Eurovision Times Awards 2021


FridaEurovision 2021 – Every year, the summer is the calm after the storm so it’s the perfect time to do more games and contests! This year we resume the “Eurovision Times Awards” to give prizes (the Fridas) for the best in every category! And you get to vote!

2021 will be the eighth year for Eurovision Times to organize the Eurovision Times Awards, after last year’s contest was cancelled, preventing us from hosting this new yearly tradition. The principle of the ET Awards is simple, in each categories, the staff of this website will nominate a few entries per categories and open polls for the public to vote in them so we can reveal afterwards all the winners. The winners recieve an imaginary trophee, entitled the Fridas in hommage to Frida Boccara, the French Eurovision winner in 1969 with “Un jour, un enfant“.

You can check past results if you’re curious, even though past winners will be mentioned in the upcoming articles:

  • 2013’s results here
  • 2014’s results here
  • 2015’s results here
  • 2016’s results here
  • 2017’s results here 
  • 2018’s results here
  • 2019’s results here

Here are the categories for the 2021 “Eurovision Times Awards”:

  • Technical Awards:
    • Best Female Vocals
    • Best Male Vocals
    • Best Lyrics
    • Best Composition
  • Artistic Awards:
    • Best Performance
    • Best Props & Gimmicks
    • Best Female Style
    • Best Male Style
    • Best Backings
  • Delegation Awards:
    • Best Backdrop
    • Best Light Effects
    • Best Promotion Video
    • Best Spokeperson
    • Best National Final
  • Results Awards:
    • Most Improved Entry
    • Best Non-Qualified Semi-Finalist
    • Most Underrated Entry In Final
    • Best Entry
A specific page for each category will be open with a recap video of all the nominees and the poll for you to vote (everyone gets to vote, not just regular voters)! Each page will specifically remind you what the category is about so that there are no confusion. The page will feature a poll opened for an entire week. Every IP gets only one vote, please do not cheat, do take in consideration to watch them all once again before voting and do not vote necessarily for your favorite song! Of course, it’s pointless to vote only for your own country unless you’re really certain it should win. May the best win!
 

Tell us tonight and through the next few days whom do you want to see nominated in each categories, even though these are only “recommendations” as only the staff of Eurovision Times gets to nominate in the first round (else they wouln’t be able to be called “Eurovision Times Awards”)! However, every year, we’ve nominated at least a couple of whichever was heavily recommended, if not most of them! You can nominate by replying in the comment section of this article!

PS1: there are no “group” vocals category simply because there is often either a male or female singer for the whole group, in case of a duet, because we can’t be sure that there would be enough duets every year to have enough nominees, we decided that either the male, the female or both could be nominated separately if they deserve to be. Same goes for groups with multiple singers, they all get to be nominated individually, so you can nominate all of the group members or single out the best one (for instance for Italy 2015…)

PS2: In 2013, we had “Best Male Looks” and “Best Female Looks” and that got people confused, who often voted for “hottest” person. This felt a tad too shallow for us and we decided to focus mostly on Style (hair, makeup and clothes and how they match with the person’s looks, the overall backdrop and light show and the song itself of course) since 2014. Recommend (and later on vote) accordingly, even though we know how supericial Eurovision can be, and, well, all artists look great!

PS3: There are no “Worst…” categories as these awards are here to salute great efforts that contribute to the contest, its credibility as well as its overall quality. We decided to even drop the “Most Overrated” award. Other categories that got ditched: “Best Top 5 Entry” as this one was always won by whoever won “Best Entry” afterwards (yes, all of our “Best Entry” winners were in the Top 5 in Eurovision!) and “Best Internal Choice” as this one was also redundant as whoever won that one was a popular entry that won many other Fridas. On the other hand, we divided “Most underrated” between Non-Q entries and low finalists and “Best Backdrop & Lights” into two categories: looking at the few entries who went without a backdrop but had a light show, it did not feel like these should compete for the same award as the delegations who create a visually compelling backdrop. Of course it makes sense that some entries could potentially be nominated in both categories!

PS4: Like 2018 and 2019, there wont be an article for each category but at the end of all categories, we’ll do a “Super Reveal Night” for all results one by one. Else it felt like the latest categories, people started voting based on results that were already out ;) Stay tune and start nominating!

1,314 thoughts on “Eurovision Times Awards 2021

  1. I don’t really agree with his music taste 😊 but I like his personality a lot.
    Along with Nick Kyrgios and Roger Federer, Tsitsipas is one of my favourite players. I was so sorry that he lost today.
    The way he talks, he is so down-to-earth and just a very normal guy.

