Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

It was third time lucky for Aidan (aka Aidan Cassar, 26) winning the ticket to Eurovision after placing 4th in 2018 with Dai laga and second in 2022 with Ritmu .  In 2023 was set to participate with Regina but was disqualified. He won the jury vote by far and placed second in the public vote after Matt Blxck those two being runaway favorites by public. Seasoned performer he has taken part also in Junior Eurovision selection in 2015 , X Factor Malta, Muzika Muzika festival in 2021 . He has released one album so far, an EP and over 20 singles since 2015. He has 13 #1 singles in Malta.  The semi-final was hold on January 15 and the final on January 17, 2026. The jury had ten members: five from Malta and one from Cyprus, UK, Germany, Turkey and Greece.  Malta Eurovision song contest 2026 (jury + televote) 1. Aidan - Bella   113 + 170 = 283 2. Matt Blxck -  Ejja lejja ħdejja 'l hawn (The Flute)   68 + 200 = 268 3. Mychael Bartolo Chircop - My sweet ...

No surprise last night, pre-contest favorite Barbara Pravi convinced both televoters and the expert panel and took an easy win in the Eurovision France, c'est vous qui décidez!   After first round where televoters chose seven entries and the expert panel a wildcard the votes were zeroed and the share was 50-50. Just like I anticipated Juliette Moraine finished second and the fan favorites Andriamad and Philippine didn't even make the second round. Life in the bubble anyone? Casanova and Amui surprised in televoting, maybe thanks to Corsican and Tahitian diaspora? (Or maybe not) Barbara Pravi is no stranger to Eurovision. Apparently she was already asked last year internally but declined the offer as she didn't feel ready. In the Junior Eurovision she's been the co-authjor of the past two French entries Bim bam toi (5th) and J'imagine , that won the contest last year in Poland.  1. Barbara Pravi - Voilà (jury 100 + televote 100) 204 2. Juliette Moraine - Pourvu qu...

Stefania Liberakakis (17) was internally chosen by Greece to represent them at the Eurovision 2020 in her other home country the Netherlands. She's a singer, actress, voice actress and ex-child star and Junior Eurovision veteran having represented the Netherlands as a member of girlgroup Kisses in 2016 with Kisses and dancin' . She also did The Voice Kids and joined a child choir Kinderen voor kinderen. In 2018 she launched her solo career and the year after also her career in Greece. Is she their next superg!rl?

Serbia's national final Beovizija 2019 was won by 24-year-old Nevana Božović with self written Kruna (Crown).  She's no stranger to Eurovision having represented her country in Junior Eurovision 2007 ( Piši mi , 3rd) and as a member of Moje 3 in the real thing in 2013 ( Ljubav je svuja , 11th in semi-final). She's also The Voice 2012 runner up. She has released a dozen singles since 2007.  1. Nevena Božović - Kruna (televotes 8+jury 12) 20 2. Dženan Lončarević - Nema suza (10+7) 17 3. Saška Janks - Da li čuješ moj glas (6+10) 16 4. Nataša & Una - Samo bez straha (12+2) 14 5. Wonder Strings & Ivana Vladović - Moja bol (5+8) 13 6. Ivan Kurtić - Bella (7+4) 11 7. Majdan - Budim te (3+5) 8 8. Lord - Radnički sin (2+6) 8 9. Sofija Perić - Aritmija (4+1) 5 10. Jana Šušteršić - Viktorija (0+3) 3 11. Aleksandra Sekulić - Tugo (1+0) 1 12. Ana Popović - Lutaš (0+0) 0

The 1in360 selection for the next Eurovision song contest entry for San Marino has reached already 1000 submission from all over the globe. Sammarinese artists have not been very keen on participating to the disappointment of Head of Delegation Alessandro Capicchioni ( read more here ), but as soon as it was announced the third wilcard will be given to a Sammarinese artist they have started submitting entries from Junior Eurovision and Eurovision veteran Anita Simoncini , Eurovision spokesperson Irol , Valentina Monetta collaborataed Mirko Moroncelli and Alessandra Busignani , to add to those three that did it before: Fabrizio Valentini , Alibi and Gianluigi Colucci .  Meanwhile the second wild card voting is on in various OGAE clubs all over Europe. They have a shortlist of 70 lucky ones, including Michele Imberti . 

After Cyprus it's time for the Netherlands to reveal their cards. Not a surprie at all as O'G3NE was announced as their chosen one. The three sisters (Lisa, Amy and Shelley) have been rumored for years by now, and more than ever this time around.  They already did Junior Eurovision song contest for the Netherlands back in 2007 (placing 11th with Adem in, adem uit ). In 2014 they won The Voice of Holland. They released their third album We got this in September 2016. and it charted as #1.  Who knows if the entry will come from that album or will be written especially for the contest. Below are their latest two singles.....

