France in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest
France has participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest seven times, debuting in Lillehammer, Norway, at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004. France Télévisions, a member organisation of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), is responsible for the selection process of their participation. The first representative to participate for the nation was Thomas Pontier with the song "Si on voulait bien", which finished in sixth place out of eighteen participating entries, achieving a score of seventy-eight points. France did not participate after 2004, and made its return to the contest in 2018, 14 years later. France has won the contest on three occasions: in 2020, with Valentina and the song "J'imagine", in 2022, with Lissandro and the song "Oh maman!", and in 2023, with Zoé Clauzure and the song "Cœur".
Contest history edit
France has participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest six times since their debut at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004. Their first entry in the contest was the song "Si on voulait bien" performed by Thomas Pontier. To select the entry, a national final was held at France Televisions studios in Paris. 7,000 children auditioned for the event, and an extra 1,000 were invited to the final. By the end, 11 candidates became the finalists, with Pontier winning the competition with his cover of Téléphone's song "Un autre monde". His song for Junior Eurovision, "Si on voulait bien", was later released on 7 October along with a music video.[1][2][3] Despite placing sixth out of the 18 participants, France Télévisions opted to not participate after 2004, saying there was no motivation to compete and that "too much Eurovision kills Eurovision".[4][5]
On 18 November 2015, it was revealed that the French broadcaster was interested in returning to the contest. However, France 2 announced on 24 June 2015 that they had no plans to return to the contest, though the broadcaster sent a delegation to Bulgaria in order to observe the 2015 edition.[6][7] On 13 May 2016, executive supervisor Jon Ola Sand announced at a press conference, that the EBU were in contact with broadcasters from several countries including France, so that they would participate in the 2016 contest.[8] Edoardo Grassi, the Head of Delegation for France in the Eurovision Song Contest was one of the jury members at the Maltese national selection for the 2016 Junior Eurovision, and was introduced by the hosts of the show as being the Head of Delegation for France in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.[9] The return however did not materialise. On 12 May 2018, it was announced that France would return to the contest in 2018,[10] with the nation represented by Angélina Nava, winner of the fourth season of The Voice Kids France, who was internally selected as the entrant. Her song "Jamais sans toi" was drawn to perform fifteenth on 25 November 2018, following Israel and preceding Macedonia, eventually placing second at the contest with 203 points.[11][12] For the 2019 contest, France was represented by Carla with the song "Bim bam toi". During the opening ceremony and the running order draw which both took place on 18 November 2019, France was drawn to perform second on 24 November 2019, following Australia and preceding Russia.[13] At the conclusion of the event, the entry placed fifth with 169 points.[14]
On 8 October 2020, France 2 selected 11-year old Valentina to represent the country at the 2020 contest in Warsaw, Poland, with her song later announced to be called "J'imagine".[15] On 29 November 2020, Valentina became the first French entrant to win the contest, giving France their first victory as well as their first win in any Eurovision event since Eurovision Young Dancers 1989. On 9 December 2020, it was confirmed by the EBU that France would host the 2021 contest.[16] France opted for an internal selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021 and was represented by French hip-hop and R&B singer Enzo Hilaire (born 26 November 2008),[17] better known by his stage name Enzo. His selected song was "Tic Tac", which was released at midnight on 22 October. It was written and composed by Alban Lico, and was described as "an invitation to take a break to enjoy simple things far from our hectic and hyperconnected lives", according to France 2.[18][19][20] During the opening ceremony and the running order draw, which both took place on 13 December 2021, host country France was drawn to perform thirteenth, following Ukraine and preceding Azerbaijan.[21] At the end of the contest, France received 187 points, placing 3rd out of 19 participating countries.
