Eurovision Entry: Canada Selects Five Finalists from 325 Applicants

325 musicians applied for the right to represent Canada at the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, the first new nation to join the competition since Australia in 2015. A panel of music industry professionals and public broadcasting executives has narrowed that field to five finalists.

The selected artists include William Cloutier, Josiane, Rêve, Talk, and Tyler Shaw. The group spans multiple provinces and genres, ranging from French-language pop to electronic dance music and bilingual singer-songwriter work. The contest, which has been held annually since 1956, drew over 130 million viewers across 35 countries for its most recent edition.

The selection process began with CBC/Radio-Canada music teams reducing the original 325 applications to 15 candidates. A jury then evaluated the remaining artists based on vocal ability, stage presence, artistic experience, musical vision, and availability. The panel included Maurin Auxéméry, director of programming for the Montreal International Jazz Festival, and choreographer Samuel Chouinard. Other members were television composer Orin Isaacs, Eurovision specialist Shawn Myers, and soprano Élisabeth St-Gelais.

CBC executive vice-president Douglas Smith and Radio-Canada executive vice-president Dany Meloul also served on the jury. The finalists were drawn from across the country, with Cloutier based in Victoriaville, Quebec, and Josiane in Dieppe, New Brunswick. Rêve operates out of Toronto after being born in Montreal, while Talk is from Ottawa and Tyler Shaw is from Richmond, British Columbia.

The public will now decide the country's representative. Prime Minister Mark Carney urged Canadians to participate, stating, "Canada is going to Eurovision 2027. It's up to you to decide who takes the stage. Cast your vote by November 5." The message was published in both English and French on the X platform.

Voting is open until November 5 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Canadians can watch the finalists' performances at CBC.ca/eurovision and cast up to 10 votes each. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is overseeing the voting system and the tabulation of results. The winner will be announced by December, setting the stage for Canada's debut performance in Bulgaria.