Latvia was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Line" written by Agnese Rakovska, Kristaps Ērglis and Kristians Rakovskis. The song was performed by the group Triana Park. The Latvian broadcaster Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) organized the national final Supernova 2017 in order to select the Latvian entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. 22 songs were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of four shows: two heats, one semi-final and a final. In the heats and the semi-final, four entries were selected to advance from each show: two entries selected based on a public televote and two entries selected by a four-member jury panel. Four songs ultimately qualified to compete in the final on 26 February 2017 where a public vote exclusively selected "Line" performed by Triana Park as the winner.

Latvia was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 9 May 2017. Performing as the closing entry during the show in position 18, "Line" was not announced among the top 10 entries of the first semi-final and therefore did not qualify to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Latvia placed eighteenth (last) out of the 18 participating countries in the semi-final with 21 points.

Background

Prior to the 2017 contest, Latvia had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest seventeen times since its first entry in 2000. Latvia won the contest once in 2002 with the song "I Wanna" performed by Marie N. Following the introduction of semi-finals for the 2004, Latvia was able to qualify to compete in the final between 2005 and 2008. Between 2009 and 2014, the nation had failed to qualify to the final for six consecutive years. After managing to qualify to the final in the 2015 contest where they placed 6th in the final with the song "Love Injected" performed by Aminata - giving them their best placing since 2005 and highest score ever, Latvia once again qualified to the final in 2016 with the song "Heartbeat" performed by Justs which placed 15th in the final, scoring 132 points.

The Latvian national broadcaster, Latvijas Televīzija (LTV), broadcasts the event within Latvia and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. LTV confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest on 4 August 2016. Latvia has selected their entries for the Eurovision Song Contest through a national final. Since their debut in 2000 until 2012, LTV had organised the selection show Eirodziesma. In a response to the nation's failure to qualify to the final at Eurovision since 2008, between 2013 and 2014, the competition was rebranded and retooled as Dziesma. However, after failing to produce successful entries those two years, LTV developed the Supernova national final since 2015 which produced two Latvian entries that managed to qualify the nation to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. In late August 2016, the broadcaster announced that they would organise Supernova 2017 in order to select the Latvian entry for the 2017 contest.

Before Eurovision Supernova 2017 Supernova 2017 was the third edition of Supernova, the music competition that selects Latvia's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition commenced on 5 February 2017 and concluded with a final on 26 February 2017. All shows in the competition took place at the LTV Studio 6 in Riga, hosted by Ketija Šēnberga and Toms Grēviņš and broadcast on LTV1 as well as online via the streaming platform Replay.lv and the official Supernova website supernova.lsm.lv. Alternative broadcasts of the final also occurred on LTV7 with Elza Volonte and Ainārs Ostvalds presenting the show in sign language as well as online at lsm.lv with commentary by Aleksis Vilciņš and Karmena Stepanova.

Format The format of the competition consisted of four shows: two heats, one semi-final and a final. LTV broadcast two introductory shows on 22 and 29 January 2017 that covered the background preparation processes and performer auditions that occurred prior to the competition. The two heats, held on 5 and 12 February 2017, each featured eleven competing entries from which four advanced to the semi-final from each show. The semi-final, held on 19 February 2017, featured the eight qualifiers from the heats from which the top four proceeded to the final. The final, held on 26 February 2017, selected the Latvian entry for Kyiv from the remaining four entries.

Results during the heats and the semi-final shows were determined by a jury panel and votes from the public. In the heats and the semi-final, the songs first faced a public vote where the top two entries qualified. The jury then selected an additional two qualifiers from the remaining entries to proceed in the competition. In the final, a public vote exclusively determined which entry would be the winner. Viewers were able to vote via telephone up to five times or via SMS with a single SMS counting as five votes. The online vote conducted through the official Supernova website allowed users to vote once per each accepted social network account: Draugiem.lv, Facebook and Twitter. Votes conducted through Spotify were based on unique listener counts, with each stream counting as one vote for each entry.

