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Alika

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameAlika Milova Born05 September 2002 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongBridges (2023) Biography Alika is an Estonian singer. She was born in Narva, a city in the North East of Estonia.  Milova participated in The Baltic Voice, New Wave Junior, Kaunas Talent, Bravo Song Contest and Berlin Perle. In 2021 she participated in Eesti Ootsib Superstaari, the Estonian version of Idols. She managed to win the contest. She signed a record deal with Universal Music, and right after winning Eesti Ootsib Superstaari, she released her debut single “Önnenumber”. The song topped the Estonian charts rightaway.  In June 2022, Alika started performing with a band she formed, called Käsmus. A new record, “Bon apètit” was released. On 6 October of the same year it was followed by a new track, “C’est la vie”.  2023 had a good start for Alika. In January, she won the Female Artist Of The Year Award, chosen by the audience during the Eesti Music Awards. One month later, on 11 February, she won Eesti Laul, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “Bridges”. When she represented Estonia with the song, she reached the final and became 8th there. Entries Bridges Country🇪🇪 Estonia Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsAlika MilovaWouter HardyNina Sampermans MusicAlika MilovaWouter Hardy BackingsSofia-Liis LiivGrettel Killing Results Semi Points: 74Position: 10Running order: 4 Results Finals  Points: 168Position: 8Running order: 12 https://youtu.be/HsbC-OYMA3s

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Urban Symphony

About Quick Facts MembersSandra NurmsaluMann HelsteinJohanna MängelMari Möldre Active2007 – 2010 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongRändajad (2009) Biography Urban Symphony was an Estonian music group. In autumn 2007, Sandra Nurmsalu participated in the singing talent show 2 takti ette, organized biennially by Eesti Televisioon and broadcast nationwide. During one week of the contest, contestants were tasked with forming their own bands and producing a performance. Nurmsalu, who had studied violin for two years at the Georg Ots Music School and previously arranged Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” for a string ensemble, decided to form a string-based band. She recruited Mann Helstein on viola, Johanna Mängel on cello, a female contrabass player, and a male keyboardist from her former school. The newly formed band re-arranged the song “Hungry” by Kosheen, resulting in a well-received televised and recorded performance. After the talent show ended, Nurmsalu, Helstein, and Mängel decided to continue their collaboration. They brought in new cello player Mari Möldre and began working with music producer Sven Lõhmus. Their first completed track was “Rändajad”, which they entered into Eesti Laul, Estonia’s selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The song earned them a 6th place finish in the Eurovision final. For this project, Marilin Kongo and Mirjam Mesak joined the group as backing vocalists. They also performed in other songs such as “Päikese poole”, “Skorpion”, and “Crying in the Rain”. In 2010, Urban Symphony announced their disbandment. The decision came as Sandra Nurmsalu wished to prioritize motherhood, while the other members chose to continue their studies and pursue other interests. Sandra Nurmsalu participated in Eesti Laul twice more. In 2014 her song “Kui tuuled pööprduvad” reached a 5th place, while “Soovide puu” was 8th in 2019. Entries Rändajad Country🇪🇪 Estonia Year2009 LanguageEstonian LyricsSven Lõhmus MusicSven Lõhmus BackingsMirjam MesakMarilin Kongo Results Semi Points: 115Position: 3Running order: 18 Results Finals Points: 129Position: 6Running order: 15 https://youtu.be/gi0FEO2tFFA?si=4PR2hl24THvalkOh

