▁order ▁to ▁select ▁their ▁represent atives ▁for ▁the ▁contest . ▁Germany ' s ▁Mark us ▁P aw lik ▁won ▁the ▁contest , ▁with ▁France ▁and ▁Switzerland ▁placing ▁second ▁and ▁third ▁respectively . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁notable ▁that ▁Germany ▁won ▁the ▁Euro vision ▁Song ▁Cont est ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁just ▁a ▁few ▁weeks ▁earlier . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁increasing ▁number ▁of ▁particip ating ▁countries , ▁a ▁semi - final ▁round ▁was ▁introduced ▁at ▁the ▁competition , ▁from ▁which , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁the ▁j ury ' s ▁voting , ▁five ▁to ▁eight ▁of ▁the ▁particip ating ▁countries ▁progress ed ▁to ▁the ▁tele vised ▁final . ▁Following ▁this , ▁the ▁competition ▁did ▁not ▁under go ▁any ▁major ▁changes ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁years . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁the ▁competition ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁of ▁Moz art ▁and ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁ 2 5 0 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁Wolfgang ▁Ama de us ▁Moz art , ▁the ▁pieces ▁performed ▁by ▁the ▁final ists ▁were ▁restricted ▁to ▁Moz art ▁or ▁pieces ▁from ▁his ▁contempor aries . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁competition ▁was ▁the ▁opening ▁event ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁festiv als ▁in ▁Europe , ▁Vienna ▁Festival ▁and ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁an ▁open - air ▁stage ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁contest ▁was ▁hosted ▁by