NDR/S.Martinelli; T.Trambow; D.Bocker; C.Mai; C.Bauer (M)
05/22/2021 11:35 am
Helene Fischer’s long-time music manager Uwe Kanthak is one of the five jurors who award half of the German ESC points. Janin Ullmann is the chief juror.
Half of the points from Germany at the 65th Eurovision Song Contest are awarded by the audience, the other half by an expert jury. As the NDR announced on the day of the finals, these five music specialists are part of the jury: Ex-VIVA presenter Janin Ullmann (39), ECHO winner Ivy Quainoo (28), music producer Matthias Arfmann (born 1964), radio presenter Constantin Zöller (born 1987) and music manager Uwe Kanthak, to whom Helene Fischer (36) owes her great career, as she always emphasizes.
Uwe Kanthak was already at the ESC in 2001
Uwe Kanthak already accompanied singer Michelle (49) to the ESC 2001, where she took eighth place. “I will never forget the unique atmosphere when I accompanied Michelle to Copenhagen as a manager and later sat next to her in the Green Room when the points were awarded,” he enthuses. “At the ESC, millions of people celebrate music and its artists. It stands for friendship between peoples and diversity in a colorful Europe, ”Kanthak continued. He is all the more pleased to be part of this year’s jury. “I expect great interpreters, great music and spectacular performances.”
Janin Ullmann is the head of the jury
But someone else wears the hat in the German jury: Janin Ullmann. “It is an honor for me to take over the German jury chairmanship of the ESC this year,” she says. It looks back on its own long ESC history. “For years I sat excitedly in front of the television myself and celebrated ESC parties with friends and made bets as to who would win. Later I was able to be there myself for ARD and report live, ”she says. “That I am now […] I can and may have a say in decisions at our ESC parties back then. A dream becomes true!”
Ivy Quainoo connects childhood memories with the ESC
ECHO winner Ivy Quainoo also has a lot in common with the international competition. “The ESC accompanied me for most of my childhood and youth. I always watched the show with my family or friends, ”she says. She has always been fascinated by the diverse pop music of Europe and at the same time given her the feeling of being part of it all. “It was a shame that the ESC was canceled last year, of course, but I am all the more pleased to be an active participant this year,” said Quainoo.
Matthias Arfmann on the “important event” ESC
Matthias Arfmann was also an ESC fan as a child, as he says. “The broadcasts on television were not only very appealing to me because I was allowed to stay up late and watch television. No, especially fascinating were all the ‘colorful’ bands that I got to know both in admiration and with a shake of the head. ”Today, the ESC is still“ an important event for him, which teaches us all that nationalism, homophobia and Sexism have no place in the cultural scene ”.
Constantin Zöller raves about the “first meaningful job”
Constantin Zöller, who has hosted a weekly radio show together with Thomas Gottschalk since 2020, draws the link to the big picture and raves: “When almost 200 million viewers all over the world enjoy a joint show at the same time, then that’s fabulous. I am proud that I am a member of the jury. Probably my first meaningful job. “
“And twelve points go to …”
In the final, artists from 26 countries compete against each other, but all 39 nations participating in the ESC can vote. The public voting and the jury voting are equally important. In the legendary voting round “And twelve points go to …”, the results of the national juries will be announced live one after the other. In Hamburg, Barbara Schöneberger (47) takes over again. For Germany, Jendrik Sigwart (26) will be on stage with his song “I Don’t Feel Hate” in the ESC finale on May 22nd.
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