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Look out Europe the Aussies are coming! takes centre in at 2015

Australia’s been given the chance to take the Eurovision stage by storm, and we’ve got just the right Guy for the job.

In celebration of Australia’s invitation to compete in the 60 th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest and Guy Sebastian’s performance in the Grand Final, SBS will bring audiences its biggest Eurovision offering yet across TV, radio and online.

SBS’s exclusive coverage will once again be in the capable hands of Eurovisionaries Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang , who will bring their witty banter to the commentary booth as they guide Australia through the glitz, glamour and madness of the Semi-Finals and spectacular Grand Final direct from Vienna, .

Both semi-finals will be shown in full on Friday May 22 and Saturday May 23 from 7:30pm. The Grand Final featuring multi-talented singer and ARIA Award winner Guy Sebastian will screen on Sunday May 24 from 7:30pm.

This year as Australia is an official competitor, the Australian public will be eligible to vote in the contest for the very first .* This, along with a pre-selected Australian jury*, will help determine the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest winner.

SBS will broadcast both semi-finals and the Grand Final live on Wednesday May 20, Friday May 22 and Sunday morning May 24 from 5am. Australians will be able to vote in the contest in the early broadcast and then join in the conversation using the hashtag #sbseurovision during the interactive evening prime-time broadcasts with tweets and party pictures on screen. The prime time broadcast will feature artist interviews, and behind the scenes clips with Julia and Sam.

Eurovision 2015 kicks off early this year with Eurovision’s Greatest Hits on Thursday May 21. Hosted by BBC’s Eurovision commentator, , alongside the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest host, Petra Mede and filmed at 's Eventim Apollo Hammersmith this special concert that celebrates the

60th anniversary of Eurovision features some of the contest's most iconic songs performed by their original artists.

SBS’s pop up digital radio station will play non-stop hits from Eurovision Song Contests across the years, and Australian fans will again be able to join in the action online with an enhanced social TV experience with tweets on screen throughout the broadcast and interactive voting so audiences can rate the performers.

* Details about how Australia votes will be released early May. * The Australian Jury will be revealed on May 1.

ON TV

Eurovision Song Contest Semi Final 1 - Friday May 22 at 7.30pm on SBS Semi Final 2 - Saturday May 23 at 7.30pm on SBS ONE Grand Final - Sunday May 24 at 7.30pm on SBS ONE

Hosts Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang, our very own wind machine experts, key change connoisseurs and Team Guy ambassadors, will be on the ground in Vienna ready to report on all the action from this year’s contest.

SBS’s exclusive coverage gives fans across Australia a chance to get involved with the contest and back their favourite performers, incorporating audience tweets, Facebook comments, and voting trends from the SBS Eurovision website using the hashtag #SBSeurovision.

There are 40 countries competing for glory in the 60 th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, and last year’s winner the one and only will be back to perform and host the green room.

However it is the Australian performance that is going to have Europeans glad they invited us into the competition because one thing is for sure Guy Sebastian is going to raise the roof off and send schnitzels and strudels flying. He’s already made quite the impression performing the song at Eurovision in Concert at Amsterdam.

While there is no denying Guy’s performance will be a highlight it is by no means all that audiences have to look forward to. Guy is not the only Australian competing in the contest this year. Armenia have embraced this year’s theme Building Bridges forming a supergroup with singers from five continents including Australian Mary-Jean O’Doherty an international coloratura soprano of Armeni- an ancestry.

The semi-finals are full of surprises with a real variety of musical styles; have a jam with Rhythm Inside , Slovenian singer is doing her bit to make air a thing, and with her catchy pop song Here for You it may just take off. The Finnish entry Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät (PKN) made up of four middle-aged, mentally handicapped men are bringing punk back to the Eurovision stage, and we can only live in hope that Belarus bring the giant hourglass prop from their film clip to Vienna for their pop ballad Time . After winning the contest in 2012, are strong contenders again this year with their artist Mans Zelmerlow and his song, Heroes.

The Big seven countries straight through to the Grand Final this year are a real mixed bag. The Austrians are not resting on their laurels with the a slick local rock with their catchy tune I am Yours , both France and Spain have big in language power ballads, from Germany will get the crowd going with her up tempo number Black Smoke , the aren’t taking any chances with popular Italian pop trio , and The UK are

delivering something a little different with electro pop sounding Still in Love with You by .

Eurovision’s Greatest Hits Thursday May 21 at 8.30pm on SBS ONE

Graham Norton and Eurovision 2013 presenter Petra Mede host a special concert to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest with show stopping performances from some of Eurovision’s greatest acts of all time.

London's Eventim Apollo Hammersmith is the venue for this official anniversary event, which features some of the contest's most iconic songs performed by their original artists, including , Johnny Logan, , and reigning winner Conchita. Arguably the contest's most iconic interval act, Riverdance who, led by Irish champions Michael Flatley and Jean Butler stole the 1994 Eurovision show, make an appearance too. Other winners amongst the 15 performers from 13 countries include Nicole, Loreen, , , the , Anne-Marie David, Bobbysocks and .

