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The United Kingdom has participated 65 times since it debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest 1957 in Frankfurt am Main with Patricia Bredin as their debut entrant. They missed out the following year but have participated every year since 1959.

They became a member of the "Big Four", along with France, Germany and Spain, in 2004, a year after their worst result in the Contest when they infamously scored "Nul Points" with the entry "Cry Baby" by the duo Jemini - the first English-language entry to suffer this fate. With the return of Italy seven years later, they were renamed the "Big Five".

It has finished last on four other occasions: three times securing points in 2008, 2010 and in 2019, respectively, but repeated their 2003 result at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam.

They have won the Contest a total of five times and is one of two nations with victories in four different decades, the other being Sweden. They have also had the most runner-up placements, with 16 in total as of 2023 as well as holding the record for being the host nation nine times - four as winners and five by deferral of the winning nation from the previous year.

The nation debuted at the inaugural Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, finishing in 3rd place. They competed a further two times, achieving their best result the following year when they finished as runner-up to Spain. Following the 2005 Contest, the nation withdrew. However, buoyed by the success of Sam Ryder in Turin and the nation hosting the Contest in 2023, it announced its return for the 2022 Contest, scoring a third Top 5 result.

Participants[]

Eurovision Song Contest[]

Year Performer(s) Song Position Points Note(s)
1957 Patricia Bredin "All" 7 6 No semi-finals
Did not participate in 1958
1959 Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson "Sing, Little Birdie" 2 16 No semi-finals
1960 Bryan Johnson "Looking High, High, High" 2 25 Host country
1961 The Allisons "Are You Sure?" 2 24 No semi-finals
1962 Ronnie Carroll "Ring-A-Ding Girl" 4 10
1963 "Say Wonderful Things" 4 28 Host country
1964 Matt Monro "I Love the Little Things" 2 17 No semi-finals
1965 Kathy Kirby "I Belong" 2 26
1966 Kenneth McKellar "A Man Without Love" 9 8
1967 Sandie Shaw "Puppet on a String" 1 47
1968 Cliff Richard "Congratulations" 2 28 Host country
1969 Lulu "Boom Bang-a-Bang" 1 18 No semi-finals
1970 Mary Hopkin "Knock, Knock Who's There?" 2 26
1971 Clodagh Rodgers "Jack in the Box" 4 98
1972 The New Seekers "Beg, Steal or Borrow" 2 114 Host country
1973 Cliff Richard "Power to All Our Friends" 3 123 No semi-finals
1974 Olivia Newton-John "Long Live Love" 4 14 Host country
1975 The Shadows "Let Me Be the One" 2 138 No semi-finals
1976 Brotherhood of Man "Save Your Kisses for Me" 1 164
1977 Lynsey de Paul & Mike Moran "Rock Bottom" 2 121 Host country
1978 Co-Co "The Bad Old Days" 11 61 No semi-finals
1979 Black Lace "Mary Ann" 7 73
1980 Prima Donna "Love Enough for Two" 3 106
1981 Bucks Fizz "Making Your Mind Up" 1 136
1982 Bardo "One Step Further" 7 76 Host country
1983 Sweet Dreams "I'm Never Giving Up" 6 79 No semi-finals
1984 Belle and the Devotions "Love Games" 7 63
1985 Vikki Watson "Love Is..." 4 100
1986 Ryder "Runner in the Night" 7 72
1987 Rikki "Only the Light" 13 47
1988 Scott Fitzgerald "Go" 2 136
1989 Live Report "Why Do I Always Get it Wrong" 2 130
1990 Emma "Give a Little Love Back to the World" 6 87
1991 Samantha Janus "A Message to Your Heart" 10 47
1992 Michael Ball "One Step Out of Time" 2 139
1993 Sonia "Better the Devil You Know" 2 164
1994 Frances Ruffelle "We Will Be Free (Lonely Symphony)" 10 63
1995 Love City Groove "Love City Groove" 10 76
1996 Gina G "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" 8 77 3 153
1997 Katrina and the Waves "Love Shine a Light" 1 227 No semi-finals
1998 Imaani "Where Are You?" 2 166 Host country
1999 Precious "Say It Again" 12 38 No semi-finals
2000 Nicki French "Don't Play That Song Again" 16 28
2001 Lindsay Dracass "No Dream Impossible" 15 28
2002 Jessica Garlick "Come Back" 3 111
2003 Jemini "Cry Baby" 26 0
2004 James Fox "Hold Onto Our Love" 16 29 Member of the "Big 4"
2005 Javine "Touch My Fire" 22 18
2006 Daz Sampson "Teenage Life" 19 25
2007 Scooch "Flying the Flag (for You)" 22 19
2008 Andy Abraham "Even If" 25 14
2009 Jade Ewen "It's My Time" 5 173
2010 Josh Dubovie "That Sounds Good to Me" 25 10
2011 Blue "I Can" 11 100 Member of the "Big 5"
2012 Engelbert Humperdinck "Love Will Set You Free" 25 12
2013 Bonnie Tyler "Believe in Me" 19 23
2014 Molly "Children of the Universe" 17 40
2015 Electro Velvet "Still in Love with You" 24 5
2016 Joe and Jake "You're Not Alone" 24 62
2017 Lucie Jones "Never Give Up on You" 15 111
2018 SuRie "Storm" 24 48
2019 Michael Rice "Bigger Than Us" 26 11
2020 James Newman "My Last Breath" Cancelled
2021 "Embers" 26 0
2022 Sam Ryder "Space Man" 2 466
2023 Mae Muller "I Wrote a Song" 25 24 Host country
2024 Olly Alexander "Dizzy" Member of the "Big 5"

