Andorra in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Passaport a Moscou (Passport to Moscow) was the national final organised by RTVA that selected Andorra's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The competition took place on 4 February 2009 at the Apolo Andorra Hall in Andorra la Vella, hosted by Meri Picart and broadcast on ATV as well as online via the broadcaster's Eurovision Song Contest website eurovisionandorra.ad.[4]

A submission period was open for artists and composers to submit their entries between 24 October 2008 and 31 December 2008, which was later pushed forward to 1 December 2008.[5] Artists were required to be aged at least 18 and were able to submit up to three songs, at least one of them being in Catalan. Both artists and songwriters could be of any nationality, but those with Andorran citizenship, musical experience and fluency in Catalan, English and French were given priority.[6][7] A total of 107 submissions were received at the conclusion of the submission period, of which 66 were by foreign artists from eleven countries: twenty-seven from Spain, eight each from France and Lithuania, six from Sweden, four each from Greece and Malta, three from Belgium, two each from Ireland and Israel, and one each from Iceland and the United Kingdom.[8] 64 songs were submitted without an artist attached, 28 artists applied with a song and 15 artists applied without a song.[9][10] An expert committee shortlisted four of the artists that entered with a song and five from each of the remaining two groups, while an alternate committee selected the three competing entries for the national final, which were announced on 13 December 2008.[11][12][13]

On 29 December 2008, "Estrelles d'or", written by Marc Durandeau and performed by Durandeau and Marc Canturri, was disqualified from the national final and replaced with the song "Passió obsessiva" performed by Mar Capdevila due to similarities with Durandeau's submitted song for the 2008 Spanish national final "Estrellas en azul".[14][15] Prior to the national final, RTVA broadcast three presentation shows on 14, 21 and 28 January 2009 where the three entries were presented to the public.[12][13]

The final took place on 4 February 2009. Three entries competed and the winner, "La teva decisió" performed by Susanne Georgi, was selected by the 50/50 combination of votes from a professional jury and a public vote via SMS that ran between 14 January and 4 February 2009.[16][17]

Susanne Georgi made several appearances across Europe to specifically promote "La teva decisió" as the Andorran Eurovision entry. On 27 February, Georgi appeared in and performed during the Punto Radio programme Protagonistas in Spain. Georgi also took part in promotional activities in Denmark which included a performance at the Danish Music Awards on 28 February.[18] On 12 May, Georgi performed "La teva decisió" during a special Eurovision show organised by Spanish broadcaster TVE.[19]

Having originally been drawn to broadcast and vote in the first semi-final, the EBU's Reference Group approved a request by Spanish broadcaster TVE in April 2009 for Spain to broadcast and vote in the second semi-final instead due to their commitments to broadcasting the Madrid Open tennis tournament and to allow for promotion of Eurovision itself.[22][23] RTVA announced their disappointment on this decision as they believed that Andorra's chances of qualifying would be lower without Spain voting, while there was also a feeling that the amount of promotion done in Spain was to no avail.[24][25]

Susanne Georgi took part in technical rehearsals on 3 and 7 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 11 and 12 May.[26] The Andorran performance featured Susanne Georgi wearing a white long-sleeved blouse and white skirt with a red heart in the corner, joined on stage by four backing vocalists.[27][28] The performers moved around the stage throughout the song, while Georgi and two of the backing vocalists played a white electric guitar with the number 07 lit up. The LED screens displayed expanding red and blue blocks, floating electric guitars and flashing blocks of different colours, while the performance also featured the use of a wind machine.[29][30] The four backing vocalists that joined Susanne Georgi were: Belinda Sánchez Leal, María Ángeles Barahona Paisan, Olga Romero Paz and Susana Ribalta.[31]

At the end of the show, Andorra was not announced among the top 10 entries in the first semi-final and therefore failed to qualify to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Andorra placed fifteenth in the semi-final, receiving a total of 8 points.[32]

The voting system for 2009 involved each country awarding points from 1-8, 10 and 12, with the points in the final being decided by a combination of 50% national jury and 50% televoting. Each nation's jury consisted of five music industry professionals who are citizens of the country they represent. This jury judged each entry based on: vocal capacity; the stage performance; the song's composition and originality; and the overall impression by the act. In addition, no member of a national jury was permitted to be related in any way to any of the competing acts in such a way that they cannot vote impartially and independently.

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Andorra and awarded by Andorra in the first semi-final and grand final of the contest. The nation awarded its 12 points to Portugal in the semi-final and to Spain in the final of the contest.