Rosa Lopez performs a medley of some of Spain's best Eurovision entries, while Natasha St-Pier represents France with one of the country's biggest Eurovision hits, Je N'ai Que Mon Ame.

Eurovision’s Greatest Hits is the perfect start to SBS’s Eurovision weekend.

The Glitter and the Glory – The Feed’s Eurovision After Party Monday May 25 at 6:30pm on SBS 2

The Glitter and the Glory - The Feed's Eurovision After Party will dissect, poke, giggle and celebrate the top ten moments from the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest final.

Hosted by Marc Fennell and Jeannette Francis, with special guest panellists The Feed's Eurovision After Party will be the ultimate Eurovision recovery for every fan not yet ready for Eurovision to be over, or those who missed it all together and were left wondering what the fuss was about.

Guy Sebastian’s Eurovision song Tonight Again

Tonight Again showcases the trademark soulful sound which Guy is renowned for. With a contemporary R&B style bursting with hooks, beats and celebratory lyrics, Tonight Again is a song that belongs on the Eurovision stage. Written and produced specifically for Eurovision at Guy’s recording studio in Sydney, Tonight Again is a new song highlighting Guy’s vocal prowess, with upbeat pop stylings and a catchy anthemic feel.

Tonight Again is available NOW http://smarturl.it/TonightAgain.IT

Tonight Again is available to stream through Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/1IYuJ3Q8Q3ObNThBdVoK4S

Listen to Australia’s Eurovision song and watch the behind scenes video of Tonight Again coming together in less than 48 hours here on the SBS Eurovision website: http://www.sbs.com.au/programs/eurovision/news/australias-eurovision-song

ON RADIO

SBS Eurovision Radio on SBS Radio 4 (Digital Radio) From May 1 Also available online at sbs.com.au/Eurovision and the SBS Radio App

SBS Radio kicks off Eurovision celebrations early this year, with a month of Eurovision hits on SBS Eurovision Radio, the non-stop to the world's biggest song contest, 24 hours a day.

Listeners can request their favourite Eurovision tracks, test their trivia skills and tune in to exclusive news, artist interviews and more straight from Vienna, with the SBS Radio Eurovision Reporter, Chris North.

Listeners can tune in for the main event with Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang on May 20, 22 and 24, for a live simulcast of the semi-finals and Grand Final.

ONLINE sbs.com.au/Eurovision

Eurovision parties will be even more exciting this year, with fans being able to back our first ever Australian contestant, Guy Sebastian.

In the lead up to the event, sbs.com.au/eurovision will be the hub for all the latest Eurovision news. Hosts Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang will present exclusive behind-the-scenes video interviews with artists, as well as all the latest gossip and galleries direct from Vienna.

Across all three nights (May 22-24) the Eurovision website will be the number one destination for the complete interactive experience. Viewers can rate their favourite performance, submit party photos, and join the social chatter. They can also win a Renault car and exciting prize packs.

To get into the Eurovision spirit, party packs are available to download with all the essentials to glitz up parties across Australia. To get started, SBS are giving away paddles, posters, and songbooks. The SBS Eurovision website will also post all the latest details on parties happening near you over the weekend.

Join the party at: sbs.com.au/eurovision #SBSEurovision

HOST BIOGRAPHIES

Julia Zemiro

Best known for her work as host of the SBS hit TV program, RocKwiz, Julia’s theatre, film and television work spans all genres from drama to comedy, improv to hosting and more.

Julia’s most recent television work includes Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery – a documentary interview series and Stop Laughing; This is Serious. Other television credits includes co-hosting The Crown Awards for DR TV, The Agony of Modern Manners, appearing as a guest panellist on Stephen Fry's QI, guest judge on Exhumed, hosting RocKwiz (series 13), ABBA Bang-a-Boomerang, An Accidental Soldier, Conspiracy 365 and Lowdown.

Julia has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest alongside co-host Sam Pang since 2009 and has become the face of the contest for Australia.

Sam Pang

Sam Pang is a radio and TV presenter, comedian and writer who can be seen on Have You Been Paying Attention? on Channel 10, Santo, Sam and Ed’s Total Football on Fox Sports, Friday Front on AFL.com.au, and the new series of Agony on ABC. For the past 6 years he has been the co- host of SBS's coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest with Julia Zemiro.

Previously Sam co-hosted Santo, Sam and Ed's Sports Fever on Channel 7, shared his views on life and relationships in Agony Uncles on ABC1, was the co-creator of Kane & Disabled , a 10 part comedy series of interstitials starring Lawrence Mooney featuring some of Australia's best paralympians that screened in the lead up to the 2012 London Paralympics on ABC2, and was part of ABC’s nightly coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

For interviews with Guy Sebastian, Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang please contact: Jessica Parry T: (02) 9430 3786 E: [email protected]