  2. Based on what we have seen so far, I fear that EURO 2021 (2020) will become a very West European affair. 🙁
    I hope that I am wrong, but atm I can only see Croatia or Ukraine reaching the quarter finals. But then again, people could argue that Croatia doesn’t qualify as ‘East’ in the first place …

    • Croatia will be the shock non Q from its group I fear! Yes to Euro 2021 but then it’s always been so, even the surprises (Denmark 92, Greece 2004) were western… only the semis can have surprises (Russia and Turkey 2008)… it’s been true to WC and maybe even more scaringly so: France 98, Italy 2006, Spain 2010, Germany 2014, France 2018… Ukraine was also my bet on the “surprise” from the East but… could be Finland :D

      • Isn’t Greece in the East too? It is the very definition of East imo: Orthodox Christians.

        I still think that Croatia will survive its group, but we will know soon.

    • They’ll have a good run into the tournament, probably the semi finals. Mancini is a great cup manager plus they’re in excellent form.

        • Perfect fit! I loathe belts. Trousers should fit, if they don’t, it’s a no for me.

          He’s also one sexy silver daddy

          This whole Euro is like a Miquel Brown song: So many men, so little time.

          • He’s Italian; it comes naturally (too bad about the clean-shaven face tho but I think he has always had that).
            Can’t believe you know that song lol!

            • Exquise me! What kind of gay dude would I be if I didn’t knew that one. Along with “Muscles” by Diana Ross it’s the ultimate horny slut anthem.

    • That signals doom and gloom for Italy if we go by your ESC predictions. 😉

      Plus, we still have to see France and Portugal.

      And then we have the Hazard & de Bruyne mystery in Belgium. If they can play in the knock out stage of the tournament, I wouldn’t count out Belgium either.

    • Agree on that; they were spectacular in their opening game and – on perhaps a superstituous side – an Italia win here on top of the ESC win for me will signal a symbolic victory over Coronavirus.

        • That’s the thing – ITA usually start slowly but Mancini plus playing in Rome seem to have given that extra push – I’m hoping it’ll last.
          What are your thoughts on POR? So much talent yet such dire playing style :-(

          • Indeed. Portugal has very talented players and there are more that can easily be called if more players test positive. The teams tends to-do better when they play against stronger teams, but they score few goals. We’ll see. I am not feeling very optimistic.

        • Turkey was very weak imo. We need to see Italy being up against a stronger team before we can come up with a proper evaluation imo.

      • Thought the same thing – and with everything that’s been happening the past 1.5 years, Italy has got to be considered the team of destiny. Pessina from Atalanta scoring the winning goal in the final would be the icing on the cake.

    • I fear that the coalition will fall apart as soon as Mr. Netanjahu has been convicted of the corruption. Political stability still looks miles away in Israel …

      • I agree it will be instable as they are lacking a Mandela figure to overcome what sadly has become an apartheid state – but getting rid of Bibi and getting him into prison (hopefully) would be a great step. Too many crazies in this shakey coalition, too, but none with the stature of Bibi at least.

            • I love all things yellow: the sun, yellow tea roses, sunflowers, cheese …
              But then there is CHE17. There is an exception to every rule … 😀

            • We had one of those for my niece’s 9th birthday some years ago … It tasted awful. LOL

            • I got so sick of all this minions merchandise along the line; I bought a disocunted minions cake and smashed it against a wall. I hope some poor bird or hedgehog didn’t poison itself eating it.

            • Things have got worse since. She is into Olivia Rodrigo now, and she keeps plaing that lady’s songs with tinny sound on her smartphone. LOL

            • I have no idea who that is; probably a good thing lol – my guess is some Disney persona?

      • Much weaker position tho – Netanyahu had become some type of untouchable icon so it’s good to have that myth crushed.

  3. Listening to my favourite radio station this morning, they were mentioning several events that took place on this day in history. Among them the invasion of Algiers in 1830 which made me come across some details of the “Algerian Matter” and the French colonial rule there (Pied-Noir in particular).

  4. One of the biggest coffee brands in Greece used “Think About Things” to musically “dress” their latest ad :)

  5. Finally I have some spare time to sit down and offer my nominations!

    Technical Awards

    Best Female Vocals: Geike, Destiny, Stefania, Sanja, Anxhela and Barbara.
    Best Male Vocals: Tusse, Vasil, Vincent, Gjon, Blas, Jeangu and Damiano.
    Best Lyrics: Ukraine.
    Best Composition: Ukraine and Lithuania.