On 28 October 2022, Lissandro Formica was announced as the French entrant at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with the song "Oh maman!".[22] After the opening ceremony for the 2022 contest, which took place on 5 December 2022, it was announced that France would perform sixth on 11 December 2022, following Italy and preceding Albania.[23] The entry won the contest accumulating 203 points and placing first of the 16 participating nations. The French head of delegation Alexandra Redde-Amiel and Director General of France Télévisions Delphine Ernotte then revealed that the country would host the next edition of the contest in 2023.[24]
France Télévisions selected Zoé Clauzure as the host entry for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2023 held in Nice, France. Her song "Cœur", written by Noée Francheteau, Julien Comblat and Jérémy Chapron, was revealed soon after the announcement of the chosen artist during a press conference held on 27 September 2023, and has been described by Clauzure as "a positive track, full of hope and light", as well as "the sunny side" of her previous release, both being dedicated to victims of bullying.[25][26][27][28] During the opening ceremony and the running order draw, which both took place on 20 November 2023, host country France was drawn to perform twelfth, following Portugal and preceding Albania.[29] The entry won the contest having gained 228 points, marking the third French victory in the competition, making it the country with the record amount of wins, tied with Georgia.[30] France also became the second country to win the Junior Eurovision Song Contest twice in a row, after Poland.
Participation overview edit
| 1 | First place |
| 2 | Second place |
| 3 | Third place |
| † | Upcoming event |
| Year | Artist | Song | Language | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Thomas Pontier | "Si on voulait bien" | French | 6 | 78 |
| 2018 | Angélina | "Jamais sans toi" | French, English | 2 | 203 |
| 2019 | Carla | "Bim bam toi" | French | 5 | 169 |
| 2020 | Valentina | "J'imagine" | French | 1 | 200 |
| 2021 | Enzo | "Tic Tac" | French | 3 | 187 |
| 2022 | Lissandro | "Oh maman!" | French[a] | 1 | 203 |
| 2023 | Zoé Clauzure | "Cœur" | French | 1 | 228 |
Commentators and spokespersons edit
The contests are broadcast online worldwide through the official Junior Eurovision Song Contest website junioreurovision.tv and YouTube. In 2015, the online broadcasts featured commentary in English by junioreurovision.tv editor Luke Fisher and 2011 Bulgarian Junior Eurovision Song Contest entrant Ivan Ivanov.[31] The French broadcaster, France Télévisions, sent their own commentators to the contest in order to provide commentary in the French language. Spokespersons were also chosen by the national broadcaster in order to announce the awarding points from France. The table below list the details of each commentator and spokesperson since 2004.
| Year | Channel | Commentator | Spokesperson | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | France 3 | Elsa Fayer and Bruno Berberes | Gabrielle | |
| 2018 | France 2 | Stéphane Bern and Madame Monsieur | Lubava Marchuk and Daniil Rotenko | |
| 2019 | Stéphane Bern and Sandy Héribert | Karolina | ||
| 2020 | Stéphane Bern and Carla Lazzari | Nathan Laface | ||
| 2021 | Stéphane Bern and Laurence Boccolini | Angélina | ||
| 2022 | Stéphane Bern and Carla Lazzari | Valentina | ||
| 2023 | Enzo |
Hostings edit
| Year | Location | Venue | Presenters | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Paris | La Seine Musicale | Carla, Élodie Gossuin and Olivier Minne | [43] |
| 2023 | Nice | Palais Nikaïa | Olivier Minne, Laury Thilleman and Ophenya | [44] |
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ Contains three repeated words in English
References edit
- ^ Philips, Roel (7 September 2004). "French Junior final on 20th September". esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ Philips, Roel (21 September 2004). "France selects Thomas during soundmix show". esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ Philips, Roel (7 October 2004). "Junior: Thomas to sing Si on voulait bien". esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ Philips, Roel (8 June 2005). "France not eager to participate in Hasselt". esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ Philips, Roel (15 June 2005). "France officially withdraws from Junior contest". esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (24 June 2015). "France: No Return To Junior Eurovision In 2015". eurovoix.com.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (18 November 2015). "France: Is Looking At Returning To Junior Eurovision". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (13 May 2016). "JESC'16 big change to the contest announced". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (18 July 2016). "France return to Junior Eurovision?". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (12 May 2018). "France: Returns to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ Zwart, Josianne (19 November 2018). "Running order of Junior Eurovision 2018 revealed". European Broadcasting Union. from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Final of Minsk 2018". Junioreurovision.tv. EBU. from the original on 4 December 2020.
- ^ "This is the Junior Eurovision 2019 running order!". European Broadcasting Union. 18 November 2019. from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ "Final of Gliwice-Silesia 2019". Junioreurovision.tv. EBU. from the original on 4 December 2019.