The jury participated in each show by providing feedback to the competing artists and selecting entries to advance in the competition. The panel consisted of:

Kaspars Roga – drummer for Brainstorm and director of music videos Guntars Račs – musician, songwriter, producer and music publisher Rūdolfs Budze–DJ Rudd – DJ and producer

Competing entries Artists and songwriters were able to submit their applications and entries separately to the broadcaster between 17 August 2016 and 28 October 2016. 168 songs were submitted and 89 performers applied for the competition at the conclusion of the submission period. Local and international jury panels were appointed by LTV for the selection process. The international jury panel evaluated the submitted songs between 28 October and 10 November 2016 but only provided consultation for the local jury, which conducted both the song and performers selection, on which entries should be selected. The international jury panel consisted of Petri Mannonen (Commercial Director at Universal Music Group Finland and the Baltics), Matthias Mueller (CEO of Crazy Planet Records Germany), Fruzsina Szép (festival director of Lollapalooza Berlin) and Joy Deb (songwriter, co-wrote the 2015 Swedish Eurovision winning song "Heroes"). The local jury panel consisted of Daumants Kalniņš (singer and musician) and the three-member jury panel during the live shows: Kaspars Roga, Guntars Račs and Rūdolfs Budze–DJ Rudd. The performer auditions took place on 15 and 22 November 2016 at LTV Studio 6 and featured performers shortlisted from the initial 89 that had applied. The twenty-two selected performers and songs were determined on 12 December 2016 and all relevant parties were informed. The twenty-two competing artists and songs were announced during a live streamed press conference held on 13 January 2017.

Artist SongSongwriter(s) Anna Zankovska "Rage Love"Anna Zankovska, Agnese Upleja Crime Sea "Escape"Crime Sea, Marija Mickeviča Edgars Kreilis "We Are Angels"Edgars Kreilis First Question "Naked"Mikus Tillers Franco Franco "Up"Kristīne Vaksa, Reinis Kārkliņš, Mārtiņš Spuris, Elizabete Vētra The HiQ "Taju ot lyubvi" ()Kristaps Čimbars Katrīna Cīrule "Blood Runs Quicker"Katrīna Cīrule Katrine Lukins "Silhouette"Katrine Lukins, Kārlis Indrišonoks, Andris Lūkins Laura Lo and Chris Oak "Little Weird"Laura Ločmele Lauris Valters "Magic Years"Lauris Valters Linda Leen "Who Is In Charge"Linda Leen The Ludvig "I'm in Love with You"Jēkabs Ludvigs Kalmanis Markus Riva "Dynamite"Miķelis Ļaksa Miks Dukurs "Spiritual Priest"Gints Smukais, Edijs Dukurs Miks Galvanovskis "Runaway"Miks Galvanovskis My Radiant You "All I Know"Jānis Driksna Pikaso "U (Can Keep Your Cools)"Jānis Lipšāns, Jānis Aišpurs, Arnis Račinskis Rock'n'Berries "Feel the Love"Reinis Ašmanis, Oskars Millers, Jānis Narbuts Santa Daņeļeviča "Your Breath"Santa Daņeļeviča Toms Kalderauskis "We Won't Back Down"Gints Stankevičs, Kerija Kalēja Triana Park "Line"Agnese Rakovska, Kristaps Ērglis, Kristians Rakovskis UP "One by One"Agnese Upleja

Shows Heats The two heats took place on 5 and 12 February 2017. In each heat 11 acts competed and four entries qualified to the semi-final. The competing entries first faced a jury vote where the top two songs advanced; an additional two qualifiers were then selected from the remaining nine entries based on the public vote. Singer-songwriter Dons was a guest juror for the first heat, while singer, trombonist, radio host and 2009 Latvian Eurovision entrant Intars Busulis was a guest juror for the second heat.

