Germany: Stefan Raab pledges personal responsibility for Eurovision 2025 result

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Germany’s Eurovision 2025 participation has a familiar face back at the helm: Stefan Raab. The renowned musician, producer, and television icon has returned to the Eurovision fold with a bold promise—he will take full responsibility if Germany fails to clinch the trophy in Basel.

Raab, who is spearheading ARD‘s new national selection process Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland?, made his ambitions crystal clear in a statement revealed by Germany’s Head of Delegation, Alexandra Wolfslast. Speaking to The Euro Trip, Wolfslast disclosed:

“Stefan made it his personal challenge. He wants to win. He said, ‘Hold me responsible if we only come second,’ which is a big thing to say.”

Wolfslast also emphasized the significance of Raab’s hands-on approach, noting his clear vision and determination:

“We have a saying in Germany: too many chefs spoil the broth. With Eurovision, it’s often the case that too many voices get involved. This time, it’s Stefan’s show. He’s taking full control and full responsibility”.

Who is Stefan Raab?

Stefan Raab is no stranger to the Eurovision community, with a track record dating back to 1998 when he wrote Guildo Horn’s Guildo hat euch lieb! (7th place). He later performed Wadde hadde dudde da? in 2000, finishing fifth, and composed Max Mutzke’s 2004 entry, which also landed in the top 10. His crowning achievement came in 2010, when he guided Lena to victory with Satellite, securing Germany’s first win in nearly three decades.

Raab also hosted Eurovision in 2011 and served as a juror in 2012. Now, after years away from the spotlight, his return has reignited high hopes for Germany’s success.

The new format of the German National Selection

Stefan Raab is introducing a fresh approach to Germany’s National Selection with Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland?. This four-part prime-time series, starting in February 2025, will determine the country’s representative for Basel. The process will feature 24 contestants, with Raab and a professional jury assessing the performances in the initial rounds. However, the final decision will rest solely in the hands of the German public through a televote.

In a notable shift, Raab has done away with the international jury that had been a staple in previous years, opting for a fully German-centric selection method. The grand finale, hosted by Barbara Schöneberger, will air live on ARD Das Erste on March 1, 2025.

Will this new format continue Germany’s upward trajectory, securing another spot on the left-hand side of the scoreboard—or perhaps even delivering the Eurovision victory Raab has promised?

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on our favorite music competition!

Source: The Euro Trip Podcast 

Moldova: The submission period for the Selecția Națională 2025 has begun

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The national broadcaster of Moldova, TRM, has officially launched the process to select the song that will represent the country at Eurovision 2025, taking place in Basel, Switzerland.

In a recent announcement, TRM revealed the regulations for Selecția Națională 2025, Moldova’s national final. The submission period is now open, and interested participants are invited to send their entries no later than the deadline, set for December 27.

The submitted songs will be reviewed and evaluated between December 28 and January 15. Following this, the second phase will involve live auditions, scheduled to take place between January 15 and February 5.

In the final stage, the top ten entries will compete in Selecția Națională 2025, where the winner will be chosen to represent Moldova at Eurovision 2025. The national final will be held between February 20 and February 28. Voting will be determined by 50% public vote and 50% jury vote, with the organizers resolving any ties.

It is worth noting that last year, Moldova was represented by Natalia Barbu with the song In The Middle. Unfortunately, she did not qualify for the Grand Final, finishing 13th in the first semifinal with a total of 20 points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evIoGkZXj2s&ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates!

Source: X, @ESCdiscord

Israel: Everything That Happened in the Third Episode of HaKokhav Haba!

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The third episode of HaKokhav Haba (special edition), the talent show that will determine the artist representing Israel at Eurovision 2025, aired on Sunday night, November 17.

In this episode, we witnessed five auditions, with only four contestants advancing to the next round, continuing their quest for a ticket to Basel. Hosts of HaKokhav Haba are Assi Azar and Rotem Sela, who have held this role since 2014. The judging panel consists of Shiri Maimon, Itay Levy, Assaf Amdorsky, Eden Hasson, Ran Dankar, and Keren Peles.

Contestants and Their Performances

Aviad Klein

At 25 years old, Aviad Klein has already composed songs for Eden Meiri, Yasmin Moalem, ShrekDiMC, and others. This marks his first appearance on stage as a singer. He performed Adele’s “When We Were Young,” showcasing impressive vocal abilities, earning an outstanding score of 96%.