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Yohanna

About Quick Facts NameJóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir Born16 October 1990 Nationality🇮🇸 Icelandic National SelectionSöngvakeppnin 2013Söngvakeppnin 2011Söngvakeppnin 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongIs It True? (2009) Biography Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, known as Yohanna, is an Icelandic singer born on October 16, 1990.  Yohanna was born in Copenhagen to Icelandic parents but moved back to Iceland when she was two. Her father, Jón Sverrir Sverrison, is an electrical engineer, and her mother, Margrét Steinþórsdóttir, is a nurse. The family lived in Reykjavík before moving to Hafnarfjörður. Yohanna started singing lessons at age nine. Yohanna began her music career in 2000 at age nine, signing with an Icelandic record label. She released two albums as a child: “Jóhanna Guðrún 9” in 2000 and “Ég sjálf” in 2001. These albums included covers of popular international songs sung in Icelandic. She released a Christmas album in 2002 before taking a break from music. After a six-year break, Yohanna returned to the music scene in 2008 and competed in Söngvakeppnin, Iceland’s national selection for Eurovision 2009 with the song “Is It True?”. She won the competition and represented Iceland in Moscow, where she finished second. This was one of Iceland’s best results in Eurovision history. Her song became a hit across Europe, reaching number one in Iceland and charting in several other countries. After Eurovision, Yohanna signed with Warner Music Sweden and released her album “Butterflies and Elvis” in 2009. The album included the single “I Miss You,” which was a top twenty hit in Iceland. Yohanna tried to return to Eurovision twice more. In 2011, she competed with the song “Nótt” and reached the finals but didn’t win. However, she won the OGAE Second Chance Contest 2011. She also released the singles “I Think Of Angels” and “Really over” in the same year. Yohanna lived in Iceland until 2012 when she moved to Kongsvinger, Norway, to be closer to mainland Europe. From there, the singles “Indian Rope Trick” and “Coming Home” came out. In 2013, she competed in Söngvakeppnin again, with the song “Þú” but didn’t make it past the semi-finals. In 2013, she also had a number-one hit in Iceland with the song “Mamma þarf að djamma,” performed with Baggalútur. After a break, she teamed up with ROK to release the song “Find A Better Man” in 2015. A year later, she came up with the single “Revolving doors”. In 2018, she married Icelandic musician Davíð Sigurgeirsson. They have two children, a daughter born in 2015 and a son born in 2019. Davíð wrote Yohanna’s 2013 single “Þú”. 2020 was the year of Yohanna’s comeback. She released a new album, the Christmas album “Jól með Jóhönnu”, and the single “Löngu liðnir dagar”. After the singles “Ætla ekki að eyða þeim ein” (2021) and “Jólin koma alltaf” (2022), a new album came out in 2023: “Óskalögin mín”. The latter contained the song “Best í heimi”, a duet with Margrét Lilja. Yohanna’s new single in 2024 is titled “Töfrar” and announces a new album. Entries Is It True? Country🇮🇸 Iceland Year2009 LanguageEnglish LyricsÓskar Páll SveinssonChris NeilTinatin Japaridze MusicÓskar Páll SveinssonChris NeilTinatin Japaridze BackingsFriðrik ÓmarErna Hrönn ÓlafsdóttirHera Björk ÞórhallsdóttirBörkur Hrafn BirgissonHallgrímur Jensson Results Semi Points: 174Position: 1Running order: 12 Results Finals Points: 218Position: 2Running order: 7 https://youtu.be/UBEpub4qE9c?si=rGTnr6b0vxYPQ800

