10 Nations Move On to Eurovision Final

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/12/arts/television/eurovision-semifinal-10.html

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Ten countries advanced from the first Eurovision semifinal Tuesday night, ensuring their spot in the song contest’s final this weekend in Stockholm.

The countries moving ahead were Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands and Russia. Eight other competitors, including Iceland, Estonia and Moldova, did not move ahead.

Russia’s entrant, “You Are the Only One,” performed by Sergey Lazarev, and Malta’s “Walk on Water,” performed by Ira Losco, are considered two of the competition’s front-runners.

Dozens of countries across Europe compete in the annual Eurovision competition, a campy, labyrinthine and politically charged contest to crown the best pop song in Europe.

The second semifinal will be held on Thursday. The winners from both semifinals will compete in the final against the entrants from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, which automatically qualify for the final round because their countries contribute the most money to the contest. Sweden, which won last year’s contest, also automatically qualifies for the final, which will be held Saturday night in Stockholm.

In all, 42 countries are taking part in Eurovision this year. The 2016 contest has, as usual, been rife with controversies, including the ejection of Romania from the contest for failing to pay an outstanding debt. This year, for the first time, the final will air in the United States, on the Viacom network Logo.