Estonia was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Storm" written by Stig Rästa, Vallo Kikas, Victor Crone and Fred Krieger. The song was performed by Victor Crone. The Estonian broadcaster (ERR) organised the national final 2019 in order to select the Estonian entry for the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel. The national final consisted of three shows: two semi-finals and a final. Twelve songs competed in each semi-final and six from each semi-final as determined by a jury panel and public vote qualified to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting. In the first round, a jury panel and a public vote selected the top three to qualify to the superfinal. In the superfinal, "Storm" performed by Victor Crone was selected as the winner entirely by a public vote.
Estonia was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 14 May 2019. Performing during the show in position 14, "Storm" was announced among the top 10 entries of the first semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the final on 18 May. It was later revealed that Estonia placed fourth out of the 17 participating countries in the semi-final with 198 points. In the final, Estonia performed in position 18 and placed twentieth out of the 26 participating countries, scoring 76 points.
Background
Prior to the 2019 contest, Estonia had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest twenty-four times since its first entry in 1994, winning the contest on one occasion in 2001 with the song "Everybody" performed by Tanel Padar, Dave Benton and 2XL. Following the introduction of semi-finals for the 2004 contest, Estonia has, to this point, managed to qualify to the final on six occasions. In 2018, "" performed by Elina Nechayeva managed to qualify Estonia to the final where the song placed eighth.
The Estonian national broadcaster, (ERR), broadcasts the event within Estonia and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. ERR confirmed Estonia's participation at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest on 3 September 2018. Since their debut, the Estonian broadcaster has organised national finals that feature a competition among multiple artists and songs in order to select Estonia's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition has been organised since 2009 in order to select Estonia's entry and also on 3 September 2018, ERR announced the organisation of 2019 in order to select the nation's 2019 entry.
Before Eurovision
Eesti Laul 2019 2019 was the eleventh edition of the Estonian national selection , which selected Estonia's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. The competition consisted of twenty entries competing in two semi-finals on 31 January and 2 February 2019 leading to a twelve-song final on 16 February 2019. All three shows were broadcast on (ETV) and on ETV+ with Russian commentary as well as streamed online at the broadcaster's official website err.ee. The final was also broadcast via radio on with commentary by Erik Morna, Margus Kamlat, Bert Järvet and Kristo Rajasaare.
Format The format of the competition included two semi-finals on 31 January and 2 February 2019 and a final on 16 February 2019. Twelve songs competed in each semi-final and the top six from each semi-final qualified to complete the twelve song lineup in the final. The results of the semi-finals was determined by the 50/50 combination of votes from a professional jury and public televoting for the first four qualifiers and a second round of public televoting for the fifth and sixth qualifiers. The winning song in the final was selected over two rounds of voting: the first round results selected the top three songs via the 50/50 combination of jury and public voting, while the second round (superfinal) determined the winner solely by public televoting. In addition to winning the right to represent Estonia at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, the winning songwriters and producers were also awarded monetary prizes of €3,000 and €1,000, respectively. The Estonian Authors' Society and Estonian Performers Association also awarded a monetary prize of €1,000 to the top three entries.
Competing entries On 1 October 2018, ERR opened the submission period for artists and composers to submit their entries up until 6 November 2018 through an online upload platform. Each artist and songwriter was only able to submit a maximum of five entries. Foreign collaborations were allowed as long as 50% of the songwriters were Estonian. A fee was also imposed on songs being submitted to the competition, with €25 for songs in the Estonian language and €50 for songs in other languages. 216 submissions were received by the deadline. A 12-member jury panel selected 24 semi-finalists from the submissions and the selected songs were announced during the ETV entertainment program Ringvaade on 15 November 2018. The selection jury consisted of Ivar Must (composer), Lenna Kuurmaa (singer), Kaupo Karelson (television producer), Leen Kadakas (Universal Music Baltics manager), Vaido Pannel ( Sky+ music editor), Allan Roosileht (Star FM presenter), Laura Põldvere (singer), Karl-Erik Taukar (singer), Dagmar Oja (singer), Rolf Roosalu (singer), Renee Meriste (music manager) and Sten Teppan ( music editor).
