Barbara Dex Award

The Barbara Dex Award was a fan-voted accolade awarded annually to the worst-dressed contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest. The award was created by the fansite The House of Eurovision in 1997, which hosted it until the site's closure in 2016. Songfestival.be presented the award from 2017 onwards, changing its criterion to the "most striking look" in 2019. Ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, the award was succeeded by the You're a Vision Award, which was intended to carry a more positive connotation.

Barbara Dex Award
Awarded for"Most striking look" in the Eurovision Song Contest
CountryVarious participating countries
Presented byThe House of Eurovision (1997–2016)
Songfestival.be (2017–2021)
First awarded1997
Last awarded2021
WebsiteOfficial website
RelatedYou're a Vision Award

History
A coloured map of the countries of Europe
Map of Barbara Dex Award receipients

The Barbara Dex Award created by Edwin van Thillo and Rob Paardekam, the founders of the Dutch Eurovision fansite The House of Eurovision, in 1997.[1][2] It was named after Belgian singer Barbara Dex, who represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 1993 wearing a self-made, semi-transparent dress, which William Lee Adams of Wiwibloggs described her "looking like a lampshade".[2] The Barbara Dex Award was initially awarded to the worst-dressed contestants.[3] Malta's Eurovision Song Contest 1997 entrant, Debbie Scerri, was the first recipient.[4] After two years of deciding the recipient internally, The House of Eurovision opened the award to public voting in 1999.[5]

The House of Eurovision shut down after the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 and handed the Barbara Dex Award to the Belgian website Songfestival.be and its founder, Jasper van Biesen. Van Biesen hoped that this transition would broaden the award's reach.[2] Starting with the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, the award criterion was changed to the "most notable outfit", refined to "most striking look" for the 2021 contest.[3][6] Songfestival.be noted that "this prize for the most striking outfit does not intend to say what is ugly and what is not and does not want to place the Song Contest in a bad light".[3]

On 13 March 2022, Songfestival.be announced that it would be ending the Barbara Dex Award, citing the negative connotation associated with it. Instead, the website would organise a new, replacement award for the "most notable outfit".[7] Following an online vote, Songfestival.be announced on 29 April that the new award would be named the "You're a Vision Award", adding that the new name would serve the purpose of promoting creativity, diversity and positivity in Eurovision onstage fashion.[8] Australia's Eurovision Song Contest 2022 entrant, Sheldon Riley, was the first recipient of the new award.[9]

Reception

In a January 2006 interview with ESCToday, Dex stated that there was "nothing wrong" with the Barbara Dex Award.[10] A 2015 poll by Wiwibloggs found Guildo Horn, Germany's 1998 Eurovision act, to be considered the worst-dressed of the previous award recipients.[11]

Award winners

Overview
Table Key
2
 Second place
3
 Third place

House of Eurovision

Year Country Artist Song Place Ref(s).
1997  Malta Debbie Scerri "Let Me Fly" 9 [11]
1998  Germany Guildo Horn "Guildo hat euch lieb!" 7 [11]
1999  Spain Lydia "No quiero escuchar" 23 [11]
2000  Belgium Nathalie Sorce "Envie de vivre" 24 [11]
2001  Poland Piasek "2 Long" 20 [11]
2002  Greece Michalis Rakintzis "S.A.G.A.P.O." 17 [11]
2003  Russia t.A.T.u. "Ne ver', ne boysia" 3 [11][12]
2004  Romania Sanda Ladoși "I Admit" 18 [11][13]
2005  Macedonia Martin Vučić "Make My Day" 17 [11][5]
2006  Portugal Nonstop "Coisas de nada" 19 SF [11][14]
2007  Ukraine Verka Serduchka "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" 2 [11][15]
2008  Andorra Gisela "Casanova" 15 SF [11][16]
2009  Hungary Zoli Ádok "Dance with Me" 15 SF [11][17]
2010  Serbia Milan Stanković "Ovo je Balkan" 13 [11][18]
2011  Georgia Eldrine "One More Day" 9 [11][19]
2012  Albania Rona Nishliu "Suus" 5 [11][20]
2013  Serbia Moje 3 "Ljubav je svuda" 11 SF [11][21]
2014  Lithuania Vilija Matačiūnaitė "Attention" 11 SF [11][22]
2015  Netherlands Trijntje Oosterhuis "Walk Along" 14 SF [11][23]
2016  Croatia Nina Kraljić "Lighthouse" 23 [24]

