A look at who could win the Eurovision finals

>>> THIS WEEKEND MARKS THE GRAND FINAL FOR THE YEAR OF VISION SONG CONTEST. IT’S A GLOBAL TALENT COMPETITION THAT ACTUALLY BEGAN IN 1956. 16 GROUPS FROM AROUND THE WORLD PARTICIPATED. BESIDE THE BIG FIVE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES THAT AUTOMATICALLY ADVANCE. THIS YEAR’S WINNER QUALIFYING FOR THE FINAL LEG OF THE COMPETITION INCLUDE ARTISTS FROM AUSTRIA, POLAND, THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND MANY MORE. ALICIA MICHELLE JOINS US. SHE IS AN EURO VISION YOU TUBER. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING BEFORE. THE EURO VISION YOU TUBER, WHAT IS THIS? >> I FOLLOW THE EURO VISION. THIS IS THE END

OF A VERY LONG JOURNEY FOR ME SORT TO SPEAK. >> IT SORT OF SOUNDS LIKE THE ELECTION CYCLE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES FROM SOME WAYS. BUT LET’S MOVE ON FROM THAT. HOW DOES THE VOTING PROCESS WORK? >> SO YEAH, WE HAVE THE VOTES MADE UP OF 50% JURIES, THESE ARE JURIES OF INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS. SOME MUSIC FOLKS, SOMETIMES PAST EURO VISION PARTICIPANTS ON THE JURY THEN YOU HAVE THE TELE VOTE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT EURO VISION IS WE NO LONGER HAS THE JURIES IN THE SEMIFINALS. WE’RE REALLY GOING TO THINK WHAT

THE JURIES THINK ON SATURDAY EVENING. BUT THE PUBLIC HAS ALREADY MADE THEIR VOICES HEARD AND THAT’S LIKE KIND OF THE SEMIFINAL PROCESS. SO WE HAVE 20 SONGS THAT THE

EUROPEAN PUBLIC, NO WAIT, NOT JUST THE EUROPEAN PUBLIC ACTUALLY THE WORLD BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF EUROPE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO VOTE ON THE CONTEST. >> I LIVED OVERSEAS FOR ABOUT A DECADE. I’M FAMILIAR WITH THE EURO VISION SONG CONTEST. BUT IT’S KIND OF A NEW CONCEPT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. SO KIND OF BIG PICTURE, IS IT A BIG DEAL

TO WIN? >> IT’S A HUGE DEAL TO WIN. I MEAN IF WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE PAST EURO VISION WINNERS FROM ABBA TO CELINE DION. THIS REALLY CAN BE AN ARTIST OR BANDS INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD. SO IT’S A HUGE DEAL. >> KIND OF LAUNCHING POINT. SO LOOK LAST YEAR UKRAINE WON AND WOULD NORMALLY HOST BUT FOR SECURITY REASONS THE FINAL IS BEING HELD IN ENGLAND. WILL RUSSIA’S WAR CRIMES AGAINST CIVILIANS BE ADDRESSED? >> I THINK THE BBC IN CONJUNCTION WITH UKRAINE HAS AGREED TO PUT TOGETHER THAT FEELS CELEBRATORY BUT WILL TAKE MOMENTS THROUGHOUT

THE SHOW TO RECOGNIZE WHAT IS EXACTLY GOING ON. SO EVEN JUST AT THE SEMI FINAL ONE WE HAD ON TUESDAY EVENING THERE WAS A TRIBUTE PERFORMANCE THAT SORT OF SPOKE TO WHAT SOME PEOPLE WERE EXPERIENCING AT THE INVASION. SO I THINK THERE’S A NICE BALANCE OF RECOGNIZING WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. BUT THEN ALSO TAKING MOMENTS TO SORT OF BE OPTIMISTIC AND CELEBRATORY FOR UKRAINIAN CULTURE AND OF COURSE MUSIC AND THEIR WONDERFUL TRACK RECORD AT THE EURO VISION. >> WHO DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO TAKE THE TOP PRIZE? >> I MEAN WE HAVE A TWO

HORSE RACE BETWEEN SWEDEN AND FINLAND BUT THEY’RE NOT THE ONLY FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO WOW US ON THE STAGE. SO YES, I THINK IT IS A TWO WAY RACE BETWEEN SWEDEN AND FINLAND RIGHT NOW. BUT THERE’S GOING TO BE SO MANY OTHER INTERESTING ACTS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE STAGE AT EURO VISION. >> I LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR THIS AND EXPLAINING WHAT