Since 2000 , France , Germany , Spain and United Kingdom have automatically qualified for the final , regardless of their positions on the scoreboard in previous contests , as they are the four biggest financial contributors to the EBU . These countries became known as the " Big Four " . On 31 December 2010 , it was announced that Italy would compete in the Eurovision Song Contest after a fourteen-year absence and that it would also automatically qualify for the final , joining the other four qualifiers to become the " Big Five " . Germany became the first and , , the only " Big Five " country to win the contest since the rule was made in 2000 , when Lena Meyer-Landrut won the 2010 Contest . Turkey withdrew from the 2013 Contest with the status of the " Big Five " being one of the reasons cited . They also did not participate in the following 6 years of contests ( 2014 – 19 ) for similar reasons , as well as stating their opposition to the 50/50 jury and televoting system that began being applied in the final of the 2009 Contest
2009 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Eurovision Song Contest