The Eurovision Song Contest has implemented new rules for its 2023 competition.
The contest will see a new voting system applied for Liverpool, putting the power directly into the hands of viewers. Historically, the acts moving on to the finals would be decided by a jury/public mix but the Reference Group has confirmed that will no longer be the case.
The jury's vote will now be removed entirely - the first time since 2009 - leaving the public to decide. The grand final system will remain the same, relying on a mixed score from the jury and televoters to crown a winner.
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Viewers in non-competing countries will also have their say as they too will be allowed to vote. The "Rest of World" votes will be tallied and converted to points with the same weight as one participating country.
Martin Österdahl, the Eurovision Song Contest’s Executive Supervisor, said: "Throughout its 67-year history, the Eurovision Song Contest has constantly evolved to remain relevant and exciting. These changes acknowledge the immense popularity of the show by giving more power to the audience of the world’s largest live music event.
"In 2023 only Eurovision Song Contest viewers will decide which countries make it to the Grand Final and, reflecting the global impact of the event, everyone watching the show, wherever they live in the world, can cast their votes for their favourite songs.
"By also involving juries of music professionals in deciding the final result, all the songs in the Grand Final can be assessed on the broadest possible criteria. We can also maintain the tradition of travelling around Europe and Australia to collect points and ensure a thrilling voting sequence with the winner only revealed at the very end of the show."
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