Sentiments Songes

The Eurovision Song Contest 1997 was the 42nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 3 May 1997 at the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster (RTÉ) and presented by Carrie Crowley and Ronan Keating, the contest was held in Ireland following the country's victory at the with the song " The Voice" by Eimear Quinn. The 1997 contest was the seventh – and to date last – edition to be staged in Ireland, as well as the fourth to be produced by RTÉ in five years. The Point Theatre served as the host venue for the third time, following the and contests, becoming the only venue to have been the site of three Eurovision Song Contests.

Twenty-five countries participated in the contest, with a new relegation system introduced to determine which nations could participate, based on each country's average points total in previous contests. made its first appearance since , and , , and returned after last competing in , having been prevented from competing the previous year after failing to progress from that event's qualifying round. , and , participants in the previous year's contest, were unable to return after being excluded by the new relegation rules.

The winner was the with the song "Love Shine a Light", written by Kimberley Rew and performed by Katrina and the Waves. , , , and rounded out the top five, with Ireland earning their fifth placing in the top two within six years and Turkey and Cyprus achieving their best results to date. Five of the competing countries used televoting to determine their points, allowing the general viewing public a say in the results for the first time; following this successful trial all countries were encouraged to use this system starting from the . Entries were also permitted for the first time to feature no live music accompaniment, with each performance being able to use only a backing track rather than utilising any part of the orchestra or any live instrumentation from the performers themselves.

The 1997 event would prove to be a watershed for the contest, with many aspects of this event leaving a lasting impact on future editions of Eurovision. These included: the first openly LGBT artist, Iceland's Paul Oscar, selected to compete in the event; changes to contest rules led to the abandonment of live musical accompaniment in future events; a successful trial of televoting in five countries led to widespread adoption for all countries in 1998.

Location

The 1997 contest took place in Dublin, Ireland, following the country's victory at the with the song " The Voice", performed by Eimear Quinn. It was the seventh time that Ireland had hosted the contest, having previously staged the event in , , , , , and , with all previous events held in Dublin except the 1993 contest which was held in Millstreet. This was the fourth edition of the contest that Ireland had hosted within five years, and with this edition Ireland equalled the record for the nation which had staged the most contests, originally set by the United Kingdom in .

Given the financial impact to staging the contest for a fourth time in five years, there was early speculation following their win in the 1996 contest that (RTÉ) might stage the event as a co-production with BBC Northern Ireland, however ultimately the Irish broadcaster decided to organise the event on its own once again. The selected venue was the Point Theatre, a concert and events venue located amongst the Dublin Docklands which had originally been built as a train depot to serve the nearby port. Opened as a music venue in 1988, it was closed for redevelopment and expansion in 2008 and is now known as the 3Arena. The venue had previously hosted the 1994 and 1995 contests, and with this staging it became the only venue to have hosted three Eurovision Song Contests.

Participants

Per the rules of the contest twenty-five countries were allowed to participate in the event. , , , and made a return to the contest after failing to progress from the qualifying round in the previous year's contest, and returned after last competing . Conversely , , and , participants in the 1996 contest, were relegated and prevented from participating in this year's event.

Three representatives who had previously performed as lead artists in the contest competed again at this year's event. Two artists represented their country for a second consecutive year, with Şebnem Paker having represented , and Maarja-Liis Ilus, after having represented with Ivo Linna, competing as a solo artist. Alma Čardžić also made a second appearance in the contest, having previously represented . Additionally, Tor Endresen and Bettina Soriat, representing Norway and Austria, respectively, in this year's event, had performed in previous contests as backing vocalist. Endresen had supported , and Soriat had supported .

Qualification

Due to the high number of countries wishing to enter the contest a relegation system was introduced in 1993 in order to reduce the number of countries which could compete in each year's contest. Any relegated countries would be able to return the following year, thus allowing all countries the opportunity to compete in at least one in every two editions. The audio-only qualifying round used in 1996 had been poorly received among the competing countries, and so a new relegation system was introduced by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for 1997 and future contests. The twenty-five participants in the 1997 contest were made up of the previous year's winning country and host nation Ireland, and the twenty-four countries which had the highest average points total over the preceding four contests. In cases where the average was identical between two or more countries the total number of points scored in the most recent contest determined the final order. Any countries which were not able to compete in the 1997 contest would then be eligible to compete in the 1998 event.

Belgium, , Finland, , , and Slovakia were therefore excluded from participating in the 1997 contest; however following 's withdrawal due to the date of the final clashing with its Holocaust Remembrance Day, Bosnia and Herzegovina was subsequently provided a reprieve and allowed to participate. was also excluded due to their failure to progress through the qualifying round in 1996. The calculations used to determine the countries relegated for the 1997 contest are outlined in the table below.

