Bulgaria and BNT chose Deep Zone and Balthazar with „DJ, Take Me Away“ to go to the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. They failed to qualify for the final coming in 11th in the semi-final.
EuroBGvision 2008
EuroBGvision 2008 was the national final format developed by BNT in order to select Bulgaria’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, aiming to showcase local and amateur talents. All shows took place at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, hosted by Dragomir Draganov, Aksiniya Chenkova, Dani Georgiev and Niki Iliev.
Format
The competition featured three quarter-finals on 26 October, 23 November and 21 December 2007, a semi-final on 26 January 2008 and the final on 23 February 2008. Before each quarter-final, three weekly presentation shows were held, featuring between five and eight songs in each. Three advanced from each quarter-final to the semi-final exclusively by public televoting. In addition to that, BNT selected wildcard acts from the final out of the remaining non-qualifying acts from the quarter-finals and from newly submitted songs before the end of 2007. Eighteen songs competed in the semi-final and the top nine qualified by the votes of an expert jury. Twelve songs consisting of the nine semi-final qualifiers alongside three pre-qualified finalists competed in the final, where public televoting exclusively determined the winner.
Competing entries
Artists and songwriters were able to submit their entries until 26 September 2007. BNT received 79 entries, with fifteen being disqualified due to breaking competition rules. The list of competing artists and songs were released on 27 September 2007. BNT received 47 entries during the additional submission period for the semi-final wildcards.
Quarter-finals
Ahead of each quarter-final the competing songs were presented over three weekly presentation shows in the weeks prior to the quarter-final show. The first group of 19 songs were presented between 7 and 21 October 2007, the second group of 20 songs between 3 and 18 November 2007, and the third group of 17 songs between 2 and 16 December 2007. The quarter-finals subsequently took place on 26 October, 23 November and 21 December 2007. In each show the top three entries determined by public televoting advanced to the semi-final; a number of wildcard entries were also selected from the quarter-finalists to progress to the semi-final.
Quarter-final 1 – 26 October 2007
| Draw | Artist | Song | Televote | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Begacha | „Ne vyarvay“ (Не вярвай) | 0.24% | 17 |
| 2 | Nikolay Manolov | „Po-dobre“ (По-добре) | 10.87% | 3 |
| — | — | |||
| 4 | Ivan and Stani | „You Are Magic“ | 5.38% | 9 |
| 5 | Dennis Makhmud | „Confession“ | 5.74% | 4 |
| 6 | Monika Kirovska | „Bring Me Back My Freedom“ | 0.67% | 16 |
| 7 | Sky | „Samo teb obicham“ (Само теб обичам) | 5.28% | 10 |
| 8 | Stoyan Chingov | „Zvezden mig“ (Звезден миг) | 0.84% | 15 |
| 9 | Tatjana Velikova | „Den“ (Ден) | 2.20% | 12 |
| 10 | Tiramisu | „Dali e znak“ (Дали е знак) | 5.59% | 5 |
| 11 | Monika Goranova | „Ot zvezdite“ (От звездите) | 2.13% | 13 |
| 12 | Dobromir Peev | „Libe“ (Либе) | 0.10% | 18 |
| 13 | Lora Vladova | „Dosega“ (Досега) | 5.11% | 11 |
| 14 | Tikhomir Nikolov | „Byagam“ (Бягам) | 2.08% | 14 |