Among the competing artists were previous Eurovision Song Contest entrants Sandra Nurmsalu, who represented Estonia as part of the group Urban Symphony in 2009, Birgit, who represented Estonia in 2013, and Tanja, who represented Estonia in 2014. Grete Paia, Inga, Jaan Pehk, Kerli Kivilaan, Kristel Aaslaid (), Tuuli Rand (), Sofia Rubina-Hunter, Stefan and Uku Suviste have all competed in previous editions of Eesti Laul. Victor Crone's entry was written by Stig Rästa, who represented Estonia in 2015 with Elina Born. Artist Song Songwriter(s) Around the Sun "Follow Me Back" Daniel Rukovitškin, Georg Eessaar Cätlin Mägi and Jaan Pehk "" Cätlin Mägi, Jaan Pehk Grete Paia "" Grete Paia, Mihkel Mattisen, Timo Vendt, Kerli Puusepp Inger "Coming Home" Inger Fridolin, Karl-Ander Reismann Iseloomad "" Vilho Meier, Siim Randveer Jennifer Cohen "Little Baby El" Chris Hierro, Jennifer Marisse Cohen, Luisa Lõhmus Johanna Eendra "" Johanna Eendra, Joosep Eendra Kadiah "Believe" Kadi Poll Kaia Tamm "" Kaia Tamm Kerli Kivilaan "Cold Love" Kerli Kivilaan, Egert Milder, Andres Kõpper Lacy Jay "" Ago Teppand, Lacy Nicole Jones, Hugo Martin Maasikas Lumevärv feat. Inga "" Margus Piik, Kermo Hert, Jana Hallas Marko Kaar "Smile" Marko Kaar, Egert Kanep "" Tuuli Rand, Kristel Aaslaid, Bert Prikenfeld, Egert Milder Ranele "Supernova" Marek Rosenberg, Lauri Lembinen, Marco Margna, Anne Loho Sandra Nurmsalu "" Priit Pajusaar, Sandra Nurmsalu, Aapo Ilves Sissi "Strong" Karl-Ander Reismann, Sissi Nylia Benita Sofia Rubina feat. Janika Tenn "Deep Water" Sofia Rubina-Hunter, Janika Tenn, Oljana Kallson Stefan "Without You" Stefan Airapetjan, Karl-Ander Reismann Synne Valtri "I'll Do It My Way" Sünne Valtri The Swingers, Tanja and Birgit "High Heels in the Neighbourhood" Tanja Mihhailova, Timo Vendt, Mihkel Mattisen Uku Suviste "Pretty Little Liar" Uku Suviste, Oliver Mazurtšak Victor Crone "Storm" Stig Rästa, Vallo Kikas, Victor Crone, Fred Krieger Xtra Basic and Emily J "Hold Me Close" Andrei Zevakin, Igor Volhonski
Shows
Semi-finals The two semi-finals took place on 31 January and 2 February 2019 at the University of Tartu Sports Hall in Tartu, hosted by Ott Sepp and Piret Krumm. In each semi-final twelve songs competed for the first four spots in the final with the outcome decided upon by the combination of the votes from a jury panel and a public televote which registered 23,372 votes in the first semi-final and 23,633 votes in the second semi-final; the remaining two qualifiers were decided by an additional televote between the remaining non-qualifiers which registered 7,038 votes in the first semi-final and 11,175 votes in the second semi-final. The jury panel that voted in the semi-finals consisted of Toomas Olljum, Maiken, Tanel Padar, Sven Lõhmus, Berk Vaher, Kristjan Hirmo, Margus Kamlat, Jüri Pootsmann and Luisa Rõivas.
