Kate Miller-Heidke has been crowned the winner of the first ever Eurovision – Australia Decides during the live TV final on SBS on Saturday.
The win means, after a number of years partnering with SBS and providing Australian artists to perform at the Song Contest, Sony Music has not supplied the Australian entrant this year.
Miller-Heidke is a former Sony Music artist, but she left the recording company several years ago to release her own material. She maintains a publishing deal with Sony/ATV.
SBS took the opportunity on Saturday to unveil its new brand position to the big Eurovision audience, “a world of difference”, encouraging all Australians to embrace and celebrate difference, and reinforcing SBS’s commitment to contributing to an inclusive society.
Jane Palfreyman, director of marketing at SBS, said: “As we’ve grown up as a nation, so too has SBS, speaking to and representing all Australians. Along the way, we’ve become one of the most trusted Australian brands and an ingrained part of this country’s culture.
“Our new brand identity reflects SBS’s evolution while beautifully articulating our fierce dedication to go beyond simply showcasing diversity to celebrating our collective differences. We want to live in the skin, walk in the shoes of others, because we believe it actually makes for better entertainment.”
During Eurovision – Australia Decides, Miller-Heidke performed her song Zero Gravity, alongside some of Australia’s biggest artists and the scores of the viewing public and jury were combined for the official results.
After winning over the Australian public with 87 points and a jury of industry experts with 48 points, Miller-Heidke has been selected to represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, to be held in Tel Aviv, Israel and broadcast exclusively on SBS in May.
Electric Fields took out second place with their song 2000 and Whatever being awarded 114 points overall, while Sheppard came in third place with On My Way on 87 points.
Creative director of Eurovision – Australia Decides Paul Clarke said:
“It’s a win for out of the box brilliance, which Eurovision devours. It’s a standout song with mesmerising staging. Kate is a total original and Eurovision will love her. Electric Fields delivered a stellar performance, and came so close, but it was Kate’s night. I want to thank all the artists who made the first ever selection show a spectacular success and all the fans that got behind them. The road to Eurovision 2019 has begun!”