Slovakia was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Leť tmou", written by Rastislav Dubovský, Petronela Kolevská, and Anna Žigová, and performed by Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková. The Slovak participating broadcaster, (STV), announced in September 2008 that it would return to the contest after an eleven-year absence, and would select its entry through the national final Eurosong 2009. 50 entries competed in the national final which consisted of six shows: five semi-finals and a final. Entries were selected to advance from the semi-finals based on the votes of a seven-member jury panel as well as the votes from the public. Sixteen entries ultimately qualified to compete in the final on 8 March 2009 where a public televote selected three of the entries to proceed to a second round of voting. In the second round of voting, "Leť tmou" performed by Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková was selected as the winner after scoring the most points from the jury.
Slovakia was drawn to compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 14 May 2009. Performing during the show in position 7, "Leť tmou" was not announced among the top 10 entries of the second semi-final and therefore did not qualify to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Slovakia placed eighteenth out of the 19 participating countries in the semi-final with 8 points.
Background
Prior to the 2009 contest, (STV) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Slovakia three times since its first entry . Its best placing in the contest was eighteenth, achieved with the song "Kým nás máš" performed by Marcel Palonder. Its least successful result has been 21st place, which they have achieved with the song "Modlitba" performed by Katarína Hasprová.
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, STV organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. The broadcaster had selected all of its Eurovision entries through an internal selection. In , Slovakia was relegated as one of the seven countries with the lowest average scores over the previous five years, while in , STV withdrew from the competition, citing financial reasons. On 24 September 2008, STV announced their return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 after an eleven-year absence. The program director of STV Roman Lipták stated that the pressure from local artists was the driving force behind the broadcaster's return.
Before Eurovision Eurosong 2009
Eurosong 2009 was the national final format developed by STV in order to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The competition consisted of six shows which commenced on 15 February 2009 and concluded with a final on 8 March 2009. The six shows took place at the STV studios in Bratislava and hosted by Martin Rausch. All shows in the competition were broadcast on Jednotka as well as online at the broadcaster's official website stv.sk.
Format The format of the competition consisted of six shows: five semi-finals on 15 February 2009, 20 February 2009, 22 February 2009, 27 February 2009 and 1 March 2009, and a final on 8 March 2009. Results during each show were determined by a jury panel and votes from the public. The semi-finals each featured ten entries from which the songs first faced a public televote where the top two entries qualified to the final. The jury then selected an additional qualifier from the remaining entries to advance. The jury also selected a wildcard qualifier for the final out of the remaining non-qualifying acts from the semi-finals. In the final, the winner was determined over two rounds of voting. In the first round, the remaining sixteen entries faced a public televote where the top three entries qualified to the second round of voting. In the second round, the winner was determined exclusively by the jury. Viewers were able to vote via SMS.
The seven-member jury panel participated in each show and selected entries to advance in the competition. The jury consisted of: Laco Lučenič – musician Katarína Hasprová – singer, represented Slovakia in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 Marcel Palonder – singer, represented Slovakia in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 Anton Popovič – composer Mirka Brezovská – singer Dezider Kukoľ – music editor at the News Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR) Lukáš Machala – representative of STV
