As Australia still continues to grapple with the news that we’re actually part of Europe – at least for one day this coming May – now the conversation turns to just who our proud nation will be sending over to Austria for the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest.
Australians have of course competed previously in the contest’s 60 years on air, just not on behalf of Australia. All is set to change though at the Austrian event in 2015, when Australia makes its grand debut in the contest for a one-off wildcard entry in the grand final.
Australian audiences, who have been enamoured by the annual contest for years now, will also have the opportunity to vote this year. While it is the custom for the winning nation to host the next year’s contest, according to Fairfax should Australia go on to win the 2015 contest, it is unlikely that Eurovision 2016 will be hosted Down Under. We’re not actually part of Europe you see.
Eurovision’s Australian broadcaster SBS have confirmed they are in talks with production partner Blink TV about the artist who will be bestowed this great honour and all will be revealed in a matter of weeks. Which means the time for speculation is ripe.
Below is a selection of Australian acts who might very well be your Eurovision 2015 representatives. When you’ve worked your way though these, check out the Australian acts Australia should, but probably won’t send to Eurovision this year.
Gallery: Australia’s Eurovision Entry – Who will it be?
Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be?
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Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be? #1
Jessica Mauboy - She's already graced the Eurovision stage, performing as a non-contender last year where she brought along all the clichés, including AFL players, shearers and giant koalas. Jessica Mauboy knows exactly what is required to go all the way at the annual kitsch-fest. -
Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be? #2
Kylie and/or Dannii Minogue - There's already an online petition going around to make Kylie the face of Australia at Eurovision and given her popularity with Euro-pop loving audiences she's a very strong contender. Add in her sister, Dannii and we have the power of numbers on our side. -
Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be? #3
Samantha Jade - Pop singer Samantha Jade is the current bookies favourite to take Australia to Eurovision in 2015. She's been under some scrutiny recently for voicing a "cheesy" Woolworths ad, which probably only increases her Eurovision chances. -
Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be? #4
AC/DC - They're on a roll recently with a new album, imminent world tour, a recent Grammys performance and a headlining slot on the Coachella lineup. There's not much left for AC/DC to achieve so why not try their hand at Eurovision? -
Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be? #5
Darren Hayes - Savage Garden had a pretty decent European fanbase and Hayes is due for a comeback. Plus he has proven he can tackle both the heartfelt ballad and the upbeat pop song. -
Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be? #6
Courtney Act - Eurovision has always been the at the forefront of gender diversity in the entertainment world and more than a fair few drag queens and transgender performers have delivered show-stopping performances on its stage. Australia's own Courtney Act could inject a nice dose of rock into that mix. -
Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be? #7
Tina Arena - She's already got a very loyal European fan base - with a French National Order of Merit to boot - and she's bilingual, a tool she can wield in her favour to charm those Eurovision voters. -
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Air Supply - They've already got the commercial soft rock tunes and most likely have kept the stage outfits. Add some backup dancers and a wind machine and Air Supply are good to go. -
Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be? #9
Delta Goodrem - If it's bombastic, heartfelt, clichéd pop songs you want, Delta's probably your girl. She's handy on the piano too, a nice talent to put her ahead of the rest of her European competitors. -
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5 Seconds Of Summer - Sydney pop-punk four-piece 5 Seconds Of Summer probably don't need a leg up in the fan gathering front, having pretty much conquered the US and Australian markets. Europe's a whole other thing though, and who could turn down an audience of 180 million? -
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Olivia Newton John - She was there in 1974 with Long Live Love for the UK, so it's time Olivia Newton John did it for Australia too. It would be a patriotic comeback performance. -
Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be? #12
Guy Sebastian - Many countries stage a national television talent show to choose their Eurovision representative and as one of Australia's first, and arguably most internationally successful reality TV exports, Guy Sebastian is definitely in for a shot. -
Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be? #13
Ricki Lee Coulter - Ricki Lee was also born from the reality TV talent show stage, meaning she knows how to simultaneously work a stage and a camera - crucial skills for a publicly voted television competition. -
Australia’s Eurovision Entry - Who will it be? #14
The Wiggles - OK probably a wildcard entry here, but at least one of The Wiggles has announced their openness to take on the Eurovision stage should an offer come their way. Plus there's precedent in the form of last year's multicoloured tracksuit wearing, poppy Icelandic entrants.
