INTERNATIONAL JURY

Amar

Axel

Benedek

Douwe

Elias

José

Mark

Melissa

Octavio

Paul L

Pia

Roberto

Roy

Samantha

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02

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Amar Hodzic

Axel Neld

Benedek Farkas

Douwe Reveler

USA

Sweden

Romania

Netherlands

Hello Europe and Hello World! I'm Amar and I live in the United States , no worries though, I'm originally from Bosnia so I truly have a feel for what Eurovision is all about! I'm 18 years old but 9 years old in the Eurovision community; 2005 was the year that I was first introduced to this song contest and I was immediately captivated. Ever since that first experience, I've been very musically inclined and have developed a true feel for judging music and judging how audiences will respond to certain songs and performances (even though I'm totally not the slightest bit talented in producing music). I am very open minded with music, artists, and performances and will take every genre into consideration equally and fairly. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what this year brings and I hope my critiques will be entertaining and accurate on the scoreboard in May!

I am a nineteen years old boy, who loves music. Since I also loves competitions of different kind. Both Eurovision and Swedish Melodifestivalen, is something I love and look forward to every year. My biggest memory is when I was a part of the jury who decided which songs that would be a part of Melodifestivalen 2012 (so yes I was choosing Euphoria to compete)

I’m married with a 4 year old child and live with my family in the city called Targu Mures. As for my professional career I’m acting, I have finished the University of Theatre and TV in Cluj Napoca , Romania and right now I’m learning at the University of Art in Targu Mures, PhD in acting. I performed from 2003 till now in more then 70 plays, musicals in theatres (Hungarian National Theater Cluj Napoca, National Theater Targu Mures, Romanian National Theater Cluj Napoca, Tomcsa   Sandor   Theater   etc .).I also work sometime as model and I’m doing TV, Radio works too. I’m a huge Eurovision fan from 1999 so I’m new guy but I love it, enjoy it and watching it a lot. My point of view is always to be objective and fair. I’m always watching the song and contender in a package without watching from which country is the person and song. I would love to see  Europe does the same. Unfortunately not till now. I hope it will change.

My love of the Eurovision Song Contest spans more than 30 years and started when I discovered a book that my Mom used to note all of the points allocated on Eurovision night ... My earliest ESC memory is watching the 1978 show and thinking how fantastic it was. Since then I have had the great fortune of being able to attend several national finals as well as 8 actual Eurovision's - 1989, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 - (with front row seats in Moscow - an absolute highpoint and unforgettable experience!!) and Copenhagen is just around the corner ... The contest has grown and undergone many changes but it's still as much fun as it always was!

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Elias Antoniades

José Mora

Mark Lamb

Melissa Bayly

Octavio Ramirez Santana

Cyprus

Mexico

Ireland

Australia

Italy

I'm a big Eurovision follower since 1981 the year that my country  Cyprus had its first participation in the contest. I try to represent my country as a lyrics writer 3 times and my songs past in the Cyprus Final live selections among the 8 songs of each year in 1994, 1995 and 1996.  Two of my songs "Vradya Adiana" from 1994 & "Anteho" 1996 represented Cyprus in OGAE Second Chance.  In 1996 I was a member of the national Cypriot Jury that nominated 12 points to  Portugal leaving Greece 2nd.

I've been watching the contest since 2005, but I'm a collector of the nicest songs since 50's. I have had the pleasure to attend live shows of my 2 favourite Eurovision superstars: Patricia Kaas and Anna Vissi. Someday I hope I can attend the other of my favourite divas: Charlotte Perrelli. Here in  Mexico we can see the show live due to the Television Española (TVE) signal and that is the big event I cannot miss ever. Greetings from Guadalajara ! (José pictured with Ricky Martin!)

Brought up in Ireland, it has been lovely to see my home country win so often, however as there is little chance of that happening again I have to be contented with sobbing into my cocktail while watching the likes of Dustin the Turkey and Jedward embarrass an entire country. Only Joking! I love the contest and have been glued to it for over 40 years. Roll on Copenhagen 2014! 

I’m am an Australian now living in Dubai since 2005. I’ve been a fan of the ESC since 2002, where a documentary on Estonia’s preparations for hosting the contest that year piqued my interest, then after hearing Cyprus’ One give it their all with “Gimme” I was totally hooked. I finally bit the bullet and attended my first ESC in 2010, and the level of hospitality and warmth that I felt from the Norwegians is something I’ll never forget. I’ve been hooked ever since, having attended 2011 and 2012 as an accredited fan, and being blessed with the opportunity in 2013 as a member of the San Marino delegation.  My ultimate dream would of course be to see San Marino qualify for the final, seeing as Australia cannot compete it would be good to see a nation with seemingly huge odds stacked against it do so well.  My absolute favorite entries would be Kuula, Pokusaj, Dschingis Khan and my favourite winner would have to be Johnny Logan’s Hold Me Now.

