Montaigne will head to the Netherlands in May to represent Australia at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest after being declared the winner of SBS’ Eurovision – Australia Decides .
The singer, whose real name is Jessica Cerro, beat nine other contenders for the right to represent Australia at the competition with her original song, “Don’t Break Me”.
All 10 contestants performed before a live studio audience on the Gold Coast on Saturday night, with the contest broadcast to the rest of the country on SBS.
Australians were encouraged to vote via text message for their favourite performer.
It was the second time since Australia joined the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015 the country’s performer was chosen via a public vote.
The public was responsible for 50 per cent of the decision, with the other half falling to a panel of industry professionals.
Among the other contestants was Gamilaraay singer Mitch Tambo, who garnered attention with his 26 January performance of John Farnham’s You’re The Voice , which he performed in his traditional language.
Tambo said the competition was a chance to show the world that Indigenous Australia culture was alive and thriving.
“No matter where we come from, no matter what gender we are, sexuality, culture, religion, race … we just need to come together and love one another,” he said.
Had he been successful, Tambo would have been the third Indigenous Australian to grace the Eurovision stage in Australia’s five years as part of the contest, after Isaiah Firebrace performed in 2017 and Jessica Mauboy in 2018.
The other contestants were veteran Australian performer Vanessa Amarossi, Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan, The Voice winner Diana Rouvas, singer-songwriter Jordan-Ravi, emerging artist Jaguar Jonze, rock performer iOTA, alternative artist Didirri, and Jack Vidgen, who first came to public attention when he won Australia’s Got Talent at 14 years of age.
Inaugural Eurovision – Australia Decides winner Kate Miller-Heidke, Sweden’s 2015 Eurovision winner Måns Zelmerlöw, and last year’s Junior Eurovision representative Jordan Anthony took to the stage alongside contestants on Saturday night.
Korean-born singer-songwriter Dami Im, who came second at Eurovision 2016 with her song Sound of Silence, also performed.
. Casey was by far the best song and singer with Vanessa second. To me the rest including the winner were extremely average to say the least. Best part of this long, long show was Mans and Dami’s duet and off course Mans singing Heroes.