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esctoday.com Awards 2009
Is it true? wins Song of the year award
The 2009 esctoday.com Award for Song of the year goes to...
- ...Is it true? of Iceland written by Óskar Páll Sveinsson, Tinatin Japaridze and Chris Neil
Óskar Páll Sveinsson, Tinatin Japaridze and Chris Neil wrote the Icelandic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. Performed by Yohanna, Is it true? won the first semi final and finished second in the final.
- You can find the list of all award results revealed so far this year here.
The winner
This is the fourth esctoday.com award for Iceland this year and the sixth one overall following victories in the categories Best duo/group performance and Best duo/group vocal performance in 2008 as well as Best backing performers, Best female vocal performance and Lyricist of the year/English lyrics in 2009. It is still the first award for Song of the year. Previously, this award has gone to Tornerò (Romania) in 2006, Molitva (Serbia) in 2007 and Senhora do mar (Portugal) in 2008. Is it true? was also named Song of the decade in a poll earlier this year, although the voting system was completely different.
The Icelandic entry was written by Óskar Páll Sveinsson, Christopher Neil and Tinatin Japaridze. Óskar Páll Sveinsson, also known as Oskar Paul, has produced a series of successful albums in Iceland, but he is also a well-known name in the international music scene having worked for acts like Robbie Williams, Mike and the Mechanics, Seal, Depeche Mode and Secret Garden. Christopher Neil is just as successful all over the world as he served as a producer and occasional songwriter for singers and bands including Céline Dion, Cher, Bonnie Tyler, a-ha and Rod Stewart. Tinatin Japaridze is a singer and songwriter, who has just launched her career. She was named as "one of the fresh faces to keep an eye out for" by US American Billboard magazine. She also recorded the demo version of Is it true?.
The song is a classic pop ballad. Through the lyrics of the break-up song, the singer asks her companion if the relationship is really over (which is more of a rhethorical question) and whose fault it was that it did not work out: "Is it true?/Is it over?/Did I throw it away?/Was it you?/Did you tell me you would never leave me this way?".
Is it true won the Icelandic national final with almost twice as many votes as the runner-up entry. In the Eurovision Song Contest, the song did almost equally well and won the first semi final but dropped to second place in the grand final behind Norway. It is the best placing for an Icelandic entry in the history of the contest along with the 1999 entry All out of luck. The song was also a commercial success and reached the top of the Icelandic single charts. It also peaked at number two in Sweden, at number three in Norway and at number four in Finland and Greece. Furthermore, the song entered the single charts in Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Slovakia.
The complete results
Unlike in the Eurovision Song Contest, Is it true won by a comfortable lead over the Norwegian entry Fairytale. 23.1% mean also the second highest percentage for a winning song in this category following Molitva in 2007, which got 28.9% of the votes among the eight nominees. Rändajad is the entry the best placed entry among those that finished outside the top five, which are always pre-nominated for an award.
- Is it true? (Iceland) - 23.1%
- Fairytale (Norway) - 19.0%
- Rändajad (Estonia) - 14.9%
- Et s'il fallait le faire (France) - 13.9%
- Düm tek tek (Turkey) - 12.0%
- It's my time (United Kingdom) - 6.6%
- La voix (Sweden) - 6.2%
- Always (Azerbaijan) - 4.3%
The performance of the winning song
esctoday.com interview with Yohanna in April 2009
This was the last winner in the 2009 esctoday.com awards. We want to say thank you to you the many people who took some of their time to cast their votes in the 21 polls as well as in the nomination process. Tomorrow, we will present an overview with all winners and take a look at the statistics.
Related polls
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Melodi Grand Prix
- Azerbaijan: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Milli Seçim Turu
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the final of A Dal
- Iceland: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Songvakeppni Sjonvarpsins
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the second semifinal of A Dal
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the third semifinal of Melodi Grand Prix
- Sweden: Vote for your favourite act in the first semifinal of Melodifestivalen
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the semifinal of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Bulgaria: Vote for your favourite act in the Bulgarian national final 2012
- Latvia: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Eirodziesma 2012
- Belarus: Vote for your favourite act in the final of EuroFest 2012
Go directly to the reactions
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ANYWAY s..t happens so this boring and really stupid song won this award ,sad but true 
Thanks, Alexandros. ESC history has taught me not to pay too much attention to the final placings. Happy new year to you too.