Songfestival.be

Year Country Artist Song Place Runner-up Third place Ref(s).
2017  Montenegro Slavko Kalezić "Space" 16 SF  Latvia  Czech Republic [25]
2018  Macedonia Eye Cue "Lost and Found" 18 SF  Australia  Belgium [26]
2019  Portugal Conan Osíris "Telemóveis" 15 SF  Cyprus  Belarus [6]
2021  Norway Tix "Fallen Angel" 18  Romania  Croatia [3]

By country
Wins Country Years
2  North Macedonia
  • 2005
  • 2018
 Portugal
  • 2006
  • 2019
 Serbia
  • 2010
  • 2013
1  Albania 2012
 Andorra 2008
 Belgium 2000
 Croatia 2016
 Georgia 2011
 Germany 1998
 Greece 2002
 Hungary 2009
 Lithuania 2014
 Malta 1997
 Montenegro 2017
 Netherlands 2015
 Norway 2021
 Poland 2001
 Romania 2004
 Russia 2003
 Spain 1999
 Ukraine 2007

See also

References
  1. Backer, Stina (25 May 2012). "Forgettable song, memorable outfit: The crazy clothes of Eurovision". CNN. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  2. Adams, William Lee (15 May 2017). "Eurovision's worst dressed: Who should win the Barbara Dex Award 2017?". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  3. Adams, William Lee (30 May 2021). "Barbara Dex Award 2021: Norway's TIX wins prize for Most Striking Outfit". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 30 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  4. van Lith, Nick (21 May 2017). "Slavko Kalezić wins Barbara Dex Award 2017". ESCXtra. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  5. Philips, Roel (25 May 2005). "Martin Vucic wins Barbara Dex Award". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  6. van Lith, Nick (26 May 2019). "Conan Osiris wins the Barbara Dex Award 2019". ESCXtra. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  7. Ooms, Gunther (13 March 2022). "Barbara Dex Award: The end of an era". Songfestival.be. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  8. "'You're A Vision Award' crowns most remarkable Eurovision outfit". Songfestival.be. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  9. "Australia wins very first 'You're A Vision Award' for most remarkable Eurovision outfit". Songfestival.be. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  10. Bakker, Sietse (13 January 2006). "Barbara Dex: 'I still do not regret'". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  11. Adams, William Lee (9 July 2015). "Poll: Who was the worst dressed Barbara Dex Award winner?". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  12. Ringby, Daniel (9 June 2003). "t.A.T.u win 2003 Barbara Dex Award". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  13. Philips, Roel (25 May 2004). "Sanda Ladosi wins Barbara Dex Award". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  14. Bakker, Sietse (29 May 2006). "Nonstop wins Barbara Dex award 2006". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  15. Floras, Stella (21 May 2007). "Verka wins 2007 Barbara Dex Award". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  16. Murray, Gavin (1 June 2008). "Andorra: Gisela wins Barbara Dex 2008". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  17. Lee Adams, William (27 May 2009). "Eurovision's Worst Dressed List 2009". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  18. Lee Adams, William (12 June 2010). "Milan Stankovic Wins Eurovision's Worst Dressed Award". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  19. Lee Adams, William (23 May 2011). "Barbara Dex Award 2011: Georgia's Eldrine Top Worst Dressed List at Eurovision 2011". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  20. Lee Adams, William (5 June 2012). "Albania: Rona Nishliu Tops Eurovision's Worst Dressed List 2012". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 15 November 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  21. Lee Adams, William (26 May 2016). "Moje 3 Top Eurovision's Worst Dressed List 2013". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  22. Ko, Anthony (18 May 2014). "Lithuania: Vilija Mataciunaite Wins The 2014 Barbara Dex Award". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  23. Fuster, Luis (7 June 2015). "Eurovision's Worst Dressed: Trijntje Oosterhuis wins the Barbara Dex Award 2015". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 15 November 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  24. Adams, William Lee (22 May 2016). "Barbara Dex Award 2016: Croatia's Nina Kraljic tops Eurovision's Worst Dressed list". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  25. Adams, William Lee (21 May 2017). "Eurovision's worst dressed? Montenegro's Slavko Kalezic wins Barbara Dex Award 2017". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  26. van Rossem, Aline (20 May 2018). "Barbara Dex Award 2018: F.Y.R Macedonia's Eye Cue win Eurovision's Worst Dressed". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
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