Ten participants presenting songs for a popular pan-European song contest will be vying for the votes of the Armenian public and a professional panel of judges in a hotly contested national final due on Sunday.

The winner in the selection announced by the Armenian Public Television will represent Armenia at Eurovision-2010 to be held in Norwegian capital Oslo in late May.

The best ten songs pre-selected by the organizing committee (out of 30 applications) have been presented to public judgment, with artists themselves actively participating in the promotion of their songs in hopes of finishing on top and winning the coveted slot.

The final score for each song will be formed on the basis of a jury vote and SMS voting in 50/50 ratio. The highest scoring song in the combination of both votes will get the highest 12 points to become Armenia’s entry at Eurovision-2010.

Three of the participants have been tipped as clear favorites to win, including Moscow-based Armenian singer Eva Rivas (real name Valeria Tsaturyan). Her likely contenders are the duo of Emmy and Mihran, and Razmik Amyan, all of whom have been known to the wider Armenian audiences for quite a long time. In the past Emmy made an unsuccessful attempt to become Armenia’s participant in Eurovision.

“I’m ready to go onto the Eurovision stage even tomorrow, and I will tell you more, I’m ready to win,” said Rivas, who at 6-feet, 5-inches tall, is recognized as much for her stunning looks as for her song “Apricot Stone”.

The author of the song is the artistic director of the State Jazz Orchestra of Armenia, composer Armen Martirosyan, the author of the lyrics is poet Karen Kavaleryan.

Rivas, 22, known to the Armenian public from the Armenian awards Tashir held in Russian capital Moscow annually as well as by her music video of Sayat Nova’s Tamam Ashkharh song, is believed by many to enjoy the support of “patrons” in Armenia, which, some say, will predetermine the outcome of the vote. The singer’s representatives, meanwhile, discard this speculation, but feel confident of her success. (Rivas is a stage name. The artist says it was the real name of her Greek great-grandmother which she decided to borrow for her career on stage.)

Flamboyant petite beauty Emmy Bejanyan, 25, meanwhile, will participate in the Eurovision-2010 final in a duet with Mihran Kirakosian, a United States-based dancer-turned-singer, who is known to the wider Armenian public by a few clips shown on Armenian TV channels. They will present the song “Hey” (Let Me Hear You Say) – lyrics by Kirakosyan, music by Vache Ter-Yeghishyan.

All songs are written in a club style, with no Armenian element. Emmy’s mother, well-known singer Nadezhda Sargsyan says that Evrovision is not a vocal contest. At the end of the day, she says, it is the selection of the song and the way it is performed that matters.

“We have decided to feature a song that has no element of ethnic Armenian music. Thus we want to show to Europe that besides presenting ethnic music we can also present modern music,” says Sargsyan.

Another popular Armenian singer Razmik Amyan is hoping to win the Armenia slot with his “My Love” song authored by Vahram Petrosyan, lyrics by Vardan Zadoyan. The singer says he has prepared a ‘little show’ for the selection stage, in which dancer Sofi Devoyan’s group will take part.

“What people think is very important for me. It is people who pick the participant,” says Amyan, 28. And participating in Eurovision is a very responsible and difficult task. You never know what will happen,” he says.

Armenia has participated in Eurovision song contests since 2006 and so far has had four participants, including Andre, Hayko, Sirusho and sisters Inga and Anush Arshakyan. The highest result was fourth, in 2008, by Sirusho. The Arshakyan sisters last year finished among the top ten.

The semifinals of Eurovision this year are scheduled for May 25 and 27, and the final is due to be held at Fornebu Arena on May 29. Representatives of 39 countries will compete. According to Eurovision rules, the country of the winner hosts the event the following year.