Revisiting Eurovision – Australia Decides 2020: Highlights from the show
- Kyriakos Tsinivits
- 11m
- 6 min read
On the anniversary of Eurovision — Australia Decides 2020, we look back at the much-loved show.
Almost exactly a year after the inaugural edition, Eurovision — Australia Decides made its return with the Gold Coast hosting yet again.
After the huge success of Eurovision — Australia Decides 2019 and Kate Miller-Heidke's top 10 result at Eurovision, Australian eurofans were ready for another taste of the national final.
It was a successful event with viewership up by 12% and it also featured in the top 10 of the most-watched shows of the night. A great result for SBS and the show itself.
Also growing was the Aussievision team itself. From only Mike and Dale on the ground for the inaugural event, the team had multiplied to a good dozen plus contributors, with many managing to make their way to the Gold Coast to volunteer and catch up in person.
This year marks six years since the second edition of Australia Decides in 2020. To celebrate this milestone we explore five highlights from the show.
1. International guests and the return of Eurovision queens
The success of the inaugural Australia Decides paved the way for international guests and returning Eurovision stars to take part in the 2020 show.
Jon Ola Sand, the Eurovision Song Contest Executive Supervisor at the time, made a memorable Bond-style entrance on stage to the tune of Conchita Wurst’s Rise Like a Phoenix.
He delivered his signature line, “Take It Away”, to verify the voting results — much to the delight of the Gold Coast crowd.
Eurovision 2015 winner Måns Zelmerlöw also made the long flight to Australia as a special guest. He performed his winning song Heroes and teamed up with Australia’s own Eurovision queen Dami Im for a duet, bringing a level of Eurovision gravitas that energized the audience and made for one of the show’s standout moments.
For many in the crowd, it was their first time seeing a Eurovision winner perform live.
Dami returned to the stage not only for the duet with Måns but also to perform her own song Marching On, and she made a special announcement that thrilled fans (more on that below).
Australia’s 2019 winner, Kate Miller-Heidke, also returned, opening the show with a piano-accompanied performance of her top 10 Eurovision hit Zero Gravity — this time, without the pole — reminding everyone why she’s one of Australia’s most memorable Eurovision performers.
2. Return of past Eurovision and Australia Decides songwriters
The second edition of Australia Decides saw the return of several past Eurovision songwriters, including artists and writers from the inaugural 2019 show.
Most notably, Anthony Egizii and David Musumeci — known collectively as DNA Songs — co-wrote the 2020 winning entry Don’t Break Me with Montaigne. The duo had previously co-written three of Australia’s Eurovision songs during the era of internal selections pre-national finals.
Their Eurovision track record is impressive: they penned Sound of Silence for Dami Im in 2016, which won the jury vote and secured Australia’s best-ever result as runner-up. The following year, they wrote Don’t Come Easy for Isaiah Firebrace, finishing 9th in the Grand Final, and in 2018 co-wrote We Got Love for Jessica Mauboy, helping Australia reach its fourth consecutive Grand Final.
Other returning talents included Dutch-born Australian songwriter Louis Schoorl, who co-wrote Australia’s 2015 Eurovision entry Tonight Again with Guy Sebastian. In 2020, he contributed Can We Make Heaven for newly crowned The Voice Australia winner Diana Rouvas, who finished 7th.
Tania Doko also returned for her second Australia Decides entry, this time co-writing with George Sheppard of Sheppard. Their song, Pushing Stars was performed by rising talent Jordan-Ravi. He delivered an energetic performance, ultimately finishing in 10th place.
3. It was a tight competition
The 2020 edition of Eurovision – Australia Decides had a split between the jury and televote votes and a wider spread of points resulting in a much closer contest.
At the inaugural 2019 show, both the jury and televote were in complete sync, giving their top scores to Kate Miller-Heidke and her operatic powerhouse Zero Gravity.
In contrast, 2020 saw Montaigne win the jury vote with Don’t Break Me, while the public favoured Casey Donovan’s Proud, placing her first in the televote. Montaigne ultimately won by just seven points.
The overall score spread also reflected the tighter competition: there were 84 points between first and tenth place in 2020, compared to 117 in 2019, and nine acts scored over 30 points — up from seven the previous year.
Even Jordan-Ravi’s 12 televote points would have been the seventh-highest in 2019, highlighting just how competitive the field had become.
Casey Donovan's televote win proved once again what a public juggernaut she is. While she didn’t take out the overall win, 2020 marked her third public vote victory in reality-style contests, following Australian Idol and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here.
Her likeable personality, flawless vocals, and commanding stage presence make her a perennial contender for representing Australia at Eurovision, which is why her name continues to surface year after year as a potential Australian entrant.
4. Dami's big announcement
Dami Im returned to Eurovision – Australia Decides in 2020 as a guest performer for the second year running — and this time, she came with a surprise.
After performing her newly released duet Walk With Me with Måns, Dami thrilled the audience by revealing that she planned to compete in the next edition of Australia Decides.
“The big secret is that… next year I’m going to be throwing my hat in the ring to compete on this stage for Eurovision 2021.”
The announcement was met with roaring cheers and applause, with chants of 'Dami' there were so deafening the crowd almost forgot Måns. It quickly became one of the night’s most exciting moments for Australian Eurovision fans.
Fans had long hoped for Dami’s return to the Eurovision stage. Back in 2016, she competed with Sound of Silence, winning the jury vote but finishing as runner-up overall — a result many felt was unfair.
Since then, her name has consistently been mentioned as a potential Eurovision contender, with fans eager to see her claim the title.
Unfortunately, Dami’s anticipated return never materialised. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of Eurovision 2020, and Australia Decides 2021 was subsequently cancelled after Montaigne was internally selected to represent Australia that year.
Even today, Dami remains one of Australia’s top contenders for Eurovision.
In 2026, she confirmed she would be sitting out due to family commitments, focusing on her youngest son — but her legacy and star power continue to make her a fan favourite.
5. Respect between the artists
For the second year running, one of the standout aspects of Australia Decides was the genuine respect and affection between the competing artists.
This was especially evident with Didirri and Jaguar Jonze. Not only did they bring their unique musical styles to the stage, but they also brought a warm, approachable, and friendly energy that resonated throughout the show.
So approachable, in fact, that they were spotted selling their own merchandise behind the desk after the jury final.
Their support for their friend Montaigne was particularly heartwarming, culminating in a group embrace at the end of the night — a simple yet unforgettable moment that perfectly captured the spirit of camaraderie and mutual admiration among the artists.
A lasting legacy
Six years on, Eurovision – Australia Decides 2020 remains a standout moment in Australia’s Eurovision journey.
It was a night where emerging talent shared the stage with seasoned performers, where fans could cheer for their favourites, and where respect between artists shone as brightly as the performances themselves. Though the pandemic would soon pause the national final, the 2020 edition remains a cherished memory.
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