Earlier this week, TAP Music and the BBC revealed that Sam Ryder will represent the UK at Eurovision 2022. Along with this announcement, TAP Music also revealed that they will donate their consultancy fee to fund relief efforts for those affected by the Russo-Ukrainian War.
TAP Music’s Decision to Donate
TAP Music announced their decision to donate to the Migrant Offshore Aid Station in a statement posted to their Twitter account on Thursday morning.
According to their statement, Migrant Offshore Aid Station is a “humanitarian charity designed to bring medical relief and first response services to those impacted by escalating violence and war”. MOAS deploys their services across the globe, and is specifically focused on the current conflict in Ukraine.
TAP Music Global Co-President Anna Neville released her own statement alongside this announcement:
The Eurovision Song Contest is a wonderful moment where a large part of Europe comes together for a fun evening of music and entertainment – music has the power to unify people and it’s not passed any of us by that while we’ve been on this process, such awful and tragic events have continued to unfold in Ukraine. We decided that we would donate our consultancy fee to MOAS – Migrant Offshore Aid Stations – due to the incredible work they do right now in Ukraine and other areas conflicted by way.
Anna Neville, Global Co-President – TAP Music
Earlier this year, the EBU disallowed Russia from Eurovision 2022 due to its unjustified invasion of Ukraine. A number of EBU member broadcasters supported this decision and advocated for Russia’s complete expulsion from the organization.
If you want to support MOAS’s relief efforts in Ukraine and across the globe, you may do so here. You can also check out r/ukraine’s pinned post for more resources regarding the conflict.
The BBC announced their partnership with TAP music to select its Eurovision 2022 entry in October 2021. This partnership resulted in TAP and the BBC selecting Sam Ryder and his song “Space Man” for Turin.
The UK in the Eurovision Song Contest
The United Kingdom debuted at the second Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 with Patricia Bredin’s “All”. Subsequently, they have participated in every contest since 1959. Despite a recent slump, the UK remains one of the most successful countries in Eurovision. The UK has won the contest five times, most recently in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves’ “Love Shine a Light”. Additionally, the UK also claims the most second-place finishes of any country with fifteen. Well-known figures such as Olivia Newton-John, Michael Ball, and Gina G have also successfully represented the UK at Eurovision.
However, the UK has struggled to find success at Eurovision in recent years. Although some acts such as Jade Ewan (2009) and Blue (2011) have placed well, the majority have had middling results. Most recently, James Newman represented the UK at Eurovision 2021 with the song “Embers”. Unfortunately, the song received no points from the jury or the public and finished last in the Grand Final.
What do you think of TAP Music’s decision to donate their fee to the crisis? Should more of the teams behind Eurovision take similar actions? Let us know in the comments or on social media. Be sure to follow THAT Eurovision Site on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
News Source: TAP Music
Photo Source: TAP Music, MOAS
Tim J 
Jazzi Dibben