Amit Sade

Amit Sade, a 23-year-old sales assistant, chose to sing “Scars to Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara. Her rare voice resembles that of international pop-soul stars, garnering unanimous approval from the judges. Amit advanced to the next stage with a score of 96%.

Tamir Vaknin

Tamir Vaknin revealed that he had a troubled youth, struggling with anger issues and spending time in rehabilitation institutions. With experience performing on small stages such as nightclubs and parties, Tamir sang “Eir Nemal” by Eyal Golan. He scored 81% and progressed to the next round, although Assaf Amdorsky voted against him.

Red Band and Moran Aharoni

The Red Band is an Israeli puppet performance group founded in 2005 by Ari Pepper, Micah Doman, and Ami Weisel, blending unique music with comedy. Featuring puppet characters like Red Auerbach (vocals), Poncho (guitar), and Lefty (keyboards), the group has toured both nationally and internationally, performing rock and folk song covers.

They were joined by Moran Aharoni, a singer-songwriter who rose to prominence on the fourth season of Kohav Nold. He later participated in The Next Star for Eurovision 2020, reaching the semifinals. Known for his wide vocal range, Moran brings drama to their act, while Red Band adds rock and comedy. Together, they performed “Human” by Rag’n’Bone Man, scoring 82%. Despite advancing, they received a negative vote from Assaf Amdorsky.

More About HaKokhav Haba

The show continues with more auditions in the upcoming episodes. From 2015 to 2020, HaKokhav Haba successfully secured Israel’s spot in Eurovision’s grand final every year, with Netta winning the competition in 2018 with her song “Toy.”

Last year’s winner of HaKokhav Haba and Israel’s Eurovision 2024 representative, Eden Golan, placed fifth in the final rankings with her song “Hurricane.”

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Israeli participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, in Basel!

Voting for #ESC250 has just begun – Vote for your favorites!

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The annual voting for the selection of the 250 best songs in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest begins today on the website Songfestival.be in collaboration with EFR12Radio.

You can vote for your ten favorite songs of all time in this poll, which closes on December 15 at 12:00 CET, while the results will be revealed on New Year’s Eve as always.

How to register your vote?

You can register your vote by clicking here .

To register your vote, you must first connect to your personal account via a social network (Facebook, Google, or Twitter). Once logged in, you can search for your favorite song by country or year in which it was performed.

Then, after the entry shows up, click the Like button, and it will be added to your ranking. You may adjust the songs you’ve selected by dragging the entries up or down.

You award 12 points to your favorite entry, 10 to the second favorite, and so on. If you want to erase an entry from your ranking, press the x to the right of each participation. You can vote for up to ten songs.

After selecting your ten favorite entries, press the “Send Votes“  button to register your vote. Press the “Vote“ button to confirm your vote.

You may be unable to access the page immediately due to the hundreds of users attempting to vote. But keep in mind that you have until December 15 to vote.

Eurovision Top 250

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the annual Eurovision Top 250 online poll, which attracts thousands of voters from around the world each year. The results are announced on the last day of the year, and all songs from the competition’s 66-year history are included.

Last year, Käärijä with his song “Cha Cha Cha” came first. Loreen came in second place with “Tattoo“, and third place with her song “Euphoria“.

Will Käärijä be able to maintain his lead or will Loreen return to the top? What are your ten favorite innings of all time? Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all developments regarding the Eurovision Top 250. 

 

Israel: All the highlights from the second episode of HaKokhav Haba!

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The highly anticipated Israeli selection process for Eurovision 2025 conitnued tonight with the second episode of HaKokhav Haba 2025. This competition, known in English as “The Next Star”, is the format used by Israel to choose its representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Read more

Georgia is ready to host the 23rd Junior Eurovision Song Contest!

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A few hours after Georgia’s triumphant victory at the 22nd Junior Eurovision Song Contest, held in Madrid, the Georgian delegation expressed their readiness to host the contest in their country:

“Yes, we will host Junior Eurovision 2025 in Georgia. We know how to do it, and you’re all invited!”

