Portugal was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 with the song "Só sei ser feliz assim" written by Marco Quelhas and performed by the duo MTM. The Portuguese participating broadcaster, Radiotelevisão Portuguesa (RTP), returned to the Eurovision Song Contest after a one-year absence following their relegation in 2000 as one of the six countries with the lowest average scores over the previous five contests. RTP organised the national final Festival da Canção 2001 in order to select the Portuguese entry for the 2001 contest in Copenhagen, Denmark. After five semi-finals and a final which took place between October 2000 and March 2001, "Só sei ser feliz assim" performed by MTM emerged as the winner after achieving the highest score following the combination of votes from 20 regional juries.
The song competed in the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 12 May 2001. Performed during the show in position 11, it placed seventeenth out of the 23 participating songs from different countries, scoring 18 points.
Prior to the 2001 contest, Radiotelevisão Portuguesa (RTP) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Portugal thirty-five times since its first entry in 1964.[1] Its highest placing in the contest was sixth, achieved in 1996 with the song "O meu coração não tem cor" performed by Lúcia Moniz. Its least successful result has been last place, which it has achieved on three occasions, most recently in 1997 with the song "Antes do adeus" performed by Célia Lawson. The Portuguese entry has also received nul points on two occasions; in 1964 and 1997.
RTP has traditionally selected the Portuguese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest via the music competition Festival da Canção, with an exception in 1988 when it selected its entry internally. The broadcaster organized Festival da Canção 2001 in order to select the 2001 Portuguese entry.[2]
Before Eurovision
Festival da Canção 2001
The logo of Festival da Canção 2001
Festival da Canção 2001 was the 38th edition of Festival da Canção that selected the Portuguese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2001. Artists and composers were able to submit their entries for the competition between 12 June 2000 and 12 July 2000, and 50 entries were selected from 572 submissions received.[3][4] Among the competing artists was former Eurovision Song Contest entrant Pedro Soares (member of the group Vudoo), who represented Portugal in the 1998 contest as a member of Alma Lusa.[5] Marisa Mena, who competed under the moniker Izamena, would later go on to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 as Mimicat.[6]
The format of the competition consisted of six shows taking place in different cities across Portugal: five semi-finals and a final. Each semi-final featured ten competing entries from which two as determined by a jury panel appointed by RTP advanced from each show to complete the ten song lineup in the final. Results during the final were determined by the votes from 20 regional juries. All six shows of the competition were hosted by Sónia Araújo and Cristina Möhler and broadcast on RTP1 and RTP Internacional.[7]
The five semi-finals took place between 20 October 2000 and 16 February 2001. In each semi-final ten entries competed and two advanced to the final based on the votes of a jury panel consisting of three permanent members (Tozé Brito, Luís Pedro Fonseca and José Calvário) and two varying members: Sara Tavares and Margarida Brandão for the first semi-final, Adelaide Ferreira and Sofia Lisboa for the second semi-final, Olavo Bilac and João de Almeida for the third semi-final, Rita Guerra and Luís Filipe for the fourth semi-final, and João Gil and Luís Alberto Bettencourt for the fifth semi-final.[5][8]
The final took place on 7 March 2001, but the broadcast of the show was postponed until 11 March 2001 after two days of national mourning were declared due to the Hintze Ribeiro Bridge collapse.[9] The ten entries that qualified from the five preceding semi-finals competed and the winner, "Só sei ser feliz assim" performed by MTM, was selected based on the votes of 20 regional juries.[10][11]
The Eurovision Song Contest 2001 took place at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2001 took place at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 12 May 2001.[12] The relegation rules introduced for the 1997 contest were again utilised ahead of the 2001 contest, based on each country's average points total in previous contests. The 23 participants were made up of the host country, the "Big Four" countries (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom), and the 12 countries with the highest average scores between the 1996 and 2000 contests competed in the final.[13] On 9 November 2001, an allocation draw was held which determined the running order and Portugal was set to perform in position 11, following the entry from Croatia and before the entry from Ireland.[14] Portugal finished in seventeenth place scoring 18 points.[15]
RTP broadcast the contest on RTP1 and RTP Internacional with commentary by Eládio Clímaco.[16][17][18] RTP appointed Margarida Mercês de Melo to announce the results of the Portuguese televote during the final.
Voting
Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Portugal and awarded by Portugal in the contest. The nation awarded its 12 points to France in the contest.
