Eurovision Song Contest 2011
56th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It consisted of two semi-finals on 10 and 12 May and a final on 14 May 2011, held at the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, and presented by Anke Engelke, Stefan Raab, and Judith Rakers. It was organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) on behalf of ARD, which staged the event after winning the 2010 contest for Germany with the song "Satellite" by Lena.
Broadcasters from forty-three countries participated in the contest, equalling the record for the 2008 edition. Four countries returned to the contest this year; Austria returned after their last participation in 2007, Hungary returned after their last participation in 2009, San Marino returned after their first participation in 2008. Italy also returned to the contest after their last participation fourteen years earlier, in 1997.
The winner was Azerbaijan with the song "Running Scared", performed by Ell and Nikki, and written by Stefan Örn, Sandra Bjurman, and Iain James Farquharson. This was Azerbaijan's first victory in the contest, after only four years of participation. It was also the first male-female duo to win the contest since 1963. Azerbaijan won the televote and combined vote, while Italy won the jury vote and came second overall.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Eurovision Song Contest 2011” as 56th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as 56th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q10160. The Library of Congress control number is n2022064064. Authority coordinates are 51.262, 6.733. 1 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2011, 2010, 2008 and 2007.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Eurovision Song Contest 2011”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Eurovision Song Contest 2011 primary sources, Eurovision Song Contest 2011 archive and Eurovision research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Eurovision Song Contest 2011”?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Eurovision Song Contest 2011” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.