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Tinkara Kovač

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameTinkara Kovač Born03 September 1978 Nationality🇸🇮 Slovenian National SelectionEMA 2020EMA 2014EMA 2001EMA 1999EMA 1997 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongSpet/Round and Round (2014) Biography Tinkara Kovač, a Slovenian singer, pop-rock musician, flutist, and educator, was born on 3rd September 1978. She began her musical journey at a young age, winning a competition at the age of nine. Noticing her talent, producer Bojan Adamič offered her an extended engagement, but her parents declined due to her young age. Later, she was encouraged by composer Danilo Kocjančič, who, along with lyricist Drago Mislej-Mef and Marino Legovič, wrote the song that earned her the award for most promising performer at Melodije Morja in Sonca (Melodies of the Sea and Sun). In 1997, she signed her first record contract and released her debut album, which earned her a gold award and two Zlati Petelin awards. With the song “Vetr z juga” she took part in EMA, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. She then collaborated with the world/jazz/rock project Terra Mystica, earning two more Zlati Petelin awards. Her second album was released in 1999, which received gold and later platinum status. In the same year, she participated in EMA again, where she became 2nd with “Zakaj”. As Tinkara became more involved in creating her own music and lyrics, she signed with Dallas Records (EMI/Virgin Slovenia). Her third album “Na Robu Kroga”, which featured five hit singles and corresponding videos, was released under the label. She participated in EMA again, her song “Sonce v očeh” reached a 5th place. During this time, she also performed 30–50 concerts per year, collaborated with Carlos Nunez, and became the first Slovenian artist to have a special one-hour TV show dedicated to her on German television. Her fourth album, “O-range”, was introduced at a grand concert. The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) selected one of the songs from the album “O-range” as one of the top ten in the pop-rock category among 11,000 entries. Tinkara also began making inroads in the Italian, Greek, Macedonian, and Croatian markets following the licensed release of the “O-range” album by EMI International. She competed in the international music festival Megahit in Turkey in 2003 with the song “Reason why,” finishing in 5th place out of 14 countries. In 2004, for her fourth concert at Cankarjev Dom, she invited Ian Anderson, the lead singer of Jethro Tull, whose music had greatly influenced her decision to learn the flute. She also participated as a guest in his orchestral solo performances and Jethro Tull group concerts in Croatia, Italy, Austria, and Germany. In the same year, she released “Enigma”, a special four-language project with a limited edition, exclusively for Slovenia and Italy. During her tour in Italy, she participated in several important festivals and received the Gian Carlo Deganutti award for the Enigma album in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In 2005, she performed a concert with Italian rock star Elisa, attracting over 8,000 listeners, marking Slovenia’s entry into the Schengen area. Later that year, she performed in front of a 185,000-strong crowd at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican at the first meeting of Pope Benedict XVI with young people, being the only foreign guest and flutist soloist with the Vatican Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mons. Frisina. In 2009, she released a compilation album of her greatest hits, and in 2012, an album called “Rastemo” featuring re-interpretations of hits from Slovenia and former Yugoslavia. In 2013, she won the award for best performer at the Melodije Morja in Sonca festival and released an album called “Zazibanke” with a selection of Istrian, Furlan, and other folk lullabies. In 2014, she represented Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song ‘Spet/Round And Round’ after winning the Slovenian EMA selection. She managed to qualify for the finals, where she ended up in the penultimate place. In the summer of 2014, she performed at Melodije Morja in Sonca, opening the event with the song Mars and Venera. After her Eurovision performance in 2014, she released a new song “2X2”, performed with Tomaž Klepač and the Children’s Choir of OŠ Koper. They also recorded a video clip. She then presented a song in Italian, “Cuori di ossigeno”, which climbed many music charts, including in Italy.  She released a new album in 2016, called “Dober dan, življenje”. An Italian album, “Cuori di ossigeno”, was released a year later. In 2019, she won again at Melodije Morja in Sonca with the song “Bodi z mano do konca” (Stay with me till the end), for which she also received the award for best lyrics. In 2020, she released a song titled “Forever,” for which she penned the lyrics herself. She performed this song as a duet with Raiven. It was one of the participating songs in EMA 2020. A new album, “Neskončnost”, was released in 2021. In 2022 she performed in Melodije Morja in Sonca again and ended up as the winner. Entries Spet/Round And Round Country🇸🇮 Slovenia Year2014 LanguageEnglishSlovenian LyricsTinkara KovačHannah ManciniTina Piš MusicRaay BackingsRaayLea SirkManca ŠpikNika Zorjan Results Semi Points: 52Position: 10Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 9Position: 25Running order: 17 https://youtu.be/CiwM1sY3u0s