- ^ Bonnefoy, Nawal (9 October 2020). "Valentina des Kids United représentera la France à l'Eurovision Junior 2020" [Valentina from Kids United will represent France in Junior Eurovision 2020]. BFM TV (in French). Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ Farren, Neil (9 December 2020). "France to Host Junior Eurovision 2021". Eurovoix. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "🌟 E.N.Z.O 🌟 on Instagram: "Titre : Happy Birthday Enzo 🙈❤ Fait pour : @enzo_hilaire Fait par : Moi 🙈♥ Musique de fond : Jusqu'ici tout va bien - Maitre Gims ( @gims…"". Instagram. 26 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021.
- ^ Randanne, Fabien (21 October 2021). "Eurovision Junior 2021 : Enzo représentera la France avec « Tic Tac »". 20 Minutes.
- ^ Abbest, Oranie (21 October 2021). "Junior Eurovision 2021: Enzo will sing "Tic Tac" for France". Wiwibloggs.
- ^ Senkishev, Georgi (21 October 2021). "🇫🇷 France: Enzo to Represent The Host Nation at Junior Eurovision 2021". Eurovoix.
- ^ "Junior Eurovision: Running order revealed… 🇫🇷". Junioreurovision.tv. 13 December 2021. from the original on 13 December 2021.
- ^ Farren, Neil (28 October 2022). "France: Lissandro to Junior Eurovision 2022". Eurovoix.
- ^ "Junior Eurovision 2022: Running Order". Junioreurovision.tv. 5 December 2022.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (11 December 2022). "🇫🇷 France Télévisions Director General Confirms it will Host Junior Eurovision 2023". Eurovoix. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "Zoé Clauzure flies the flag for France in Nice". junioreurovision.tv. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ Bijuvignesh, Darshan (27 September 2023). "🇫🇷 France: Zoé Clauzure to Junior Eurovision 2023". Eurovoix. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ Zoé Clauzure - Cœur | 🇫🇷 France | Eurovision Junior 2023 / lyrics video. Eurovision France. 27 September 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "Zoé Clauzure représentera la France à l'Eurovision Junior 2023". www.20minutes.fr (in French). 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "Opening Ceremony and Junior Eurovision 2023 Running Order!". junioreurovision.tv. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ "Zoé Clauzure from France has won Junior Eurovision 2023!". junioreurovision.tv. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ Fisher, Luke James (21 November 2015). "Tonight: Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015!". Junior Eurovision Song Contest – Bulgaria 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ "Junior Eurovision Song Contest: Short news". esctoday. 2 November 2004.
- ^ E, A (21 November 2004). "Thomas perd l'Eurovision". Le Parisien.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (9 October 2018). "France: Madame Monsieur to Commentate on Junior Eurovision". Eurovoix. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (24 November 2018). "Junior Eurovision'18: Schoolchildren Revealed as Spokespersons For Nine Nations". Eurovoix. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ^ Herbert, Emily (27 September 2019). "France: Stéphane Bern and Sandy Héribert Confirmed as Junior Eurovision 2019 Commentators". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
- ^ Filippidou, Ifigeneia (24 November 2019). "These are the Junior Eurovision 2019 spokespersons". esc-plus.com. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- ^ Herbert, Emily (29 October 2020). "France: Stéphane Bern and Carla To Commentate On Junior Eurovision 2020". Eurovoix. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ Polewski, Kamil (16 November 2021). "Eurowizja Junior 2021: wiemy, kto poprowadzi konkurs!". Eurowizja.org (in Polish). from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ GraGranger, Anthony (24 November 2022). "France: Stéphane Bern and Carla To Commentate On Junior Eurovision 2022". Eurovoix. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (11 December 2022). "France: Valentina Spokesperson for Junior Eurovision 2022". eurovoix.com.
- ^ Van Dijk, Sem Anne (25 November 2023). "France: Enzo Announced As Spokesperson for Junior Eurovision 2023". Eurovoix. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ "France to host Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021". junioreurovision.tv. 9 December 2020.
- ^ "Junior Eurovision 2023 is heading to Nice!". junioreurovision.tv. 3 April 2023.