Sorry Shevek, but an excellent performance is a different thing and of course helps a boring ballad like this, but in my opinion your country''s entry in 2008 with Vania was much better and finished only 13th! Have a happy New Year!
Not boring and old-fashioned, but excellent performance of a timeless tune. Cheer up!
Is it true...that this boring and old-fashioned ballad won the award? Unbelievable!!!
Who are you to judge on your own, maybe with a few people that agree, which song is the best. It really annoys me if people present their opinion as a fact and their taste as superior.
i second layla the crazy
And of course she only won because of all the people on here who were not happy with Alexander's win.
Obviously he and Estonia is the best here and Iceland did not have the best song.It was boring and plain. She sang well and that's an award she should win instead, but not best song category.
Good point, Fabio. I would add that this song and its performance are a show of timeless elegance (not including the dress, of course...).
fairtytale became more popular all around europe...not to mention 1 st place..
This is a song you can play/hear in the radio any time. Absolutely contemporary, it fits almost everywhere. I am not sure if we can say the same about Fairytale and its annoying childish, folky tune.
This award is very well deserved: Iceland had the best song, no doubt about it.
@ Candyman 12 points
I also keep on wondering how is possible La Voix to be nominated for the song of the year???
Fans are once again obsessed with particular entries! This year was Iceland, last year was Portugal etc etc. Calm down guys. Is It True? was a beautiful ballad and a pleasant surprise in Moscow but ok it doesn't deserve to be the winner of many awards!!! Btw, why la Voix is nominated in this category? It was def. not the song of the year!
Is it true is a good song but i cant stop wonder about it: 'Is it enough for winning' 
I dont care about esctoday awards, i dont understand how people do vote here
Rybak scored a major hit bla bla bla etc. So what, this is just an ESC site if voters here think Is it true? Is the song of the year, and song of the decade, than you'll have to live with that I think and you shouldn't think that Yohanna doesn't deserve this one because Rybak scored a hit. It's not like Rybak will sleep one night less from this result.
Remember, this is just one site, other polls may 'do justice' to Rybak.
ewww lamo..... i agree by rights fairytale should have won... but i would've prefered randajad or s'il fallait la faire...
the blue blob and this boring boring middle of the road ballad was just meh for me.
creating the biggest Eurovision hit since Dana Internationals "Diva" in 1998 and Gina Gs "Ooh Ah" in 1996 this SHOULD have been awarded to Rybak and "Fairytale"
I agree. Yes, I find the song childish, no, I didn't like Rybak, but, to be fair, it should have won this award.
Stupid result... creating the biggest Eurovision hit since Dana Internationals "Diva" in 1998 and Gina Gs "Ooh Ah" in 1996 this SHOULD have been awarded to Rybak and "Fairytale". There will probably be a very very long time until next time there will be a song that makes the same impression on so many people and gain a landslide victory again!!!! "Fairytale" was the ONLY song that spoke to EVERYONE this year , and therefore it is by far the SONG OF THE YEAR!!!!! Also Rybak both wrote and composed his own song - which adds additional respect for his victory!
Yes!! Sakis lost to Rybak 
yay! rybak lost
Hooray! Definitely the best song of 2009, possibly of this decade! Well done Iceland.
itwould not have done (of course), togarvus cetereum
Both songs could win this award. I prefer Iceland's because of the reason I mentioned. France's entry had one of the best, if not the best orchestration of the night, but it lacked the the power of Yohanna's voice. I admit that if Iceland had sent someone else to sing this song, it would have done so well. Hey, it's a sujective choice.
Dear Shevek Urras
Thanks, but if you compare it to Patricia it is little more than musical drivel, isn't it?
Dear Togravus, this song works because of its simplicity, charm, absence of gimmicks and of course Yohanna's cristal clear voice. Its strength lies in its unpretentiousness. Ah, do not forget that stage setting helped to create the right mood.
Morgan
Could you please stop bashing my beloved dolphin ;-)
omg what is the fascination with this song? 
It's not a good song, it just isn't. Yes, she sang it well, but still...
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