Planet Seed is Malta's alternative rock band fronted by Klinsmann Coleiro who has participated in the national Eurovision selection several times as well as the selections for Junior Eurovision, like the third placed She gives me wings . But that was nearly 10 years ago..... 

Malta will be hosting the Junior Eurovision song contest 2016 as expected after their second win last year. And it was also announced significant changes in the broadcast time. From Saturday evening it has been moved to more suitable Sunday afternoon slot at 4pm. The date is set to November 20, 2016. There's also a change in the rules. The age. And thank god for that! It has been lowered to 9-14. (This has changed from original 8-15 to 10-15 later.) I have always thought 15 is too old. You have a strange mix of singers who do look like kids and then you have fully developed girls in there, they may be 15 but they have boobs and dress like grown ups and it has always disturbed me in Jesc.  This is also good news for San Marino's Anita Simoncini - no one can take her record of being the only one passing directly from Jesc to Esc anymore :-) Jan Ola Sand takes over as the executive supervisor after EBU fired Vladislav Yakovlev with some other people in a rather scanda...

The long lasting rumors were true and Poli Genova returns. She already represented the country in 2011 with Na inat but failed to reach the final. Since then she has been the X Factor Bulgaria judge and hosted the Junior Eurovision song contest 2015 in Sofia. Her song will be revealed next month. In 2013 she tried with this.....

Second win for Malta in three years in the end of a two horse race with Armenia. Slovenia scores its best ever, as does Albania while San Marino beats Italy.

The 13th Junior Eurovision song contest will take place tonight in Sofia, Bulgaria, as last year's runner up as Italy turned down to host the show. All of 17 countries are taking part, the highest number since the second edition in 2004 with 18. In 2012-2013 the number had dropped to 12 and the whole contest was becoming a minor joke. New people in charge have made a miracle and in the recent days there have been talks of the Baltic states and France maybe joining in next year.... We will see! It's no secret this blogger has never warmed up to this, and thus also this year I'm having a look what's in offer just when the rehearsals are already on and the final nearly here. I won't even see the final live as I will be doing something else but may catch up watching the show later on .... However I was quite surprised as the songs this year aren't that bad when heard for the first time. I still have the problem to whom this contest is aimed: kids singing for k...

It seems MRT hasn't yet made any announcement how their Eurovision song contest 2016 entry for Stockholm will be chosen but the chances are the Skopje Fest will once again be it. Skopje Fest that originally run from 1968-1980 become one of the biggest festivals in Yogoslavia. It rose like a Phoenix from ashed in 1994 to become now independent Macedonia's main festival and run now until 2002. Financial problems put a stop to it until 2008. It has also used several times as the selection for the ESC. Last year's winner Daniel Kajmakoski went to Eurovision but his song Lisna esenski went through a total make over and was almost a different song in Vienna..... Listen below. Anyways, the list for 2015 Skopje fest is very much male dominated (Måns-effect?) and among the names we have several familiar ones, even a veteran trying again and again, Vlatko Ilievski, this time in duet. Also a Junior veteran makes her debut among the big ones, Anja Veterova. Skopje Fest takes pla...

After three years with Valentina Monetta - who is going to be present for the 4th year in a row as a spokesperson - San Marino sends two teenagers, San Marinese doc Anita Simoncini who just turned 16 and Italian Michele Perniola. Both have already represented the tiny country in the Junior Eurovision (Michele in 2013 with O-o-O sole intorno a me , and Anita as a member of The Peppermints in 2014 with Breaking my heart ). They will be now together performing Ralph Siegel's 23rd Eurovision entry and if they make the final, his 20th finalist, Chain of lights . 

Self described Eurovision zombies Marjetka and Aleš have taken Europe by storm with their entry Here for you , a modern indie-pop song with interesting voice. They are a married couple with two little kids, their careers and work. Keeping it all together surely must be a bit tiring. A married couple yes, but by no means a Slovenian answer to Albano & Romina Power. Their trademark headphones set them a part and create a memorable gimmick. They are no stranger to Eurovision either, especially Aleš, who was co-writer of the last year's entry and also on stage with Tinkara Kovač in Round and round . (Recently Tinkara performed Here for you with them). They also tried their luck with Eurovision back in 2008 as Turbo Angels in the Slovenian national final. Zabava finished sixth and the band fell apart the year after. They created Maraaya last year and already scored an international hit with their debut  Lovin' me . Did you know Maraaya is not only a combination of their na...

