The 1959 Eurovision Song Contest marked the first time any country had won the contest more than once, with the Netherlands claiming its second victory.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 4th Eurovision Song Contest
- Date
- 11 March 1959
- Winner
- Netherlands – "Een beetje" by Teddy Scholten
- Countries participating
- 11
- First-time participant
- Monaco
- Host broadcaster
- Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
France won the 1958 Eurovision Song Contest with André Claveau's "Dors, mon amour", which entitled French broadcaster RTF to host the following year's contest. The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes was selected as the venue, and eleven national broadcasters confirmed participation, including Monaco as a debut entrant and the United Kingdom returning after a one-year absence.
On 11 March 1959, the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européenne was held in Cannes, hosted by presenter Jacqueline Joubert. Eleven countries competed, and the Netherlands' entry "Een beetje", performed by Teddy Scholten and written by Willy van Hemert, won the contest. The United Kingdom finished as runner-up, followed by France, Switzerland, and Denmark.
The Netherlands became the first country to win the Eurovision Song Contest more than once, having previously won in 1957. Lyricist Willy van Hemert also became the first individual to win the contest twice. The United Kingdom recorded the first of what would eventually total sixteen runner-up finishes, establishing a pattern of strong British results in subsequent decades.
Work
Eurovision Song Contest 1959 – winner: "Een beetje"
The 1959 contest set the precedent for repeat winners in Eurovision and established the Netherlands as an early dominant force; van Hemert's back-to-back lyrical wins signalled the growing importance of songwriting craft in the competition.