A look back at Eurovision’s most successful entrants of all time as grand final looms

Twenty-six countries will take to the stage in Malmö, Sweden on Saturday (May 11) evening for the Eurovision final.

This year’s UK hopeful is Olly Alexander, 33, who is hoping to win with disco song Dizzy.

Last year’s Eurovision Song Contest was a collaboration between Ukraine and the UK, and saw contenders from across the globe flock to Liverpool for the grand final on May 13.

While Sweden’s Loreen took home her second Eurovision trophy to date, the UK’s Mae Muller ended up being second-from-bottom with a mere 24 points.

It followed on from the previous year’s success, when Brits celebrated Sam Ryder’s unforgettable Eurovision journey in 2022, which saw him become the runner-up in the contest and permanently etch his name into the British music scene.

It has left many pondering about which Eurovision entrants were able to launch a successful music career and sustain it after their time in the competition.

Here is a look at some of the musicians that were able to kickstart their careers off the back of Eurovision.

Loreen from Sweden

The 2023 winner, Loreen, is an undeniable Eurovision success.

The singer began her career as a competitor on Sweden’s Idol 2004 but didn’t end up winning.

While she released some songs and worked behind the scenes on television productions, her big break didn’t come until she won Melodifestivalen 2011 and was chosen to represent Sweden in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan.

As we all know, her song Euphoria took the Eurovision trophy that year, charted at number three on the UK Official Singles Chart, and launched her career with unforgettable success.

Since then, the star has released albums, gone on tour, and had another successful go at winning the Eurovision title.

She is the first-ever woman to win Eurovision twice.

Johnny Logan from Ireland

Before Loreen, Ireland’s Johnny Logan was the only singer to have ever won Eurovision twice. His first win was in 1980 with the song What’s Another Year. And, his second win in 1987 was with a song he wrote himself called Hold Me Now.

Affectionately known as Mr Eurovision by some, Logan’s music career still continues decades later. The star was seen competing in Belgium’s The Masked Singer dressed as a red deer and, more recently, in the semis, where he sang his version of Loreen’s Euphoria.

Celine Dion for Switzerland

Today, Celine Dion is one of the most beloved and celebrated singers of all time across the globe. But did you know the Canadian represented Switzerland and won the competition with a song called Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi back in 1988, before she became the sensation she is now?

She beat UK’s entrant Scott Fitzgerald by a single point and her win became the turning point in her international career.

Since then, she has become one of the best-selling music artists of all time, winning five Grammy awards, as well as crowning the movie Titanic with her unforgettable song My Heart Will Go On.

Lara Fabian for Luxembourg

Another singer representing a country non-native to their own was Belgian Fabian, who competed alongside Celine Dion in the 1988 Eurovision, but for Lu. And, although she didn’t take home the win, coming fouth with Croire (Belief), she was able to launch her music career from it.

She released chart-topping albums, toured the world, collaborated with musicians from across the globe, won countless awards, and has made appearances in a number of movies since her days as a contestant. Ironically, she now lives in Quebec, where Dion was born. However, Dion now spends her time between Paris and Las Vegas.

ABBA from Sweden

Bringing ABBA’s post-Eurovision success up feels a bit pointless, given how the world has spent the past few decades adoring the band.

The Swedish group won the 1974 competition with Waterloo before launching their incredible career. As we all know, their songs also inspired the Mamma Mia! franchise that has conquered hearts worldwide.

Listing all of their accomplishments would be an impossible task. But, to name a few, the group is among the bestselling music artists in history, has a museum dedicated to it in Stockholm, and is currently holding a virtual concert residency with their virtual avatars at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Sam Ryder from the UK

The UK’s very own Sam Ryder was the runner-up in the 2022 contest and his career has gone from strength to strength.

Among his notable accomplishments in the year after his win are his performance at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Concert, his European tour, a chart-topping debut album, and a Brit award nomination as the best new artist, which made him the first Eurovision act to ever be nominated in the category.

More recently, in January, Ryder announced that he had started work on his second studio album.

Lena from Germany

Lena Johanna Therese Meyer-Landrut, more simply known as Lena, became a breakout star after winning the 2010 contest with Satellite and skyrocketing to the top of various international charts.

Aside from her high-performing albums, Lena has since worked as a coach for eight seasons of The Voice Kids, joined the expert panel for Eurovision, become an actress, voiced audiobooks, and worked as the face of L’Oréal.

She has also won a number of MTV European Music Awards, including Best German Act and Best Central Europe Act.