My affection for the  ESC  started for as long as I remember. I remember in 1977 I watched the contest together with my family with lot of excitement and interest. I’ve to admit I’m a big  ESC  fan not necessarily a fan of a specific country and each year I bet on the country with the song that I like best, and this is no guarantee of success. I've made many great friends through  ESC  travels and finally got to my first contest in 2008 in  Belgrade .

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Paul Camacho

Pia Lundqvist

Roberto Giorgi

Roy Van Der Merwe

Samantha Ross

Spain

Finland

Italy

South Africa

USA

Born in  France of an Irish mother and a Spanish father, I was probably predestined to like everything 'European' and so it went. The first Eurovision I remember is the 1990 edition in  Zagreb  and particularly remember the French song from Joelle Ursull 'White and black blues' and I since then did not miss any Eurovision song contests. Every year I cannot wait to discover each song selected by every country entering the competition. So best of luck to everyone again this year.

I'm 50 years young and have been a Eurovision fan since 1964 when  Italy won. (My mother told me, that I had said about the Italian entry: That's the winner! I don't remember it myself ....) Well at work they have give me vacation on the "Eurovision week" cause they are tired listening to me & my Eurovision talk around the clock.

I'm a huge Eurovision fan. I'm so happy that  Italy , my country, is taking part again these days. I was in Düsseldorf in 2011 for our comeback and it was amazing to meet my friends all over  Europe  and to receive many compliments for the brilliant, unexpected result. For me, it was even better than a real victory. I grew up with the songs of Sandie Shaw, Séverine, Vicky Leandros and of course, Abba, and  ESC  1977 was the first I saw on television.  ESC  is an exciting, deep and involving experience.

As a child I grew up without Eurovision as  South Africa did not get TV until 1976 and of course it was not broadcast here. In the 70's as a child I did hear some euro songs, usually the winners and those in English that made our charts, like CONGRATULATIONS, PUPPET ON A STRING, WATERLOO, COME WHAT  MAY  , BEG STEAL OR BORROW, SAVE YOUR KISSES FOR ME etc. Vicky Leandros was very popular here and toured here, so COME WHAT  MAY went to number one.  South Africa was also after  SWEDEN the second country to know of ABBA and in fact they had 4 number one hits here prior to winning EUROVISION with  WATERLOO .

I was invited to attend EUROVISION in  MUNICH 1983 (!) - My first time at EUROVISION in the audience. Since 1993 I have never missed a contest and since Dublin 1995, I’ve had P accreditation, so attending the run-up to EUROVISION. My taste is quite different from most but that is what makes it so special - something for everyone! I am also very active in the music business here, getting local singers to cover EURO songs (almost 200 have now been covered directly because of me).  

"Living in the United States , I didn't have the luxury of growing up with Eurovision, as it's not shown on any channel here (yet!). However, when I started attending university I learned more and more about the  ESC and quickly became an addict! In 2009, I started my own blog (mostly to keep myself from talking my family's ears off about it) and I'm thrilled to see so many people from around the world reading the  ESC  Insider (http://escinsider.com/ ) I'm also a contributing editor at ESC Insight (www.escinsight.com), where I'm our lead interviewer (and I also spend time keeping Terry Vision in check!).  I'll be making my fourth trip to Eurovision this year (plus a Swiss National Final), and I couldn't be more excited! My favourite  ESC  entries are "Madness of Love", "Na Inat", "Deli", "Rändajad", "Strazdas", and "Pokusaj", and I've got a soft spot in my heart for "Eläköön elämä". See you all in Copenhagen !" 

UNITED KINGDOM JURY

Andrew

Brian

Danny

David A

David B

David E

Dean

Eddie

Gary

Matt

Nico

Paul J

Sally-Ann

Tristan

01

02

03

04

Andrew Cross

Brian Gilbert

Danny Lynch

David Allan

Stevenage

Hertfordshire

Glasgow

Glasgow

I've always loved other languages and have been watching the contest since as far back as I remember but it was ' Amsterdam ' and 'Fantasiaa' in the early 80's that really got me hooked. With no internet/satellite TV it was a case of writing to the national TV stations to get the singles and relying on friends and family to send video tapes of the national finals. As for the contest itself, it was the one night the whole of  Europe was 'together' in spirit. I used to have synchronised video recording in 3 different parts of the  UK just in case of power failure!  Finally got to my first contest in 1996 in  Oslo and more recently made it to Düsseldorf and Baku .

