Ukraine has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 19 times since making its debut in 2003. Ukraine has won the contest three times: in 2004 with "Wild Dances" by Ruslana, in 2016 with "1944" by Jamala, and in 2022 with "Stefania" by Kalush Orchestra, thus becoming the first country in the 21st century and the first Eastern European country to win the contest three times. The 2005 and 2017 contests were held in Kyiv. However, the 2023 contest was held in Liverpool in the United Kingdom due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
| Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Participating broadcaster | Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC) |
| Participation summary | |
| Appearances | 19 (19 finals) |
| First appearance | 2003 |
| Highest placement | 1st: 2004, 2016, 2022 |
| Host | 2005, 2017 |
| Related articles | |
| Vidbir | |
| External links | |
| UA:PBC website | |
Ukraine's page at Eurovision.tv  | |
 For the most recent participation seeUkraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 | |
Since the introduction of the semi-final round in 2004, Ukraine is one of only two countries outside of the "Big Five" to have qualified for the final of every contest they have competed,[a] and has been placed outside the top-ten only six times.[1] Ukraine has a total of nine top-five placements, with Verka Serduchka (2007) and Ani Lorak (2008) both finishing second, Zlata Ognevich (2013) as well as Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil (2024) third, Mika Newton fourth (2011) and Go_A fifth (2021), in addition to its wins. The only countries with more top-five results in the 21st century are Sweden (13) and Russia (10).
History edit
Ukraine made its debut in 2003, when Oleksandr Ponomariov finished in 14th place with the song "Hasta la vista".
Ukraine won the contest at the second attempt in 2004, when Ruslana won with the song "Wild Dances", defeating second-placed Serbia and Montenegro by 17 points, 280 to 263. Later in the year, she supported the Orange Revolution and became an MP for one year as part of the new president's alliance.
In 2016, Ukraine became the first Eastern European country to win the contest twice, when Jamala won with her song "1944". The televote was won by Russia and the jury vote by Australia; Ukraine was second in both, but won with an overall total of 534 points, with Australia second with 511 points and Russia third with 491 points. In 2017, Ukraine was pre-qualified for the final as hosts, however they achieved their worst result to date – 24th place with 36 points.
Ukraine was absent twice from the contest, in 2015 and 2019, for reasons related to the ongoing conflict with Russia:
- Ukrainian broadcaster NTU sat out the 2015 contest because of financial difficulties in relation to the war in Donbas.[2] However, Ukraine broadcast the contest despite not taking part.[3] NTU pledged to bring Ukraine back to the contest for 2016, which was finalized and announced on 16 September 2015.[4]
- Vidbir, the Ukrainian national selection for the 2019 contest, was won by Maruv with "Siren Song". However, the Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC required any potential representative in the contest to sign a contract which would forbid them from performing in Russia. The winner Maruv, as well as runners-up Freedom Jazz, Kazka and Brunettes Shoot Blondes, all refused to sign the contract, leading to Ukraine's withdrawal from the contest on 27 February.[5]
In 2020, Go_A won the national selection Vidbir and was set to represent Ukraine with the song "Solovey", before the contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were instead internally selected to represent the country the following year with the song "Shum", with which they finished in fifth place. After the contest, "Shum" entered the Billboard Global 200 at position 158, becoming the first ever Ukrainian-language song to chart there.[6] Ukraine won the contest for a third time in 2022, with the song "Stefania" performed by Kalush Orchestra. "Stefania" later went on to surpass the peak of "Shum" on the Billboard Global 200, charting at position 85.[7]
Since the introduction of the semi-final round in 2004, Ukraine is the only country to have qualified for the final of every Eurovision they have competed in (they were absent from the 2015 and 2019 contests).[note 1] Ukraine has a total of 11 top-ten placements (among those are eight top-five placements). Ukraine's participation and success in the contest has been acknowledged as a factor in the country's growing soft power and international image.[8] This view is shared by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has supported the country's continued participation in the event following the Russian invasion as a way to promote the Ukrainian national cause internationally.[9]
Participation overview edit
The following lists Ukraine's entries in the Eurovision Song Contest along with their result.[10]
| 1 | First place |
| 2 | Second place |
| 3 | Third place |
| X | Entry selected but did not compete |
| † | Upcoming event |
Selection process edit
|
|
Hostings edit
