VOTE FOR THE WINNERS | Have your say in the People’s Choice categories of the 2015 EBJ Awards for Eurovision Excellence!
UPDATE: The People’s Choice polls have now closed. Thanks to everyone who voted – there was a pretty impressive turnout by EBJ standards! Drop by in the coming days for Parts 1 and 2 of the Eurovision Excellence Awards, when the results (and winners of a heap of other “trophies”) will be revealed. Subscribe to EBJ if you want your email to let you know exactly when those posts go live!
When Eurovision 2015 came to a close, it left us with one winner and thirty-nine losers spread across Europe (with one down here in Australia). I’m sorry to put it so harshly, but when you’re not winning, you’re technically losing, no matter what Malta’s Amber thinks. Marcel Bezençon Awards aside, only Måns Zelmerlöw departed Vienna with a trophy in his suitcase (though I like to think he insisted on wrapping it in a blanket, cradling it like a baby and singing it lullabies all the way back to Sweden. I know I would have).
I think that’s über unfair. That’s why, for the sixth year running, I’m holding my own ceremony of awards to honour the achievements of the countries, artists and songs that were not champions of the contest itself. I can’t promise Sweden won’t win any of these trophies too, however. Why should they be punished for bringing their A-game?
Anyway, these awards are better known as The EBJ Awards for Eurovision Excellence, and span five fabulous categories: The Artists, The Songs, The Performances, The Costumes and The Results (you can check out the 2014 awards here and here). In each category, there’s at least one gong that goes to the most popular nominee as voted by you (yes, you…have you had a haircut? It looks great. Really flatters your jawline). And today, voting is the task I’d love you to undertake. If my totally personalised and genuine complimenting of your appearance didn’t make you want to do what I tell you to, then you should know that anyone who votes in the polls below will receive a jar of my eternal gratitude in the mail in around 6-8 weeks.
So, if you’re up for it (which I’m sure you are now) it’s time to make some very important decisions – including that of who had the most superbly-styled hair in the Stadthalle (choosing the nominees for that made me miss Guy Sebastian’s old ‘fro like crazy). If you feel like I’ve missed out on nominating a particular country/artist/song for any award, feel free to nominate them yourself in the comments, and I’ll be sure to count that as a vote, because I’m nice like that. Not humble, but nice.
Now go forth and vote, vote, vote for the winners!
And tell your friends to do the same.
The Artists
Mr. Congeniality
The most personable and approachable male artist on the ground in Vienna (who you’d take home to meet your parents in a heartbeat).
Miss Congeniality
The female artist from the Class of ’15 you’d want to be best friends with (and she can meet your parents too).
The Songs
Fanwank (Pardon My French) of the Year
The song that had hardcore fans frothing at the mouth months before Eurovision even took place.
Best Preview Video
The music video that was visually spectacular, took an entry to another level, and/or gave you serious feels (watch or re-watch all of the nominees here).
The Performances
Best Stage Prop/Gimmick
The attention-grabbing onstage accompaniment that made the song it was supporting much more memorable.
The All-Rounder of the Year
The country with an act who sang perfectly, whose style was on point, and who had a song that was brilliantly staged and choreographed (i.e. the entry with the total live package).
The Costumes
Hairdo of the Year
The artist with the moussed, flat-ironed and/or teased ‘do that you’re planning to recreate because it was the bomb dot com.
The Results
The ‘How Did That Happen?’ Award for Most Shocking Result
The…um, does this one really require an explanation?
Those are your eight People’s Choice Awards for 2015. Thank you so much for voting, if you did. If not, then what are you waiting for?
The polls will be open for about a week, and then the EBJEEs will commence. There are plenty more trophies up for grabs that I’ll be deciding the winners of myself, because I like to be in charge all the time every now and then. But for now, the fate of the nominees is in your hands.
Lordi help them.
May the best potential winner be the eventual, actual winner!
NEXT TIME The awesomeness level of performances in Vienna may have been off the charts, but I’ve managed to narrow a long list of highlights down to ten: my top ten performances of the year, that is. Drop by in a few days’ time and check out the countdown, from #10 to #1.
eurovisionbyjaz.com 
8 Responses to “VOTE FOR THE WINNERS | Have your say in the People’s Choice categories of the 2015 EBJ Awards for Eurovision Excellence!”
Yay, Václav made the Mr. Congeniality list! I certainly didn’t overlook those guns he was showing off in the video. Stig and Raay can play it out for their spots in my top 3 guys of ESC 2015.
Elhaida is my choice for Miss Congeniality. The hairstyle I don’t feel as agreeable about. I’ll have to comb through other candidates.
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Václav, Stig and Raay?? Don’t let anyone tell you that you have a type. I guess we’ll just be sparring over Mr. Rästa then (should Måns and The Makemakes’ Dom both reject me first). Game on!!
I shall count your Elhaida vote as a…well, vote for Elhaida, obviously. And then I’ll stop to give you a round of applause for the ‘comb through’ comment.
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Oh I know, my “type” is just as confounding to me as to my befuddled friends. Maybe my Honorable Mention guy will help clear up the picture: the one with the red glasses from Il Volo!
None of the hairstyles are compelling enough for me so I shall abstain. I’m more interested in the headgear of Nina Sublatti or Inga from Armenia.
Or you mean an *eye roll* for the comb through comment? That’s what I do. And yet I still hit the post button. 😉
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Red-glasses-Il-Voloer Piero?? Uh oh. Looks like we’ll be fighting over someone other than Stig. I do like a man who wears specs. Factor in Italian-ness, carefully cultivated stubble and the specs in question being red and rocked by the wearer, and EXCUSE ME WHILE I SWOON. Although…I wouldn’t mind recreating the upside-down Spiderman kiss with Gianluca either. Decisions, decisions!
Yeah, I have to admit the Hair category is lacking. Gone are the days of necks adorned with dreadlocks.
Hey, I enjoyed the comb through. You chose your audience well!
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No Estonia or Georgia in the best Preview video? They were far and away the best of the whole season!
Estonia – https://youtu.be/zWACbw3cqW0
Georgia – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZrRQSI_pcQ
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They were both on the shortlist! Just didn’t make the even-shorter list 😉 But if you want to vote Estonia or Georgia on that one, I’ll count it.
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After bagging Elina’s choice of lippy colour, will you be having a “Best Lipstick-Colour Choice” Award? Bojana’s was pretty good, I thought.
(:0)
Ali
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Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that. Makeup ineptitude and prowess probably should be recognised!
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