| 15 | Dimitar Atanasov | „Koj sŭm az“ (Кой съм аз) | 5.43% | 8 |
| 16 | Krasimira Slavova | „Iskam tvoite usmivki“ (Искам твоите усмивки) | 5.47% | 6 |
| 17 | Instinkt | „Vei, povei“ (Веи, повей) | 5.45% | 7 |
| 18 | Marijana | „Moonlight“ | 16.06% | 2 |
| 19 | Svetozar Hristov and Magdalena Dzhanavarova | „Lonely World“ | 21.36% | 1 |
Quarter-final 2 – 23 November 2007
| Draw | Artist | Song | Televote | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X-R@Y | „Na sŭn“ (На сън) | 3.89% | 11 |
| 2 | Tsetso Vladkov and Stetson | „Euro Train“ | 0.91% | 19 |
| 3 | Zhivko Ivanov | „Planeta bez bŭdeshte“ (Планета без бъдеще) | 0.79% | 20 |
| 4 | Iliyana Yordanova | „Unischozhavascha lyubov“ (Унисчожавасча любов) | 4.89% | 10 |
| 5 | Reni, Vili and Vesi | „Zvezdi“ (Звезди) | 2.39% | 13 |
| 6 | Hristo Todorov | „Ostani“ (Остани) | 1.58% | 15 |
| 7 | Kristina Georgieva | „Don’t Leave Me“ | 5.82% | 8 |
| 8 | Deep Zone and Balthazar | „DJ, Take Me Away“ | 9.07% | 5 |
| 9 | Misha Iliev | „Nai-krasivoto litse“ (Най-красивото лице) | 9.26% | 4 |
| 10 | Christina Pipova | „Kalino mome!“ | 5.23% | 9 |
| 11 | Bobi Kokera and Bleki | „Tezhka vecher“ (Тежка вечер) | 1.84% | 14 |
| 12 | Mario Denev | „Vyarvam“ (Вярвам) | 1.26% | 18 |
| 13 | Simona Sivanio | „Obeschay mi“ (Обесчай ми) | 3.72% | 12 |
| 14 | Big Mama Scandal | „Come With Me“ | 1.43% | 17 |
| 15 | Vlado and Svetlio | „Tired Soul“ | 13.22% | 1 |
| 16 | Motel | „Chocolate Girl“ | 6.35% | 7 |
| 17 | Sunnie | „Do You Love Me“ | 9.81% | 2 |
| 18 | Di-Do | „Full of Love“ | 9.67% | 3 |
| 19 | Konkurent | „Edin zhivot“ (Един живот) | 7.35% | 6 |
| 20 | Margarita Hranova | „Ne me boli“ (Не ме боли) | 1.52% | 16 |
Quarter-final 3 – 21 December 2007
| Draw | Artist | Song | Televote | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Generation | „Running Scared“ | 9.81% | 2 |
| 2 | Ivelina Kolaksuzova and Popcorn | „Dance with Me“ | 12.81% | 1 |
| 3 | Intsident | „Byagstva“ (Бягства) | 7.75% | 7 |
| 4 | Angels | „Memory“ | 3.93% | 12 |
| 5 | Black Rose | „Malki chudesa“ (Малки чудеса) | 7.42% | 8 |
| 6 | Nikolai Mihailov | „Vŭzdukh i voda“ (Въздух и вода) | 2.02% | 13 |
| 7 | Guava Jelly | „Smelly King-Size Bed“ | 1.01% | 15 |
| 8 | Gergana Koeva | „Nyakoy den“ (Някой ден) | 0.45% | 16 |
| 9 | Pavel Mihov | „Zabraven plazh“ (Забравен плаж) | 8.88% | 5 |
| 10 | Elektrika | „Like I Do“ | 5.54% | 11 |
| 11 | Nadezhda Manova | „The Sweetest Kiss“ | 1.61% | 14 |
| 12 | Lora Vladova | „Sweet Love“ | 5.92% | 9 |
| 13 | Lorado | „Paradoks remiks“ (Парадокс ремикс) | 0.19% | 17 |
| 14 | Terry Angel | „Strannitsi v noshtta“ (Странници в нощта) | 5.62% | 10 |
| 15 | Dani Milev | „Svetlana i mraka“ (Светлана и мрака) | 7.87% | 6 |
| 16 | Katina | „Almost Perfect“ | 9.44% | 4 |
| 17 | Svetozar Hristov | „Pandemonium“ | 9.73% | 3 |
Semi-final
The semi-final took place on 26 February 2008. Eighteen songs consisting of the nine quarter-final qualifiers alongside nine wildcard entries (five from the quarter-finals and four from the songs submitted before the end of 2007) competed and the top nine entries as determined by an expert jury advanced to the final. Stoyan Royanov qualified for the final but was later disqualified due to his song „Sombero“ having been performed on 1 June 2007. As a result of this, Vlado & Svetlio replaced him in the final.
