The BBC has confirmed that Sam Ryder’s manager has been recruited to help find the contestant that will represent the UK at Eurovision 2025.
READ MORE: Eurovision 2024 – fans and boycotters speak: “This is bigger than the contest”
The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Basel, Switzerland, with the final taking place in May 2025. This comes after Nemo clinched victory for Switzerland at Eurovision 2024 with their track ‘The Code’. It marked the nation’s first win since 1988, as well as the first-ever non-binary winner of Eurovision.
Now, ahead of next year’s instalment, the BBC is searching for the next act who will represent the UK, and have enlisted help from music industry figure David May.
May worked closely with the BBC team back in 2022 as the manager of UK contestant Sam Ryder. At the final of the competition, Ryder pulled the most impressive results in recent memory for the UK – coming in second place, just behind Ukraine.
As well as being Ryder’s manager, May has also reached over 200million streams as a writer and producer, has over 17 years of experience in the industry, and was nominated for Music Week’s Manager of the Year in 2023 (as per BBC News). He also has successes including a chart-topping UK album, two Number Two singles, and nominations for both BRIT and Emmy awards.
He will be working with BBC Studios North Executive Producer Andrew Cartmell in leading the UK search ahead of Eurovision 2025.
“I’m excited to be working with BBC Studios and the BBC on this journey. We’re seeking talent and a song that embodies the essence of UK music,” he said in a new statement (via BBC). “We want to collaborate with an authentic act who has a genuine, heartfelt story to tell, and an unmatched vocal tonality and range. Ultimately we’re looking for a powerful three-minute performance that resonates with and moves audiences across Europe and beyond.”
Cartmell added: “David played a major part in Sam Ryder’s success in 2022, and I’m thrilled that we are working together again. David has huge industry expertise, a real understanding of how Eurovision works and a determination, along with the BBC and BBC Studios to achieve a high placing in May next year.”
The act and the song representing the UK at Eurovision 2025 will be announced ahead of the European Broadcasting Union’s deadline in March.
While Ryder nearly took the crown for the song contest back in 2022 with his song ‘SPACE MAN’, UK contestants haven’t fared so well since then.
Earlier this year, former Years & Years singer Olly Alexander performed the song ‘Dizzy’ at the competition and finished 18th out of 25 countries. He earned just 46 points from the jury, but none from the voting public.
Olly Alexander performs live at Eurovision 2024. CREDIT: Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty
Mae Muller’s finished second from last in 2023 after performing her track ‘I Wrote A Song’ last year, and before then, the UK also scored nul points in 2021, and finished in last place in 2019.
Following his title as runner up in 2022, Sam Ryder went on to perform at the final of the 2023 edition, and was joined on stage by Queen drummer Roger Taylor.
Eurovision 2024 broke global viewing figures despite protests over the inclusion of Israel at this year’s event amid the war in Gaza. According to figures from the EBU, 163 million viewers tuned into the three live events including the Grand Final.
Israel’s inclusion prompted boycott calls from the LGBT+ community towards Olly Alexander, and over 1,000 Swedish artists also called for Israel to be banned this year – including Robyn, Fever Ray, and First Aid Kit – and more. Over 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals signed a petition to ban the country from taking part in the contest as well.
Hosts Malin Åkerman and Petra Mede on stage during The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Grand Final at Malmö Arena on May 11, 2024 in Malmo, Sweden. (Photo by Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images)
Israel was ultimately allowed to compete, and due to a political neutrality clause, the EBU announced they reserved the right to remove Palestinian flags and symbols. They would later go on to censor Irish contestant Bambie Thug for wearing the word ‘ceasefire’ and ‘freedom for Palestine’ as a hidden message on their costume.
Additionally, controversy this year also came as organisers disqualified the Netherlands’ entry Joost Klein just hours before the contest.
Since his time on Eurovision, Olly Alexander has gone on to announce his upcoming album ‘Polari’, as well as a UK tour for 2025. Set for release on February 7, the record marks the Years & Years frontman’s first album release under his own name.
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