Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Country|  Bulgaria
National selection
Selection process| Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2009”
Selection date(s)| Bŭdi zvezda:
2 October 2008 – 18 December 2008
Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2009”:
Semi-final:
24 January 2009
Final:
21 February 2009
Selected entrant| Krassimir Avramov
Selected song| "Illusion"
Selected songwriter(s)|

* Krassimir Avramov
* William Tabanou
* Casie Tabanou

Finals performance
Semi-final result| Failed to qualify (16th)
Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest
| ◄2008 • | 2009 | • 2010►

|
|

Bulgaria participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "Illusion" written by Krassimir Avramov, William Tabanou and Casie Tabanou. The song was performed by Avramov. The Bulgarian broadcaster Bulgarian National Television (BNT) organised the national final Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2009” in order to select the Bulgarian entry for the 2009 contest in Moscow, Russia. 45 entries were selected to participate in the first phase of the national final, Bŭdi zvezda, which consisted of three monthly selections. Nine entries qualified to compete in Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2009” which consisted of two shows: a semi-final and a final, held on 24 January 2009 and 21 February 2009, respectively. Eighteen entries competed in the semi-final and the top nine songs as determined by an eight-member jury panel qualified to the final alongside three pre-qualified songs. In the final, public televoting exclusively selected "Illusion" performed by Avramov as the winning entry with 19,553 votes.

Bulgaria was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 12 May 2009. Performing during the show in position 11, "Illusion" was not announced among the 10 qualifying entries of the first semi-final and therefore did not qualify to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Bulgaria placed sixteenth out of the 18 participating countries in the semi-final with 7 points.[1]

## Background

[edit]

Main article: Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest

Prior to the 2009 contest, Bulgaria had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest four times since its first entry in 2005.[2] The nation achieved their best result in the contest in 2007 with the song "Water" performed by Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankoulov, which placed fifth. To this point, their 2007 entry is also the only Bulgarian entry to have qualified to the Eurovision final; the nation had failed to qualify to the final with their other three entries. In 2008, Deep Zone and Balthazar and their song "DJ, Take Me Away" failed to qualify to the final.

The Bulgarian national broadcaster, Bulgarian National Television (BNT), broadcasts the event within Bulgaria and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. BNT confirmed Bulgaria's participation in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest on 6 July 2008.[1] Since 2005, the broadcaster has organised a national final in order to select the Bulgarian entry for the competition, a selection procedure that continued for their 2009 entry. The 2009 Bulgarian national final took place over two phases.[3]

## Before Eurovision

[edit]

### Bŭdi zvezda

[edit]

Bŭdi zvezda (Be a Star) was the first phase of the national final format developed by BNT which determined the artist and song that would represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009.[3] The competition consisted of three monthly selections between October and December 2008, held at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. All shows were hosted by Neli Atanasova and Dragomir Draganov and broadcast on BNT 1 as well as online via the broadcaster's website bnt.bg.[4]

#### Competing entries

[edit]

On 6 July 2008, BNT opened a submission period for artists and songwriters to submit their entries until 19 September 2008. Songs were required to contain partial Bulgarian involvement.[5] By the end of the deadline, the broadcaster received 45 eligible entries out of 54 submitted.[6][7] On 20 September 2008, the forty-five artists and songs for the competition were announced.[8] Prior to the fourth heat, Sahara withdrew her song "Don't Kiss for Money" from the competition in order to be selected for the second phase of the national final.[9][10]

Artist  | Song  | Songwriter(s)