Competing entries Artists and composers were able to submit their entries between 20 November 2008 and 20 January 2009. Artists were required to hold Slovak citizenship and songs were required to be performed in Slovak. The broadcaster received 177 submissions at the closing of the deadline and an expert committee selected fifty entries for the competition. The competing entries were announced on 3 February 2009. Artist Song Songwriter(s) Alena Kortis "Zbláznený za láskou" Ján Kortis Alone "Nezistím" Michel Cabala, Rasto Toman, Richard Labovský, Dodo Slíž Anawi "V predstavách" Peter Sanchés, Ivana Novotna Andrea Zimányiová "Prines si ten kľúč" Juraj Burian, Peter Konečný Babenky a týpci "Babenky a týpci" Vašo Patejdl, Miro Jurika, Marián Brezáni Barbora Balúchová and Red Rose "Nakoniec" Jimi Cimbala, Miroslav Jurika Dáša Šarközyová "Krídla" Vašo Patejdl, Dáša Šarközyová Desmod and Lucia Nováková "Posledná minúta" Desmod, Roman Slávik Dolores "Kto nám slabým odpustí" Slavomír Repaský, Jaroslav Kuba, V. Mikláš ENS "Už je čas" Ľuboš Korčok, Z. Majeská Editor "Pod parou" Lubomir Šimo, Milan Jakubik EmSoft "Násilie" Stanislav Valigura, Peter Tomi G-Strinx "Rytmus vášne" Stano Herko, Karol Bertók Golden Storm "Daj mi len deň" Stano Šimor, Daniel Mikletič Golden Vein "Chcem nevedieť" Patrik Lago, Milan Eliáš Hudba z Marsu "Na hubách" Michal Štofej Ivana Kováčová "Všetko" Ján Kulich, Jozef Engerer Jakub Petraník "Nadomnou" Brunno Oravec, Miro Jurika Janais "Taram ta rej" Janais Kothajova Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková "Leť tmou" Rastislav Dubovský, Petronela Kolevská, Anna Žigová Katka Koščová "Pri sebe" Katarína Koščová, Daniel Špiner, Ján Štrasser Komajota "7 nocí" Martin Husovský, Michal Baláž Marek Kravjar "Geniálny cvok" Roman Slávik Mária Čírová "Búrka" Mária Círová, Maroš Kachút Martina Schindlerová "Krídla" Ján Štrasser, Janko Lehotský Metalinda "Chcem pre teba žiť" Peter Sámel Michal Chrenko "Proti prúdom" Jimmy Cimbala, Miroslav Jurika, Marián Brezáni Miro Jaroš "Miesto kam patríme" Miro Jaroš Milan Lieskovský feat. Peter Bulík and Janka Bajnoci "Bliss" Milan Lieskovský Mukatado "Ja sa mám" Jana Kozáková, Peter Dobrik Natália Hatalová "Spím" Milo Suchomel, Peter Konečný Nocaden "Na čo asi myslíš" Robert Kopina Palo Drapák "Kričím na svätých" Palo Drapák, Juraj Žák PapaJam "Nemusíš sa báť" Jana Chochrumová, Marek Vozár Peter Bažík and Andrea Súlovská "Nebudem stáť" Peter Bažik Peter Cmorík Band "Keď spíš" Peter Cmorík Peter Kotuľa "Cesty sú stratené" Peter Kotuľa, Karol Bertok Petra Kepeňová "Odkedy nie si" Petra Kepeňová Quasimondo "16 barov" Marián Jaslovský, Roland Kanik Robo Opatovský "Prší" Juraj Žák, Robo Opatovský Robo Papp "Nádej máme" Vlado Čulík Robo Šimko and MassRiot "Môj anjel spí" Miroslav Jurika, Marian Brezáni Roman Galvánek "Láska z papiera" Roman Galvánek Samo Tomeček and Free Inna Cage "To čo chceš" Samuel Tomeček, Lukáš Duchovič, Ján Kmet Smola a hrušky "Na čom záleží" Jozef Kramár TH13TH "Všetko je inak" Rasťo Řezáč, Igor Hudcovský Tomáš Bezdeda "Každý z nás" Tomáš Bezdeda VIP "Hviezdy" Laco Jakubčiak Zachariáš Hubáček "Bolo bolo" Miro Tásler, Zachariáš Hubáček Zuzana Haasová and Funny Fellows "V mojej zime" Roman Féder, Zuzana Haasová
Shows
Semi-finals The five semi-finals took place between 15 February and 1 March 2009. The third semi-final was originally scheduled to take place on 22 February 2009, however the show was postponed to 23 February due to a train accident in Bratislava on 21 February which led to a day of mourning in Slovakia. Desmod and Lucia Nováková were due to perform in the first semi-final, however they were later reallocated to perform in the fifth semi-final following an accident during the rehearsals. Three entries qualified to the final from each semi-final. The competing entries first faced a public televote where the top two songs advanced; an additional qualifier was then selected from the remaining entries by the jury.
Following the semi-finals, "To čo chceš" performed by Samo Tomeček and Free Inna Cage received the jury wildcard and also qualified for the final, while Desmod and Lucia Nováková withdrew from the final after qualifying from the fifth semi-final; the jury selected "Na čom záleží" performed by Smola a hrušky as a replacement qualifier.