Table key

{, class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders sticky-header-multi" style="text-align:center;"
, -
, + Calculation of average points to determine qualification for the 1997 contest
, -
! scope="col" rowspan="2" data-sort-type="number" , Rank
! scope="col" rowspan="2" , Country
! scope="col" rowspan="2" class="unsortable" , Average
! scope="colgroup" colspan="4" , Yearly Point Totals
, -
! scope="col" data-sort-type="number" ,
! scope="col" data-sort-type="number" ,
! scope="col" data-sort-type="number" ,
! scope="col" data-sort-type="number" ,
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#CEDFF2; text-align:center;" , 1
, style="background:#CEDFF2; text-align:left;" , ‡
, style="background:#CEDFF2;" , 154.75
, 187 , , 226 , , 44 , , 162
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 2
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 114.50
, 120 , , 76 , , 148 , , 114
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 3
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 95.00
, 164 , , 63 , , 76 , , 77
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 4
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 84.25
, 89 , , 48 , , 100 , , 100
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 5
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 77.50
, 69 , , 97 , , 76 , , 68
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 6
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 76.75
, 121 , , 74 , , 94 , , 18
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 7
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 70.67
, bgcolor="#AAAAAA" , , , 166 , , 15 , , 31
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 8
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 62.50
, , , 122 , , 3 , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 9
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 61.75
, 31 , , 27 , , 91 , , 98
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 10
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 61.67
, 148 , , 15 , , , , 22
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 11
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 58.00
, 92 , , 4 , , , , 78
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 12
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 57.50
, 60 , , 73 , , 5 , , 92
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 13
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 54.75
, 17 , , 51 , , 79 , , 72
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 14
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 53.00
, 64 , , 44 , , 68 , , 36
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 15
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 52.75
, 58 , , 17 , , 119 , , 17
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 16
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 50.50
, 9 , , , , 92 , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 17
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 49.00
, 18 , , 128 , , 1 , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 18
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 48.00
, , , 2 , , , , 94
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 19
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 46.50
, 32 , , 19 , , 67 , , 68
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 20
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 45.00
, 45 , , bgcolor="#AAAAAA" , , , bgcolor="#AAAAAA" , , , bgcolor="#AAAAAA" ,
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 21
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 43.50
, bgcolor="#AAAAAA" , , , 70 , , 17 , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 22
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 43.25
, 42 , , 49 , , 31 , , 51
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 23
, style="text-align:left;" ,
, 42.50
, 4 , , , , 81 , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 24
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 36.33
, 9 , , , , 84 , , 16
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 25
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 29.33
, 10 , , , , 21 , , 57
, -
! scope="row" style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:center;" , 26
, style="background:#FFDEAD; text-align:left;" ,
, style="background:#FFDEAD;" , 23.25
, 27 , , 39 , , 14 , , 13
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 27
, style="text-align:left;" ,
, 17.00
, , , 15 , , , , 19
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 28
, style="text-align:left;" ,
, 14.00
, , , 14 , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 29
, style="text-align:left;" ,
, 13.33
, 20 , , 11 , , , , 9
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 30
, style="text-align:left;" ,
, 11.00
, 3 , , , , 8 , , 22
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 31
, style="text-align:left;" ,
, 11.00
, 11 , , , , bgcolor="#AAAAAA" , , , bgcolor="#AAAAAA" ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 32
, style="text-align:left;" ,
, 0.00
, bgcolor="#AAAAAA" , , , 0 , , , , bgcolor="#AAAAAA" ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" data-sort-value="33" , –
, style="text-align:left;" ,
, {{N/A, –{{efn, Despite not participating in the 1996 contest, in what would have been its début entry, Macedonia's entry into and failure to progress from the qualifying round was used for the purposes of determining relegated countries.
, bgcolor="#AAAAAA" , , , bgcolor="#AAAAAA" , , , bgcolor="#AAAAAA" , , , {{N/A, {{tooltip, DNQ, Did not qualify: failed to progress through from the qualification round

Production

The Eurovision Song Contest 1997 was produced by the Irish public broadcaster {{lang, ga, Radio Telefís Éireann, i=unset (RTÉ). Noel Curran served as executive producer, Ian McGarry served as director, Paula Farrell and John Casey served as designers, and Frank McNamara served as musical director, leading the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, p=309 On behalf of the contest organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the event was overseen by Marie-Claire Vionnet as scrutineer.{{sfn, O'Connor, 2010, p=210

Rehearsals in the contest venue for the competing acts began on 28 April 1997. Each country had two technical rehearsals in the week approaching the contest, with countries rehearsing in the order in which they would perform. The first rehearsals took place on 28 and 29 April, with each country allowed 40 minutes total on stage followed by a 20-minute press conference, followed by the second rehearsals on 30 April and 1 May lasting 30 minutes.{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=296–297 Times were also arranged during the week for the artists to be recorded in the RTÉ studios, with footage used during the postcards between each song.{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=296–297 Three dress rehearsals were held on 2 and 3 May, with an audience in attendance during the evening dress rehearsal on 2 May. The final dress rehearsal on 3 May was also recorded for use as a production stand-by in case of problems during the live contest.{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=296–297 A tight security presence was felt during the rehearsal week; emergency drills were held by {{lang, ga, Gardaí, i=unset, including evacuations of the Point Theatre, as a precaution against potential disruption from loyalist paramilitaries as part of the wider sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland.

The Irish television and radio presenter Carrie Crowley and the Irish singer Ronan Keating were the presenters of the 1997 contest. The trophy awarded to the winners was designed by Maura Whelan and Luc Racine, and was presented by the previous year's winning artist Eimear Quinn.{{sfn, O'Connor, 2010, p=216

Format

Entries

Each participating broadcaster submitted one song, which was required to be no longer than three minutes in duration and performed in the language, or one of the languages, of the country which it represented. Short quotations from another language, no more than a single phrase repeated a maximum of three times, were permitted. A maximum of six performers were allowed on stage during each country's performance, and all participants were required to have reached the age of 16 in the year of the contest.{{cite web , title=Rules of the 42nd Eurovision Song Contest 1997 (Part 2) , url=http://events.rte.ie/eurovision97/Facts/rules2.html , publisher=European Broadcasting Union (EBU) , access-date=29 June 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990203004245/http://events.rte.ie/eurovision97/Facts/rules2.html , archive-date=3 February 1999 , url-status=dead Each entry could utilise all or part of the live orchestra and could use instrumental-only backing tracks. This was the first time that a competing song could be accompanied entirely with a backing track following a change to the contest rules, with the previous rules stating that any backing tracks used could only include the sound of instruments featured on stage being mimed by the performers.{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=296–297 For those countries which opted to utilise the orchestra a separate musical director could be nominated to lead the orchestra during their performance, with the host musical director, Frank McNamara, also available to conduct for those countries which did not nominate their own conductor.{{sfn, O'Connor, 2010, p=217 The entries from Austria, Croatia, Germany and Ireland were performed entirely without live orchestration.{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=297–305

Selected entries were not permitted to be released commercially until after 3 February 1997 and after having been selected for the contest.{{cite web , title=Rules of the 42nd Eurovision Song Contest 1997 (Part 1) , url=http://events.rte.ie/eurovision97/Facts/rules.html , publisher=European Broadcasting Union (EBU) , access-date=29 June 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990202163833/http://events.rte.ie/eurovision97/Facts/rules.html , archive-date=2 February 1999 , url-status=dead Each country's participating broadcaster was required to have selected their entry by 10 March, and all entries had to be submitted to the contest organisers by 19 March, including the score of the song for use by the orchestra, a sound recording of the entry and backing track for use during the contest, and the text of the song lyrics in its original language and translations in French and English for distribution to the participating broadcasters, their commentators and juries.

Following the confirmation of the twenty-five competing countries, the draw to determine the running order was held on 28 November 1996.