|
|

Anna Star  | "Stranger"  | Johannes Carlsson, Anna Star
Annayah  | "Az te chakam" (Аз те чакам) | Rosi Ovcharova
Antoniya Markova  | "Don't Leave by the Day"  | Pepi Pisarski
Biby Michael and Friends  | "Vŭlshebni noti" (Вълшебни ноти) | Biby Michael, Zhiva Kyuldzhieva
Bobi Kokera, Bleki and Sunnie  | "Tozi pŭt" (Този път) | Pepi Kostov, Bobi Kokera
Deyan Dzhenkov  | "Imam tvoeto ime" (Имам твоето име) | Rumyana Ivanova, Dani Milev
Emil Sokolov  | "Deystvitelnost ili izmama" (Действителност или измама) | Emil Sokolov, Petar Kamenovski
Emiliya Valenti  | "S teb" (С теб) | Stanislava Dimitrova-Sunnie, Aleks Husev
Fanagora and Milena Peeva  | "Love Never Ends"  | Ivan Tsanov, Kalina Nanovska
Freeway  | "Sama" (Сама) | Ivan Popov-Iven, Zlatoela Dimitrova
Georgi Varbanov  | "Europe Is My Home!"  | Georgi Varbanov
Gergana Dimova  | "Yasno slŭntse" (Ясно слънце) | Dimcho Delev
Hari Ot Balgaryia  | "Bez dumi" (Без думи) | Hari
Iliyan Tsvetanov  | "Tozi ritŭm" (Този ритъм) | Alexander Kiprov jr., Alexander Kiprov
Iskra and Misha Iliev  | "Dokosni me" (Докосни ме) | Andro Stubel, Stoyan Stoyanov
Iskren Petsov  | "Zashto se varna" (Защо се върна) | Iskren Petsov
Itso Petroff and Friends  | "Rokendrol izkustvo" (Рокендрол изкуство) | Itso Petroff, Konstantin Pashkulev
Ivelina  | "Ready for Love"  | Lubomir Boyanov, Ivan Laskov
Just Elly  | "My Song"  | Kiril Yanev, Elka Yankova
Konkurent  | "Placha v noshtta" (Плача в нощта) | Konkurent
Lazar Kisyov  | "You're Not Alone"  | Lazar Kisyov
Lorado  | "More ot mechti" (Море от мечти) | Krasimir Krastev, Lorado
Mario Denev  | "Lipsvash mi tatko" (Липсваш ми татко) | Mario Denev
Mario Marinov  | "La ragazza che ho lasciato"  | Mario Marinov
Martin Aleksandrov  | "Mi fai male"  | Zhanet
Monika Kirovska  | "I Won"  | Tsvetan Vlaykov
Moto  | "Razstoyaniya" (Разстояния) | Nikolay Tomov
Perfect Stranger  | "I Promise"  | Konstantin Varbanov
Petya Hristova  | "Sacred Journey"  | Petya Hristova, Arnold Herman
Plamen Penev  | "Dalechen svyat" (Далечен свят) | Plamen Penev, Petar Penev
Prima Vista  | "Let's Spread Love"  | Ilko Drenkov, Valentin Penzov
Ruth  | "Sometimes"  | Tomi Stefanov, Zhana Dushkova
Stefan Ilchev  | "Get Up"  | Veselin Kalchev, Iordanka Ivanova
Sunay Chalakov  | "Neshto ludo" (Нещо лудо) | Alexander Kiprov, Sunay Chalakov
Svetozar Hristov  | "Borrow from the Shadow"  | Svetozar Hristov, Ventsislava Tumangelova
Tedi Slavcheva feat. Teni and Iva  | "Don't Look for Me"  | Tedi Slavcheva, Teni Omede
Teodora Kutsarova  | "Droga" (Дрога) | Petko Ivanov, Teodora Kutsarova
Tereza Kolarova  | "Samo edno more" (Само едно море) | Kamen Nikolov
Tsetso Vlaykov  | "What Does It Take"  | Tsvetan Vlaykov
Vatticana  | "Sun Is Shining"  | Detelin Dimitrov, Rosen Neshkov, Lubomir Dyulgerov, Jan Lund Dahlgren
Venelina Milanova  | "Neka s pesen" (Нека с песен) | Simeon Smolev, Venelina Milanova
X-R@Y  | "We"  | Nikolay Dimitrov, Veselin Kirev, Nikolay Nikolov
Zheni Karavachebva  | "Dumi" (Думи) | Ivan Lechev, Vanya Shtereva
Zona  | "Senki" (Сенки) | Hristo Markov, Alexander Krastev, Biser Veselinov

#### Shows

[edit]

#### October selection

[edit]

The October selection took place between 2 and 23 October 2008.[11] Three entries qualified to the final from each semi-final. A jury panel first selected one song to advance and the remaining entries then faced a public televote which determined an additional two qualifiers. In the final, the three entries that qualified to Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2009” were selected exclusively by public televoting.[12][13]

