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Background TO THE COMPETITION

The aim of the contest is simple: to allow fans of the Eurovision Song Contest who also write songs to compete in a Europe-wide competition run broadly along the lines of Eurovision itself.

The contest was created by Morten Boldt Hansen in 1991. There were nine entries, and the contest was won by Morten himself with ‘A World in Peace’. Despite the name of the competition, lyrics were not allowed in the inaugural competition

The contest is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and has taken place every year since 1991, apart from 1995.

Past competitors have gone on to take part in Eurovision finals, including two singers from the 1998 Contest in Birmingham; Michalis Hasjiyannis, from Cyprus, who took part in HCSC 1994, and Malta’s Chiara (who’s 1997 Home Composed entry was retrospectively disqualified for being professional).

More recently, Jonas Gladnikoff tried his hand in the Home Composed Song Contest, before going on to write the Irish Eurovision entries in both 2009 and 2010, as well as the fan-favourite Schlager entry ‘Someday’, runner up in the Danish National Final 2009

Last year’s winning entry was ’Running on Empty’, written by David Graaff and Andy Brook, performed by ‘londonvision, feat. Tiina’- bringing the trophy to the UK for the first time.

Rules

Entries accepted from ‘Eurovision’ countries
Professional, commercial entries are not allowed
Songs can be in any language; instrumentals are allowed
Maximum of two songs from each team (most enter only one)
Each competing team also takes part as a jury, voting on the other entries in Eurovision style (“douze points)

Stats

A total of 386 songs have been entered over the past 19 years.
Most successful countries: Denmark (7 wins) Sweden (3) Germany (2)
24 countries have been represented: debuts still awaited from countries including Ireland, Iceland, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Hungary

This year

Host: Andy Brook
Host City: London
Closing date for entries: 2 October
Public vote on the website during October
Final results announced 1-2 November

Radio International

Songs will be showcased on Radio International during October . Website: Radio International

Trophy

Original framed photograph commissioned from award winning London-based photographer Kasia Nowak. The photograph is of a detail from the Blue Men Project by Israeli sculpture Ofra Zimbalista, which can be found on an office building in the London area of Borough