Voting procedure

{{further, Voting at the Eurovision Song Contest
The results of the 1997 contest were determined through the same scoring system as had first been introduced in {{escyr, 1975: each country awarded twelve points to its favourite entry, followed by ten points to its second favourite, and then awarded points in decreasing value from eight to one for the remaining songs which featured in the country's top ten, with countries unable to vote for their own entry.{{cite web , title=In a Nutshell , url=https://eurovision.tv/history/in-a-nutshell , publisher=European Broadcasting Union (EBU) , access-date=29 June 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626052301/https://eurovision.tv/history/in-a-nutshell , archive-date=26 June 2022 , date=31 March 2017 , url-status=dead{{cite web , title=Rules of the 42nd Eurovision Song Contest 1997 (Part 3) , url=http://events.rte.ie/eurovision97/Facts/rules3.html , publisher=European Broadcasting Union (EBU) , access-date=29 June 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991012010534/http://events.rte.ie/eurovision97/Facts/rules3.html , archive-date=12 October 1999 , url-status=dead The points awarded by the majority of countries were determined by an assembled jury of sixteen individuals, which was required to be split evenly between members of the public and music professionals, comprised additionally of an equal number of men and women, and below and above 30 years of age. Each jury member voted in secret and awarded between one and ten votes to each participating song, excluding that from their own country and with no abstentions permitted. The votes of each member were collected following the country's performance and then tallied by the non-voting jury chairperson to determine the points to be awarded. In any cases where two or more songs in the top ten received the same number of votes, a show of hands by all jury members was used to determine the final placing; if a tie still remained, the youngest jury member would have the deciding vote.

For the first time however, as part of a trial held by the contest organisers, televoting was used to determine the points from five of the participating countries. In these countries viewers had a total of five minutes to register their vote by calling one of twenty-four different telephone numbers to represent the twenty-five competing entries except that which represented their own country. Once the voting phone lines were opened following the performance of the last competing entry, a video recap containing short clips of each competing entry with the accompanying phone number for voting was shown in order to aid viewers during the voting window. In those countries which opted to use televoting to determine their points a jury was still required which would function as a back-up in case technical failure prevented the televote results from being used. The composition of the back-up juries in these countries was identical to the juries in the other countries with regards to profession, gender and age.{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=306–308

Contest overview

The contest took place on 3 May 1997 at 20:00 (IST) and lasted 3 hours and 11 minutes.{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=297–305{{cite web , title=Rules of the 42nd Eurovision Song Contest 1997 (Part 4) , url=http://events.rte.ie/eurovision97/Facts/rules4.html , publisher=European Broadcasting Union (EBU) , access-date=29 June 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991012022311/http://events.rte.ie/eurovision97/Facts/rules4.html , archive-date=12 October 1999 , url-status=dead

The show was opened by good luck messages from past Eurovision winners and hosts to the contestants in the contest, and short interviews with previous contestants also featured preceding some of the postcards between the entries.{{sfn, O'Connor, 2010, pp=148–151{{cite AV media , date=3 May 1997 , title=Eurovision Song Contest 1997 , type=Television programme , language=en, fr, ga , location=Dublin, Ireland , publisher={{lang, ga, Radio Telefís Éireann, i=unset (RTÉ) Irish boy band Boyzone, with co-presenter Keating as a member, featured as part of the show's interval act, performing the song "Let the Message Run Free".

The winner was the {{esccnty, United Kingdom, y=1997 represented by the song "Love Shine a Light", composed by Kimberley Rew and performed by Katrina and the Waves. This was the United Kingdom's fifth contest win{{sndtheir first in sixteen years{{sndfollowing victories in {{escyr, 1967, {{escyr, 1969, {{escyr, 1976 and {{escyr, 1981. As of {{escyr, 2025, this is the last winning UK Eurovision entry. Ireland's second-place finish earned them their fifth placing in the top two within six years, while Turkey and Cyprus achieved their highest placings yet by finishing third and fifth respectively. Norway meanwhile finished in last place for the eighth time and received their fourth ''nul points''. Following this contest {{esccnty, Italy's RAI declined to participate in future events and an Italian entry would not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest for 14 years, until their return at the {{escyr, 2011, , 2011 event.

{, class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"
, -
, + Results of the Eurovision Song Contest 1997{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=297–305
, -
! scope="col" , {{abbr, R/O, Running order
! scope="col" , Country
! scope="col" , Artist
! scope="col" , Song
! scope="col" , Points
! scope="col" , Place
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 1
, {{Esc, Cyprus, 1960, y=1997
, {{sortname, Hara and Andreas, Konstantinou, nolink=1
, "{{lang, el-latn, Mana mou, i=unset"
, 98
, 5
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 2
, {{Esc, Turkey, y=1997
, {{sortname, Şebnem, Paker and Grup Ethnic
, "{{lang, tr, Dinle, i=unset"
, 121
, 3
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 3
, {{Esc, Norway, y=1997
, {{sortname, Tor, Endresen
, "San Francisco"
, 0
, 24
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 4
, {{Esc, Austria, y=1997
, {{sortname, Bettina, Soriat
, "One Step"
, 12
, 21
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 5
, {{Esc, Ireland, y=1997
, {{sortname, Marc, Roberts, dab=singer
, "Mysterious Woman"
, 157
, 2
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 6
, {{Esc, Slovenia, y=1997
, {{sortname, Tanja, Ribič
, "{{lang, sl, Zbudi se, i=unset"
, 60
, 10
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 7
, {{Esc, Switzerland, y=1997
, {{sortname, Barbara, Berta, nolink=1
, "{{lang, it, Dentro di me, i=unset"
, 5
, 22
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 8
, {{Esc, Netherlands, y=1997
, Mrs. Einstein
, "{{lang, nl, Niemand heeft nog tijd, i=unset"
, 5
, 22
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 9
, {{Esc, Italy, y=1997
, Jalisse
, "{{lang, it, Fiumi di parole, i=unset"
, 114
, 4
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 10
, {{Esc, Spain, y=1997
, {{sortname, Marcos, Llunas
, "{{lang, es, Sin rencor, i=unset"
, 96
, 6
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 11
, {{Esc, Germany, y=1997
, {{sortname, Bianca, Shomburg
, "{{lang, de, Zeit, i=unset"
, 22
, 18
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 12
, {{Esc, Poland, y=1997
, {{sortname, Anna Maria, Jopek
, "{{lang, pl, Ale jestem, i=unset"
, 54
, 11
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 13
, {{Esc, Estonia, y=1997
, Maarja
, "{{lang, et, Keelatud maa, i=unset"
, 82
, 8
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 14
, {{Esc, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992, y=1997
, {{sortname, Alma, Čardžić
, "Goodbye"
, 22
, 18
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 15
, {{Esc, Portugal, y=1997
, {{sortname, Célia, Lawson, nolink=1
, "{{lang, pt, Antes do adeus, i=unset"
, 0
, 24
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 16
, {{Esc, Sweden, y=1997
, Blond
, "{{lang, sv, Bara hon älskar mig, i=unset"
, 36
, 14
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 17
, {{Esc, Greece, y=1997
, {{sortname, Marianna, Zorba
, "{{lang, el-latn, Horepse, i=unset"
, 39
, 12
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 18
, {{Esc, Malta, y=1997
, {{sortname, Debbie, Scerri, nolink=1
, "Let Me Fly"
, 66
, 9
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 19
, {{Esc, Hungary, y=1997
, V.I.P.
, "{{lang, hu, Miért kell, hogy elmenj?, i=unset"
, 39
, 12
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 20
, {{Esc, Russia, y=1997
, {{sortname, Alla, Pugacheva
, "{{lang, it, Primadonna, i=unset"
, 33
, 15
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 21
, {{Esc, Denmark, y=1997
, Kølig Kaj{{efn, name="DK"
, "{{lang, da, Stemmen i mit liv, i=unset"
, 25
, 16
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 22
, {{Esc, France, y=1997
, Fanny
, "{{lang, fr, Sentiments songes, i=unset"
, 95
, 7
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 23
, {{Esc, Croatia, y=1997
, data-sort-value="ENI" , E.N.I.
, "{{lang, hr, Probudi me, i=unset"
, 24
, 17
, - style="font-weight:bold; background:gold;"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold; background:gold;" , 24
, {{Esc, United Kingdom, y=1997
, Katrina and the Waves
, "Love Shine a Light"
, 227
, 1
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" , 25
, {{Esc, Iceland, y=1997
, {{sortname, Paul, Oscar
, "{{lang, is, Minn hinsti dans, i=unset"
, 18
, 20