Jury qualifier Public vote qualifier

Semi-final 1 – 2 October 2008[4] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place  | Result

|
|
|
|
|

1  | Monika Kirovska  | "I Won"  | 2.28%  | 5  | Eliminated
2  | Emil Sokolov  | "Deystvitelnost ili izmama"  | 4.86%  | 4  | Eliminated
3  | Ivelina  | "Ready for Love"  | 32.22%  | 2  | Advanced
4  | Perfect Stranger  | "I Promise"  | 38.60%  | 1  | Advanced
5  | Venelina Milanova  | "Neka s pesen"  | 22.04%  | 3  | Advanced
Semi-final 2 – 9 October 2008[14][15] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place  | Result

|
|
|
|
|

1  | Iskra and Misha Iliev  | "Dokosni me"  | 41.26%  | 1  | Advanced
2  | Prima Vista  | "Let's Spread Love"  | 17.14%  | 3  | Advanced
3  | Konkurent  | "Placha v noshtta"  | 4.23%  | 5  | Eliminated
4  | Mario Marinov  | "La ragazza che ho lasciato"  | 14.40%  | 4  | Eliminated
5  | Tereza Kolarova  | "Samo edno more"  | 22.97%  | 2  | Advanced
Semi-final 3 – 16 October 2008[16] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place  | Result

|
|
|
|
|

1  | Iliyan Tsvetanov  | "Tozi ritŭm"  | 28.52%  | 2  | Advanced
2  | Teodora Kutsarova  | "Droga"  | 11.42%  | 4  | Eliminated
3  | Ruth  | "Sometimes"  | 6.25%  | 5  | Advanced
4  | Deyan Dzhenkov  | "Imam tvoeto ime"  | 37.21%  | 1  | Advanced
5  | Moto  | "Razstoyaniya"  | 16.60%  | 3  | Eliminated
Final – 23 October 2008[17][18] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place

|
|
|
|

1  | Prima Vista  | "Let's Spread Love"  | 19.66%  | 2
2  | Perfect Stranger  | "I Promise"  | 12.98%  | 4
3  | Tereza Kolarova  | "Samo edno more"  | 9.10%  | 6
4  | Ruth  | "Sometimes"  | 2.23%  | 9
5  | Deyan Dzhenkov  | "Imam tvoeto ime"  | 24.14%  | 1
6  | Ivelina  | "Ready for Love"  | 10.43%  | 5
7  | Iliyan Tsvetanov  | "Tozi ritŭm"  | 2.55%  | 8
8  | Iskra and Misha Iliev  | "Dokosni me"  | 13.46%  | 3
9  | Venelina Milanova  | "Neka s pesen"  | 5.45%  | 7

#### November selection

[edit]

The November selection took place between 30 October and 13 November 2008.[19] Three entries qualified to the final from each semi-final. A jury panel first selected one songs to advance and the remaining entries then faced a public televote which determined an additional two qualifiers. In the final, the three entries that qualified to Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2009” were selected exclusively by public televoting.[12]

Jury qualifier Public vote qualifier

Semi-final 1 – 30 October 2008[20] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place  | Result

|
|
|
|
|

1  | Lorado  | "More ot mechti"  | 2.78%  | 4  | Eliminated
2  | Fanagora and Milena Peeva  | "Love Never Ends"  | 28.61%  | 2  | Advanced
3  | Itso Petroff and Friends  | "Rokendrol izkustvo"  | 16.67%  | 3  | Advanced
4  | Gergana Dimova  | "Yasno slŭntse"  | 51.94%  | 1  | Advanced
Semi-final 2 – 6 November 2008[21] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place  | Result

|
|
|
|
|

1  | Plamen Penev  | "Dalechen svyat"  | 20.99%  | 3  | Advanced
2  | Zheni Karavachebva  | "Dumi"  | 10.56%  | 5  | Eliminated
3  | Bobi Kokera, Bleki and Sunnie  | "Tozi pŭt"  | 23.01%  | 2  | Advanced
4  | Emiliya Valenti  | "S teb"  | 32.94%  | 1  | Advanced
5  | Hari Ot Balgaryia  | "Bez dumi"  | 11.66%  | 4  | Eliminated
Semi-final 3 – 13 November 2008[22] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place  | Result