    Artistic Awards

    Best Performance: I will nominate as well those who managed to elevate their entry live and made me pay attention to their song even if I didn’t like it: Lithuania, Russia, Belgium, Israel (don’t like the song), Ukraine, Malta (not warm up to it), Iceland (same as Malta), Serbia (don’t like the song), Finland (see Malta and Iceland), Switzerland, France, the Netherlands (same as Israel and Serbia), Italy (same as Malta and Finland).
    Best Props & Gimmicks: I don’t remember any so it goes to shows nothing moved me in that category.
    Best Female Style: Cyprus, Greece and Moldova.
    Best Male Style: Czech Republic, Austria and Italy.
    Best Backings: Russia and Israel.

    Delegation Awards

    Best Backdrop: Russia, Azerbaijan, Portugal, Finland and the Netherlands.
    Best Light Effects: France, Iceland, Denmark.
    Best Promotion Video: Believe it or not there are quite a few I haven’t watched yet.
    Best Spokeperson: I never pay attention to them and normally I don’t watch the voting again soon after the contest is over.
    Best National Final: I skipped several NFs this season.

    Results Awards
    Most Improved Entry: if we are comparing NFs to May events then I would say Israel and Portugal. If we are looking at SFs and final then it is Sweden.
    Best Non-Qualified Semi-Finalist: In terms of ranking I shall give it to Croatia given I have them 15th but I am annoyed Albina sang 100% playback. Romania has a a good song that was in my top16 prior to the live but the whole thing was not good in May. In the end I will go with Denmark who was nice live and maybe deserved a place in the final instead of Serbia and Moldova.
    Most Underrated Entry In Final: Belgium, Lithuania (should have been in top5), Cyprus (should have been higher, or top10).
    Best Entry: Lithuania and Ukraine.

    Other awards

    Cute guys awards: One dancer from Israel, Blas and three British dancers.

  6. Here are few recommendations:

    Technical Awards:
    Best Female Vocals – Latvia, Israel
    Best Male Vocals – Switzerland, North Macedonia
    Best Lyrics – Lithuania, Switzerland, Denmark
    Best Composition – Switzerland, Ukraine
    Artistic Awards:
    Best Performance – Switzerland, Italy, Ukraine, Croatia
    Best Props & Gimmicks – Croatia, Ukraine, Denmark
    Best Female Style – Latvia, Croatia, Cyprus
    Best Male Style – Estonia
    Best Backings – Croatia, Lithuania
    Delegation Awards:
    Best Backdrop – Croatia,
    Best Light Effects – Switzerland, Croatia
    Best Promotion Video – Latvia
    Best Spokeperson – Iceland
    Best National Final –
    Results Awards:
    Most Improved Entry – Croatia
    Best Non-Qualified Semi-Finalist – Latvia, Croatia
    Most Underrated Entry In Final – Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Lithuania
    Best Entry – Switzerland, Ukraine, Denmark, Latvia

        • Doesn’t look good for Scotland. 🙁
          But on the other hand, I will root for Eastern teams in general after the results we have seen so far …

            • By the same iron curtain standards by which Croatia qualifies as East. lol We need to grab at straws when it comes to East in European football …

            • But my question is why, 30 years after the end of Cold War, we continue to use “iron curtain standards” and iron curtain terminology?
              Especially because theese countries never chose to be “behind” iron curtain. They were occupied by USSR. Out of respect for the past, we shouldn’t be using this terminology.

              I am fine with both Czechia and Croatia being classified as “eastern” Europe as long as that term is used as merely geographical term, which mean that it should also include Greece, Cyprus and Turkey.

              Culturaly and historicaly there are also strong arguments to make a distinction between Central Europe (former Habsburg monarchy + Poland) and Eastern Europe.

            • Greece is the cradle and the very definition of East imo. We have the Orthodox faith and then we have the translatio imperii from Constantinople via Kiev (that Byzantine princess they sent there …) to Moscow. In fact, this is the reason why Russia still feels entitled to dominate Europe imo.

            • IT’s an odd classification especially considering Vienna is East of Prague. In Poli Sci terms generally the Orthodox countries (of whatever denomination) would be considered the East with the exception of Greece, which is seen as the cradle of Western civilization and hot dancers. When the liberation wars vs. Milosevic started, the EU very quickly recognized the independence of Croatia and Slovenia because Kohl said as Catholic countries they were part of “the West”.

