Azerbaijan is one of Eurovision’s newest participants, having debuted in 2008 and hosted the 2012 contest in Baku.
Azerbaijan in Eurovision
Azerbaijan made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. The country has participated in every edition since, being a powerhouse in its early participations but mixed results in recent years.
- 2008 – Elnur and Samir – “Day After Day” – 8th – 132 points
- 2009 – Aysel and Arash – “Always” – 3rd – 207 points
- 2010 – Safura – “Drip Drop” – 5th – 145 points
- 2011 – Ell and Nikki – “Running Scared” – 1st – 221 points
- 2012 – Sabina Babayeva – “When the Music Dies” – 4th – 150 points
- 2013 – Farid Mammadov – “Hold Me” – 2nd – 234 points
- 2014 – Dilara Kazimova – “Start a Fire” – 22nd – 33 points
- 2015 – Elnur Hüseynov – “Hour of the Wolf” – 12th – 49 points
- 2016 – Samra – “Miracle” – 17th – 117 points
- 2017 – Dihaj – “Skeletons” – 14th – 120 points
- 2018 – Aisel – “X My Heart” – 11th in the Semi-Final – 94 points
- 2019 – Chingiz – “Truth” – 8th – 302 points
- 2020 – Efendi – “Cleopatra” – Contest cancelled due to COVID-19
- 2021 – Efendi – “Mata Hari” – 20th – 65 points
- 2022 – Nadir Rustamli – “Fade to Black” – 16th – 106 points
- 2023 – TuralTuranX – “Tell Me More” – 14th in the Semi-Final – 4 points
- 2024 – Fahree feat. Ilkin Dovlatov – “Özünlə apar” – 14th in the Semi-Final – 11 points
- 2025 – Mamagama – “Run with U” – 15th in the Semi-Final – 7 points
- 2026 – JIVA – “Just Go” – 15th in Semi-Final – 2 points
Azerbaijan first broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 with intentions to debut in 2007, İctimai did not gain EBU membership until 2007 making it eligible to compete in 2008.
Azerbaijan and other Eurovision family events
Azerbaijan has participated in two other Eurovision contests but has not yet competed in any cultural contests.
Eurovision Dance Contest
Azerbaijan made its debut in the Eurovision Dance Contest in 2008, where they were represented by Eldar Dzhafarov and Anna Sazhina. Azerbaijan finished 5th in Glasgow, scoring 106 points, including 12 points from Lithuania and Poland.
Azerbaijan was announced as hosting the 2009 edition in Baku, Azerbaijan. The contest was to be held on September 26, 2009, at the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Exhibition Complex. The contest was delayed to 2010 before being subsequently cancelled. Read more about the failed 3rd Eurovision Dance Contest below:
Junior Eurovision Song Contest
Azerbaijan attempted to participate in the 2008 contest but withdrew before the contest in Limassol, Cyprus. They formally made their debut in 2012 and have participated intermittently since. Azerbaijan’s results are:
- 2012 – Omar and Suada – “Girls and Boys (Dünya Sənindir)” – 11th – 49 points
- 2013 – Rustam Karimov – “Me and My Guitar” – 7th – 66 points
- 2018 – Fidan Huseynova – “I Wanna Be Like You” – 16th – 47 points
- 2021 – Sona Azizova – “One of Those Days” – 5th – 151 points
- 2025 – Yağmur – “Miau Miau” – 15th – 66 points
Azerbaijan additionally broadcast the 2007 to 2009 editions of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest without participating in the competitions.
Other Programs
The following shows were also broadcast by İctimai of Azerbaijan:
- Eurovision Europe Shine a Light – 2020
During the history of the Eurovision Song Contest and Eurovision family of events over fifty countries have competed, but there are more countries eligible or interested in participating. Find out more here.
Image Source: Wikimedia