Spokespersons

Each participating broadcaster appointed a spokesperson who was responsible for announcing, in English or French, the votes for its respective country. As had been the case since the {{escyr, 1994, , 1994 contest, the spokespersons were connected via satellite and appeared in vision during the broadcast. Spokespersons at the 1997 contest are listed below.

{{div col, colwidth=30em
# {{flagu, Cyprus, 1960{{sndMarios Skordis
# {{flagu, Turkey{{sndÖmer Önder
# {{flagu, Norway{{sndRagnhild Sælthun Fjørtoft
# {{flagu, Austria{{snd{{ill, Adriana Zartl, de
# {{flagu, Ireland{{sndEileen Dunne
# {{flagu, Slovenia{{snd{{ill, Mojca Mavec, sl
# {{flagu, Switzerland{{snd{{ill, Sandy Altermatt, it
# {{flagu, Netherlands{{sndCorry Brokken
# {{flagu, Italy{{snd{{ill, Peppi Franzelin, it
# {{flagu, Spain{{sndBelén Fernández de Henestrosa
# {{flagu, Germany{{sndChristina Mänz
# {{flagu, Poland{{snd{{ill, Jan Chojnacki (journalist), pl, Jan Chojnacki (dziennikarz), lt=Jan Chojnacki
# {{flagu, Estonia{{sndHelene Tedre
# {{flagu, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992{{sndSegmedina Srna
# {{flagu, Portugal{{sndCristina Rocha
# {{flagu, Sweden{{sndGösta Hanson{{sfn, Thorsson, Verhage, 2006, pp=260–261
# {{flagu, Greece{{sndNiki Venega
# {{flagu, Malta{{sndAnna Bonanno
# {{flagu, Hungary{{snd{{ill, Györgyi Albert, hu, Albert Györgyi
# {{flagu, Russia{{sndArina Sharapova
# {{flagu, Denmark{{snd{{ill, Bent Henius, da
# {{flagu, France{{snd{{ill, Frédéric Ferrer, fr and Marie Myriam
# {{flagu, Croatia{{snd{{ill, Davor Meštrović, hr
# {{flagu, United Kingdom{{snd Colin Berry{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=306–308
# {{flagu, Iceland{{sndSvanhildur Konráðsdóttir
{{div col end

Detailed voting results

Jury voting was used to determine the points awarded by most countries, with televoting used in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=306–308 The announcement of the results from each country was conducted in the order in which they performed, with the spokespersons announcing their country's points in English or French in ascending order. The detailed breakdown of the points awarded by each country is listed in the tables below.

