Azerbaijan participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 and selected their singer in the national final Milli Seçim Turu, which was organised by the public broadcasters İTV.[1]Farid Mammadov represented Azerbaijan with the song "Hold Me", which finished in 2nd place scoring 234 points in the grand final.[2]
National final
Heats
70 singers were split in eight heats with eight or nine singers in each. Weekly heats consisted of five shows aired from Monday to Friday, with a foreign song performed on Monday, an Azerbaijani song on Tuesday, a past-year Eurovision song on Wednesday, a song with a special focus on performance on Thursday and a song of the singer's own choice on Friday. The winner of each quarter-final, chosen by SMS voting (50%) and an "expert" jury (50%) qualified for the final.
Heat 1
Heat 1 – 17–21 December 2012
Draw
Artist
Points
Place
1
New Skin
10
2
2
Jahangir Gasimzadeh
3
8
3
Madina Muradkhanova
8
3
4
Vugar Muradov
12
1
5
Anna Zemchenko
4
7
6
Nigar Alizadeh
5
6
7
Elgiz Mammadov
2
9
8
Rinat Alimov
6
5
9
Tomris Naibli
7
4
Heat 2
Heat 2 – 24–28 December 2012
Draw
Artist
Points
Place
1
Shahin Sadigov
4
7
2
Sebel Jafarova
5
6
3
Baku Rock Group
6
5
4
Rafael Isayev
7
4
5
Khayal Taghiyev
2
9
6
Ena-Kamelia Tabesh Moghaddam
10
2
7
Anar Safarov
3
8
8
Ravana Aliyeva
12
1
9
Leyla Izzatova
8
3
Heat 3
Heat 3 – 7–11 January 2013
Draw
Artist
Points
Place
1
Avantaj
5
6
2
Farah Hadiyeva
12
1
3
Mahram Gurbanzadeh
7
4
4
Oksana Rizayeva
4
7
5
Zaka Zeynalov
6
5
6
Elton Ibrahimov
10
2
7
Ulviyya Bakhishova
2
9
8
Adil Bakhishli
8
3
9
Vugar Aliyev
3
8
Heat 4
Heat 4 – 14–18 January 2013
Draw
Artist
Points
Place
1
Sabina Shahmadova
8
3
2
Rovshan Azizov
4
7
3
Aghamehdi Mirzayev
3
8
4
Aydan Nuralizadeh
7
4
5
Elgun Huseynov
5
6
6
Boris Bayramov
6
5
7
Khana Hasanova
10
2
8
Leyla Aliyeva
12
1
Heat 5
Heat 5 – 28 January 2013 – 1 February 2013
Draw
Artist
Points
Place
1
Mustafa Mustafayev
4
7
2
Akif Aliyev
7
4
3
Rana Khalilova
6
5
4
Vusal Nasibov
2
9
5
Leyla Gafari
12
1
6
Elvin Babazadeh
8
3
7
Sevinj Thunold
10
2
8
Jalal Abbasov
5
6
9
Aftandil Mammadov
3
8
Heat 6
Heat 6 – 4–8 February 2013
Draw
Artist
Points
Place
1
Farid Hasanov
7
4
2
Aygul Mammadova
4
7
3
Rustam Allazov
3
8
4
Narmina Seyidova
10
2
5
Davud Asgarli
6
5
6
Chinara Ismayilova
2
9
7
Farid Mammadov
12
1
8
Arzu Salimova
5
6
9
Mardan Kazimov
8
3
Heat 7
Heat 7 – 18–22 February 2013
Draw
Artist
Points
Place
1
Nigar Huseynova
12
1
2
Rolan Seyidov
8
3
3
Ad Gloriam
3
8
4
Vlada Akhundova
12
1
5
Arzu Ismayilova
7
4
6
Huseyn Abdullayev
6
5
7
Aysel Narimanova
4
7
8
Husniyya Adigozalova
5
6
Heat 8
Heat 8 – 4–8 March 2013
Draw
Artist
Points
Place
1
Elvin Babashov
3
8
2
Valeria Huseynzadeh
12
1
3
Seyran Ismayilkhanov
7
4
4
Aishabeyim Naghiyeva
2
9
5
Orkhan Kerimli
8
3
6
Aysel Babayeva
12
1
7
Uzeyir Guliyev
5
6
8
Laman Dadashova
6
5
9
Said Ismayilzadeh
4
7
Final
The final was held on 14 March 2013 at the Buta Palace in Baku, hosted by Leyla Aliyeva and Tural Asadov. The winner was chosen by SMS voting (50%) and an "expert" jury (50%).
Azerbaijan was allocated to compete in the second semi-final on 16 May for a place in the final on 18 May.[3] In the second semifinal, the producers of the show decided that Azerbaijan would perform 4th, following Macedonia and preceding Finland.[4]
Azerbaijan qualified from the second semi-final.[5] At the second semi-final winners' press conference, Azerbaijan was allocated to perform in the second half of the final.[6] In the final, the producers of the show decided that Azerbaijan would perform 20th, following Iceland and preceding Greece.[7]
The Azerbaijani entry was awarded one of the three Marcel Bezençon Awards, which honour the best of the competing entries for the 2013 Contest in different areas of achievement. Azerbaijan received the Artists Award, which was voted for by the international broadcasting commentators.[8]