The Latvian broadcaster LTV has revealed the jury that helped to select the Latvian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
With the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 now complete, LTV has revealed the jury that helped to select its entry for the contest in Malmö. The eight member jury was formed of five Latvians and three international jurors, they were:
- Povel Olsson, musical producer and singer (Sweden);
- Ramunas Zilnys, head of LRT Popular Music Department, journalist, and radio presenter (Lithuania);
- Magnus Müürsepp, chief producer of the Estonian Music Award and television producer (Estonia);
- Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis, musician and soloist of the group “Sudden Lights” who represented Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool;
- Liena Edwards, executive director of the Association of Latvian Performers and Producers (LaIPA)
- Linda Samsonova, presenter of Latvian Radio 5 – pieci.lv;
- Kārlis Kazāks, musician and program director of Latvian Radio 5 – pieci.lv;
- Krista Luīze Priedīte, content editor for Latvijas Televīzijas.
The jury awarded its 12 points to Dons who represented Latvia in Malmö at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest. Latvia managed to qualify for the Grand Final after 8 years, receiving 72 points in the second semi-final. Dons placed 16th on the final night, scoring a total of 64 points.
Source: X | Image source: EBU/ Sarah Louise Bennett
Latvia debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2000, being the last of the Baltic nations to join the contest. On their debut, Brainstorm finished in 3rd place with the song “My Star”. Latvia won the contest for the first and only time in 2002, with Marie N’s “I Wanna”. Latvia only participated in 2002 thanks to the withdrawal of Portugal from the contest, as Latvia’s poor result in 2001 had relegated them from the 2002 contest. Latvia struggled in the contest after 2002, failing to qualify for the final for six years between 2009 and 2014. After a non-qualification streak that lasted 7 years, Latvia eventually qualified in 2024 with Dons and “Hollow”.