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
, -
, + Detailed voting results of the Eurovision Song Contest 1997{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=306–308{{cite web , title=Dublin 1997 – Detailed voting results , url=https://eurovision.tv/event/dublin-1997/final/results , publisher=European Broadcasting Union (EBU) , access-date=14 April 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414093028/https://eurovision.tv/event/dublin-1997/final/results , archive-date=14 April 2021 , url-status=live{{cite web , title=Eurovision Song Contest 1997 – Scoreboard , url=https://eurovision.tv/page/history/by-year/contest?event=312#Scoreboard , publisher=European Broadcasting Union (EBU) , access-date=27 October 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924043430/http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/by-year/contest?event=312#Scoreboard , archive-date=24 September 2015 , url-status=dead
, -
, colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="text-align:left; background:#F2F2F2" , Voting procedure used:
{{legend, #A4D1EF, 100% jury vote, outline=#AAAAAA{{legend, #EFA4A9, 100% televoting, outline=#AAAAAA
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Total score, cellstyle=border-bottom:1px solid transparent;
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Cyprus
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Turkey
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Norway
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Austria
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Ireland
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Slovenia
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Switzerland
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Netherlands
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Italy
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Spain
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Germany
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Poland
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Estonia
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Bosnia and Herzegovina
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Portugal
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Sweden
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Greece
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Malta
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Hungary
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Russia
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Denmark
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, France
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Croatia
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, United Kingdom
! scope="col" {{vert header, nb=1, Iceland
, -
! style="height:2px; border-top:1px solid transparent;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#EFA4A9;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#EFA4A9;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#EFA4A9;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#EFA4A9;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, style="background:#EFA4A9;" ,
, style="background:#A4D1EF;" ,
, -
! rowspan="25" {{vert header, va=middle, Contestants
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Cyprus
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 98 , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , 2 , , , , 3 , , 4 , , 4 , , 10 , , 4 , , 10 , , 5 , , , , 1 , , , , 3 , , , , 12 , , 7 , , , , 1 , , 7 , , 4 , , 4 , , 5 , , 12
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Turkey
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 121 , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , 7 , , 2 , , , , 6 , , 2 , , 7 , , 12 , , 12 , , , , 6 , , 12 , , 5 , , 6 , , 7 , , 10 , , 6 , , 4 , , , , 6 , , , , 4 , , 7
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Norway
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 0 , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Austria
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 12 , , , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , , , 3 , , , , , , , , 1 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 , , 3 , , , , , , , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Ireland
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 157 , , 8 , , 6 , , 3 , , 10 , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , 1 , , 7 , , 4 , , 10 , , 6 , , 8 , , 7 , , 8 , , 8 , , 10 , , 10 , , , , , , 8 , , 5 , , 10 , , 10 , , 6 , , 12 , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Slovenia
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 60 , , 2 , , 10 , , , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 , , 4 , , 7 , , 4 , , , , 3 , , 5 , , , , 10 , , , , 7 , , 3 , , , , 3
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Switzerland
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 5 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , 2 , , 3 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Netherlands
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 5 , , , , 1 , , , , , , , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Italy
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 114 , , 6 , , 5 , , , , 1 , , 1 , , 10 , , 10 , , 7 , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , 8 , , 4 , , 8 , , , , 6 , , 12 , , 3 , , 5 , , , , 3 , , 7 , , 4 , , , , 10 , , 3 , , 1
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Spain
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 96 , , 10 , , 4 , , , , , , 6 , , 5 , , 8 , , 6 , , 3 , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , 2 , , 4 , , , , , , 8 , , , , 6 , , 12 , , 10 , , 8 , , 2 , , 2 , , , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Germany
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 22 , , , , , , , , 3 , , , , , , 5 , , , , 5 , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 , , 1 , , , , , , , , 5 , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Poland
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 54 , , , , , , 4 , , 8 , , , , 7 , , , , 1 , , 1 , , 2 , , 6 , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , 3 , , 4 , , 2 , , , , 1 , , , , 7 , , , , 5 , , 3 , , , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Estonia
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 82 , , 1 , , , , , , 6 , , 8 , , 3 , , , , , , 12 , , 4 , , 7 , , 6 , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , 1 , , 1 , , 1 , , , , , , 4 , , , , 8 , , 8 , , , , 10 , , 2
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Bosnia and Herzegovina
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 22 , , , , 8 , , , , 4 , , , , , , 2 , , , , , , , , 3 , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , 4 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Portugal
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 0 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Sweden
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 36 , , , , , , 8 , , , , 5 , , 6 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , , , , , 6 , , , , , , 7 , , 4
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Greece
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 39 , , 12 , , , , 5 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 7 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , 6 , , , , 2 , , , , , , 7 , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Malta
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 66 , , 5 , , 12 , , 10 , , , , 7 , , , , , , , , 6 , , 1 , , , , , , , , 5 , , , , , , 8 , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , 3 , , 1 , , 8 , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Hungary
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 39 , , , , 3 , , , , , , 4 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 , , 5 , , , , , , , , , , 2 , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , 5 , , 2 , , 8 , , 5
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Russia
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 33 , , , , , , 1 , , 5 , , , , 12 , , , , 8 , , , , , , , , , , 7 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , , , , ,
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Denmark
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 25 , , , , , , 7 , , , , , , , , 1 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 7 , , 2 , , , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , 2 , , 6
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , France
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 95 , , 3 , , 2 , , 12 , , , , 10 , , 2 , , 3 , , 5 , , , , , , , , 12 , , 12 , , 3 , , 6 , , 2 , , 4 , , , , 2 , , 6 , , 1 , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , , , , , 10
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Croatia
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 24 , , 4 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 , , 3 , , , , 2 , , , , 5 , , , , 8 , , , , , , , , , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , 1 , ,
, - style="background:gold;"
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; font-weight:bold; background:gold;" , United Kingdom
, style="text-align:right; font-weight:bold;" , 227 , , 7 , , 7 , , 6 , , 12 , , 12 , , 8 , , 12 , , 12 , , 8 , , 5 , , 10 , , 10 , , 10 , , 10 , , 7 , , 12 , , 10 , , 1 , , 12 , , 12 , , 12 , , 12 , , 12 , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" , , , 8
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:left; background:#f2f2f2;" , Iceland
, style="text-align:right; background:#f2f2f2;" , 18 , , , , , , , , 2 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 , , , , , , 8 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 , , style="text-align:left; background:#AAA;" ,

12 points

The below table summarises how the maximum 12 points were awarded from one country to another. The winning country is shown in bold. The United Kingdom received the maximum score of 12 points from ten countries, with France and Turkey receiving three sets of 12 points each, Cyprus receiving two sets of 12 points, and Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Russia and Spain each receiving one maximum score.

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
, -
, + Distribution of 12 points awarded at the Eurovision Song Contest 1997
, -
! scope="col" , N.
! scope="col" , Contestant
! scope="col" , Nation(s) giving 12 points
, -
! scope="row" , 10
, {{Esc, United Kingdom, y=1997 , , {{Esc, Austria, y=1997, {{Esc, Croatia, y=1997, {{Esc, Denmark, y=1997, {{Esc, France, y=1997, {{Esc, Hungary, y=1997, {{Esc, Ireland, y=1997, {{Esc, Netherlands, y=1997, {{Esc, Russia, y=1997, {{Esc, Sweden, y=1997, {{Esc, Switzerland, y=1997
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , 3
, {{Esc, France, y=1997 , , {{Esc, Estonia, y=1997, {{Esc, Norway, y=1997, {{Esc, Poland, y=1997
, -
, {{Esc, Turkey, y=1997 , , {{Esc, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992, y=1997, {{Esc, Germany, y=1997, {{Esc, Spain, y=1997
, -
! scope="row" style="vertical-align:top;" , 2
, {{Esc, Cyprus, 1960, y=1997 , , {{Esc, Greece, y=1997, {{Esc, Iceland, y=1997
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="7" , 1
, {{Esc, Estonia, y=1997 , , {{Esc, Italy, y=1997
, -
, {{Esc, Greece, y=1997 , , {{Esc, Cyprus, y=1997
, -
, {{Esc, Ireland, y=1997 , , {{Esc, United Kingdom, y=1997
, -
, {{Esc, Italy, y=1997 , , {{Esc, Portugal, y=1997
, -
, {{Esc, Malta, y=1997 , , {{Esc, Turkey, y=1997
, -
, {{Esc, Russia, y=1997 , , {{Esc, Slovenia, y=1997
, -
, {{Esc, Spain, y=1997 , , {{Esc, Malta, y=1997

Broadcasts

Each participating broadcaster was required to relay the contest live and in full via television.{{cite web , title=The Eurovision Show '97: Television Coverage , url=http://events.rte.ie/eurovision97/Show/tvchannels.html , publisher={{lang, ga, Radio Telefís Éireann, i=unset (RTÉ) , access-date=29 June 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990423170856/http://events.rte.ie/eurovision97/Show/tvchannels.html , archive-date=23 April 1999 , url-status=dead Non-participating EBU member broadcasters were also able to relay the contest as "passive participants"; any passive countries wishing to participate in the following year's event were also required to provide a live broadcast of the contest or a deferred broadcast within 24 hours. Broadcasters were able to send commentators to provide coverage of the contest in their own native language and to relay information about the artists and songs to their television viewers. These commentators were typically sent to the venue to report on the event, and were able to provide commentary from small booths constructed at the back of the venue. An estimated audience of 300 million viewers was reported.

