Once a dominant force in the Eurovision Song Contest, the United Kingdom has found positive results at a premium in the 21st century.
Considered one of the "Big Five" countries, alongside France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, the UK has finished last (in 2003, 2008, 2010, 2019, and 2021) on more occasions than it has finished in the top 10 since 2000.
Prior to the turn of the century the UK had only finished outside the top 10 on three occasions (1978, 1987, and 1999) and the country still holds the record for most runner-up finishes in Eurovision history, achieving second place on 16 occasions.
The UK is a five-time winner of Eurovision with Sandie Shaw (1967), Lulu (1969), Brotherhood of Man (1976), Bucks Fizz (1981) and Katrina and the Waves (1997) all emerging victorious.
Patricia Bredin was the United Kingdom's first Eurovision performed as she featured in the second edition of the song contest in 1957.
The UK had representation from several established performers including Matt Monro, Cliff Richard and Olivia Newton-John, but all three failed to triumph in their respective years. Cliff Richard even had another crack five years after his first attempt in 1973, only to finish third instead of the runner-up result he achieved in 1968.
Despite only finishing eighth in the 1996 contest, Gina G enjoyed huge success with her entry "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit", which became only the second non-winning UK entry to top the UK Singles Chart.
Very few envisioned that after 1997, when Katrina and the Waves, famous for their 1980s hit "Walking on Sunshine", secured the United Kingdom's fifth Eurovision victory that the country would experience such a lull in results.
The UK has regularly placed in the bottom half of the scoreboard since their last triumph, but there have been some notable exceptions, most recently with Sam Ryder. The Essex singer became the UK's highest-scoring entrant in 2022 with "Space Man", however it wasn't enough to secure top spot as Ukraine prevailed.
Every United Kingdom entry in Eurovision
Year | Artist | Song | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
1957 | Patricia Bredin | "All" | 7 |
1959 | Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson | "Sing Little Birdie" | 2 |
1960 | Bryan Johnson | "Looking High, High, High" | 2 |
1961 | The Allisons | "Are You Sure?" | 2 |
1962 | Ronnie Carroll | "Ring-A-Ding Girl" | 4 |
1963 | Ronnie Carroll | "Say Wonderful Things" | 4 |
1964 | Matt Monro | "I Love the Little Things" | 2 |
1965 | Kathy Kirby | "I Belong" | 2 |
1966 | Kenneth McKellar | "A Man Without Love" | 9 |
1967 | Sandie Shaw | "Puppet on a String" | 1 |
1968 | Cliff Richard | "Congratulations" | 2 |
1969 | Lulu | "Boom Bang-a-Bang" | 1 |
1970 | Mary Hopkin | "Knock, Knock (Who's There?)" | 2 |
1971 | Clodagh Rodgers | "Jack in the Box" | 4 |
1972 | The New Seekers | "Beg, Steal or Borrow" | 2 |
1973 | Cliff Richard | "Power to All Our Friends" | 3 |
1974 | Olivia Newton-John | "Long Live Love" | 4 |
1975 | The Shadows | "Let Me Be the One" | 2 |
1976 | Brotherhood of Man | "Save Your Kisses for Me" | 1 |
1977 | Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran | "Rock Bottom" | 2 |
1978 | Co-Co | "The Bad Old Days" | 11 |
1979 | Black Lace | "Mary Ann" | 7 |
1980 | Prima Donna | "Love Enough for Two" | 3 |
1981 | Bucks Fizz | "Making Your Mind Up" | 1 |
1982 | Bardo | "One Step Further" | 7 |
1983 | Sweet Dreams | "I'm Never Giving Up" | 6 |
1984 | Belle and the Devotions | "Love Games" | 7 |
1985 | Vikki | "Love Is" | 4 |
1986 | Ryder | "Runner in the Night" | 7 |
1987 | Rikki | "Only the Light" | 13 |
1988 | Scott Fitzgerald | "Go" | 2 |
1989 | Live Report | "Why Do I Always Get It Wrong" | 2 |
1990 | Emma | "Give a Little Love Back to the World" | 6 |
1991 | Samantha Janus | "A Message to Your Heart" | 10 |
1992 | Michael Ball | "One Step Out of Time" | 2 |
1993 | Sonia | "Better the Devil You Know" | 2 |
1994 | Frances Ruffelle | "We Will Be Free (Lonely Symphony)" | 10 |
1995 | Love City Groove | "Love City Groove" | 10 |
1996 | Gina G | "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" | 8 |
1997 | Katrina and the Waves | "Love Shine a Light" | 1 |
1998 | Imaani | "Where Are You?" | 2 |
1999 | Precious | "Say It Again" | 12 |
2000 | Nicki French | "Don't Play That Song Again" | 16 |
2001 | Lindsay Dracass | "No Dream Impossible" | 15 |
2002 | Jessica Garlick | "Come Back" | 3 |
2003 | Jemini | "Cry Baby" | 26 |
2004 | James Fox | "Hold On to Our Love" | 16 |
2005 | Javine | "Touch My Fire" | 22 |
2006 | Daz Sampson | "Teenage Life" | 19 |
2007 | Scooch | "Flying the Flag (For You)" | 22 |
2008 | Andy Abraham | "Even If" | 25 |
2009 | Jade Ewen | "It's My Time" | 5 |
2010 | Josh Dubovie | "That Sounds Good to Me" | 25 |
2011 | Blue | "I Can" | 11 |
2012 | Engelbert Humperdinck | "Love Will Set You Free" | 25 |
2013 | Bonnie Tyler | "Believe in Me" | 19 |
2014 | Molly | "Children of the Universe" | 17 |
2015 | Electro Velvet | "Still in Love with You" | 24 |
2016 | Joe and Jake | "You're Not Alone" | 24 |
2017 | Lucie Jones | "Never Give Up on You" | 15 |
2018 | SuRie | "Storm" | 24 |
2019 | Michael Rice | "Bigger than Us" | 26 |
2020 | James Newman | "My Last Breath" | Contest cancelled |
2021 | James Newman | "Embers" | 26 |
2022 | Sam Ryder | "Space Man" | 2 |
2023 | Mae Muller | "I Wrote a Song" | 25 |
2024 | Olly Alexander | "Dizzy" | 18 |
2025 | Remember Monday | "What the Hell Just Happened?" | 19 |
2026 | Look Mum No Computer | "Eins, Zwei, Drei" | TBD |
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