result15th, 22 points
Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄1996 • 1998 • 2000►

Finland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 with the song "Aava" written by Alexi Ahoniemi and Tommy Mansikka-Aho. The song was performed by the group Edea. The Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle) returned to the Eurovision Song Contest after a one-year absence following their relegation from 1997 as one of the six countries with the least average points over the preceding four contests. Yle organised the national final Euroviisut 1998 in order to select the Finnish entry for the 1998 contest in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Nine entries were selected to compete in the national final on 14 February 1998 where the combination of votes from an eight-member expert jury, an eight-member OGAE jury and votes from the public selected "Aava" performed by Edea as the winner.

Finland competed in the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 9 May 1998. Performing during the show in position 21, Finland placed fifteenth out of the 25 participating countries, scoring 22 points.

Background

Prior to the 1998 contest, Finland had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest thirty-four times since its first entry in 1961.[1] Finland's best result in the contest achieved in 1973 where the song "Tom Tom Tom" performed by Marion Rung placed sixth. The Finnish national broadcaster, Yleisradio (Yle), broadcasts the event within Finland and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. Finland's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest have been selected through national final competitions that have varied in format over the years. Since 1961, a selection show that was often titled Euroviisukarsinta highlighted that the purpose of the program was to select a song for Eurovision. The broadcaster selected the Finnish entry for the 1998 contest again through the Euroviisut selection show.[2]

Before Eurovision

Euroviisut 1998

Euroviisut 1998 was the national final that selected Finland's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1998. The competition consisted of a final on 14 February 1998, held at the Yle Studio 2 in Helsinki and hosted by Finnish presenter Olga K and Finnish presenter/producer/director Sami Aaltonen. The show was broadcast on Yle TV1 and was watched by 1.21 million viewers in Finland.[2][3]

Competing entries

A panel of six experts appointed by Yle selected nine entries for the competition from the 189 submissions received during a submission period and from composers directly invited by the broadcaster.[4] Seven of the competing entries came from the invited composers, while the remaining two entries came from the open submission.[5][6]

Artist Song Songwriter(s)
Edea "Aava" Tommy Mansikka-Aho, Alexi Ahoniemi
Elena Mady "Honeymoon" Vera, Maki Kolehmainen, Mika Mettälä
Jari Sillanpää "Valkeaa unelmaa" Mika Toivanen, Pekka Laaksonen
Kaija Kärkinen and Ile Kallio "Maailman laitaan" Kaija Kärkinen, Ile Kallio
Luka "Tuun sun luo" Kaari Haapala, Ville Vento
Nylon Beat "Umm ma ma" Risto Asikainen, Sipi Castren
Samuli and Sami "Olen luonasi sun" Maki Kolehmainen, Saija Aartela
Sari Kaasinen "Mielessäni" Sari Kaasinen
Ultra Bra "Tyttöjen välisestä ystävyydestä" Kerkko Koskinen, Anni Sinnemäki

Final

The final took place on 14 February 1998 where nine entries competed. "Aava" performed by Edea was selected as the winner by a combination of public votes (1/3), an expert jury (1/3) and a panel of Finnish and international OGAE members (1/3). Each voting group distributed their points as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 points. 16,708 votes were cast during the show.[7] In addition to the performances of the competing entries, the interval act featured Combayah and Sarah Brightman.[5][8]

Final – 14 February 1998
Draw Artist Song Jury OGAE Televote Total Place
Votes Points Votes Points Votes Points
1 Kaija Kärkinen and Ile Kallio "Maailman laitaan" 48 5 44 4 534 2 11 7
2 Elena Mady "Honeymoon" 40 3 33 3 541 3 9 8
3 Nylon Beat "Umm ma ma" 30 2 73 10 2,297 7 19 3
4 Samuli and Sami "Olen luonasi sun" 64 8 32 2 1,053 4 14 6
5 Sari Kaasinen "Mielessäni" 41 4 64 7 2,766 8 19 3
6 Jari Sillanpää "Valkeaa unelmaa" 49 6 48 5 6,228 10 21 2
7 Ultra Bra "Tyttöjen välisestä ystävyydestä" 52 7 52 6 1,607 6 19 3
8 Luka "Tuun sun luo" 27 1 23 1 211 1 3 9
9 Edea "Aava" 69 10 65 8 1,471 5 23 1
Jury Group Members
Jury Members
Experts[9]
OGAE[10]
  • Jari-Pekka Koikkalainen
  • Juha Puranen
  • Marko Myller
  • Anna Muurinen
  • Max Mannola
  • Pasi Vanttaja
  • Dominique Dufaut
  • Irving Wolther

At Eurovision

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the eight countries which had obtained the lowest average number of points over the last five contests competed in the final on 9 May 1998. On 13 November 1997, a special allocation draw was held which determined the running order and Finland was set to perform in position 21, following the entry from Belgium and before the entry from Norway.[11][12] The day before the contest, Finland was considered by bookmakers to be the seventeenth most likely country to win the competition.[13] The Finnish conductor at the contest was Olli Ahvenlahti, and Finland finished in fifteenth place with 22 points.[14]

The show was televised in Finland on Yle TV1 with commentary by Maria Guzenina and Sami Aaltonen.[15][16] The show was also broadcast via radio with Finnish commentary by Sanna Kojo on Yle Radio Suomi and with Swedish commentary on Yle Radio Vega.[17][18] The Finnish spokesperson, who announced the Finnish votes during the final, was Marjo Wilska.

Voting

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Finland and awarded by Finland in the contest. The nation awarded its 12 points to Estonia in the contest.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Finland Country Profile". EBU. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Eurovision laulukilpailu 1998 - Suomen karsinta". yle.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 18 February 1999. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  3. ↑ "Euroviisut 1998". escstats.com. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "1998 UUDEN SUKUPOLVEN ESIINMARSSI". yle.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 Latva, Tony (25 December 2010). "Muistathan: Suomen karsinnat 1998". viisukuppila.com (in Finnish).
  6. ↑ "Finland 1998". The Eurovision Database. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  7. ↑ ESC National Finals database - Finland 1998
  8. ↑ "Edea: Aava". yle.fi (in Finnish). 20 April 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  9. ↑ "Finland 1998 - views". The Eurovision Database. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "Finland 1998 juror's view". The Eurovision Database. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Birmingham to stage Eurovision". The Irish Times. 9 August 1997. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  12. ↑ Jones, David (13 November 1997). Eurovision Song Contest winner Katrina and compere Terry Wogan[...]. Birmingham, United Kingdom: Alamy. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  13. ↑ "The bookies' favourites". BBC News. 8 May 1998. Archived from the original on 1 November 2002. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  14. ↑ "Final of Birmingham 1998". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  15. ↑ "Telekava". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). 9 May 1998. p. 13. Retrieved 9 November 2022 – via DIGAR Eesti artiklid.
  16. ↑ "TV1". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 9 May 1998. Retrieved 7 November 2022. (subscription required)
  17. ↑ "Radio Suomi". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 9 May 1998. Retrieved 7 November 2022. (subscription required)
  18. ↑ "Radio Vega". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 9 May 1998. Retrieved 7 November 2022. (subscription required)
  19. ↑ ESC History - Finland 1998
  20. 1 2 "Results of the Final of Birmingham 1998". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.

(in Finnish) Full national final on Yle Elävä Arkisto

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