Luxembourg is preparing its dazzling return to Eurovision 2024 and has unveiled a well-known jury of international experts who will take the reins of the artistic selection. The country is refining its list to 70 artists and these judges are ready to unearth the musical gem who will represent the country.
After receiving 459 applications from singers, with or without their own songs, Luxembourg embarked on a new selection stage. From this stage, 70 artists, with or without their own song, emerged, accompanied by songwriters, some of whom have made their mark on Eurovision, such as Ralph Siegel, who has collaborated on several occasions with San Marino.
Luxembourg’s international jury for the national final
The process then became more complex, with an initial selection of songs decided by broadcaster RTL’s production team. Now, the crucial responsibility of evaluating these songs falls to a five-member international jury made up of familiar faces for Eurovision aficionados.
- Christer Björkman is a Eurovision icon who needs little introduction. The phoenix of Eurovision itself, he currently assumes the roles of producer and host, with past experience as head of delegation for Sweden. He also left his mark as producer of the American Song Contest and directed the 2013 and 2016 editions of Eurovision, a responsibility he will take up again in 2024.
- Tali Eskholi, a prominent figure in the Eurovision world, has frequently sat on preselection juries for the contest. She made her mark by producing the 2019 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, and also exercised her production talents at the Miss Universe pageant in 2021.
- Cesár Sampson, Austrian singer and musician, represented Austria at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, achieving an honorable third place. His career includes appearances on shows such as Dancing Stars and the Austrian version of Mask Singer in 2021.
- Alex Panayi, a Greek-Cypriot singer and songwriter, is well known in Europe thanks to his two memorable appearances at the Eurovision Song Contest. A former backing singer, he led his own group, The Vocal Summit, and is fluent in Greek, English and French. Recently, he has made a name for himself as a vocal coach for Eurovision contestants.
- Jan Bors, former Head of Delegation of the Czech Republic and content producer for Czech Television, completes the panel of experts.
Luxembourg’s strategy, drawing on the expertise of such a high-profile jury, is reminiscent of France’s choice in 2018 for the first edition of Destination Eurovision. However, this approach did not bear fruit for France, which ranked 14th in Tel Aviv in 2019. Christer Björkmann and Tali Eskholi are already regulars on national selection juries, having appeared in last year‘s BenidormFest.
The representative will be chosen live on January 27, 2024
The names of the finalists who win over this panel of experts will be revealed in early December. The Luxembourg national selection will be broadcast in January on RTL, with the finalists taking part in a major live show on January 27, 2024. Viewers will then have the opportunity to vote for their favorite representative, meeting the following criteria. They must:
- be at least 16 years old and have Luxembourg nationality
- have lived in Luxembourg for at least three consecutive years
- have a strong cultural background and a proven link with the Luxembourg music scene
In the latter situation, a number of other criteria were required, including active participation at national level in the field of musical practice, frequent cooperation with cultural institutions and established collaboration with well-known figures on the Luxembourg art scene.
What do you think of this jury? Do you think they will be able to choose the best representative for Luxembourg? Let us know in the comments section.