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Anmary

About Quick Facts NameLinda Dinsberga, born Amantova Born03 March 1980 Nationality🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionEirodziesma 2012Eirodziesma 2009 In Eurovision2012 Baku SongBeautiful Song (2012) Biography Linda Dinsberga (born Linda Amantova on March 3, 1980), better known by her stage name Anmary, is a Latvian singer and vocal coach. Anmary got her education at a Children’s Music School, Music College, Latvian Music Academy, and Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy. In Gulbene and Rēzekne, she learned to play the piano. She has worked as a vocal coach on various TV shows and in several pop music studios, . In 2003, she participated in the TV show , where she secured the 2nd place. She has participated in the production of the musical West Side Story, portraying the character Carlita. In 2008, she took part in the TV3 show Koru Kari (Choir Wars) in Arnis Mednis’ Riga choir. As part of the group Policistas, she participated in the 2009 Eirodziesma, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “In Love We Trust”, finishing in 11th place in the semi-final and thus not qualifying for the final. In 2012, Anmary’s song “Beautiful Song” qualified for the Eurovision semi-final. She won the final, becoming Latvia’s representative at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. In the Eurovision semi-final in Baku, she ranked 16ths. Anmary has participated in various musical projects – concerts, concert performances, portrayed the role of Mother in Jānis Lūseņš and Māra Zālīte’s rock opera Kaupēn, mans mīļais, sung in a duet with Uģis Roze in Jānis Lūseņš’ musical ensemble Promenāde, collaborated with many Latvian musicians, and in 2021, participated as Saulesmeita in the TV3 show Balss Maskā (The Masked Singer). On August 9, 2022, Anmary returned to her audience with new original songs, the mini-album “Laidies ar mani” (“Lie Down With Me”) and a video for the title track. The music for the mini-album’s title track “Laidies ar mani” was written by Anmary and Juris Ludženieks, who is also the single’s producer. The lyrics were written by Anmary, and guitarist Jānis Griķis participated in its creation. The mini-album “Laidies ar mani” includes four songs. In October 2023 she played one of the main roles in the rockopera Lāčplēsis. Entries Beautiful Song Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2012 LanguageEnglish LyricsRolands Ūdris MusicIvars Makstnieks BackingsLīga RobežnieceAnna ZhukovaAnita LevšaJelena Matule Results Semi Points: 17Position: 16Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/KAxYfMFE_94?si=uHteQq8Yy_y_stng

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Rona Nishliu

About Quick Facts NameRona Nishliu Born25 August 1986 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2011Festivali i Këngës 2004 In Eurovision2012 Baku SongSuus (2012) Biography Rona Nishliu is a Kosovar-Albanian singer. She grew up in Mitrovica but relocated to Pristina at 13 due to political unrest in her native town. In 2004, she participated in “Ethet e së premtës mbrëma”, a show reminiscent of Idols, making it to the Top 5 in the live episodes. Post-show, Rona took up a presenting role at Radio Blue Sky in Prishtina. In the same year, she collaborated with Vesa Luma and Teuta Kurti to participate in the 43rd Festivali i Këngës. They aspired to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with their song “Flakareshë”. While they reached the final on 18 December 2004, Ledina Çelo ultimately won. Nishliu represented Albania in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Baku, Azerbaijan. She won her national selection on 29 December 2011 with “Suus”, becoming the first Kosovo singer to represent Albania. The tragic Qafa e Vishës bus incident led to a delay of over two hours in the first semi-final on 22 May, impacting the viewership of Nishliu’s performance. Consequently, Albania relied on jury votes for voting. RTK did not broadcast the semi-final highlights due to the tragedy. Nishliu secured fifth place in the final, earning 146 points, which stands as Albania’s top performance. She was granted Albanian citizenship on 12 January 2012. Following Eurovision, Nishliu dedicated herself to humanitarian causes. She joined “Bonu cool, mos bjer shpullë”, an initiative promoting gender sensitivity. For this, she released “Se vetëm zemra flet saktë”, a song against young gender violence, which she produced and wrote. This song is part of a campaign by the Kosovo Gender Studies Centre, funded by the European Union. On 18 September 2014, Rona showcased Kosovar culture with a concert in Belgrade, Serbia during the “Mirëdita, dobar dan” festival, earning a standing ovation. In 2017, Rona became a coach for the sixth season of The Voice of Albania. In 2018, she performed at the Jazz Fest of Tetova. She also was present at the OGAE Congress in Spain. In April 2019, Rona recorded a couple of songs with the Rona Nishliu Quartet, like “Mallëngjimi” and “Me lule t’bukra” and a live album, “Mindil”. She also performed for the charity organization SOS Fshatrat e Fëmijëve Kosovë. In December 2021, she performed in a Christmas show on Kosovar television in duet with Gjon’s Tears. In December 2022 she started performing as Rona Nishliu & The New Big Band under the lead of Edon Ramadani. In August and September 2023 she performed at the Mitrovica International Jazz Days. Entries Suus Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2012 LanguageAlbanian LyricsRona Nishliu MusicFlorent Boshnjaku Backings– Results Semi Points: 146Position: 2Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 146Position: 5Running order: 3 https://youtu.be/QeBL2UHhyEc?si=Wo22IA6TbEXH_RD2