            • @ 4porcelli

              …. “When the liberation wars vs. Milosevic started, the EU very quickly recognized the independence of Croatia and Slovenia because Kohl said as Catholic countries they were part of “the West”. ” …

              Sorry, but this is a typical Serbian explanation of recent history.
              It has nothing to do with these countries having a catholic majority.
              Yugoslav constituton was very clear, and it permitted right of self-determionation for ALL constituent republics.
              Both Slovenia and Croatia had exercise that right, held a referendum on independence, legaly proclaimed independence in June 1991, and were recognized as independent in January 1992.

              Bosnia and Herzegovina (which doesn’t have a Catholic majority) was also recognized as independent in April, only 3 months after Slovenia and Croatia (because they had only held their referendum on independence in March 1992).

              I don’t know what chancelor Kohl was saying, but it had nothing to do with decision to recognise these countries.
              Many people in Serbia even nowdays claim that Germany hates Serbia, and it “conspired with Vatican” (!?) against them.
              Poor them; you see, they were actually victims here…. they simply had to take arms in their hands and in following years produce 50.000 deaths and over 1.500.000 displaced.

  7. Meanwhile, Copa America is also on…
    Chile V Argentina tonight. Derby del Cono Sur :)

  8. I did not see much of the first half of POL – SVK because I was busy in the kitchen, but from what I saw I think that Slovakia were better. They seemed to have a plan whereas Poland seemed to do whatever came to their mind at a particular moment …

      • and they’re another disappointment this year! almost gone already, with Spain next and Sweden. Can’t really qualify as best 3rd now and don’t think they’ll win the next two games?

      • It was a terrible day for Poland … 🙁
        I don’t understand why they never manage to use Lewandowski’s full potential in the national team …

      • They basically continued their streak of “losing the first two games, but winning the last one”:

        2002 – Poland – USA 3:1
        2006 – Poland – Costa Rica 2:1
        2018 – Poland – Japan 1:0

        That’s classic Poland in international tournaments.

          • Don’t be. We’ve got the mayoral election results to celebrate (the opposition candidate won over PiS in Rzeszów). Although a liberal microcosm in the conservative Podkarpackie region, this is regarded as a success for Polish opposition.

            • Dear Dominik, you know that I have a great respect for you, but sorry, I must say this – unfortunately there is no such thing as “Polish opposition”.
              They may be against PiS, but until they proclaim a WAR to Catholic church in Poland, I don’t trust them.

              Nowdays, religious bigotry is a problem everywehere, but nowhere as mush as in Poland.
              I only trust politicians who recognize the problem where it is.

              I wish all the best to Poland, but I don’t think the change will happend soon. :-(

            • Dear Goran, thank you for your views on that matter.
              I understand why you’re saying that there’s no Polish opposition, still I use this term, but I do agree it’ll take years…if not generations…until change for better will happen. In communist times there was a clear majority against the system that no longer exists today. If you ask me who can turn things around in the opposition: I don’t know 😅. The liberal-centrist forces regularly get together before elections, in different coalitions, and continue to argue afterwards. Their main common goal is getting rid of PiS, but beyond that there doesn’t seem to be much common sense.
              Each side believes they’re in the right, each side has its own heroes, places and media. There is no longer any exchange. This is a dangerous situation and the government is fueling it enormously for years.
              The opposition now faces a period of difficult soul-searching until the elections in 2023. Robert Biedroń and Szymon Hołownia are one the most outspoken politicians to advocate for a separation of church and state, others are rather vague about their plans (typical politicians). The documentary “Tylko nie mów nikomu” (Tell No One) raised the issue of the Polish Catholic Church’s stance on child sexual abuse. More and more people have a negative view of the relationship between the church and ruling party. I can only agree with you and wish the best for Poland’s future.

              Best wishes,
              Dom

            • It breaks my heart to see a country with such a beautifull and rich culture struggle like that.
              I hope that opposition can really set themselves straight by 2023. I keep my fingers crossed. 🇵🇱 ❤️

            • There’s a huge East-West split I understand from my Polish friends here, right? Essentially the West is, well, öpro-western and urbanized and the East is very “Radio Maria”. I have friends from the East who essentially don’t talk to their parents any more if they can avoid it. Part of it as so many times probably the ghost of history with the westwards shift of Poland after WW2.
              Amid all this discussion, enjoy your holidays!