Semi-final – 26 January 2008
| Draw | Artist | Song | Televote | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Generation | „Running Scared“ | 9.81% | 2 |
| 2 | Ivelina Kolaksuzova and Popcorn | „Dance with Me“ | 12.81% | 1 |
| 3 | Intsident | „Byagstva“ (Бягства) | 7.75% | 7 |
| 4 | Angels | „Memory“ | 3.93% | 12 |
| 5 | Black Rose | „Malki chudesa“ (Малки чудеса) | 7.42% | 8 |
| 6 | Nikolai Mihailov | „Vŭzdukh i voda“ (Въздух и вода) | 2.02% | 13 |
| 7 | Guava Jelly | „Smelly King-Size Bed“ | 1.01% | 15 |
| 8 | Gergana Koeva | „Nyakoy den“ (Някой ден) | 0.45% | 16 |
| 9 | Pavel Mihov | „Zabraven plazh“ (Забравен плаж) | 8.88% | 5 |
| 10 | Elektrika | „Like I Do“ | 5.54% | 11 |
| 11 | Nadezhda Manova | „The Sweetest Kiss“ | 1.61% | 14 |
| 12 | Lora Vladova | „Sweet Love“ | 5.92% | 9 |
| 13 | Lorado | „Paradoks remiks“ (Парадокс ремикс) | 0.19% | 17 |
| 14 | Terry Angel | „Strannitsi v noshtta“ (Странници в нощта) | 5.62% | 10 |
| 15 | Dani Milev | „Svetlana i mraka“ (Светлана и мрака) | 7.87% | 6 |
| 16 | Katina | „Almost Perfect“ | 9.44% | 4 |
| 17 | Svetozar Hristov | „Pandemonium“ | 9.73% | 3 |
Final
The semi-final took place on 23 February 2008. Twelve songs consisting of the nine semi-final winners alongside three pre-qualified entries competed and the winner was determined by public televoting.
Final – 23 February 2008
| Draw | Artist | Song | Songwriter(s) | Televote | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simona Sivanio | „Obeschay mi“ (Обесчай ми) | Alexandar Mihailov | 2.33% | 11 |
| 2 | Nikolay Manolov | „Po-dobre“ (По-добре) | Krasimir Polmezov, Yavor Kirin | 12.98% | 3 |
| 3 | Dani Milev | „Svetlana i mraka“ (Светлана и мрака) | Dani Milev | 11.54% | 4 |
| 4 | Georgi Hristov and Gianni Fiorellino | „Sogno“ | Gianni Fiorellino | 15.27% | 2 |
| 5 | Nevena Tsoneva | „Ne izchezvay“ (Не изчезвай) | Miro Gechev, Karla Rakhal, Vanya Shtereva | 9.36% | 7 |
| 6 | Ivaylo Kolev | „Should’ve Been the One“ | Daniel Betancourt, Jason Phelps | 3.76% | 8 |
| 7 | ТE and Preslava Peycheva | „Tazi vecher“ (Тази вечер) | Yasen Velchev, Alesdandar Petrov | 2.06% | 12 |
| 8 | Ivan and Stani | „You Are Magic“ | Paul Abela, Joe Julian Farrugia | 3.06% | 10 |
| 9 | Desi Dobreva | „Strong“ | Desi Dobreva, Milena Dobreva | 9.60% | 6 |
| 10 | Deep Zone and Balthazar | „DJ, Take Me Away“ | Dian Savov | 15.37% | 1 |
| 11 | Vlado and Svetlio | „Tired Soul“ | Vladimir Dimov, Ventsislava Tumangelova | 11.26% | 5 |
| 12 | Generation | „Running Scared“ | Generation, Phil Jackson, Dimitar Trendafilov | 3.14% | 9 |