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Jamala

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameSusana Alimivna Jamaladinova Born27 August 1983 Nationality🇺🇦 Ukrainian National SelectionVidbir 2016Evrobachennya 2011 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm Song1944 (2016) Biography Susana Alimivna Dzhamaladinova, better known as Jamala, is born in Osh in the Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union. She is a Ukrainian singer of Crimean Tatar-Armenian origin. Soon, the family moved to Melitopol, and in the late 1980s, they settled in the village of Malorichenske near Alushta. From a young age, Susana participated in various children’s competitions. She studied at Music School No. 1 in Alushta, specializing in piano. After completing her studies there, she enrolled in the Simferopol Music School, graduating in 2001. She then continued her education at the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv, where she received an academic degree.  During her studies, Susana took part in various Ukrainian and international festivals such as Voices of the Future (2000, Russia), Crimean Spring (2001), Do#Dzh Junior (2001), and Il Concorso Europeo Amici della musica (2004, Italy). She sang in the female a cappella quintet Beauty Band (2001-2007), and in 2006, she participated in Do#Dzh Junior, where she was noticed by choreographer Olena Kolyadenko, who invited her to play a solo role in her own musical, Pa (2008). Thus, Olena Kolyadenko became Jamala’s first producer. After receiving her diploma, Susana sent her recordings to the Zurich Opera Theatre. During that period, she had already received an offer to do an internship at the renowned La Scala opera theatre in Milan. She had already decided to choose opera when an unexpected invitation came to participate in the 8th International Competition Nova Khvyla (New Wave). Susana agreed and performed at the competition under the stage name Jamala, which is the first part of her surname. In the end, she and Indonesian contestant Sandhy Sondoro both received 358 points, thus sharing the victory. In 2011, Jamala participated in Evrobachennya 2011, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. For the occasion, she sang the song “Smile” and ended up in 3rd place. On March 19, 2013, simultaneously on over 60 digital platforms, the release of the singer’s second album “All or Nothing” took place.Jamala personally presented the album on April 26 at a solo concert at the October Palace. In the same spring, the album was released on vinyl, and Jamala received the ELLE Style Award in the category of Singer of the Year. In the second half of 2013, Jamala participated in the MTV EXIT campaign against human trafficking. She appeared as a narrator in the documentary film “Life for Sale,” where she shared the stories of three labor migrants from Ukraine. In the spring of 2014, Jamala received the Red Apple Awards in the Art category for her contribution to the development of culture and strengthening peace. In the fall, she appeared in the film “Guide”. That same year, Jamala appeared in the television musical “Alice in Wonderland”, playing the role of the Caterpillar.  