Known details on the broadcasts in each country, including the specific broadcasting stations and commentators, are shown in the tables below:

{{sticky header
{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders sticky-header"
, -
, + Broadcasters and commentators in participating countries
, -
! scope="col" , Country
! scope="col" , Broadcaster
! scope="col" , Channel(s)
! scope="col" , Commentator(s)
! scope="col" , {{Refh
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , {{Flagu, Austria
, rowspan="2" , ORF
, ORF 1
, Ernst Grissemann
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
, FM4
, Stermann & Grissemann
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Croatia
, HRT
, HRT1
, Aleksandar Kostadinov
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Cyprus, 1960
, CyBC
, RIK 1
, Evi Papamichail
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , title=Τηλεοραση , trans-title=Television , url=https://www.pressarchive.cy/s/en/item/910876 , access-date=5 March 2024 , work={{lang, el-latn, I Simerini, i=unset , date=3 May 1997 , location=Nicosia, Cyprus , page=6 , language=el , via={{ill, Press and Information Office, el, Γραφείο Τύπου και Πληροφοριών
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , {{Flagu, Denmark
, rowspan="2" , DR
, DR1
, {{ill, Hans Otto Bisgaard, dk
, rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" ,
, -
, DR P3
, Katrine Nyland Sørensen and Morten H. Pankoke
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , {{Flagu, Estonia
, colspan="2" , ETV
, {{N/A}
, rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" ,
, -
, ER
, {{lang, et, Vikerraadio, i=unset
, {{N/A}
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, France
, {{lang, fr, France Télévision, i=unset
, France 2
, Olivier Minne
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Germany
, ARD
, {{lang, de, Das Erste, i=unset
, Peter Urban
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite magazine , date=30 April 1997 , title=Samstag 3. Mai {{! Samedi 3 mai , trans-title=Saturday 3 May , url=https://viewer.eluxemburgensia.lu/ark:70795/01rbqf2pzz/pages/90 , access-date=14 June 2024 , magazine={{lang, fr, Télé-Revue, i=unset , location=Luxembourg City, Luxembourg , volume=53 , issue=18 , pages=8–13 , language=de, fr, lb , via=National Library of Luxembourg
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Greece
, ERT
, ET1
, Dafni Bokota
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Hungary
, MTV
, MTV 1
, István Vágó
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite magazine , title=Szombat május 3. {{! Televízió , trans-title=Saturday 3 May {{! Television , url=https://nemzetiarchivum.hu/news_archive/item/NEWS-RFdzZENoSHFjVGhHQ1BycExVNGxsZTN3YVhzUHhsS3dLV3BSSCtLSnByZz0 , access-date=23 July 2022 , magazine=Rádió és TeleVízió újság , location=Budapest, Hungary , volume=43 , issue=18 , date=28 April 1997 , pages=44–47 , language=hu , via=Nemzeti Archívum
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Iceland
, RÚV
, {{lang, is, Sjónvarpið, i=unset, {{lang, is, Rás 2, i=unset
, Jakob Frímann Magnússon
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , {{Flagu, Ireland
, rowspan="2" , RTÉ
, RTÉ One
, Pat Kenny
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
, RTÉ Radio 1
, Larry Gogan
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Italy
, RAI
, {{lang, it, RAI Uno, i=unset{{efn, Deferred broadcast at 23:30 ( CEST)
, {{ill, Ettore Andenna, it
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , title=I programmi di oggi , trans-title=Today's programmes , url=http://techedigitali.passerinilandi.piacenza.it/domlib/sfoglia_periodico_BPL.php?tG=&tA=1997&identifier=36508&offset=11 , access-date=19 October 2024 , work= Libertà , date=3 May 1997 , location=Piacenza, Italy , language=it , page=25 , via= Biblioteca Passerini-Landi
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , {{Flagu, Netherlands
, rowspan="2" , NOS
, {{lang, nl, TV2, i=unset
, Willem van Beusekom
, style="text-align:center" rowspan="2" ,
, -
, Radio 2
, {{N/A}
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , {{Flagu, Norway
, rowspan="2" , NRK
, NRK1
, Jostein Pedersen
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , title=Radio- og TV-Programmene – Lørdag 3. mai 1997 , trans-title=Radio and TV Programmes – Saturday 3 May 1997 , url=https://www.nb.no/items/6653b574b596b9486c48397ca1865ef1?page=37 , access-date=26 June 2022 , work=Moss Dagblad , date=3 May 1997 , location=Moss, Norway , pages=38–40 , language=no , via=National Library of Norway , archive-date=26 June 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626205328/https://www.nb.no/items/6653b574b596b9486c48397ca1865ef1?page=37 , url-status=live
, -
, NRK P1
, {{ill, Kristian Lindeman, no
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , {{Flagu, Poland
, TVP
, TVP1
, Jan Wilkans
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite web , title=Eurowizja – polscy reprezentanci i polscy pretendenci , trans-title=Eurovision – Polish representatives and Polish contenders , url=https://www.polskieradio.pl/13/53/Artykul/2890412,Eurowizja-polscy-reprezentanci-i-polscy-pretendenci-ZOBACZ-WIDEO , publisher=Polskie Radio , access-date=27 June 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516085802/https://www.polskieradio.pl/13/53/Artykul/2890412,Eurowizja-polscy-reprezentanci-i-polscy-pretendenci-ZOBACZ-WIDEO , archive-date=16 May 2022 , language=pl , date=9 May 2022 , url-status=live
, -
, PR
, {{lang, pl, Polskie Radio Bis, i=unset
, Artur Orzech
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Portugal
, RTP
, RTP1{{efn, Additional deferred broadcast on {{lang, pt, RTP Internacional, i=unset at 22:30 ( CEST)
, {{N/A}
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Russia
, colspan="2" , ORT
, Philipp Kirkorov and Sergey Antipov
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , last1=Deykun , first1=Marina , last2=Ponyakin , first2=Vitaliy , title=Примадонна метала бисер , trans-title=The primadonna threw beads , work=Moskovskij Komsomolets , location=Moscow, Russia , date=5 May 1997 , language=ru
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="3" , {{Flagu, Slovenia
, rowspan="3" , RTVSLO
, SLO 1
, {{N/A}
, rowspan="3" style="text-align:center" ,
, -
, TV Koper-Capodistria
, {{N/A}
, -
, Val 202
, {{ill, Andrej Karoli, sl
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Spain
, TVE
, {{lang, es, La Primera, i=unset{{efn, name="TVE", Deferred broadcast at 21:30 ( CEST); additional deferred broadcast on {{lang, es, TVE Internacional, i=unset at 22:45 (CEST)
, José Luis Uribarri
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , title=La televisió i la ràdio , trans-title=Television and radio , url=https://pandora.girona.cat/viewer.vm?id=0002566513&page=55 , access-date=13 February 2025 , work=El Punt , date=3 May 1997 , page=55 , location=Girona, Spain , language=ca , via={{ill, Ayuntamiento de Gerona, es
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , {{Flagu, Sweden
, SVT
, SVT2
, {{ill, Janne Jingryd, sv
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
, SR
, SR P3
, Claes-Johan Larsson and Susan Seidemar
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="3" , {{Flagu, Switzerland
, rowspan="3" , SRG SSR
, {{lang, de, Schweiz 4, i=unset
, Sandra Studer
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , title=Radio / TV Samstag , trans-title=Radio / TV Saturday , url=https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=FZG19970503-01.1.8 , access-date=26 June 2022 , work=Freiburger Nachrichten , page=8 , date=3 May 1997 , location=Fribourg, Switzerland , language=de , via=E-newspaperarchives.ch
, -
, TSR
, Pierre Grandjean
, rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" , {{cite magazine , title=Samedi 3 mai , trans-title=Saturday 3 May , url=https://scriptorium.ch/zoom/323743/view?page=11&p=verso&tool=info , access-date=26 June 2022 , work= TV8 , volume=75 , issue=18 , date=1 May 1997 , location=Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland , pages=20–25 , language=fr , via=Scriptorium , archive-date=26 June 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626202037/https://scriptorium.ch/zoom/323743/view?page=11&p=verso&tool=info&view=0,0,5186,3608 , url-status=live
, -
, TSI
, {{N/A}
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Turkey
, TRT
, TRT 1{{efn, Additional live broadcast on TRT Int
, {{N/A}
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , title=TV Programları , trans-title=TV programmes , url=https://egazete.cumhuriyet.com.tr/Archive/CUMHURIYET/GAZETE_ARSIVI/1997/5/3/26995737-6FBD-4800-AD7B-341DCA94A312_3212594_16.jpeg , access-date=13 December 2022 , work=Cumhuriyet , location=Istanbul, Turkey , date=3 May 1997 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213152530/https://egazete.cumhuriyet.com.tr/Archive/CUMHURIYET/GAZETE_ARSIVI/1997/5/3/26995737-6FBD-4800-AD7B-341DCA94A312_3212594_16.jpeg , archive-date=13 December 2022 , page=16 , language=tr , url-status=live
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , {{Flagu, United Kingdom
, rowspan="2" , BBC
, BBC1{{efn, Additional live broadcast on BBC Prime
, Terry Wogan
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
, BBC Radio 2
, Ken Bruce
, style="text-align:center" ,