| Year | Location | Venue | Presenters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Kyiv | Palace of Sports | Maria Efrosinina and Pavlo Shylko |
| 2017 | International Exhibition Centre | Volodymyr Ostapchuk, Oleksandr Skichko and Timur Miroshnychenko |
Following its victory in 2022, Ukraine was initially given the opportunity to host the 2023 contest, however, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) later decided that the country would not be able to host due to security concerns caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, making Ukraine the first country since Israel in 1979 to win the contest but not host it the following year.[11] The 2022 runner-up, the United Kingdom, hosted the 2023 contest on Ukraine's behalf, and Ukraine was granted automatic qualification for the final.[12]
Awards edit
Marcel Bezençon Awards edit
| Year | Category | Song | Performer | Final | Points | Host city | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Artistic Award[e] | "Wild Dances" | Ruslana | 1 | 280 |  Istanbul | |
| 2007 | Press Award | "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" | Verka Serduchka | 2 | 235 |  Helsinki | |
| 2008 | Artistic Award[e] | "Shady Lady" | Ani Lorak | 2 | 230 |  Belgrade | |
| 2016 | Artistic Award[f] | "1944" | Jamala | 1 | 534 |  Stockholm |
Barbara Dex Award edit
| Year | Performer | Host city | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Verka Serduchka | Helsinki |
Related involvement edit
Heads of delegation edit
| Year | Head of delegation | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Pavlo Grytsak | |
| 2007–2016 | Victoria Romanova | |
| 2017–present | Oksana Skybinska |
Jury members edit
A five-member jury panel consisting of music industry professionals is made up for every participating country for the semi-finals and final of the Eurovision Song Contest, ranking all entries except for their own country's contribution. The juries' votes constitute 50% of the overall result alongside televoting.[20]
| Year | 1st member | 2nd member | 3rd member | 4th member | 5th member | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Nedzelskiy | Oleksandr Ponomaryov | Irena Zagorodnyuk | Iryna Rozental | Oleksandr Zlotnyk | ||
| Oleksandr Zlotnyk | Kateryna Komar | Kostiantyn Mishukov | Alla Popova | Olena Valovyk | ||
| Oleksandr Ksenofontov | Maria Burmaka | Valentin Koval | Valeria Chachibaya | Andre France | ||
| Yurii Rybchynsky | Illaria | Serhiy Grachov | Yana Pryadko | Serhiy Gagarin | ||
| Vitaliy Klimov | Denys Zhupnyk | Arthur Danielyan | Alla Moskovka | Khrystyna Soloviy | ||
| Oleksandr Ponomaryov | Illaria | Igor Kondratiuk | Alla Moskovka | Alyona Alyona | ||
| Andriy Yatskiv | Andriy Kapral | Iryna Fedyshyn | Lukian Halkin | Vadim Lysycia | ||
| Oleksandr Sydorenko | Svitlana Tarabarova | Antonina Matviyenko | Oleh Sobchuk | Evgeny Khmara | ||
| Alyosha | Iryna Horova | Kostiantyn Tomilchenko | Maksim Nahorniak | Olena Koliadenko |
Commentators and spokespersons edit
This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2020) |
| Year | NTU/UA:PBC commentator | STB commentator | Radio commentator | Spokesperson | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Pavlo Shylko, Mariya Orlova | No broadcast | No broadcast | Did not participate | |
| 2003 | Pavlo Shylko, Dmytro Kryzhanivskyi | Lyudmyla Hariv | |||
| 2004 | Rodion Pryntsevskyi | Pavlo Shylko | |||
| 2005 | Yaroslav Chornenkyi | Galyna Babiy | Mariya Orlova | ||
| 2006 | Pavlo Shylko | No broadcast | Igor Posypaiko | ||
| 2007 | Timur Miroshnychenko | Kateryna Osadcha | |||
| 2008 | Marysya Horobets | ||||
| 2009 | |||||
| 2010 | Iryna Zhuravska | ||||
| 2011 | Timur Miroshnychenko, Tetiana Terekhova | Olena Zelinchenko | Ruslana | ||
| 2012 | Oleksiy Matias | ||||
| 2013 | |||||
| 2014 | Zlata Ognevich | ||||
| 2015 | No broadcast | Did not participate | |||
| 2016 | Olena Zelinchenko | Verka Serduchka | |||
| 2017 | Tetiana Terekhova, Andrii Horodyskyi | Zlata Ognevich | |||
| 2018 | Timur Miroshnychenko (all shows) Mariya Yaremchuk (semi-final 1) Alyosha (semi-final 2) Jamala (final) | Serhiy Prytula | Nata Zhyzhchenko | ||
| 2019 | Timur Miroshnychenko | No broadcast | Did not participate | ||
| 2021 | Olena Zelinchenko (UR1) Anna Zakletska, Dmytro Zakharchenko (Radio Promin) | Tayanna | |||
| 2022 | No broadcast | Timur Miroshnychenko (semi-finals)[g] Anna Zakletska, Dmytro Zakharchenko (final) | Kateryna Pavlenko | ||
| 2023 | Oleksandra Franko, Oleksandr Barbelen | Zlata Ognevich | |||
| 2024 | Timur Miroshnychenko (all shows) Vasyl Baidak (final) | Dmytro Zakharchenko, Lesia Antypenko[h] | Jamala |
Stage directors edit
Costume designers edit
|
Photo gallery edit
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See also edit
Notes and references edit
Notes edit
- ^ No country has always participated in the final since the introduction of semi-finals in 2004. Ukraine, despite having always reached the final, did not participate in the 2015 and 2019 contests. Additionally, the 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are also not counted in this list since they receive automatic qualification to the final.
