Austria returned to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, after previously entering in 2007 with Eric Papilaya singing "Get a Life – Get Alive", placing second to last in the semi-final. Austria selected their entry through a televised national final, organised by Austrian broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF).

Some days after the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 rumours about Austria's return to Eurovision were spread. These rumours were confirmed by ORF in the end of July 2010.

ORF and radio station Hitradio Ö3 cooperated to find the artists for the national final. From October until 10 December, Austrians were invited to nominate artists that could represent their country.

Every nomination had to be backed by at least 33 people. From the admitted artists, a jury decided which 30 artists were to proceed to the online voting to be held in January 2011. Those artists receiving the most votes were asked to participate in the national final on 25 February 2011, where televoting decided the Austrian Eurovision entry.

Among the candidates admitted by ORF to the selection process were several former Eurovision representants and talent show winners as well as other well-known Austrian artists : Alkbottle, Excuse Me Moses, Louie Austen, Luttenberger-Klug, as well as Nadine Beiler and Oliver Wimmer, winners of seasons 3 (Beiler) and 4 (Wimmer) of the talent show Starmania. The entrepreneur and 1998 presidential candidate Richard Lugner also took part in the selection. Former Eurovision participants admitted to the selection were: Waterloo (Hans Kreuzmayr) as well as Robinson, who represented Austria together as the duo Waterloo & Robinson in the Eurovision Song Contest 1976, Petra Frey (1994), Alf Poier, Austria's representant in 2003, and di Bernando, part of the boyband Tie Break who represented Austria in 2004. Also, the German Got Talent 2010 winner Freddy Sahin-Scholl send a song to ORF.

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Wikipedia