|
|
|
|
|

1  | Annayah  | "Az te chakam"  | 36.99%  | 1  | Advanced
2  | Georgi Varbanov  | "Europe Is My Home!"  | 5.02%  | 5  | Eliminated
3  | Lazar Kisyov  | "You're Not Alone"  | 13.83%  | 3  | Advanced
4  | Antoniya Markova  | "Don't Leave by the Day"  | 35.84%  | 2  | Advanced
5  | Mario Denev  | "Lipsvash mi tatko"  | 8.22%  | 4  | Eliminated
Final – 20 November 2008[23][24] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place

|
|
|
|

1  | Antoniya Markova  | "Don't Leave by the Day"  | 8.83%  | 5
2  | Plamen Penev  | "Dalechen svyat"  | 14.26%  | 2
~~3~~ | ~~Bobi Kokera, Bleki and Sunnie~~ | ~~"Tozi pŭt"~~ | —  | —
4  | Itso Petroff and Priyateli  | "Rokendrol izkustvo"  | 3.44%  | 8
5  | Lazar Kisyov  | "You're Not Alone"  | 4.56%  | 7
6  | Gergana Dimova  | "Yasno slŭntse"  | 41.42%  | 1
7  | Annayah  | "Az te chakam"  | 8.97%  | 4
8  | Fanagora and Milena Peeva  | "Love Never Ends"  | 6.06%  | 6
9  | Emiliya Valenti  | "S teb"  | 12.46%  | 3

#### December selection

[edit]

The December selection took place between 27 November and 11 December 2008.[25] Three entries qualified to the final from each semi-final. A jury panel first selected one songs to advance and the remaining entries then faced a public televote which determined an additional two qualifiers. In the final, the three entries that qualified to Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2009” were selected exclusively by public televoting.[12][26]

Jury qualifier Public vote qualifier

Semi-final 1 – 27 November 2008[27] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place  | Result

|
|
|
|
|

1  | Vatticana  | "Sun Is Shining"  | 34.96%  | 2  | Advanced
2  | Anna Star  | "Stranger"  | 4.87%  | 4  | Eliminated
3  | Svetozar Hristov  | "Borrow from the Shadow"  | 10.30%  | 3  | Advanced
4  | Just Elly  | "My Song"  | 0.66%  | 5  | Eliminated
5  | Tedi Slavcheva feat. Teni and Iva  | "Don't Look for Me"  | 49.11%  | 1  | Advanced
Semi-final 2 – 4 December 2008[28] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place  | Result

|
|
|
|
|

1  | Freeway  | "Sama"  | 30.71%  | 2  | Advanced
2  | Biby Michael and Friends  | "Vŭlshebni noti"  | 7.47%  | 3  | Eliminated
3  | Iskren Petsov  | "Zashto se varna"  | 5.81%  | 4  | Advanced
4  | Sunay Chalakov  | "Neshto ludo"  | 53.11%  | 1  | Advanced
5  | Tsetso Vlaykov  | "What Does It Take"  | 2.90%  | 5  | Eliminated
Semi-final 3 – 11 December 2008[29] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place  | Result

|
|
|
|
|

1  | X-R@Y  | "We"  | 15.09%  | 3  | Eliminated
2  | Stefan Ilchev  | "Get Up"  | 37.12%  | 1  | Advanced
3  | Petya Hristova  | "Sacred Journey"  | 3.77%  | 5  | Eliminated
4  | Zona  | "Senki"  | 32.70%  | 2  | Advanced
5  | Martin Aleksandrov  | "Mi fai male"  | 11.32%  | 4  | Advanced
Final – 18 December 2008[30][31] Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place

|
|
|
|

1  | Freeway  | "Sama"  | 8.84%  | 6
2  | Martin Aleksandrov  | "Mi fai male"  | 8.35%  | 7
3  | Svetozar Hristov  | "Borrow from the Shadow"  | 1.80%  | 8
4  | Sunay Chalakov  | "Neshto ludo"  | 11.62%  | 5
5  | Tedi Slavcheva feat. Teni and Iva  | "Don't Look for Me"  | 18.33%  | 2
6  | Zona  | "Senki"  | 20.45%  | 1
7  | Iskren Petsov  | "Zashto se varna"  | 0.98%  | 9
8  | Vatticana  | "Sun Is Shining"  | 12.77%  | 4
9  | Stefan Ilchev  | "Get Up"  | 16.86%  | 3

### Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2009”

[edit]

Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2009” (The Bulgarian song in Eurovision 2009) was the second phase of the national final format developed by BNT which determined the artist and song that would represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The competition consisted of a semi-final on 24 January 2009 and a final on 21 February 2009, held at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia.[32] Both shows were hosted by Neli Atanasova and Dragomir Simeonov and broadcast on BNT 1 as well as online via the broadcaster's website bnt.bg.[33][34]

#### Competing entries

[edit]

On 1 October 2008, BNT opened a submission period for artists and songwriters to submit their entries until 19 December 2008. Songs were required to contain partial Bulgarian involvement.[35] By the end of the deadline, the broadcaster received 38 entries.[36] On 20 December 2008, the eighteen artists and songs selected for the semi-final of the competition were announced. Nine of the entries were the qualifiers of Bŭdi zvezda, while the remaining nine entries were selected by a twelve-member committee from the remaining non-qualifying acts of Bŭdi zvezda (Ivelina and Moto) and the submitted songs.[37] An additional three entries were produced by BNT and automatically qualified for the final of the competition.[38]

Among the artists, Mariana Popova previously represented Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, while JuraTone previously represented Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 as part of the group Deep Zone.[37] On 10 January 2009, "Ring the Bells" performed by Vessy was withdrawn due to copyright issues and replaced with the song "Don't Break My Heart" performed by Erilien and Najam Sheraz.[39][40]

Artist  | Song  | Songwriter(s)  | Selection

|
|
|

Dani Milev  | "Nyama vreme" (Няма време) | Dani Milev, Dobrin Vekilov-Doni | Bŭdi zvezda
Deyan Dzhenkov  | "Imam tvoeto ime" (Имам твоето име) | Dani Milev, Rumyana Ivanova
Emiliya Valenti  | "S teb" (С теб) | Alex Nushev, Stanislava Dimitrova
Erilien and Najam Sheraz | "Don't Break My Heart"  | Paula Pavlova, Najam Sheraz  | Open submission
Gergana Dimova  | "Yasno slŭntse" (Ясно слънце) | Dimcho Delev  | Bŭdi zvezda
Grafa  | "Vrag" (Враг) | Vladimir Ampov-Grafa, Gergana Turiyska  | Produced by BNT
Iskra and Misha Iliev  | "Dokosni me" (Докосни ме) | Stoyan Stoyanov, Andro Stubel  | Bŭdi zvezda
Ivelina  | "Ready for Love"  | Lyubomir Boyanov, Ivan Laskov
JuraTone feat. Lady B  | "Chance to Love You"  | JuraTone, Michael Johnson  | Open submission
Krassimir Avramov | "Illusion"  | Krassimir Avramov, William Tabanou, Casie Tabanou
Mariana Popova | "Crazy"  | Zheni Dzhambazova, Ivan Ivanov, Elina Gavrilova  | Produced by BNT
Moto  | "Razstoyaniya" (Разстояния) | Nikolay Tomov  | Bŭdi zvezda
Nora  | "It's Not Right"  | Biser Ivanov, Nora Karaivanova  | Open submission
Plamen Penev  | "Dalechen svyat" (Далечен свят) | Petar Pesev, Plamen Penev
Poli Genova | "One Lifetime Is Not Enough"  | Ivan Kutikov, Jim Peterik  | Produced by BNT
Prima Vista  | "Let's Spread Love"  | Valentin Penzov, Ilko Drenkov  | Bŭdi zvezda
Sahara | "Don't Kiss for Money"  | Stefaan Yves Geert Fernande, Ingrid Mank  | Open submission
Stefan Dobrev  | "Everlasting Love"  | Vladi Tosetto, Diana Winter
Stefan Ilchev  | "Get Up"  | Veselin Kalchev, Iordanka Ivanova  | Bŭdi zvezda
Tedi Slavcheva feat. Teni and Iva  | "Don't Look for Me"  | Teni Omede, Tedi Slavcheva
Zona  | "Senki" (Сенки) | Hristo Markov, Alexander Krastev, Biser Veselinov

#### Shows

[edit]

#### Semi-final

[edit]

