Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest fifty-four times since its first entry in . Norway had won the contest on three occasions: in 1985 with the song "La det swinge" performed by Bobbysocks!, in 1995 with the song "Nocturne" performed by Secret Garden and in 2009 with the song "Fairytale" performed by Alexander Rybak. Norway also had the two dubious distinctions of having finished last in the Eurovision final more than any other country and for having the most "nul points" (zero points) in the contest, the latter being a record the nation shared together with Austria. The country
Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 current form due to perceived political connotations in its lyrics. On 11 March, Georgia announced its withdrawal from the contest in response to the EBU's rejection. Georgia's broadcaster, Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB), originally announced in August 2008 that they would not be participating at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. This was due to the 2008 South Ossetia war, involving Georgia and Eurovision host Russia, and in protest to Russia's foreign policies. GPB went on to say that they refuse to "participate in a contest organised by a country that violates human rights and international laws". GPB later reversed their decision