On October 1, 2014, the singer presented her third mini-album, titled “Thank You,” with musical producers Yevhen Filatov and the guitarist of her band, Serhiy Yeremenko (“Perfect Man”). The album included the Ukrainian-language song “Zaplutalas,” which Jamala introduced on September 25. The album predominantly features electronic sound and contains six songs. In the same fall, Andriy Khlyvnyuk invited Jamala to collaborate. Together with Dmytro Shurov and Andriy, they recorded the song “Zlyva”. The song became the musical composition for the film “The Winter That Changed Us” and the project “TSN – 94 Days. Euromaidan through the Eyes of TSN.” The duet of Jamala, Andriy Khlyvnyuk, and Dmytro Shurov, along with their song “Zlyva,” won the categories of Best Duet and Best Song at the YUNA Music Awards in 2016. On October 12, 2015, the fourth album “Podikh” was presented. The album won the Best Album category at the YUNA Music Awards in 2016, and the song “Inye” became the soundtrack for the Russian TV series of the same name. In 2016, Jamala took part in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest again, this time with the song “1944,” dedicated to tragic events of the past, including the deportation of the Crimean Tatars. Based on the results of the audience vote and the jury, Jamala advanced to the final of the national selection and won. In April, she participated in the recording of Usain Bekirov’s album “Taterrium”. During her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Jamala received the Eurostory Awards 2016 for the best lyrics in a competition song and the Marcel Bezençon Award in the Artistic Award category.  In the final of Eurovision on the night of May 15, Jamala emerged as the winner with 534 points. On May 16, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko awarded her the honorary title of People’s Artist of Ukraine. During her time at Eurovision, Jamala signed a contract with Universal Music Group, which released her album “1944” in Europe on June 10 and in the USA on July 10. On July 20, the premiere of the telefilm Dyvys na sebe! by journalist Bohdan Kutepov took place on the channels UA: Pershyi and Hromadske Telebachennia. The film focused on Jamala’s victory at the Eurovision Song Contest. In the fall, Jamala participated in the seventh season of the vocal show The Voice of the Country and collaborated on the song “Zamanily” with the Ukrainian ethno-band “DakhaBrakha.”  In early 2017, Jamala won awards in the categories of Best Solo Artist, Best Song, and Best Duet at the YUNA 2017 Music Awards. She also won in the Culture category of the all-Ukrainian Woman of Ukraine 2016 award and the Pride of the Country category of the “Viva! The Most Beautiful 2017” award. During the “Flower Expo Ukraine” exhibition in Kyiv, she received a certificate from the Dutch company “StoKolex” for the naming of a new tulip variety after her. In June, the filming of the movie Nebo directed by Oleksiy Panteleev began, in which Jamala played one of the roles. In July, the documentary film Jamalas

