Italian
UPSOT SONG: "Not the same... No. Oh Oh… I'm not the same no oh oh oh"
Con una voce potente che è risuonata in tutto lo stadio, Sheldon Riley è salito sul palco in maschera per sottolineare l’importanza della diversità e del bisogno di essere ascoltati.
I votanti devono aver apprezzato il messaggio – e lo stile musicale – perché quando il conteggio è arrivato all’ultimo voto Sheldon Riley è risultato il vincitore.
I conduttori Joel Creasey e Myf Warhurst hanno annunciato il risultato finale.
"That means our winner of Eurovision Australia Decides is Sheldon Riley!!" //"Unbelievable result!" //"So tight. So close. Congratulations to Sheldon Riley."
La competizione veniva decisa da un voto pubblico via SMS e da una giuria di esperti.
Sheldon Riley si è assicurato il punteggio più alto degli 11 partecipanti, finendo la serata con 100 punti.
Ha dichiarato di essere onorato di rappresentare l’Australia all’Eurovision Song Contest di quest’anno.
“Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. Who supported me. Who sent so much love. I'm so proud and so honoured and thank you all so, so much from the bottom of my heart this has been the biggest dream of my entire life. I never knew what was possible, or what I would be able to achieve. But this it and it's because of all of you.”
Dietro di soli tre punti c’era la band metal di Perth Voyager, che è arrivata seconda con la loro canzone "Dreamer".
Una precedente concorrente, Jaguar Jonze si è assicurata il terzo posto con la sua canzone "Little Fires", che parla del suo impegno per fare cessare la discriminazione e le molestie nell’industria musicale.
"I wrote this song for anyone who is fighting for something bigger than they are, or who had everything taken away from them to remind them to keep fighting, and that you are not alone and you can take your power back."
Il format di Eurovision - Australia Decides inoltre ha regalato al pubblico di SBS una serie di altre affascinanti esibizioni.
"There's a whisper in the wind. It's the song of planet Earth. I felt it touch my song when I was just a girl. Bare foot in the sacred sand. That message came so clear like a ray of burning sun."
L’ex di Australian Idol Paulini Curuenavuli ha eseguito il suo vivace inno disco 'We are One'.
"My motivation is to unify each and every person. We're all going through a lot right now and I want to make people forget about all of that stuff."
L’Eurovision Song Contest ne ha passate tante in tempi recenti.
La gara è stata cancellata nel 2020 a causa della pandemia di COVID-19.
Quest’anno gli organizzatori dell’evento hanno bandito la Russia dalla partecipazione, in segno di protesta contro l’invasione dell’Ucraina.
Il tema della competizione di quest’anno – che si terrà a maggio nella città italiana di Torino – è Il Suono della Bellezza.
Per Sheldon Riley, la possibilità di prenderne parte è un sogno diventato realtà.
"Thank you so much Australia I promise to make you proud thank you.”
English
UPSOT SONG: "Not the same... No. Oh Oh... I'm not the same no oh oh oh"
With a powerful voice that reverberated across the stadium, Sheldon Riley took to the stage in a mask, to highlight the importance of diversity, and the need to be heard.
Voters must have liked the message - and the sound - because while the count went down to the wire - Sheldon Riley came out on top.
Hosts Joel Creasey and Myf Warhurst announced the final result.
"That means our winner of Eurovision Australia Decides is Sheldon Riley!!" //"Unbelievable result!" //"So tight. So close. Congratulations to Sheldon Riley."
The contest is decided by a public S-M-S vote, and an expert jury panel.
Sheldon Riley won the highest score of the 11 competitors, finishing the night with 100 points.
He says he's honoured to be representing Australia at this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
“Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. Who supported me. Who sent so much love. I'm so proud and so honoured and thank you all so, so much from the bottom of my heart this has been the biggest dream of my entire life. I never knew what was possible, or what I would be able to achieve. But this it and it's because of all of you.”
Trailing by only three points was Perth metal band, Voyager, who took out second place with their song "Dreamer".
Previous entrant, Jaguar Jonze secured third place with her song "Little Fires", which is about her advocacy work to end discrimination and harassment in the music industry.
"I wrote this song for anyone who is fighting for something bigger than they are, or who had everything taken away from them to remind them to keep fighting, and that you are not alone and you can take your power back."
The Eurovision - Australia Decides format also gave S-B-S audiences a cast of other mesmerizing performances.
"There's a whisper in the wind. It's the song of planet Earth. I felt it touch my song when I was just a girl. Bare foot in the sacred sand. That message came so clear like a ray of burning sun."
Australian Idol alumni Paulini Curuenavuli performed her upbeat dance floor anthem, 'We are One'.
"My motivation is to unify each and every person. We're all going through a lot right now and I want to make people forget about all of that stuff."
The Eurovision Song Contest has certainly been through a lot in recent times.
The competition was cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, the event's organisers have banned Russia from performing, in protest against the country's invasion of Ukraine.
The theme of this year's contest - to be held in the Italian city of Turin in May - is The Sound of Beauty.
For Sheldon Riley, the chance to be a part of it is a dream come true.
"Thank you so much Australia I promise to make you proud thank you.”
Report by Claire Slattery