+ Semi-final 1 – 15 February 2009 Artist Song Televote Place 1 Alone "Nezistím" 6.5% 6 2 Petra Kepeňová "Odkedy nie si" 19.0% 3 3 Robo Papp "Nádej máme" 6.4% 7 4 EmSoft "Násilie" 4.4% 8 5 Peter Kotuľa "Cesty sú stratené" 6.6% 5 6 VIP "Hviezdy" 3.5% 9 7 Andrea Zimányiová "Prines si ten kľúč" 20.5% 1 8 Robo Šimko and MassRiot "Môj anjel spí" 19.4% 2 9 Hudba z Marsu "Na hubách" 13.7% 4
+ Semi-final 2 – 20 February 2009 Artist Song Televote Place 1 Babenky a týpci "Babenky a týpci" 17.01% 3 2 Mária Čírová "Búrka" 17.07% 2 3 Jakub Petraník "Nadomnou" 1.86% 10 4 Golden Storm "Daj mi len deň" 11.27% 5 5 Samo Tomeček and Free Inna Cage "To čo chceš" 15.22% 4 6 Editor "Pod parou" 7.59% 6 7 Mukatado "Ja sa mám" 5.00% 7 8 Marek Kravjar "Geniálny cvok" 1.97% 9 9 Anawi "V predstavách" 4.81% 8 10 Tomáš Bezdeda "Každý z nás" 18.20% 1
+ Semi-final 3 – 23 February 2009 Artist Song Televote Place 1 Komajota "7 nocí" 6.1% 6 2 Katka Koščová "Pri sebe" 7.7% 4 3 Milan Lieskovský feat. Peter Bulík and Janka Bajnoci "Bliss" 7.6% 5 4 Peter Bažík and Andrea Súlovská "Nebudem stáť" 20.8% 2 5 Roman Galvánek "Láska z papiera" 2.4% 10 6 Ivana Kováčová "Všetko" 4.7% 7 7 ENS "Už je čas" 4.1% 8 8 Dáša Šarközyová "Krídla" 3.1% 9 9 G-Strinx "Rytmus vášne" 17.8% 3 10 Robo Opatovský "Prší" 25.8% 1
+ Semi-final 4 – 27 February 2009 Artist Song Televote Place 1 Barbora Balúchová and Red Rose "Nakoniec" 5.03% 8 2 Nocaden "Na čo asi myslíš" 2.59% 10 3 Golden Vein "Chcem nevedieť" 5.78% 6 4 Quasimondo "16 barov" 3.39% 9 5 Zachariáš Hubáček "Bolo bolo" 5.75% 7 6 Zuzana Haasová and Funny Fellows "V mojej zime" 11.61% 3 7 Palo Drapák "Kričím na svätých" 7.23% 5 8 Janais "Taram ta rej" 20.61% 2 9 Miro Jaroš "Miesto kam patríme" 10.82% 4 10 Martina Schindlerová "Krídla" 27.18% 1
+ Semi-final 5 – 1 March 2009 Artist Song Televote Place 1 Desmod and Lucia Nováková "Posledná minúta" 27.97% 2 2 PapaJam "Nemusíš sa báť" 0.65% 11 3 Michal Chrenko "Proti prúdom" 2.35% 7 4 TH13TH "Všetko je inak" 1.60% 8 5 Natália Hatalová "Spím" 1.02% 9 6 Metalinda "Chcem pre teba žiť" 4.72% 4 7 Alena Kortis "Zbláznený za láskou" 0.88% 10 8 Dolores "Kto nám slabým odpustí" 3.99% 5 9 Smola a hrušky "Na čom záleží" 2.39% 6 10 Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková "Leť tmou" 28.25% 1 11 Peter Cmorík Band "Keď spíš" 26.18% 3
Final The final took place on 8 March 2009 where the sixteen entries that qualified from the semi-finals competed. The winner was selected over two rounds of voting. In the first round, the top three entries as determined by a public televote advanced to the second round, the superfinal. In the superfinal, the jury selected "Leť tmou" performed by Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková as the winner. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, guest performers included 2009 Azerbaijani Eurovision entrants Aysel and Arash performing "Always", and 2009 Czech Eurovision entrant Gipsy.cz performing "Aven Romale".