The Sopot International Song Festival is one of the most presigious international song contests, often compared to the Eurovision Song Contest. It has been organized annualy by the Polish state television, TVP in the coastal resort of Sopot, Poland.

The first Sopot festival was organized in 1961. Between 1977 and 1980 it was replaced by the Intervision Song Contest which was still held in Sopot. Unlike the Eurovision Song Contest, the Sopot International Music Festival often changed its formulas to pick a winner and offered many different contests for its participants. The festival has always been open to non-European acts and countries like Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa and many others have been represented in this event.

The contest lost popularity in Poland and abroad in the 80s and even more in the 90s and the rather unconvincing organizations by the TVP made the authorities of Sopot give the organization of the 2005 Sopot International Song Festival to a private TV channel, the TVN.

Since 1999 there was no Grand Prix contest within the festival. TVP chose to invite well known artists instead including the likes of Whitney Houston or The Corrs. In 2005, TVN is expected to bring the contest back. Sopot International Song Festival is usually considered bigger than the Benidorm International Song Festival or Karlshamn Baltic Song Festival because of its ability to attract star performers.

Winners of the Sopot International Song Festival ¹

1961-1973 - Price for the Masterpiece

• 1961 - Switzerland - Jo Rolland - Nous Deux
• 1962 - Greece - Jeanne Yovanna - Ti Krima
• 1963 - USSR - Tamara Misarova - Pust vsiegda budiet solnce ( ex-aequo )
• 1963 - France - Simone Langlois - Toi et ton sourire ( ex-aequo )
• 1964 - Greece - Nadia Constantinoupoulou - Je te remercie mon coeur
• 1965 - Canada - Monique Leyrac - Mon pays
• 1966 - USA - Lana Cantrell - I'm all smiles
• 1967 - Poland - Dana Lerska - Po prostu jestem
• 1968 - Poland - Urszula Sipińska - Po ten kwiat czerwony
• 1969 - Switzerland - Henri Dès - Maria Consuella
• 1970 - Canada - Robert Charlebois - Ordinaire
• 1971 - United Kingdom - Samantha Jones - He moves me
• 1972 - Poland - Andrzej Dąbrowski - Do zakochania jeden dzień ( ex-aequo )
• 1972 - USSR - Lev Leschchenko - Ja ne byl z nim znakom ( ex-aequo )
• 1973 - United Kingdom - Tony Craig - Can you feel it and I think of you baby

1974-1976 - Grand Prix de disque

• 1974 - Finland - Marion Rung - for many songs performed
• 1975 - United Kingdom - Glen Weston - for many songs performed
• 1976 - USSR - Irina Poniarosvskaya - for many songs performed

1977-1980 - Intervision Song Contest

• 1977 - Czechoslovakia - Helena Vondrackova - Malowany dzban
• 1978 - USSR - Alla Pugacheva - Vsio mogut koroli
• 1979 - Poland - Czesław Niemen - Nim przyjdzie wiosna
• 1980 - Finland - Marion Rung - Gdzie jest miłość

• 1981 - no festival
• 1982 - no festival
• 1983 - no festival

1984-1987 Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix

• 1984 - Poland - Krystyna Giżowska - Blue Box
• 1985 - Sweden - Herrey's - Summer Party
• 1986 - USA - Mary Getz - Hero of my heart
• 1987 - West Germany - Double Take - Rockola

1988-1990 - Golden Disc

• 1988 - USA - Kenny James - The Magic in you
• 1989 - Norway - Dance With The Strangers - many songs
• 1990 - Poland - Lora Szafran - many songs

1991-1998 Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix

• 1991 - Latvia - New Moon - many songs
• 1992 - Austria - Mark Andrews - many songs
• 1993 - Lithuania - Arina - Rain is coming down
• 1994 - Poland - Varius Manx - many songs
• 1995 - Poland - Kasia Kowalska - many songs
• 1996 - no contest within the festival
• 1997 - Netherlands - Total Touch - many songs
• 1998 - Italy - Alex Baroni - many songs
• 1999 - no contest within the festival
• 2000 - no contest within the festival
• 2001 - no contest within the festival
• 2002 - no contest within the festival
• 2003 - no contest within the festival
• 2004 - no contest within the festival

¹ This list includes only winners of the most prestigious contests within the Sopot Music Festival. Sometimes one given contest has overshadowed the other one with time. Grand Prix de disque was the most prestigious one between 1974 and 1976 but with the start of the Intervision, it was relegated to a second plan, yet continued until 1979. The Sopot Music Festival has also given the prizes for the Best Interpretation during the 60-tees, the Amber Nightingdale in the 80-tees and 90-tees and Winner Of The Polish Day on and off from the 60-tees to the 80-tees.

Winners by country: Poland (8), USSR (4), United Kingdom, USA (3), Canada, Finland, Greece and Switzerland (2), Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden (1)