It’s official — Australia will once again compete in Eurovision in 2017, despite having no geographic connection to Europe, so it’s time we started brainstorming who we’re going to send to Ukraine next year.
There are some big shoes to fill this year. The first time we competed we placed fifth with Guy Sebastian , and earlier this year we nearly took the crown with Dami Im coming runner-up.
The boss of Australia’s Eurovision squad has told Music Feeds that the team is open to sending “anything”, even DJs , to represent us in Ukraine, so there are some tough decisions to make.
There are two routes we can go down when it comes to choosing an act, we reckon. Australia could send an established and Eurovision-appropriate artist like Sebastian or Im, or we could go for more of a novelty vibe.
So without further, we’ve put together a wish list of who we would LOVE to see on stage in Ukraine next year, just cause.
Gallery: Who We REALLY Want To See Represent Australia At Eurovision 2017
Who We Want To See At Eurovision 2017
Kevin Parker As A One-Man Band
From fronting Tame Impala to producing for Lady Gaga, Kevin Parker can do it all. He's a multi-instrumentalist genius, so we're pretty sure he can multitask.
Empire Of The Sun
Empire Of The Sun are huge all around the world and their live theatrics are perfect for the Eurovision stage. It's hard to imagine a visually more perfect fit, really.
A Julia Zemiro & Lee Lin Chin Supergroup
Julia Zemiro hosts Eurovision for SBS and Lee Lin Chin reads out our scores, so who could possibly know the ins and outs of Eurovision better than these two?
Parkway Drive
Heavy rock and metal typically don't not do well in Eurovision, but Finnish rockers Lordi claimed the title back in 2006, so who's to say Parkway Drive couldn't do it?
Ur Boy Bangz
Ur Boy Bangz has already taken on US talk-show host Jimmy Fallon, so now it's time he took on the whole world and became everybody's boi.
Nikki Webster
16 years after the 2000 Olympic Games, Nikki Webster is still etched in the brains of Aussies everywhere. Let's reclaim the spirit of the Sydney Olympics and send grown-up Nikki flying through a stadium in the Ukraine.
Flume
Flume is arguably our biggest export right now. He'd easily pick up votes purely based off status, but he'd be pretty damn hard to convince.
Shannon Noll
Nollsie has been releasing true blue music for years, and needs a chance to better Guy Sebastian's fifth placing to right the wrongs of the 2003 'Australian Idol' grand final.
Joel Turner
Everyone talks about Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll from 'Aussie Idol' season one, but what about beatboxing maestro and 'These Kids' hitmaker Joel Turner?
Client Liaison
It's highly unlikely, but no one has the essential '90s Australiana vibes covered more than Client Liaison. They'd bring a healthy mix of kitsch and big tunes, which is exactly what it takes to win.
Kamahl
Britain managed to get Engelbert Humperdinck onto the Eurovision stage, so why can't we get the deep tones of Kamahl up there?
A Supergroup Of Playschool Alumni
Most Aussie kids grew up with 'Playschool', so there's probably no better way of representing this country than with some 'Playschool' faves like Noni Hazlehurst, Jemima and Big Ted.
Jimmy Barnes
No one would represent the sound of 'Straya better than Barnesy. From 'Working Class Man' to 'Khe Sahn', he's crafted plenty of anthems for this country and would no doubt pen another for the Eurovision stage.
A Michael Hutchence Hologram
Late INXS frontman Micheal Hutchence obviously can't compete in Eurovision, but a hologram could? Maybe? The only problem is it has to be an original song penned this year, which would be a road block.
The Hooley Dooleys
The Hooley Dooleys were always the poor man's Wiggles, so out of pure guilt, let's give them a bit of time in the spotlight.
A.B. Original
Believe it or not, politics and Eurovision often cross. Briggs & Trials are some of the loudest political voices in Australia, and could actually teach the world a thing or two about our Indigenous history.
Bardot
Australia doesn't have a great history when it comes to girl groups, but Popstar winners Bardot gave it a red hot shot in the early '00s. We reckon it's time to reunite them and put them up on that Eurovision stage.
Tkay Maidza
She's one of our biggest international hopes right now, and would absolutely tear up the stage with her quick-witted raps. The only problem is she probably doesn't have enough of a novelty factor, which is a great thing for her career but a bad thing for any Eurovision hopes.
Savage Garden
Look, we'll take a Savage Garden reunion for anything, but Eurovision would be pretty spectacular. They're still to this day one of our biggest Aussie exports, so maybe the whole world would be stoked to see them back?