Junior Eurovision Song Contest[]

Year Performer(s) Song Place Points
2003 Tom Morley "My Song for the World" 3 118
2004 Cory Spedding "The Best Is Yet to Come" 2 140
2005 Joni Fuller "How Does It Feel?" 14 28
Did not participate from 2006 to 2021
2022 Freya Skye "Lose My Head" 5 146
2023 Stand Uniqu3 "Back to Life" 4 160

Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest[]

Performer(s) Song Position Points Year Final Points
Brotherhood of Man "Save Your Kisses for Me" 5 230 1976 1 164


Eurovision Song Contest
Winners
Lys AssiaCorry BrokkenAndré ClaveauTeddy ScholtenJacqueline BoyerJean-Claude PascalIsabelle AubretGrethe & Jørgen IngmannGigliola CinquettiFrance GallUdo JürgensSandie ShawMassielSaloméLuluLenny KuhrFrida BoccaraDanaSéverineVicky LeandrosAnne-Marie DavidABBATeach-InBrotherhood of ManMarie MyriamIzhar Cohen & AlphabetaMilk & HoneyJohnny LoganBucks FizzNicoleCorinne HermèsHerreysBobbysocks!Sandra KimJohnny LoganCéline DionRivaToto CutugnoCarolaLinda MartinNiamh KavanaghPaul Harrington & Charlie McGettiganSecret GardenEimear QuinnKatrina and the WavesDana InternationalCharlotte NilssonOlsen BrothersTanel Padar & Dave Benton with 2XLMarie NSertab ErenerRuslanaHelena PaparizouLordiMarija ŠerifovićDima BilanAlexander RybakLenaEli & NikkiLoreenEmmelie de ForestConchita WurstMåns ZelmerlöwJamalaSalvador SobralNettaDuncan LaurenceMåneskinKalush OrchestraLoreen
Winning Songs
RefrainNet als toenDors, mon amourEen beetjeTom PillibiNous les amoureuxUn premier amourDanseviseNon ho l'etàPoupée de cire, poupée de sonMerci, chériePuppet on a StringLa, la, laVivo cantandoBoom Bang-a-BangDe troubadourUn jour, un enfantAll Kinds of EverythingUn banc, un arbre, une rueAprès toiTu te reconnaîtrasWaterlooDing-a-DongSave Your Kisses for MeL'oiseau et l'enfantA-Ba-Ni-BiHallelujahWhat's Another YearMaking Your Mind UpEin bißchen FriedenSi la vie est cadeauDiggi-Loo Diggi-LeyLa det swingeJ'aime la vieHold Me NowNe partez pas sans moiRock MeInsieme: 1992Fångad av en stormvindWhy Me?In Your EyesRock 'n' Roll KidsNocturneThe VoiceLove Shine a LightDivaTake Me to Your HeavenFly on the Wings of LoveEverybodyI WannaEvery Way That I CanWild DancesMy Number OneHard Rock HallelujahMolitvaBelieveFairytaleSatelliteRunning ScaredEuphoriaOnly TeardropsRise Like a PhoenixHeroes1944Amar pelos doisToyArcadeZitti e buoniStefaniaTattoo
Contests
19561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Countries
AlbaniaAndorraArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBelarusBelgiumBosnia and HerzegovinaBulgariaCroatiaCyprusCzechiaDenmarkEstoniaFinlandFranceGeorgiaGermanyGreeceHungaryIcelandIrelandIsraelItalyLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgNorth MacedoniaMaltaMoldovaMonacoMontenegroMoroccoThe NetherlandsNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSan MarinoSerbiaSerbia and MontenegroSlovakiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomYugoslavia
Miscellaneous
European Broadcasting UnionEurovision Song Contest
Junior Eurovision Song Contest
Winners
Dino JelušićMaría IsabelKsenia SitnikTolmachevy SistersAlexey ZhigalkovichBzikebiRalf MackenbachVladimir ArzumanyanCANDYAnastasiya PetrykGaia CauchiVincenzo CantielloDestiny ChukunyereMariam MamadashviliPolina BogusevichRoksana WęgielViki GaborValentinaMalénaLissandroZoé Clauzure
Winning Songs
"Ti si moja prva ljubav" • "Antes muerta que sencilla" • "My vmeste" • "Vesenniy Jazz" • "S druz'yami" • "Bzzz..." • "Click Clack" • "Mama" • "Candy Music" • "Nebo" • "The Start" • "Tu primo grande amore" • "Not My Soul" • "Mzeo" • "Wings" • "Anyone I Want to Be" • "Superhero" • "J'imagine" • "Qami Qami" • "Oh maman!" • "Cœur"
Contests
2003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
Countries
AlbaniaArmeniaAustraliaAzerbaijanBelarusBelgiumBulgariaCroatiaCyprusDenmarkEstoniaFranceGeorgiaGermanyGreeceIrelandIsraelItalyKazakhstanLatviaLithuaniaNorth MacedoniaMaltaMoldovaMontenegroThe NetherlandsNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSan MarinoSerbiaSerbia and MontenegroSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandUkraineUnited KingdomWales
Miscellaneous
Junior Eurovision Song Contest
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