I have been a fan of Eurovision since Sandie Shaw so I suppose that makes me an ancient follower. I started to collect the record releases in the early 70's which added to the fun, I can remember when the old HMV in  Oxford Street ( London ) actually had a Eurovision singles section. The 70s would probably be my favourite Euro decade as the contest was so massive in the  UK at that time and even the Songs for  Europe and the preview shows were big TV events. I was lucky enough to go to Eurovision throughout the 90s and loved every minute of every one (don't think I could cope with it now) but enjoy it just as much at home now.

I’ve been a fan of Eurovision for as long as I can remember, my first memory of Eurovision is Bobbysocks winning in 1985, but I can’t remember much more than their sparkly outfits! In 1992, my parents bought a new VCR and I recorded my first Eurovision and from then onwards, my obsession grew and grew! I have been attending Melodifestivalen every year since 2006, and I went to my first Eurovision in Belgrade in 2008, and apart from missing 2009, I have been every year since, working for one of the fan sites - interviewing artists, dishing all the gossip and having fun – Eurovision fortnight is my Christmas! My favourite Eurovision song ever is “Quand je te rêve” ( Luxembourg 1990) and my favourite UK entry is “Where Are You?” from 1998. I’m looking forward to the 2014 season and all the weird and wonderful songs we are going to be subjected to!

The first contest I remember watching is 1969, so I am one of the “old time” fans who remembers Laurita Valenzuela trying to make Clifford Brown stop saying "cuatro ganadores".  I have 2 new Eurovision tattoos which I realise is somewhat nerdy. Eurovision has changed so much over the years and is still good fun and interesting. Getting immediate access to the music and artists is the main change due to the internet. In the past I used to travel to  Scandinavia to buy Eurovision records as you couldn't even order them here.

I tend to favour the underdog; eg: my two favourite ESC songs are  Yugoslavia 76 and Israel 2000 and whatever I support will be sure to do badly. I’ve only twice predicted the winner - 1980 and 2007. I find it strange to meet fans who know little pre mid 90s and have never seen the older contests. I’d make them sit an exam before they were allowed to join the fold. I live in  Glasgow which is cold and damp and I am a starving writer of depressing fiction that no one seems too keen to publish.

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David Bridgman

David Elder

Dean Asker

Eddie de Souza

Gary Speirs

London

Edinburgh

Stratford-Upon-Avon

London

Brighton

My love affair with  Europe ’s finest song festival began with a chance sighting of Brotherhood of Man in 1976. Maybe the flares swayed me. 1979 was the first full contest I watched and I swore that night that the next time the contest was in  Israel , I'd be there. OK it took twenty years but I made it! It was also the last one I went to.

My  ESC  card was marked from a very young age. As a 5 year old I could be found lip-synching to Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue when it was played on the juke-box in my parents’ café. I remember coming downstairs for a drink of water while the 72 voting was on, and I remember sending Cilla a postcard asking Cliff to sing “Come Back Billie-Joe” in 73. He didn’t. I watched the full show in earnest in 74 and haven’t looked back since. In 84 and 85 I was in the Scottish  SFE  juries and then in 86 I joined Mr Speirs at TV Centre in  London to be on the  UK jury. We gave  Germany 12 points, and being half-German, I was delighted! I’ve been accredited as a journalist at every contest since Zagreb in 90, initially writing for fan publications, but latterly covering the event for one of  Scotland ’s leading newspapers. Jerusalem ,  Riga , Kyiv and  Moscow were the best experiences;  Copenhagen 01 – hands-down – was the worst! My all time fave entry is Bem Bom by Doce from 82, and I can often be found raising my hands, clapping and hey-ing at the appropriate juncture. In real life I’m an HR Manager, have a charming husband and a very, very old pussy

My first memory of Eurovision was when, at the age of 6, I fell asleep before I knew if Rock Bottom has won the 1977 Contest.  Of course it didn’t and I was very disappointed about the  UK ’s second place the next day.  My passion was truly cemented in the 1980s, and when Bobbysocks won. I was delighted.  The first time I saw the Contest live was in 1995, and I’ve been to 18 contests in total. Highlights include the UK win in 1997, and everything about 2003, 2007 and 2010.  My favourite Eurovision entry is Det’ Lige’ Det ( Denmark 1984), although Is It True (Iceland 2009) runs a close second. 

