Thyra Kigho Deshaun Oji, better known by her stage name Ms Banks, is a Nigerian-British rapper, singer and songwriter. Oji has released three mixtapes as Ms Banks. In 2014, she released her first mixtape titled Once Upon a Grind. She then released her first EP titled New Chapter EP in 2016. The Coldest Winter Ever was released in 2018, followed by The Coldest Winter Ever Part II in 2019. In 2023 she appeared alongside Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra as part of the opening act for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 hosted in Liverpool.
Banks in 2020
Eurovision Song Contest 2023
The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 was the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Liverpool, United Kingdom, as Ukraine—the winner of the 2022 contest with the song "Stefania" by Kalush Orchestra—was unable to host the event due to the Russian invasion of the country. It was organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) acting as host broadcaster on behalf of the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC). The contest was held at Liverpool Arena, and consisted of two semi-finals on 9 and 11 May and a final on 13 May 2023. The three live shows were presented by British singer Alesha Dixon, British actress Hannah Waddingham, and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, with Irish television presenter Graham Norton joining for the final.
Liverpool Arena – host venue of the 2023 contest
Exterior of the Liverpool Arena during the Eurovision event weeks
The graphic design of the 2023 contest on display in Liverpool
The stage in the arena