Uku Suviste to represent Estonia in Eurovision Song Contest finals

TALLINN - Uku Suviste will again represent Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest, as the singer was awarded first place in the Eesti Laul 2021 competition on Saturday night.

Suviste won the competition with the song "The Lucky One." Sissi, with the song "Time," was second and Juri Pootsman, with "Magus melanhoolia" ("Sweet melancholia"), third, public broadcaster ERR reported.

The winner was picked from among the 12 entries shortlisted for the Eesti Laul final in a combination of vote by an international jury and 55,956 votes given by the audience. 

Suviste had been Estonia's entry last year, but the grand finals were canceled due to the pandemic.

The finals of the Eurovision Song Contest cannot take place as normal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, also this year and the size of the live audience that will appear at Eurovision 2021 is still uncertain. Efforts are being made for all finalists to be able to perform their act at the Ahoy arena on May 22, organizers have said. The final decision as regards the audience is to be made in the next few weeks.

The Netherlands won the right to host the finals after Dutch singer-songwriter Duncan Laurence won the 2019 finals of the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv in 2019.