Sopot International Song Festival

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The Sopot International Song Festival is an international song contests, often compared to the Eurovision Song Contest[citation needed]. It has been organized annually by the Polish state television TVP and later private channel TVN in the coastal resort of Sopot, Poland. Together with National Festival of Polish Song in Opole it the biggest Polish music festival.

The first Sopot festival was initiated and organized in 1961 by Władysław Szpilman from Polish Radio with the help of Szymon Zakrzewski of Polish Artists Management Pagart. Between 1977 and 1980 it was replaced by the Intervision Song Contest which was still held in Sopot. Unlike the Eurovision Song Contest, the Sopot International Music Festival often changed its formulas to pick a winner and offered many different contests for its participants. The festival has always been open to non-European acts and countries like Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa and many others have been represented in this event.

The contest lost popularity in Poland and abroad in the 80s and even more in the 90s and the rather unconvincing organizations by the TVP made the authorities of Sopot give the organization of the 2005 Sopot International Song Festival to a private TV channel, the TVN.

Since 1999 there was no Grand Prix contest within the festival. TVP chose to invite well known artists instead including the likes of Whitney Houston or The Corrs. In 2005, TVN was expected to bring the contest back. In 2006 TVN invited Elton John. Sopot International Song Festival is usually considered bigger than the Benidorm International Song Festival or Karlshamn Baltic Song Festival because of its ability to attract star performers.

Contents

[edit] Stars of Sopot Festival

[edit] Winners of the Sopot International Song Festival 1

1961-1973 - Price for the Masterpiece

1974-1976 - Grand Prix de disque

  • 1974 - Finland - Marion Rung - for many songs performed
  • 1975 - United Kingdom - Glen Weston - for many songs performed
  • 1976 - USSR - Irina Ponarovskaya - for many songs performed

1977-1980 - Intervision Song Contest

  • 1981 - no festival
  • 1982 - no festival
  • 1983 - no festival

1984-1987 Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix

1988-1990 - Golden Disc

  • 1988 - USA - Kenny James - The Magic In You
  • 1989 - Norway - Dance With The Strangers - many songs
  • 1990 - Poland - Lora Szafran - Zły chłopak and Trust Me At Once

1991-1993 Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix

1994-2004 - Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix (with TVP)

  • 1999 - no contest within the festival
  • 2000 - no contest within the festival
  • 2001 - no contest within the festival
  • 2002 - no contest within the festival
  • 2003 - no contest within the festival
  • 2004 - no contest within the festival

2005- Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix (with TVN)

1 This list includes only winners of the most prestigious contests within the Sopot Music Festival. Sometimes one given contest has overshadowed the other one with time. Grand Prix de disque was the most prestigious one between 1974 and 1976 but with the start of the Intervision, it was relegated to a second plan, yet continued until 1979. The Sopot Music Festival has also given the prizes for the Best Interpretation during the 60's, the Amber Nightingdale in the 80's and 90's and Winner Of The Polish Day on and off from the 60's to the 80's.

Winners by country: Poland (10), USSR, United Kingdom (4), USA (3), Canada, Finland, Greece and Switzerland (2), Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden (1)

[edit] 43. Sopot Festival

[edit] 44. Sopot Festival

Draw Country Artist Song Amber Place Silver Place
01 Flag of Sweden Sweden September Cry for you 2 3
02 Flag of France France Thierry Amiel Coeur Sacré 5 6
03 Flag of Germany Germany Monrose Shame 4 4
04 Flag of the United States USA The Cloud Room Hey Now Now 7 7
05 Flag of France France Emmanuel Moire Ca me fait du bien 3 2
06 Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom Sophie Ellis-Bextor Me and My Imagination 6 5
07 Flag of Poland Poland Feel A gdy jest już ciemno 1 1
  • Polish performers in preselections 2007:
  1. Feel - A gdy jest już ciemno
  2. Sumptuastic - Opuszczony
  3. Szymon Wydra - Gdzie jesteś dziś
  4. Małgorzata Ostrowska - Słowa
  5. Łukasz Zagrobelny - Nie prawda

[edit] 45. Sopot Festival

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  • Polish performers in preselections 2008:
  1. Blue Cafe - Niewiele mam
  2. Energy - Minus i Plus
  3. Formacja Nieżywych Schabuff - Ławka
  4. For Teens - Jesteś częścią mnie
  5. Gareth - The Chemical Times
  6. Natalia Lesz - Power of attraction
  7. Pectus - To, co chciałbym Ci dać
  8. PIN - Niekochanie
  9. Marcin Rozynek - Nigdy nie patrz w dół
  10. Piotr Rubik - Most dwojga serc
  11. Video feat. Anna Wyszkoni - Soft

[edit] Links