The semi-final took place on 24 January 2009. Nine entries qualified to the final based on the votes of a jury panel.[41][42] The eight-person jury consisted of Vasil Naydenov, Kiril Marichkov, Toncho Rusev, Yavor Kirin, Elitsa Todorova, Stoyan Yankoulov, Orlin Pavlov and Kalin Velov.[43] In addition to the performances of the competing entries, guest performers were the three pre-qualified artists: Grafa, Mariana Popova and Poli Genova.[44]

Semi-final – 24 January 2009  Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Result

|
|
|

1  | Ivelina  | "Ready for Love"  | Advanced
2  | Moto  | "Razstoyaniya"  | Advanced
3  | Deyan Dzhenkov  | "Imam tvoeto ime"  | Eliminated
4  | Gergana Dimova  | "Yasno slŭntse"  | Eliminated
5  | Stefan Dobrev  | "Everlasting Love"  | Advanced
6  | Prima Vista  | "Let's Spread Love"  | Eliminated
7  | Erilien and Najam Sheraz | "Don't Break My Heart"  | Eliminated
8  | Iskra and Misha Iliev  | "Dokosni me"  | Eliminated
9  | Sahara | "Don't Kiss for Money"  | Advanced
10  | Plamen Penev  | "Dalechen svyat"  | Eliminated
11  | JuraTone feat. Lady B  | "Chance to Love You"  | Advanced
12  | Zona  | "Senki"  | Eliminated
13  | Stefan Ilchev  | "Get Up"  | Advanced
14  | Nora  | "It's Not Right"  | Advanced
15  | Emiliya Valenti  | "S teb"  | Eliminated
16  | Krassimir Avramov  | "Illusion"  | Advanced
17  | Tedi Slavcheva feat. Teni and Iva  | "Don't Look for Me"  | Eliminated
18  | Dani Milev  | "Nyama vreme"  | Advanced

#### Final

[edit]

The final took place on 21 February 2009. The nine semi-final qualifiers along alongside the three automatic qualifiers competed and "Illusion" performed by Krassimir Avramov was selected as the winner exclusively by public televoting.[45] In addition to the performances of the competing entries, the guest performer was Russian Eurovision Song Contest 1995 entrant Philipp Kirkorov.[46]

Final – 21 February 2009  Draw  | Artist  | Song  | Televote  | Place

|
|
|
|

1  | Stefan Ilchev  | "Get Up"  | 1,038  | 7
2  | Moto  | "Razstoyaniya"  | 132  | 12
3  | Poli Genova | "One Lifetime Is Not Enough"  | 4,135  | 2
4  | Dani Milev  | "Nyama vreme"  | 843  | 9
5  | Ivelina  | "Ready for Love"  | 890  | 8
6  | Grafa  | "Vrag"  | 1,377  | 5
7  | Sahara | "Don't Kiss for Money"  | 1,128  | 6
8  | Mariana Popova | "Crazy"  | 2,976  | 3
9  | JuraTone feat. Lady B  | "Chance to Love You"  | 715  | 10
10  | Stefan Dobrev  | "Everlasting Love"  | 408  | 11
11  | Krassimir Avramov | "Illusion"  | 19,553  | 1
12  | Nora  | "It's Not Right"  | 2,023  | 4

### Controversy

[edit]

Following the Bulgarian national final, several Bulgarian musicians openly issued letters demanding Avramov to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest whilst questioning the legitimacy of the voting and criticising his performing abilities.[47] A protest took place in front of the BNT Headquarters on 24 February where a petition signed by over 3,000 people was submitted, while a live debate regarding the participation of Avramov took place during a special broadcast of Bŭdi zvezda on 26 February.[48][49] During the debate, the singer defended his Eurovision participation and stated that "Illusion" would be reworked for the contest.[50]

### Promotion

[edit]

Krassimir Avramov made several appearances across Europe to specifically promote "Illusion" as the Bulgarian Eurovision entry. Between 5 and 6 April, Avramov took part in promotional activities in Macedonia where he appeared during the MTV 1 show Iselenicki jbox and 100% Eurosong.[51] Avramov also took part in promotional activities in Greece between 10 and 12 April which included an appearance during the Mega Channel morning programme Omorfos kosmos to proi.[52][53] On 14 April, Avramov performed during the Antena 1 morning show Neatza cu Răzvan și Dani in Romania.[54] On 17 April, Avramov performed during the UKeurovision Preview Party, which was held at the La Scala venue in London, United Kingdom and hosted by Nicki French and Paddy O'Connell.[55] On 18 April, Avramov performed during the Eurovision Promo Concert event which was held at the Amsterdam Marcanti venue in Amsterdam, Netherlands and hosted by Marga Bult and Maggie MacNeal.[56] On 23 April, Avramov concluded promotional activities in Turkey where he made radio and television appearances.[57]