 

 

Georgia’s History in Junior Eurovision

Georgia has proven to be one of the most successful countries in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, now celebrating its fourth victory. Georgia first won the competition in 2008 with the song “Bzz..” performed by Bzikebi. The second victory came in 2011, when Candy claimed the top spot with their song “Candy Music” The third victory, which also marked the last time Georgia hosted the contest, was in 2016 when Mariam Mamadashvili won with the song “Mzeo” Following this victory, Georgia hosted the 15th edition of the contest in 2017 at the Olympic Palace in Tbilisi.

Eight years later, Andria Putkaradze, with the song “To My Mom” has brought Georgia back to the top, making them responsible for organizing the upcoming 23rd Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

Below is Georgia’s performance at the 22nd Junior Eurovision Song Contest:

Did you like the winner of Junior Eurovision 2024? Let us know in the comments below!

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the latest news!

SOURCE: X

Georgia wins the 22nd Junior Eurovision Song Contest!

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The 22nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest has concluded with a thrilling finale. After a tense voting process, Georgia emerged victorious with Andria Putkaradze and “To My Mom“, clinching the title for this year’s competition. Portugal secured second place, while Ukraine rounded out the top three.

Junior Eurovision 2024

Following Spain’s second-place finish in Nice and France’s decision not to host for a second consecutive year, the event was held in Madrid, marking the first time Spain hosted the contest. The iconic Caja Mágica served as the venue, welcoming delegations from seventeen participating countries. Hosting duties were masterfully carried out by Ruth Lorenzo, Marc Clotet, and Melani Garcia.

This year’s competition saw an increase in participants. San Marino and Cyprus returned after absences of nine and seven years, respectively. However, the United Kingdom, despite a successful comeback in 2022, opted not to participate this year.

The show was opened by Simone Grande from Italy, while Ramires Sciberras from Malta was the last to perform:

  1. Italy: Simone Grande – “Pigiama Party”
  2. Estonia: Annabelle – “Tänavad”
  3. Albania: Nikol Çabeli – “Vallëzoj”
  4. Armenia: Leo – “Cosmic Friend”
  5. Cyprus: Maria Pissarides – “Crystal Waters”
  6. France: Titouan – “Comme ci, comme ça”
  7. North Macedonia: Ana and Aleksej – “Marathon”
  8. Poland: Dominik Arim – “All Together”
  9. Georgia: Andria Putkaradze – “To My Mom”
  10. Spain: Chloe DelaRosa – “Como la Lola”
  11. Germany: Bjarne – “Save the Best For Us”
  12. Netherlands: Stay Tuned – “Music”
  13. San Marino: Idols SM – “Come noi”
  14. Ukraine: Artem Kotenko – “Hear Me Now”
  15. Portugal: Victoria Nicole – “Esperança”
  16. Ireland: Enya Cox Dempsey – “Le Chéile”
  17. Malta: Ramires Sciberras – “Stilla ċkejkna”

Opening and Interval Acts

The evening kicked off with a spectacular opening act celebrating the history and legacy of Junior Eurovision. Themed around the growth of a garden, the act symbolized the festival’s evolution from its beginnings two decades ago to its vibrant present.

The opening number included three prominent Junior Eurovision figures. Maria Isabel, Spain’s only Junior Eurovision winner, on the 20th anniversary of her victory with “Antes muerta que sencilla” took the stage along with Zoé Clauzure, France’s 2023 winner, and Sandra Valero, Spain’s 2023 representative who achieved second place in Nice. Together, they performed a unifying anthem with this year’s contestants, reflecting the contest’s spirit of togetherness.

Later in the evening, as online voting opened, Spanish singer Abraham Mateo energized the crowd with his hit song “Maníaca,” adding to the excitement.

Junior Eurovision 2024 – the voting procedure

The winner of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was decided as following:

  • on a 50% via the Online Voting, which was conducted in two phases (before and during the live broadcast)
  • on the remaining 50% by the participating countries’ national juries. The national jury of each country included three music industry professionals and two kids aged 10 to 15.
The national juries’ result

At the first place, there was Georgia with 180 points, followed by Ukraine with 123 points and France with 103 points. Georgia secured the most top marks, twelve.

The results of the Online Voting

Portugal won the online voting with 116 points, followed by Ukraine with 81 points and Malta with 79 points.

