Eurovision Song Contest 1988 was the second victory for Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest after winning its first edition in 1956, and the last time a song in French won the contest, the language having dominated the event in earlier years. The contest helped launch an international career for two artists, the winner for Switzerland Céline Dion and Luxembourg’s representative Lara Fabian. French-Canadian Céline Dion was only famous in the French-speaking world at the time of the contest, shortly afterwards started recording songs in English. Belgian-Canadian Lara Fabian started a successful career after the contest with becoming established in various countries worldwide, with
Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest Finland has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 52 times since its debut in 1961. Finland won the contest for the first time in 2006 with Lordi's "Hard Rock Hallelujah". The country's best result before then was achieved by Marion Rung with the song "Tom Tom Tom" in 1973, which placed sixth. Finland has finished last in the contest ten times, receiving "nul points" in , and . Since the introduction of the semi-finals in 2004, Finland has failed to reach the final seven times. In , the country had its best result in