My first Eurovision memory was aged 4 seeing Bucks Fizz win and from that moment onwards I was hooked. I've been to national finals in the UK  ,  Norway  ,  Denmark  and of course, Melodifestivalen in  Sweden . 2013 was my first live   ESC experience which was amazing – can’t wait to go again. As a keen composer, I have written a few songs and am just waiting for my big Eurovision break. My favorite Eurovision entries are Amen ( Israel 1995), Je n'ai que mon âme (France 2001) and Je ne sais quoi (Iceland 2010).

I’m a long time fan, proved by it being Abba's win in  Brighton that hooked me in. A born and bred proud Welshman from Cardiff , I now actually live in Brighton and still love the whole build-up to Eurovision week. I have made many great friends through Eurovision travels and this makes the annual gathering a very special time. I have had some great fun with the contest, with Copenhagen 2014 hopefully turning out to the 25th Contest I have travelled to! I was also honoured to be a member of the UK Jury for Bergen (with David Elder) in 1986. I love the fact that Eurovision has taken me to places I may never otherwise have visited, like Riga , Tallinn , Kyiv, Belgrade , Baku , Istanbul and Moscow ! Oh, and not forgetting little Millstreet… My amazing Moscow front-seat 3 seconds of fame (pictured) certainly outed my ESC passion to lots of people who didn’t already know… Best entries... BAILAR PEGADOS, TORNERO and KUULA among many others. 2014? Bring it on! 

My full Eurovision story can be read here  

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Matt Meyer

Nico Pitortou

Paul Jordan

Sally-Ann Fawcett

Tristan White

Essex

London

Cardiff

London

London

Eurovision began for me with the contest in 1990 when I was 13 and it was the 'them and us' aspect that appealed to me. I became a 'proper' fan of the contest in 1993 mainly due to 'Our Sonia' singing, but I very quickly appreciated (and enjoyed) hearing so many languages. As I know (British) Sign Language, I hope to see this featured a bit more in the future.
Confession time - I have only been to one contest itself, that being the one held in 2000 in Sweeeeden and do hope to go again one day; it was great to experience the atmosphere and meet up with some of my overseas friends.

My favourite all-times are very hard to pinpoint but I would say "I evighet" from Norway 1996 is right near the top and as for the UK favourite... it's Pearl and Teddy from '59! Whatever my comments are about the songs, I wish them all the best of luck as it's not their fault I might not like a song but it'll be a proud moment for them to represent their country. 

I've been a Eurovision lover since the age of four. I have been attending the contest itself since 2004 in  Istanbul and since then have also become very greatly interested in the various national finals, which in turn lead me to create the Second Cherry Song Contest along with two friends of mine, which has become an annual event and is going from strength to strength.

I’ve been a fan of the contest since I was a child. One of my earliest memories was sitting crying after Sonia lost in 1993 and my dad catching me, thinking I was upset about Match of the Day! I’ve attended Eurovision since 2000 and love the fact that it’s taken me to places that I might not have visited otherwise. In 2011 I published my PhD, The Eurovision Song Contest: Nation Building and Nation Branding in Estonia and Ukraine which I wrote at the University of Glasgow . I’ve been interviewed about my work by BBC World and was on the More4 documentary The Secret History of Eurovision. I love all things Estonian and tend to be biased towards them so you have been warned!

Hi! I'm Sally-Ann Fawcett, from  London , and I had the privilege of co-founding the very first Eurovision Song Contest fan club in the  UK in 1987. We held a small gathering in my former home town of Scarborough , and year by year saw a huge increase in number of members - all of whom had suffered, like me - "The only  ESC fan in the world" syndrome. I co-hosted the Network Song Contest with David Elder on a number of occasions, and credit the fan club with quite literally changing my life, introducing me to people who have become my best and closest friends. I'm delighted to be part of the 2014 jury and it may be my last appearance, because if the UK  wins I will die with joy on the spot!

I have been following the Eurovision Song Contest since 1979, when I was just 8 years old, but it was the 1980 song contest, and TELEX in particular, that made a lasting impression on me, and since then the contest has become somewhat of an obsession. I lived in Spain until 1989, when I came to London to go to University, where my Eurovision parties became legendary: I would hold a crazy drinking game where I would make fifty litres of sangría and each person represented a different country and would have to be forced to drink cups of sangría during their three-minute song, and then drink every time "their" country got points. I held these parties until about 2005 when I realised that carpets were actually quite nice things to keep clean. I watch as many of the national finals as possible and am quite proud -- and simultaneously ashamed -- at the fact that I managed to watch almost all 41 Azerbaijani shows in 2011, so by the time I finally got to see Ell & Nikki lift the trophy live in Düsseldorf I felt almost as though they were part of the family.