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders "
, -
, + Broadcasters and commentators in non-participating countries
, -
! scope="col" , Country
! scope="col" , Broadcaster
! scope="col" , Channel(s)
! scope="col" , Commentator(s)
! scope="col" , {{Refh
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Australia
, SBS
, SBS TV{{efn, Deferred broadcast the following day at 19:00 ( ACST)
, {{N/A}
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , title=The Times TV Guide , url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/22007171 , access-date=15 December 2022 , work=Victor Harbor Times , date=2 May 1997 , location= Victor Harbor, South Australia, Australia , page=12 , via=Trove , archive-date=15 December 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215091253/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/22007171 , url-status=live
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , {{Flagu, Belgium
, BRTN
, TV1
, André Vermeulen
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
, RTBF
, {{lang, fr, RTBF La 1, i=unset
, Jean-Pierre Hautier
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Falkland Islands
, BFBS
, BFBS Television{{efn, Delayed broadcast on 17 May 1997 at 21:00 ( FKT)
, Terry Wogan
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , title=Your BFBS Television programmes , url=https://nationalarchives.gov.fk/jdownloads/Penguin%20News/1997%20May%20to%20August.pdf , access-date=20 July 2024 , work=Penguin News , date=16 May 1997 , location=Stanley, Falkland Islands , via= Jane Cameron National Archives
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Faroe Islands
, colspan="2" , SvF{{efn, Deferred broadcast the following day at 13:00 (WEST)
, Hans Otto Bisgaard
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , title=Sunnudagur 4. mai , trans-title=Sunday 4 May , url=https://epaper.infomedia.dk/wxa/19970502?s=1&p=12 , access-date=18 November 2024 , work=Sosialurin , date=2 May 1997 , location=Tórshavn, Faroe Islands , language=fo, da , page=13 , via={{ill, Infomedia, dk
, -
! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" , {{Flagu, Finland
, rowspan="2" , YLE
, TV1
, Aki Sirkesalo and Olli Ahvenlahti
, rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" ,
, -
, {{lang, fi, Radio Suomi, i=unset
, Iris Mattila and Sanna Kojo
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Greenland
, KNR
, KNR{{efn, Deferred broadcast at 22:55 ( WGST)
, {{N/A}
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , title=KNR Aallakaatitassat/Programmer , trans-title=KNR Programmes , url=https://timarit.is/page/3846321#page/n19/mode/2up , access-date=15 July 2024 , work= Atuagagdliutit , date=1 May 1997 , location=Nuuk, Greenland , language=kl , page=21 , via= Timarit.is
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Israel
, IBA
, Channel 1
, {{N/A}
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Jordan
, JRTV
, JTV2
, {{N/A}
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Romania
, TVR
, TVR 1
, Doina Caramzulescu and Costin Grigore
, style="text-align:center" ,
, -
! scope="row" , {{Flagu, Slovakia
, STV
, STV2{{efn, Deferred broadcast the following day at 21:35 ( CEST)
, {{N/A}
, style="text-align:center" , {{cite news , title=Tévé és rádió – vasárnap , trans-title=TV and radio – Sunday , url=https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/UjSzo_1997_05/?pg=23 , access-date=26 October 2024 , work=Új Szó , location=Bratislava, Slovakia , date=3 May 1997 , page=12 , language=hu , via={{ill, Hungaricana, hu
, -
! scope="row" , {{flagdeco, FR Yugoslavia Yugoslavia
, RTS
, RTS 2
, {{N/A}
, style="text-align:center" ,

Other awards

Barbara Dex Award

The Barbara Dex Award was first organised for artists in this year's contest. The award, created by the fansite House of Eurovision, was awarded to the performer deemed to have been the "worst dressed" among the participants. The winner in 1997 was Malta's representative, {{ill, Debbie Scerri, de, , fr, , it (as determined by the founders of the House of Eurovision site, Edwin van Thillo and Rob Paardekam).