In addition to his international appearances, on 27 March, Avramov performed "Illusion" during the annual Lions Day with the United Nations event which was held at the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia.[58] On 28 April, Avramov performed as the closing act of the music competition series Music Idol.[59]

## At Eurovision

[edit]

The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 took place at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia and consisted of two semi-finals held on 12 and 14 May, respectively, and the final on 16 May 2009.[60] According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top nine songs from each semi-final as determined by televoting progress to the final, and a tenth was determined by back-up juries. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 30 January 2009, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals. Finland was placed into the first semi-final, to be held on 12 May 2009.[61][62][63] The running order for the semi-finals was decided through another draw on 16 March 2009 and as one of the seven wildcard countries, Bulgaria chose to perform in position 11, following the entry from Israel and before the entry from Iceland.[64]

The two semi-finals and the final were broadcast in Bulgaria on BNT 1 with commentary by Elena Rosberg and Georgi Kushvaliev.[65] The Bulgarian spokesperson, who announced the Bulgarian votes during the final, was Joanna Dragneva who represented Bulgaria at the 2008 contest as the lead singer of Deep Zone.

### Semi-final

[edit]

Krassimir Avramov took part in technical rehearsals on 4 and 8 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 11 and 12 May.[66][67] The Bulgarian performance featured Avramov performing in a medieval costume, joined on stage by three backing vocalists at the front of the stage and two dancers on stilts at the back performing an acrobatic routine. The LED screens displayed fire and wheels of metal and the performance also featured the use of a wind machine.[68][69] The three backing vocalists that joined Krassimir Avramov were Albena Veskova, Anna Lozanova and Petya Buyuklieva, while the dancers were Carin Noland and Trey Knight.[70]

At the end of the show, Bulgaria was not announced among the top 10 entries in the first semi-final and therefore failed to qualify to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Bulgaria placed sixteenth in the semi-final, receiving a total of 7 points.[71]

### Voting

[edit]

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Bulgaria and awarded by Bulgaria in the first semi-final and grand final of the contest. The nation awarded its 12 points to Turkey in the semi-final and to Greece in the final of the contest.

#### Points awarded to Bulgaria

[edit]

Points awarded to Bulgaria (Semi-final 1)[72] Score  | Country

|

12 points  |
10 points  |
8 points  |
7 points  |
6 points  |
5 points  |  Macedonia
4 points  |
3 points  |
2 points  |  Turkey
1 point  |

#### Points awarded by Bulgaria

[edit]

Points awarded by Bulgaria (Semi-final 1)[72] | Score  | Country

|

12 points  |  Turkey
10 points  |  Macedonia
8 points  |  Armenia
7 points  |  Bosnia and Herzegovina
6 points  |  Iceland
5 points  |  Romania
4 points  |  Israel
3 points  |  Malta
2 points  |  Portugal
1 point  |  Belarus
Points awarded by Bulgaria (Final)[73] | Score  | Country

|

12 points  |  Greece
10 points  |  Turkey
8 points  |  Azerbaijan
7 points  |  United Kingdom
6 points  |  Armenia
5 points  |  Iceland
4 points  |  Bosnia and Herzegovina
3 points  |  Finland
2 points  |  Norway
1 point  |  Lithuania

#### Detailed voting results

[edit]

Detailed voting results from Bulgaria (Final)[74][75] Draw  | Country  | Results  | Points

