Discover 10 times Eurovision professional juries snubbed public televote favorites, from Käärijä and KEiiNO to Eden Golan, Il Volo, and Yuval Raphael.
The dramatic divide between public televoting and professional jury scores remains the most explosive debate within the Eurovision community. Ever since the reintroduction of the split voting system, fans have frequently felt that the juries are out of touch with mainstream tastes. Whether due to political considerations, overt bias, or an inability to embrace high-tempo, ethnic, and experimental genres, here are ten Eurovision entries that received immense love from televoters worldwide while juries attempted to bury them on the scoreboard.
1. Finland 2023: Käärijä – “Cha Cha Cha”
Televote: 1st place (376 points, including eighteen sets of 12 points).
Juries: 4th place.
The Outcome: The most talked-about modern example of jury-televote divergence. European audiences overwhelmingly rallied around the chaotic party-metal phenomenon. However, professional panels favored the polished Swedish production and Loreen, securing her second victory and denying Finland a historic win.
2. Israel 2024: Eden Golan – “Hurricane”
Televote: 2nd place (323 points, including fifteen sets of 12 points).
Juries: 12th place (52 points).
The Outcome: Despite a flawless vocal performance delivered under immense pressure, numerous national juries awarded minimal points or completely snubbed the entry. Public voters delivered a decisive counter-statement, propelling Eden Golan to 5th place overall in the Grand Final.
3. Israel 2025: Yuval Raphael – “New Day Will Rise”
Televote: 1st place (297 points).
Juries: 14th place (60 points).
The Outcome: Professional panels pushed Yuval Raphael down to the lower half of their leaderboard, disregarding a powerful vocal delivery. Once public votes were revealed, the largest jump of the night occurred as viewers globally embraced the song and its message, pushing Israel to a spectacular 2nd place finish overall.
4. Norway 2019: KEiiNO – “Spirit in the Sky”
Televote: 1st place in the Grand Final.
Juries: 18th place (40 points).
The Outcome: A major voting clash in contest history. Audiences fell in love with the vibrant ethno-pop track incorporating traditional Sámi joik. Juries dismissed the entry as an outdated gimmick, dropping Norway to 6th place overall.
5. Poland 2016: Michał Szpak – “Color of Your Life”
Televote: 3rd place.
Juries: 25th place (7 points).
The Outcome: Juries completely disregarded the dramatic rock ballad, leaving it second-from-bottom. A massive 222-point surge from the televote catapulted Michał Szpak straight into the Top 10.
6. Ukraine 2021: Go_A – “Shum”
Televote: 2nd place.
Juries: 9th place.
The Outcome: The unique folktronica track went viral across Spotify and TikTok, bringing immense energy to the arena in Rotterdam. Juries struggled to integrate the experimental style, placing several entries above it.
7. Italy 2015: Il Volo – “Grande Amore”
Televote: 1st place.
Juries: 6th place.
The Outcome: The operatic pop trio arrived in Vienna as major favorites and won the public vote convincingly. Juries penalized the entry for its perceived classical cliché, favoring Sweden’s Måns Zelmerlöw and dropping Italy to 3rd overall.
8. Moldova 2022: Zdob și Zdub – “Trenulețul”
Televote: 2nd place.
Juries: 20th place (14 points).
The Outcome: A textbook cultural divide. European viewers celebrated the wild, high-energy folk performance, while juries prioritized sleek radio production and largely ignored the entry.
9. Norway 2023: Alessandra – “Queen of Kings”
Televote: 3rd place.
Juries: 17th place.
The Outcome: Alessandra opened the Grand Final in Liverpool with high energy, earning hundreds of points from home viewers. Juries focused heavily on minor vocal inaccuracies in the high notes, penalizing her on the scoreboard.
10. Poland 2014: Donatan & Cleo – “My Słowianie”
Televote: 5th place.
Juries: 23rd place.
The Outcome: Donatan and Cleo presented a colorful, tongue-in-cheek staging that connected strongly with televoters. Juries dismissed the suggestive performance as cheap provocation, leaving Poland with near-zero jury scores across Europe.
Which jury-televote discrepancy frustrated you the most over the years? Is it time to abolish the professional juries entirely and return to a 100% televote system? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Eurovision 2027: The 71st Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria on May 11, 13, 15 , following the country’s victory with the song “Bangaranga” performed by the singer DARA. This will be the first time the contest is hosted in Bulgaria.
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Maor Heumann has been writing about the Eurovision Song Contest and following it for over three decades. He has attended five contests and has found something to appreciate in almost every possible musical genre — from the sugary pop entries that finish last in the semi-finals to the quirky avant-garde pieces that even the competition’s juries struggled to connect with. He usually prefers original languages and songs with depth over Swedish-produced English clones — though he doesn’t promise to stick to that rule.
He grew up on the kibbutz of Sara’le Sharon, who instilled in him a love for music and created his first connection to the contest back in 1993 — before most of the current editorial team was even born.