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Slavko Kalezić

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameSlavko Kalezić Born04 october 1985 Nationality🇲🇪 Montenegrin National SelectionInternal selection 2017 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongSpace (2017) Biography Slavko Kalezić is a Montenegrin singer and actor. He was born in Titograd, Yugoslavia (currently Podgorica, Montenegro). Slavko studied at the Academy of Performing Arts at Cetinje, Montenegro. After his studies he became a part of the Ensemble of the Montenegrin National Theatre. He played several roles in theater and movies like “L’homme qui voulait vivre sa vie” in 2010, “Lokalni vampir” in 2011. In 2011 he released a single called “Muza”. He had a role in the romantic comedy “Budva na pjenu od mora” from 2012 until 2014.  In 2013, Kalezić rose to fame by competing in series 1 of X Factor Adria, the Serbian pan-regional version of The X Factor. Unfortunately he failed to make it to the live shows and the Final. In 2014, after X Factor Adria, Kalezić released the album “San o vječnosti”. Singles included most notably “Krivac”, “Feel the Music” and “Freedom”. Slavko was, in 2017, internally selected as the Montenegrin entrant to the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with his song, “Space”, on 29 December 2016. He represented Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song “Space”. Slavko did not qualify to compete in the final. In July 2017, he auditioned for the fourteenth series of the UK The X Factor. Also here, he did not make it to the live shows. Slavko was invited by RTP and OGAE Portugal to travel to Lisbon and perform at a number of events during the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Slavko performed remixes of his Eurovision 2017 song “Space” along with new single “El Ritmo” in Lisbon. In April 2018 hepublished a book called Moja Istina (My Truth) about his experience at Eurovision 2017 and The X Factor. It was published in Montenegrin with a view to having it translated to English later on. In November 2019, he produced and performed a one-off show at the Ramada Hotel in Podgorica of the same name, telling the story of the book in a musical multi-media show. In 2020, Slavko joined a campaign of the Montenegrin government around the COVID19 measures. In November of that year, he had a role in the play “Posjeta”, and in March 2021 “Đokonda”. With the monodrama “Soulfood”, he celebrated 15 years of acting. In October of the same year, he played a role in “Omladina bez boga”. In April 2022, Slavko could be seen on stage in a play called “Djeca sunca”. In May of the same year, a new single, “Ko smo mi?” was released. In July, he played a role in “Pokojnik” with the Montenegrin National Theatre. In December 2022, Slavko went to the field of ballet, in the play “Cippolino”.   Entries Space Country🇲🇪 Montenegro Year2017 LanguageEnglish LyricsAdis EminićIva BoršićMomčilo Zeković MusicMomčilo Zeković BackingsOliver KatićMarko NikolićIgor Stanojević Results Semi Points: 56Position: 16Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/rQ1BXJpfa4I

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Alika

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameAlika Milova Born05 September 2002 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongBridges (2023) Biography Alika is an Estonian singer. She was born in Narva, a city in the North East of Estonia.  Milova participated in The Baltic Voice, New Wave Junior, Kaunas Talent, Bravo Song Contest and Berlin Perle. In 2021 she participated in Eesti Ootsib Superstaari, the Estonian version of Idols. She managed to win the contest. She signed a record deal with Universal Music, and right after winning Eesti Ootsib Superstaari, she released her debut single “Önnenumber”. The song topped the Estonian charts rightaway.  In June 2022, Alika started performing with a band she formed, called Käsmus. A new record, “Bon apètit” was released. On 6 October of the same year it was followed by a new track, “C’est la vie”.  2023 had a good start for Alika. In January, she won the Female Artist Of The Year Award, chosen by the audience during the Eesti Music Awards. One month later, on 11 February, she won Eesti Laul, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “Bridges”. When she represented Estonia with the song, she reached the final and became 8th there. Entries Bridges Country🇪🇪 Estonia Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsAlika MilovaWouter HardyNina Sampermans MusicAlika MilovaWouter Hardy BackingsSofia-Liis LiivGrettel Killing Results Semi Points: 74Position: 10Running order: 4 Results Finals  Points: 168Position: 8Running order: 12 https://youtu.be/HsbC-OYMA3s

