POWER TO THE PEOPLE?
Helena's Historic and Controversial Victory
Kralingslæting, Foreõsvdetrre — The 28th edition of the Griffiniskaja Laul, the highly anticipated national final for the Griffin Empire’s representative in the Nation Song Contest, took place in the principality of Foreõsvdetrre, making it the sixth time the country has hosted the event. This year’s grand finale was held in the nation’s capital, Kralingslæting, where the stage was set for an unforgettable and fiercely contested night.
The standout moment of the evening was the victory of Helena, who represented Sletterimaa with her infectious track Mauvais Garçon. However, the win was not without controversy - this year marked a historic first in Griffiniskaja Laul history, as the winner was not the top choice in the televote, leaving many fans questioning the integrity of the voting process.
Helena triumphed with a razor-thin margin, securing a victory by just one point over Debbii Dawson, who represented Färzas - Lætingmaa. A breakdown of the votes revealed a nail-biting tension throughout the competition. While Helena came out on top overall, she lost the televote in the seven Griffin principalities, finishing behind Dawson. However, her victory was propelled by a strong performance in the international jury vote, which ultimately put her ahead.
Adding another layer to the drama, the band PYNCHER, representing Westersund, took first place in the televote, but their slim margin over Dawson still wasn’t enough to secure them the crown. They finished in third place, leaving their loyal supporters wondering what might have been if the vote had gone differently.
Social media exploded with discussions about the fairness of the outcome, with some questioning whether the international jury system outweighed the popular vote. Despite the debate, many acknowledged that Helena's win was legitimate, having earned the highest total points after combining both jury and televote results. Nearly half of her points still came from the Griffin public, cementing her status as a popular and deserving winner.
The voting sequence was dramatic until the very end, with the outcome still uncertain until the final vote.
The Griffiniskaja Laul competition featured entries from each of the seven Griffin principalities, with the televote determining the preferences of the home audience. In a long-standing tradition, each principality submitted their song of choice to compete, with voting restricted to countries outside their own territory. The nine international juries, including debutant Roxma Nova, cast their votes using the same points system as the Griffin televote—1, 5, 8, 10, and 12 points for their favorite songs.
Helena's victory also secured her the coveted title of the Griffin Empire’s official representative at the 239th Nation Song Contest—a moment of immense pride for both her and her principality.
This year’s Griffiniskaja Laul was hosted in Kralarrenaa, which has become a long-time hub for the event, having previously hosted the first edition of the competition and Kralingslæting now holding the record for the most times as the host city. This marks the fifth time Kralingslæting has hosted the event, and the sixth time overall that Foreõsvdetrre has taken on the responsibility.
The show itself was hosted by actor Drew Starkey, who kept the energy high with his charisma and engaging presence. The opening and interval acts featured a star-studded lineup of past Griffin representatives and current chart-toppers, offering a dynamic mix of nostalgia and excitement throughout the evening.
In the end, while the Mauvais Garçon victory may have sparked questions, it also reminded everyone of the contest’s ability to bring surprises, intense competition, and fierce loyalty from fans all over the Griffin Empire and beyond. Helena, with her striking performance, is now set to represent the Empire on the international stage, and it remains to be seen whether her history-making victory will be remembered as a triumph of the system or a sign that the balance between jury and public voting needs reevaluation.
A million thankyous to
@soundofsilence @Milos-BC @Rmetr0 @Barish @theCONWEL @Rxllinson @Alevender @ferret and
@Fearnavigatr for voting. Full (split) results can be found
here, Griffin results at the Nation Song Contest are
here and if you are interested in the history of Griffiniskaja Laul, you can find it
here.