The youngest for the smallest, that's the slogan for SMRTV for Vienna 2015 Eurovision song contest when Michele Perniola and Anita Simoncini were revealed as the chosen artists today. The slogan could also be from JESC to ESC as both have done Junior Eurovision song contest representing San Marino in 2013 and 2014. Without much of a success I might add. This fact confuses even more the line between JESC and ESC. There are the age limits for both, but at the age of 15-16 there can be huge differences in kids... I guess it's already rather clear this blogger is not very fond of the JESC. Anyways, both Michele and Anita will be 16 in Vienna next May. And they both look the age (or older). Michele Perniola (class of Diva ) comes from southern Italy, near Taranto. In 2012 he won the Italian talent show for kids, Ti lascio una canzone, and then in 2013 was picked by SMRTV to be their debut entrant for the Junior Eurovision song contest with O-o-O sole intorno a me finish...

All eyes on Marsa Shipyards tonight again when Malta picks up its represent for Vienna 2015. At least the artist, the song maybe as there are rumors and speculation it could be changed between now and the deadline to present entries in mid-March (the same goes for Macedonia). Anyways, 14 acts remain in the race after last night's semifinal and one could see PBS is putting on an extra effort this year. Besides the show hosted on the same stage as the Junior Eurovision song contest a week ago - yet they have managed to make it look rather different - many artists have dancers and all that usual stuff to make every entry look different and thought after. Well done.  Amber  (pictured) is the front runner followed by the Eurovision cliché act by Jessika , but the girl can't hold a note for full three minutes, it's painfully evident by now. The nuns could win with televote but surely they won't win with jurors unless they are in majority foreign and want to make Malta ...

The 9th edition of the Junior Eurovision song contest took place tonight in Malta. Sixteen countries with three debutants (Italy, Montenegro, Slovenia) took the stage this time with kids between 10 and 15 years performing the songs. Beautifully staged show went on smoothly and the songs were pretty good, well, some of them. The internet voting was a disaster though and didn't happen at all. Italy debuted and won with Vincenzo Cantiello's Tu primo grande amore . Full results above. Belarus - Nadezhda Misyakova - Sokal Bulgaria - Krisi, Hasan & Ibrahim - Planet of the Children San Marino - The Peppermints - Breaking my heart Croatia - Josie - Game over Cyprus - Sophia Patsalides - I pio omorfi mera Georgia - Lizi Pop - Happy day Sweden - Julia Kedhammar - Du är inte ensam Ukraine - Sympho-Nick - Spring will come Slovenia - Ula Lozar - Nisi sam Montenegro - Masa Vujadinovic & Lejla Vulic - Budi dijete na jedan dan Italy - Vincenzo Cantiello...

Michele Perniola will be the San Marino spokesperson during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. The Italian teen singer represented San Marino in its first ever partecipation at the Junior Eurovision song contest held in Kiev last November with O-o-O Sole intorno a me . "Representing San Marino at the JESC has been an incredible experience" , stated Michele, "it was funny and engaging. Being asked to be the San Marino spokesperson is a pleasure and an honor". You will be seeing Michele on May 10 during the Grand Final of the 59th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Btw, Michele would be of age for the 2015 Eurovision.....

Russia was the last one to reveal their entry and in the current political situation one can only wonder how and if it will effect the outcome. The Tolmachevy sisters took the ungrateful job and their song Shine is penned by the usual names who are willing to enter whichever country takes them every year. The twin sisters Anastasiya and Maria have already won the Junior Eurovision song contest in 2006 and now at the age of 17 give it a try among the adults. They have performed in a few high scale productions (like Eurovision 2009 in Moscow) as guests but as for recording songs and having hits they are totally unknown. Robert : After all the political turmoil of recent weeks around Russia, the Russian entry, to most, is the song to dislike but I must admit I like it very much. Whenever it passes by on my ipod, it catches my attention and i want to turn up the volume. Since Eurovision is bringing people together and that the message is to keep politics out of the contest, the Tolmac...

As expected Russia has gone for an internal selection and the chosen ones are Tolmachevy twins. No strangers to Eurovision affairs as they won the Junior Eurovision song contest 2006 when they were just nine years old with Vesennly jazz . In 2009 when Eurovision was in Moscow they took part in the opening act of the first semifinal. No news about their song yet for Eurovision 2014..... Despite all that "experience" they seem to be nobodies to great public and it's easily understandable Russian TV didn't manage to get anyone else for the job. For sure I wouldn't be in the shoes of the Russian artist this year so good luck!