The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning songwriters were Erener and Turkish rock guitarist and singer Demir Demirkan. Belgium and Russia were second and third respectively, within three points of Turkey's score.
The 2003 contest was the last to take place over one evening; in 2004 a semi-final system was introduced. Twenty-six countries competed, at the time the biggest field in the contest's history. Six countries that sat out the 2002 contest returned from relegation, and were joined by Ukraine, making its debut, with Ukrainian heartthrob Oleksandr Ponomaryov singing "Hasta La Vista", co-written by Israel's Svika Pick, who composed the 1998 Eurovision winner, "Diva". The 2003 contest's start-list was the last to be influenced by the relegation rule.
The pre-contest favourites, Russia's t.A.T.u., attracted much media attention. Among the other noteworthy contestants were Alf Poier, an outspoken comedian representing Austria; Ich Troje, who attempted to represent two countries; and F.L.Y., a trio of musical veterans representing the host country. Jemini, representing the United Kingdom, finished the contest without a point, the first British entrants to do so.
This was also the fifth time in the history of the contest (including 1956) that no returning artists or acts were featured. All artists taking part in the contest this year did it for the first time.
Read more about Eurovision Song Contest 2003: Hosting, Participation, National Selections, "Eurovision Week", Voting, Aftermath, Results, Score Sheet, Marcel Bezençon Awards, Spokespersons
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“There is the falsely mystical view of art that assumes a kind of supernatural inspiration, a possession by universal forces unrelated to questions of power and privilege or the artist’s relation to bread and blood. In this view, the channel of art can only become clogged and misdirected by the artist’s concern with merely temporary and local disturbances. The song is higher than the struggle.”
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