+ Semi-final 1 (First round) – 31 January 2019 Artist Song Jury Televote Total Place Votes Points Votes Points 1 The Swingers, Tanja and Birgit "High Heels in the Neighbourhood" 45 6 2,088 7 13 4 2 Marko Kaar "Smile" 5 0 439 0 0 12 3 Xtra Basic and Emily J "Hold Me Close" 25 1 1,802 6 7 8 4 Johanna Eendra "" 34 2 796 2 4 10 5 Stefan "Without You" 86 12 2,668 8 20 2 6 Sandra Nurmsalu "" 37 4 1,677 5 9 5 7 Jennifer Cohen "Little Baby El" 42 5 1,083 3 8 6 8 Sofia Rubina feat. Janika Tenn "Deep Water" 48 7 747 1 8 7 9 "" 36 3 1,219 4 7 9 10 Victor Crone "Storm" 82 10 6,346 12 22 1 11 Ranele "Supernova" 8 0 666 0 0 11 12 Inger "Coming Home" 74 8 3,841 10 18 3 + Semi-final 1 (Second round) – 31 January 2019 Artist Song Televote Place Jennifer Cohen "Little Baby El" 1,102 3 Johanna Eendra "" 494 6 Marko Kaar "Smile" 252 8 Öed "" 854 5 Ranele "Supernova" 325 7 Sandra Nurmsalu "" 1,736 1 Sofia Rubina feat. Janika Tenn "Deep Water" 1,073 4 Xtra Basic and Emily J "Hold Me Close" 1,202 2
+ Semi-final 2 (First round) – 2 February 2019 Artist Song Jury Televote Total Place Votes Points Votes Points 1 Synne Valtri "I'll Do It My Way" 28 1 2,729 8 9 7 2 Iseloomad "" 38 5 762 0 5 10 3 Lumevärv feat. Inga "" 58 8 1,386 3 11 5 4 Sissi "Strong" 55 7 2,557 6 13 4 5 Cätlin Mägi and Jaan Pehk "" 37 4 1,240 2 6 9 6 Kadiah "Believe" 49 6 2,663 7 13 3 7 Kaia Tamm "Wo sind die Katzen?" 20 0 1,112 1 1 12 8 Kerli Kivilaan "Cold Love" 75 12 1,488 5 17 2 9 Grete Paia "" 22 0 2,752 10 10 6 10 Lacy Jay "" 35 2 1,467 4 6 8 11 Around the Sun "Follow Me Back" 36 3 842 0 3 11 12 Uku Suviste "Pretty Little Liar" 71 10 4,635 12 22 1 + Semi-final 2 (Second round) – 2 February 2019 Artist Song Televote Place Around the Sun "Follow Me Back" 629 7 Cätlin Mägi and Jaan Pehk "" 778 6 Grete Paia "" 1,230 4 Iseloomad "" 394 8 Kaia Tamm "Wo sind die Katzen?" 1,023 5 Lacy Jay "" 2,009 3 Lumevärv feat. Inga "" 2,284 2 Synne Valtri "I'll Do It My Way" 2,828 1
Final The final took place on 16 February 2019 at the Saku Suurhall in Tallinn, hosted by Karl-Erik Taukar and Piret Krumm. The six entries that qualified from each of the two preceding semi-finals, all together twelve songs, competed during the show. The winner was selected over two rounds of voting. In the first round, a jury (50%) and public televote (50%) determined the top three entries to proceed to the superfinal. The public vote in the first round registered 54,896 votes. In the superfinal, "Storm" performed by Victor Crone was selected as the winner entirely by a public televote. The public televote in the superfinal registered 51,148 votes. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, Ivo Linna, who represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996, Getter Jaani, who represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, and Elina Nechayeva, who represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, performed as the interval acts. The jury panel that voted in the first round of the final consisted of Stig Karlsen (Melodi Grand Prix music director), AFSHeen (American producer and composer), Guna Zučika (Latvian music manager), Ben Camp (American songwriter), Cyrus Saidi (American music manager), Lörinc Bubno (Hungarian Eurovision Head of Delegation) and Josh Cumbee (American singer, producer and songwriter).