The Winner

Combining the national juries’ and the public vote, Georgia was declared as the winner of Junior Eurovision 2024 with a total of 239 points.

What do you think of this year’s Junior Eurovision winner? Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all news!

Junior Eurovision 2024: Live Tonight from Madrid!

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The time all Junior Eurovision fans were waiting for has arrived. Tonight, live from Caja Mágica in Madrid, the 22nd Junior Eurovision Song Contest takes place.

After having arrived in Madrid and completing their technical and dress rehearsals, young artists from the seventeen participating countries will take the stage of Caja Mágica and showcase their talent in front of a worldwide audience.

The show will be broadcasted live at 18:00 CET, while Ruth Lorenzo, Marc Clotet and Melani Garcia will guide us during the event.

The running order

After an initial draw took place in Madrid, the complete running order was revealed about a month prior to the competition. Simone Grande from Italy will be the first to take the stage, while Ramires Sciberras from Malta will close the show. Spain, the host country, with Chloe DelaRosa will perform tenth.

  1. Italy: Simone Grande – “Pigiama Party”
  2. Estonia: Annabelle – “Tänavad”
  3. Albania: Nikol Çabeli – “Vallëzoj”
  4. Armenia: Leo – “Cosmic Friend”
  5. Cyprus: Maria Pissarides – “Crystal Waters”
  6. France: Titouan – “Comme ci, comme ça”
  7. North Macedonia: Ana and Aleksej – “Marathon”
  8. Poland: Dominik Arim – “All Together”
  9. Georgia: Andria Putkaradze – “To My Mom”
  10. Spain: Chloe DelaRosa – “Como la Lola”
  11. Germany: Bjarne – “Save the Best For Us”
  12. Netherlands: Stay Tuned – “Music”
  13. San Marino: Idols SM – “Come noi”
  14. Ukraine: Artem Kotenko – “Hear Me Now”
  15. Portugal: Victoria Nicole – “Esperança”
  16. Ireland – Enya Cox Dempsey – “Le Chéile”
  17. Malta: Ramires Sciberras – “Stilla ċkejkna”

How will the winner be decided?

The winner of Junior Eurovision 2024 will be determined by a 50/50 split between the Online Voting and the national juries:

  • 50% of the final score will come from the Online Voting conducted in two phases.
  • The remaining 50% will come from the national juries of the participating countries. Each jury consists of three music industry professionals and two childrenaged 10 to 15.

The first phase of online voting commenced yesterday evening and will conclude just before the show begins. For more information on how to vote:

Junior Eurovision 2024: The Online Voting Starts now | How to vote for your favorites!

Where to watch the show?

All seventeen participating countries will broadcast the show live via their participating broadcasters. Meanwhile, Junior Eurovision 2024 will be broadcasted live in several non-participating countries, such as Luxembourg, Croatia and Lithuania . Hence, make sure to check your broadcaster’s schedule for more details.

If you’re watching from a non-participating country, Junior Eurovision does not apply to any geographical restrictions and you can follow the event live from JuniorEurovision.tv.

What are your predictions on Junior Eurovision 2024? Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Junior Eurovision 2024: The Online Voting Starts now | How to vote for your favorites!

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The excitement is building as we approach the Grand Final of Junior Eurovision 2024, set to take place tomorrow at Caja Mágica in Madrid. Seventeen talented artists from across Europe are ready to showcase their talent, but only one will emerge as the winner.

As we eagerly await the live show, the Online Voting has officially opened and will determine half of the final result.

How to Vote for Your Favorite Song: Voting Rules

In line with previous editions, Junior Eurovision 2024 voting is open to the public, allowing fans from all around the world to have their say in the outcome. To participate, you will need:

  1. An internet connection.
  2. A device to access the official Junior Eurovision website at JuniorEurovision.tv.

Once you’ve connected to the website, you will be able to watch a short recap video of all 17 performances. This video features highlights from the second rehearsals, offering a sneak peek of the performances viewers will see during the live show. After watching the recap, fans can vote for their three favorite songs — no more, no less.

Importantly, there are no geographical restrictions, meaning you can vote for any country, including your own if it is participating.

