Joakim harestad haukaas biography of william hill

Over 1,700 entries have been submitted into the Eurovision Song Contest since it began in 1956, comprising songs and artists which have represented fifty-two countries.^[1][2] The contest, organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), is held annually between members of the union, with participating broadcasters from different countries submitting songs to the event and casting votes to determine the most popular in the competition.^[3] From an original seven participating countries in the first edition, around forty entries are now regularly submitted into the competition every year.^[4]

Principally open to active member broadcasters of the EBU, eligibility to participate in the contest is not determined by geographic inclusion within the traditional boundaries of Europe. Several countries from outside of Europe have previously submitted entries into the contest, including countries in Western Asia and North Africa, as well as transcontinental countries with only part of their territory in Europe.^[5] Australia, a country in Oceania, made its first contest appearance in 2015 when SBS, an EBU associate member broadcaster from the country, received an invitation to s