            • Thanks! :)
              Right, Poland is divided in Poland A (west of the Vistula) and Poland B (east of the river). People in eastern Poland have been forgotten for decades, those who have always been told: “You have to work harder, you have to tighten your belt even more, at some point you’ll all have as much as the people in the West.”
              But prosperity never came, at least not to everyone. And PiS benefited a lot from this growing anger and frustration. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
              The Poles still look to the West. Either because people orientate themselves towards the West, or because they turn away from it. But even turning away from the West shows that there is still an important point of reference. The problem is that the current government makes politics with this feeling of anger and also victimization. And at the same time we in the West feed this feeling by not showing much interest in Eastern Europe.

            • One of the challenges Poland has is that for obvious historic (and very rational contemporary reasons) it does not have the alternative of turning East and the gamble on tRump predictably fell flat (which it also would have if he had gotten re-elected obviously).
              I’ve to admit largely due to Polish friends I have met here, I think of Poland A as “like us” and B as more like Ukraine (which has its own West-East divide). Czech Rep I think of more like the West despite a series of pretty anti-EU governments – Slovakia kind of slipped out of people’s conscious, as did Bulgaria. Romania seems to be as bad as one imagines when one sees how many of them seem to prefer roaming and sleeping on the streets of CGN.
              Politics of anger and victimization seem to be the order of the day though thankfully AfD seems to have peaked here (though still too big).

            • Which is why Kaczyński and his puppets are seeking refuge in isolation (UK, anyone?) Only a few allies like Orban are left. For years the news on state controlled media are one-sided propaganda: everything bad is rooted in the West, the “so called good values” are well protected in Poland…yadiyadiya.
              That sums it up quite well. Czech Republic is the most sustainable, Slovakia still gets mixed up with Slovenia (even my Dad does so and he should know better). The only time we hear about Romanians and Bulgarians are news of the horrific working and living conditions of seasonal workers (Tönnies).
              Thanks to AfD’s self-destructive behaviour (inner quarrels and self-centeredness) they won’t do much trouble here, but still, they’re a threat elsewhere.

            • They really let BUL ROM into the EU way too early, then added to the mistake by trying to oversell them saying they were basically countries filled with doctors and scientists.
              I read HUN is looking to China now, similar with Poland, do you know?

            • Duda and Xi are strategic partners, but the pandemic worsened mutual distrust due to supplies of poor-quality medical equipment. And then there was this Chinese spy arrested in Poland which I believe led to the cancelled Huawei deal. Originally it was planned to build a research and development center in Poland, but then Hungary’s bid was accepted.

            • Is that tied in with the planned Chinese uni in Budapest that apparantly has been stopped (for now)?

            • Duisburg’s become a pretty major hub for China because of its port lately… on the plus side you get great Chineses food there now.

            • Yes just that that has the disadvantage you have to go to Düsseldorf ;-).

            • A friend and I found the most fab little sushi place in like a side street of a side street of Schildergasse during lockdown – one of the few good things to come from that period.
              Still getting used to being surrounded by so many people and being able to eat/drink/etc outside again. Personally it’s such a relief but you can tell a lot of people are still being cautious about going out, be it because of health or money concerns.

            • Yeah…finally getting back to the life we used to know feels good, but today’s match in Hungary f.e. looked like a superspreader event that seeks its equals (Natalia’s “Sugar” launch party?).

            • LOL I will not tolerate having Natalia thrown in with the Orbanistas!!!
              It did have awful echoes of Atalanta-Valencia and Atletico-Liverpool, I agree. Somehow the I assume handful of Portuguese fans will be blamed if things go haywire in Hungary again, leading to another crackdown on immigration (while whining for funds from Brussels to fight the “foreign disease”).

            • Ofc not! She’s an icon who channeled her inner Blackout era Britney at the VMA’s 2007.
              Goodnight, mate!

            • We can’t go to sleep now; we’re at 996 comments on this thread now – gimme some sugar!

            • LOL and this brings us to 998!
              I still like to think I may be responsible for the majority of Natalia’s 26th place in the German televote.

  9. Gratulujem, Slovensko! Hope they can pull a nice underdog tale. Poland’s first half was disastrous, but seemed to be on the right track in the second until the momentum was stalled by Krychowiak’s red card. Final 15 minutes was classic Slovakia: play defensively and frustrate your way to the victory. Poland had some brilliant chances in these final minutes, it’s a shame they were all wasted.

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