Legacy

{{see also, LGBT visibility in the Eurovision Song Contest, Voting at the Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest has long held a fandom within the LGBT community, however it was not until the 1997 event that an openly LGBT artist was selected to compete in the event. {{esccnty, Iceland's Paul Oscar was the first openly gay man to compete as a lead artist in Eurovision.{{cite journal , last1=Baker , first1=Catherine , title=The 'gay Olympics'? The Eurovision Song Contest and the politics of LGBT/European belonging , journal=European Journal of International Relations , date=March 2017 , volume=23 , issue=1 , pages=97–121 , doi=10.1177/1354066116633278 , url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1354066116633278 , publisher=SAGE Publishing , s2cid=147485556 , language=en , issn=1354-0661 , access-date=13 December 2022 , archive-date=12 May 2023 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512153329/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1354066116633278 , url-status=live Paul Oscar's participation, as well as changing attitudes to homosexuality in Europe in the following years, marked the beginning of wider visibility of LGBT artists and themes; the {{escyr, 1998, , following year's event provided the first trans participant in Israel's Dana International, {{escyr, 2002 saw {{esccnty, Slovenia's {{lang, sl, Sestre, i=unset become the first competing artists to perform in drag,{{efn, Although a member of the Norwegian drag act the Great Garlic Girls performed as backing vocalist for Norway's Ketil Stokkan at the {{escyr, 1986, , 1986 contest in drag, they were not credited for their performance. and the {{escyr, 2000, , 2000 contest contained the first display of same-sex affection on stage through a kiss between the two male members of the Israeli band PingPong.{{cite web , last1=Jordan , first1=Paul , title=Life's a drag! Eurovision queens past and present , url=https://eurovision.tv/story/life-s-a-drag-eurovision-queens-past-and-present , publisher=European Broadcasting Union (EBU) , access-date=13 December 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513221445/https://eurovision.tv/story/life-s-a-drag-eurovision-queens-past-and-present , archive-date=13 May 2018 , language=en , date=24 October 2016 , url-status=live Since the 1997 contest many openly LGBT artists have competed in the contest, including several winners, among them Dana International, {{esccnty, Austria's Conchita Wurst in {{escyr, 2014, and the {{esccnty, Netherlands' Duncan Laurence in {{escyr, 2019. Paul Oscar's contest performance, which featured four female backing dancers dressed in black latex clothing and sexually suggestive choreography, pushed the boundaries for sexual expression on the Eurovision stage for the first time.{{sfn, West, 2020, pp=191–195

The changes in the rules regarding the use of orchestra for this contest would eventually lead to the complete abandonment of live musical accompaniment in the Eurovision Song Contest. Ahead of the {{escyr, 1999, , 1999 event the rules were modified again to make the procurement of an orchestra an optional component to staging the event, with that year's event becoming the first to have all competing entries performed to pre-recorded backing tracks. The rules of the contest have since been modified further, and no live musical accompaniment is now allowed for any competing entries.{{sfn, Roxburgh, 2020, pp=297–305{{cite web , title=The Rules of the Contest , date=31 October 2018 , url=https://eurovision.tv/about/rules , publisher=European Broadcasting Union (EBU) , access-date=13 December 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004011300/https://eurovision.tv/about/rules , archive-date=4 October 2022 , url-status=live The abolishment of the orchestra proved controversial among some circles, with three-time, former Eurovision winner Johnny Logan referring to the modified event as "karaoke" in 2000.

The introduction of televoting to the contest followed several years of successive Irish wins, with the national juries typically voting for more traditional, middle-of-the-road songs than those that represented the wider tastes of the general public, as was the case in 1996 when Eimear Quinn's "The Voice" was victorious over more modern entries such as Gina G's " Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit", which represented the United Kingdom at that year's event and would go on to receive a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 1998 Grammy Awards.{{sfn, O'Connor, 2010, pp=148–151 The successful trial of televoting in five countries led to widespread adoption for all countries in 1998, and public voting continues to play a part in determining the result of the contest to the present day. The widespread use of televoting in the following years would however lead to accusations of greater political bias and " bloc voting", with the perception that neighbouring countries swap points and large diasporas are able to vote en masse for their native countries, skewing the results in their favour. Controversy over the perceived unfairness of the voting system reached a head in {{escyr, 2007, when the public vote largely rewarded the entries from Eastern European countries over those from Western Europe. The EBU would ultimately make changes to mitigate the impact of neighbourly voting by splitting countries by geographical location and voting history in the Semi-finals in the Eurovision Song Contest, semi-finals from {{escyr, 2008 and re-introducing juries to account for 50% of each country's points in {{escyr, 2009.{{cite news , last1=Williams , first1=Rachel , title=Eurovision juries return , url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/sep/16/eurovision.television , access-date=13 December 2022 , work=The Guardian , date=16 September 2008 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902222740/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/sep/16/eurovision.television , archive-date=2 September 2013 , url-status=live

Notes and references

Notes

{{notelist

References

{{Reflist

Bibliography

* {{cite book , last=O'Connor , first=John Kennedy , author-link=John Kennedy O'Connor , title=The Eurovision Song Contest: The Official History , date=2010 , publisher=Carlton Publishing Group, Carlton Books , location=London, United Kingdom , isbn=978-1-84732-521-1 , edition=2nd
* {{cite book , last=Roxburgh , first=Gordon , title=Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest , date=2020 , publisher=Telos Publishing , location=Prestatyn, United Kingdom , isbn=978-1-84583-163-9 , volume=Four: The 1990s
* {{cite book , last1=Thorsson , first1=Leif , last2=Verhage , first2=Martin , title=Melodifestivalen genom tiderna : de svenska uttagningarna och internationella finalerna , trans-title=Melodifestivalen through the ages: the Swedish selections and international finals , date=2006 , publisher=Premium Publishing , location=Stockholm, Sweden , isbn=91-89136-29-2 , language=sv , pages=260–261
* {{cite book , last1=West , first1=Chris , author1-link=Chris West , title=Eurovision! : A History of Modern Europe Through the World's Greatest Song Contest , date=2020 , publisher=Melville House UK , location=London, United Kingdom , isbn=978-1-911545-55-2 , pages=191–195

External links

{{commons category, Eurovision Song Contest 1997
* {{Official website, http://www.eurovision.tv/, name=Eurovision Song Contest official website

{{Eurovision Song Contest 1997
{{Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 1997,
Eurovision Song Contest by year, 1997
1997 in music
1997 in Irish music
May 1997 in Europe
1990s in Dublin (city)
1997 in Irish television
Events in Dublin (city)
Music in Dublin (city)
Music festivals in Ireland
1990s in Irish music