The 17 Participating Countries – VOTE

Here are the countries that will take part in Junior Eurovision 2024, listed in the order they will perform on Sunday:

  1. Italy: Simone Grande – “Pigiama Party”
  2. Estonia: Annabelle – “Tänavad”
  3. Albania: Nikol Çabeli – “Vallëzoj”
  4. Armenia: Leo – “Cosmic Friend”
  5. Cyprus: Maria Pissarides – “Crystal Waters”
  6. France: Titouan – “Comme ci, comme ça”
  7. North Macedonia: Ana and Aleksej – “Marathon”
  8. Poland: Dominik Arim – “All Together”
  9. Georgia: Andria Putkaradze – “To My Mom”
  10. Spain: Chloe DelaRosa – “Como la Lola”
  11. Germany: Bjarne – “Save the Best For Us”
  12. Netherlands: Stay Tuned – “Music”
  13. San Marino: Idols SM – “Come noi”
  14. Ukraine: Artem Kotenko – “Hear Me Now”
  15. Portugal: Victoria Nicole – “Esperança”
  16. Ireland – Enya Cox Dempsey – “Le Chéile”
  17. Malta: Ramires Sciberras – “Stilla ċkejkna”

You can vote for your favorites here.

 

The Two Phases of Online Voting

The Online Voting for Junior Eurovision 2024 will take place in two phases:

  • Phase 1: Voting began at 8:00 PM (CET) today and will remain open until 17:59 PM (CET) on Saturday, November 16, just before the live show starts.
  • Phase 2: Voting will reopen during the live broadcast following the final performance from Malta. It will remain open for approximately 15 minutes, similar to the voting procedure used in the adult Eurovision contest.

Votes from both phases will be combined to form a single, final result.

How will the winner be decided?

The winner of Junior Eurovision 2024 will be determined by a 50/50 split between the Online Voting and the national juries:

  • 50% of the final score will come from the Online Voting conducted in two phases.
  • The remaining 50% will come from the national juries of the participating countries. Each jury consists of three music industry professionals and two children aged 10 to 15.

You can check this explanatory video regarding the voting procedure:

The slogan for this year’s contest is “Let’s Bloom!”, while Ruth Lorenzo, Marc Clotet and Melani Garcia will serve as this year’s hosts.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Moldova: Present in Eurovision 2025| The representative will be selected through a national final!

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As it seems, one more country will join the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place next year in Basel!

We’re talking about Moldova, which will participate in the contest in Switzerland, hoping to return to the positive results of previous years after last year’s elimination. The submission window is expected to open in the coming days.

The country’s official Eurovision website has been updated, featuring a special section about artist wanting to participate in the national selection for Eurovision 2025, which will once again include a national final as Moldova has done in recent years! The application form and regulations are expected to be posted HERE.

Moldova is the 37th country to confirm its participation in Eurovision 2025, meaning that, in the worst-case scenario, the contest will feature 37 entries, as it has in the past two years.

The only country that has not made any announcement about its participation is Armenia, which will most likely be present, as it usually announces its plans for the contest after the conclusion of Junior Eurovision. Therefore, its current silence is not unusual. The countries confirmed so far are:

  • Switzerland
  • Spain
  • Malta
  • Denmark
  • Belgium
  • Luxembourg
  • Austria
  • Portugal
  • Croatia
  • Serbia
  • Germany
  • Israel
  • Finland
  • Albania
  • Lithuania
  • Sweden
  • Norway
  • Italy
  • Cyprus
  • Latvia
  • United Kingdom
  • San Marino
  • France
  • Azerbaijan
  • Montenegro
  • Georgia
  • Czechia
  • Ukraine
  • Iceland
  • Slovenia
  • Greece
  • Estonia
  • Ireland
  • Netherlands
  • Australia
  • Poland
  • Moldova

If we take Armenia’s participation for granted, all 37 broadcasters from Eurovision 2024 will return, along with Montenegro’s comeback after two years. This would bring the number of participants to 38, the highest since 2022, when 40 countries participated. It remains to be seen if any other countries will join, further increasing the total.

In Eurovision 2024, Moldova was represented by Natalia Barbu with the song “In the Middle” which placed 13th in the first semi-final:

https://youtu.be/evIoGkZXj2s

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Moldovan participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, in Basel!

Source: eurovision.md