+ Heat 15 February 2017 Artist Song Jury rank Public Vote Result Internet Televote Spotifystreams Total Rank 1 Katrīna Cīrule "Blood Runs Quicker"— 5.96% 6.07% 9.38% 7.14% 7 2 Miks Dukurs "Spiritual Priest"Top 2 15.28% 13.66% 8.75% 12.56% 2 Advanced 3 Anna Zankovska "Rage Love"— 2.16% 2.87% 9.49% 4.84% 9 4 Edgars Kreilis "We Are Angels"— 3.97% 5.83% 10.7% 6.83% 8 5 Crime Sea "Escape"— 10.54% 9.62% 9.02% 9.73% 6 6 Rock'n'Berries "Feel the Love"— 2.33% 5.08% 6.82% 4.74% 10 7 Lauris Valters "Magic Years"— 16.15% 18.62% 9.82% 14.86% 1 Advanced 8 First Question "Naked"— 1.73% 4.44% 6.06% 4.08% 11 9 Franco Franco "Up"Top 2 14.94% 9.02% 11.09% 11.68% 4 Advanced 10 Pikaso "U (Can Keep Your Cools)"— 13.9% 8.66% 10.93% 11.16% 5 11 Linda Leen "Who Is In Charge"— 13.04% 16.14% 7.95% 12.38% 3 Advanced

+ Heat 212 February 2017 Artist SongJury rank Public Vote Result Internet Televote Spotifystreams Total Rank 1 Katrine Lukins "Silhouette"— 0.73% 0.97% 5.55% 2.42%11 2 Markus Riva "Dynamite"— 5.34% 5.64% 7.33% 6.10% 6 3 Toms Kalderauskis "We Won't Back Down"— 7.90% 9.20% 8.65% 8.58% 5 4 UP "One by One"— 3.30% 3.39% 6.65% 4.45% 9 5 Miks Galvanovskis "Runaway"— 1.27% 4.38% 7.74% 4.46% 8 6 The HiQ "Taju ot lyubvi"— 3.19% 3.63% 5.07% 3.96% 10 7 Santa Daņeļeviča "Your Breath"Top 2 10.28% 28.29% 7.67% 15.41% 3 Advanced 8 Laura and Chris "Little Weird"— 3.28% 3.01% 7.39% 4.56% 7 9 My Radiant You "All I Know"— 15.01% 12.83% 10.70% 12.85% 4 Advanced 10 The Ludvig "I'm in Love with You"Top 2 19.09% 11.86% 17.15% 16.03% 2 Advanced 11 Triana Park "Line"— 30.61% 16.80% 16.10% 21.17% 1 Advanced

Semi-final The semi-final took place on 19 February 2017. Commercial Director of Universal Music Group Finland and the Baltics Petri Mannonen was a guest juror for the semi-final. Four entries qualified to the final. The seven competing entries first faced a jury vote where the top two songs advanced. An additional two qualifiers were selected from the remaining five entries based on the public vote.

+ Semi-final19 February 2017 Artist Song Jury rank Public Vote Result Internet Televote Spotifystreams Total Rank 1 Linda Leen "Who Is In Charge"— 1.44% 2.69% 7.78% 3.97% 8 2 The Ludvig "I'm in Love with You"Top 2 16.48% 12.57% 21.80% 16.95% 2 Advanced 3 Franco Franco "Up"— 2.50% 2.79% 10.68% 5.32% 7 4 Santa Daņeļeviča "Your Breath"Top 2 10.76% 25.87% 9.85% 15.49% 4 Advanced 5 Lauris Valters "Magic Years"— 2.72% 5.08% 9.61% 5.80% 6 6 Triana Park "Line"— 37.99% 24.28% 18.04% 26.77% 1 Advanced 7 Miks Dukurs "Spiritual Priest"— 10.50% 10.11% 8.57% 9.73% 5 8 My Radiant You "All I Know"— 17.63% 16.60% 13.67% 15.97% 3 Advanced

Final The final took place on 26 February 2017. Intars Busulis together with singer and Eurovision Song Contest 2002 winner Marija Naumova were guest jurors for the final. The four entries that qualified from the semi-final competed. The song with the highest number of votes from the public, "Line" performed by Triana Park, was declared the winner. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, guest performers included Intars Busulis and 2016 Latvian Eurovision entrant Justs.