GENEVA (AP) — Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest are trying to add suspense to the annual songfest by shaking up the voting system.
The European Broadcasting Union said Thursday that, starting this year, votes cast by countries' professional juries and by viewers will be announced separately — the latter only at the end of the show.
Until now, each country has presented a single set of votes, meaning it was often clear long before the end of the show which nation's entry would win as a song built an unassailable lead.
The EBU says the new system won't make the 3 1/2-hour show longer. Juries and viewers from every country will now separately award up to 12 points to songs.
This year's Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Stockholm May 14.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.