|
|
|

Jury  | Televoting  | Combined
01  |  Lithuania | 6  |  | 6  | 1
02  |  Israel |  |  |  |
03  |  France |  |  |  |
04  |  Sweden |  |  |  |
05  |  Croatia | 2  |  | 2  |
06  |  Portugal |  |  |  |
07  |  Iceland | 8  |  | 8  | 5
08  |  Greece | 12  | 10  | 22  | 12
09  |  Armenia |  | 8  | 8  | 6
10  |  Russia |  | 5  | 5  |
11  |  Azerbaijan | 4  | 7  | 11  | 8
12  |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3  | 4  | 7  | 4
13  |  Moldova |  | 3  | 3  |
14  |  Malta |  |  |  |
15  |  Estonia |  |  |  |
16  |  Denmark | 5  |  | 5  |
17  |  Germany |  |  |  |
18  |  Turkey | 1  | 12  | 13  | 10
19  |  Albania |  |  |  |
20  |  Norway |  | 6  | 6  | 2
21  |  Ukraine |  |  |  |
22  |  Romania |  | 2  | 2  |
23  |  United Kingdom | 10  | 1  | 11  | 7
24  |  Finland | 7  |  | 7  | 3
25  |  Spain |  |  |  |

## References

[edit]

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## External links

[edit]

* BNT

* v
* t
* e

Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest

Participation|

* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* ~~2020~~
* 2021
* 2022

Artists|

* Krassimir Avramov
* Deep Zone and Balthazar
* Equinox
* Poli Genova
* Intelligent Music Project
* Kaffe
* Kristian Kostov
* Sofi Marinova
* Miro
* Mariana Popova
* Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankoulov
* Victoria

Songs|

* "Angel si ti"
* "Beautiful Mess"
* "Bones"
* "DJ, Take Me Away"
* "Growing Up Is Getting Old"
* "If Love Was a Crime"
* "Illusion"
* "Intention"
* "Let Me Cry"
* "Lorraine"
* "Love Unlimited"
* "Na inat"
* "Samo shampioni"
* ~~"Tears Getting Sober"~~
* "Water"

* Note: Entries scored out signify where Bulgaria did not compete

* v
* t
* e

Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Countries|

| Final|

* Albania
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Croatia
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Iceland
* Israel
* Lithuania
* Malta
* Moldova
* Norway
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

|

Semi-finals|

* Andorra
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Hungary
* Ireland
* Latvia
* Macedonia
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Switzerland

Withdrawn|

* Georgia

Artists|

| Final|

* Alex Swings Oscar Sings
* Soraya Arnelas
* Aysel and Arash
* Niels Brinck
* Chiara
* Nelly Ciobanu
* Igor Cukrov feat. Andrea
* Elena
* Malena Ernman
* Jade Ewen
* Flor-de-Lis
* Hadise
* Inga and Anush
* Patricia Kaas
* Svetlana Loboda
* Noa and Mira Awad
* Anastasia Prikhodko
* Regina
* Sakis Rouvas
* Alexander Rybak
* Sasha Son
* Kejsi Tola
* Urban Symphony
* Waldo's People
* Yohanna

|

Semi-finals|

* Zoli Ádok
* Krassimir Avramov
* Intars Busulis
* Copycat
* Andrea Demirović
* Petr Elfimov
* Susanne Georgi
* Gipsy.cz
* Marko Kon and Milaan
* Lidia Kopania
* Lovebugs
* Christina Metaxa
* Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková
* Sinéad Mulvey and Black Daisy
* Next Time
* Quartissimo feat. Martina
* The Toppers

Withdrawn|

* Stephane and 3G

Songs|

| Final|

* "Always"
* "The Balkan Girls"
* "Be My Valentine! (Anti-Crisis Girl)"
* "Believe Again"
* "Bistra voda"
* "Carry Me in Your Dreams"
* "Düm Tek Tek"
* "Et s'il fallait le faire"
* "Fairytale"
* "Hora din Moldova"
* "Is It True?"
* "It's My Time"
* "Jan Jan"
* "Lijepa Tena"
* "Lose Control"
* "Love"
* "Mamo"
* "Miss Kiss Kiss Bang"
* "La noche es para mí"
* "Rändajad"
* "There Must Be Another Way"
* "This Is Our Night"
* "Todas as ruas do amor"
* "La Voix"
* "What If We"

|

Semi-finals|

* "Aven Romale"
* "Cipela"
* "Copycat"
* "Dance with Me"
* "Et Cetera"
* "Eyes That Never Lie"
* "Firefly"
* "The Highest Heights"
* "I Don't Wanna Leave"
* "Illusion"
* "Just Get Out of My Life"
* "Leť tmou"
* "Love Symphony"
* "Nešto što kje ostane"
* "Probka"
* "Shine"
* "La teva decisió (Get a Life)"

Withdrawn|

* "We Don't Wanna Put In"

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