Dami Im has secured Australia a place in the Grand Final, with her power ballad 'Sound of Silence'.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL LIST OF THE WINNERS AND LOSERS OF SEMI FINAL 2
The win means Dami will get to perform the song again for all of Europe at Sunday's Grand Final (showing LIVE on SBS at 5am AEST and again at 7:30pm), bringing Australia one step closer to Eurovision victory.
Of the 18 countries who competed in Semi Final 2 this morning, 10 made it through to the grand finals, including our very own Dami. Australia was the fourth successful country to be called out; however finalists are announced in no particular order.
Her win comes as little surprise to official bookkeepers who have predicted Dami will come third in the overall contest.
International betting agency William Hill placed Australia with 10/1 odds of winning early last month, ranking her third in the contest overall behind Russia and France.
Back in March, a fan site called Eurovisionworld.com also predicted Australia would rank third overall in the competition.
Unlike the first Semi Final, this second heat was filled with several contest favourites which turned up the pressure for our Dami.
Dami, who was the tenth artist to sing this morning, followed a powerful performance by Lithuania’s Donny Montell, who had been a grand finalist in 2012’s Eurovision Song Contest. He, too, has made this year's grand final.
Georgia’s big rock number filled the stage and auditorium with multi-coloured laser lights and kaleidoscope-like projections. Belgium’s disco track shone along with strong group choreography and a well-illuminated stage while Albania sang a slow power ballad that was creatively and brightly lit.
Fortunately, Dami’s voice was beyond reproach, and a stand out during the Semi Final. The Ericsson Globe was audibly cheering throughout her performance. And both Australians and Europeans alike sent her love over social media with #DamiArmy trending globally.
Costume-wise, Dami was also a top contender, looking incredible and very ‘on-brand’ for Eurovision in her asymmetric gown and single glove made of sparkling jewelled stones. Her outfit was a bespoke design by Australian Steven Khalil, a leading bridal and red carpet wear designer. The silvery gown was beautifully offset by the ominous dark blue spotlights that flooded the stage.
After her performance, cohost Petra Mede spoke to Dami and even performed a Spice Girls duet with her. It is customary during the break for hosts to visit the greenroom and chat with contestants who've performed.
Petra first shared a trivia fact about Dami with all of Europe - when Dami moved to Australia from Korea at the age of seven, she learnt to speak English by listening to the Spice Girls.
What followed was a fun-filled rendition of 'Wannabe' by Petra and Dami.
In less than 48 hours, Dami will have to compete with 25 more country for a shot at the 2016 title, including favourites Russia and France.
See the full list of Grand finalists here
Who's who in the Eurovision 2016 Grand Final
All the best to the contestants going through to the finals. And Go Dami!
Relive all the highlights of Semi Final 2, including Dami's ecstatic reaction to her win, and her press conference following the show, in pictures here:
