Most Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals won (individual)

Since they were introduced to the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in 2004, just one act has managed to advance to the Grand Final by winning as many as two semi-finals: Norway’s Alexander Rybak (b. USSR, now modern-day Belarus), in 2009 and 2018. In 2009, “Fairytale” amassed 201 points to win the second semi-final in Moscow, Russia, on 14 May. Two days later, “Fairytale” stormed to victory in the Grand Final with a then-record total of 387 points from the juries and televoting combined, outscoring the runner-up by a healthy 169 points. On 10 May 2018, Rybak returned to the ESC with “That’s How You Write a Song”, which topped the leaderboard with 266 points in the second semi-final in Lisbon, Portugal. In the Grand Final on 12 May, however, there was to be no fairytale ending this time as Rybak finished 15th on 144 points, in a memorable contest won by Netta’s “Toy”.

Rybak (b. 13 May 1986) was the youngest male solo artist to win the ESC, aged 23 years 3 days on 16 May 2009. As well as his two competitive appearances, Rybak performed “Fairytale” as the opening act of the 2010 ESC final in Oslo, Norway, and was an interval act in both 2012 (in Baku, Azerbaijan) and 2016 (in Stockholm, Sweden). He has also worked as an event commentator, and as a judge when Belgium selected its participants at its national finals in 2016 and 2023.