- ^ The other country to have done so is Luxembourg who qualified for the final on their return to the contest in 2024 after a 31-year absence.
- ^ According to the then-Eurovision rules, the top ten non-Big Four countries from the previous year along with the Big Four automatically qualified for the Grand Final without having to compete in semi-finals. For example, if Germany and France placed inside the top ten, the 11th and 12th spots were advanced to next year's Grand Final along with all countries ranked in the top ten.
- ^ The 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Ukraine was unable to host the 2023 contest due to security concerns resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United Kingdom, as the second-placing country in the 2022 contest, hosted on Ukraine's behalf, with Ukraine automatically qualifying for the 2023 final as the previous year's winning country.
- ^ a b Voted by previous winners.
- ^ Voted by commentators.
- ^ The semi-finals on Radio Promin featured TV commentary by Miroshnychenko while radio presenters Oleksandra Franko and Yevhen Pavliukovskyi provided studio discussions during TV commercial breaks.[34]
- ^ The broadcast of the semi-finals mostly featured TV commentary by Miroshnychenko. Only the second recaps (which Miroshnychenko left unnarrated on TV) were commentated on by Zakharchenko and Antypenko. The broadcasts also included brief studio discussions and brief on-site reports by Anna Zakletska between the close of the voting window and results announcements, which were presented by Zakharchenko and Antypenko.
References edit
- ^ jjs1990 (29 May 2018). "Who has the BEST (and WORST) qualification rate at EUROVISION?". Eurovision Ireland. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Nocito, Eric (19 September 2014). "Ukraine withdraws from Eurovision 2015!". ESCReporter.com. ESC Reporter. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ «Євробачення–2015» українці дивилися найгірше за останні вісім років
- ^ Jiandani, Sanjay (16 September 2015). "Ukraine: NTU confirms participation in Eurovision 2016". esctoday.com. ESCToday. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ^ Cobb, Ryan (27 February 2019). "Ukraine withdraws from Eurovision 2019". ESCXTRA.com. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- ^ "Billboard Global Excl. US Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ Cabral, R. J. (15 September 2020). "Billboard Global 200". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ Dickinson, Peter (1 June 2021). "Why Eurovision is Ukraine's soft power secret weapon". Atlantic Council. Atlantic Council. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ Stephenson, James (28 July 2023). "Ukraine: Eurovision 2024 Participation Confirmed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ "Ukraine – Eurovision Song Contest". European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ "EBU Statement on Hosting of 2023 Eurovision Song Contest". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 17 June 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
- ^ "United Kingdom to host Eurovision Song Contest 2023". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 25 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Marcel Bezençon Awards". eurovision.tv. 2 April 2017. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ Floras, Stella (27 May 2008). "The 2008 Bezençon Awards winners". esctoday.com. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ "Winners of the Marcel Bezençon Awards 2016". eurovision.tv. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ Adams, William Lee (9 July 2015). "Poll: Who was the worst dressed Barbara Dex Award winner?". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ Победительницу "Евровидения" Руслану Лыжичко чуть не разорвали на куски
- ^ "Исполнительные продюсеры "Евровидения-2017" со скандалом покинули проект". lb.ua. 13 February 2017.
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- ^ "Exclusive: These are the judges who will vote in Eurovision 2019". European Broadcasting Union. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
- ^ Украина впервые стала участником конкурса "Евровидение"
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- ^ "Yianna Terzi's costume designer for the Eurovision Song Contest". infegreece.gr. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
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- ^ {{cite web|url=https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/styler/k-stvoryuvalisya-kostyumi-alyona-alyona-i-1715268286.html
External links edit
- Points to and from Ukraine eurovisioncovers.co.uk
- Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest - 2010 eurovision-ukraine.com