Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016
| Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 2016 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | Radiotelevisione italiana (RAI) | |||
| Country | Italy | |||
| Selection process | Selection among Sanremo Music Festival 2016 entries | |||
| Selection date | 14 February 2016 | |||
| Competing entry | ||||
| Song | "No Degree of Separation" | |||
| Artist | Francesca Michielin | |||
| Songwriters | 
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| Placement | ||||
| Final result | 16th, 124 points | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
| 
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Italy was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "No Degree of Separation" written by Federica Abbate, Francesca Michielin, Cheope, Fabio Gargiulo and Norma Jean Martine, and performed by Michielin herself. The Italian broadcaster Radiotelevisione italiana (RAI) announced in October 2015 that the winning performer(s) of the Big Artists section of the Sanremo Music Festival 2016 would have the right to represent the nation at the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden. The selected performer would also be given the right to choose their own song to compete with at Eurovision. The group Stadio ended up winning the Big Artists section, however they declined the opportunity to represent Italy in Stockholm. RAI then appointed the runner-up, Francesca Michielin, as the Italian entrant. Michielin performed a bilingual Italian and English version of her Sanremo runner-up entry "Nessun grado di separazione", which was titled "No Degree of Separation" at Eurovision.
As a member of the "Big Five", Italy automatically qualified to compete in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Performing in position 6, Italy placed sixteenth out of the 26 participating countries with 124 points.