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Urban Symphony

About Quick Facts MembersSandra NurmsaluMann HelsteinJohanna MängelMari Möldre Active2007 – 2010 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongRändajad (2009) Biography Urban Symphony was an Estonian music group. In autumn 2007, Sandra Nurmsalu participated in the singing talent show 2 takti ette, organized biennially by Eesti Televisioon and broadcast nationwide. During one week of the contest, contestants were tasked with forming their own bands and producing a performance. Nurmsalu, who had studied violin for two years at the Georg Ots Music School and previously arranged Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” for a string ensemble, decided to form a string-based band. She recruited Mann Helstein on viola, Johanna Mängel on cello, a female contrabass player, and a male keyboardist from her former school. The newly formed band re-arranged the song “Hungry” by Kosheen, resulting in a well-received televised and recorded performance. After the talent show ended, Nurmsalu, Helstein, and Mängel decided to continue their collaboration. They brought in new cello player Mari Möldre and began working with music producer Sven Lõhmus. Their first completed track was “Rändajad”, which they entered into Eesti Laul, Estonia’s selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The song earned them a 6th place finish in the Eurovision final. For this project, Marilin Kongo and Mirjam Mesak joined the group as backing vocalists. They also performed in other songs such as “Päikese poole”, “Skorpion”, and “Crying in the Rain”. In 2010, Urban Symphony announced their disbandment. The decision came as Sandra Nurmsalu wished to prioritize motherhood, while the other members chose to continue their studies and pursue other interests. Sandra Nurmsalu participated in Eesti Laul twice more. In 2014 her song “Kui tuuled pööprduvad” reached a 5th place, while “Soovide puu” was 8th in 2019. Entries Rändajad Country🇪🇪 Estonia Year2009 LanguageEstonian LyricsSven Lõhmus MusicSven Lõhmus BackingsMirjam MesakMarilin Kongo Results Semi Points: 115Position: 3Running order: 18 Results Finals Points: 129Position: 6Running order: 15 https://youtu.be/gi0FEO2tFFA?si=4PR2hl24THvalkOh

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Yohanna

About Quick Facts NameJóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir Born16 October 1990 Nationality🇮🇸 Icelandic National SelectionSöngvakeppnin 2013Söngvakeppnin 2011Söngvakeppnin 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongIs It True? (2009) Biography Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, known as Yohanna, is an Icelandic singer born on October 16, 1990.  Yohanna was born in Copenhagen to Icelandic parents but moved back to Iceland when she was two. Her father, Jón Sverrir Sverrison, is an electrical engineer, and her mother, Margrét Steinþórsdóttir, is a nurse. The family lived in Reykjavík before moving to Hafnarfjörður. Yohanna started singing lessons at age nine. Yohanna began her music career in 2000 at age nine, signing with an Icelandic record label. She released two albums as a child: “Jóhanna Guðrún 9” in 2000 and “Ég sjálf” in 2001. These albums included covers of popular international songs sung in Icelandic. She released a Christmas album in 2002 before taking a break from music. After a six-year break, Yohanna returned to the music scene in 2008 and competed in Söngvakeppnin, Iceland’s national selection for Eurovision 2009 with the song “Is It True?”. She won the competition and represented Iceland in Moscow, where she finished second. This was one of Iceland’s best results in Eurovision history. Her song became a hit across Europe, reaching number one in Iceland and charting in several other countries. After Eurovision, Yohanna signed with Warner Music Sweden and released her album “Butterflies and Elvis” in 2009. The album included the single “I Miss You,” which was a top twenty hit in Iceland. Yohanna tried to return to Eurovision twice more. In 2011, she competed with the song “Nótt” and reached the finals but didn’t win. However, she won the OGAE Second Chance Contest 2011. She also released the singles “I Think Of Angels” and “Really over” in the same year. Yohanna lived in Iceland until 2012 when she moved to Kongsvinger, Norway, to be closer to mainland Europe. From there, the singles “Indian Rope Trick” and “Coming Home” came out. In 2013, she competed in Söngvakeppnin again, with the song “Þú” but didn’t make it past the semi-finals. In 2013, she also had a number-one hit in Iceland with the song “Mamma þarf að djamma,” performed with Baggalútur. After a break, she teamed up with ROK to release the song “Find A Better Man” in 2015. A year later, she came up with the single “Revolving doors”. In 2018, she married Icelandic musician Davíð Sigurgeirsson. They have two children, a daughter born in 2015 and a son born in 2019. Davíð wrote Yohanna’s 2013 single “Þú”. 2020 was the year of Yohanna’s comeback. She released a new album, the Christmas album “Jól með Jóhönnu”, and the single “Löngu liðnir dagar”. After the singles “Ætla ekki að eyða þeim ein” (2021) and “Jólin koma alltaf” (2022), a new album came out in 2023: “Óskalögin mín”. The latter contained the song “Best í heimi”, a duet with Margrét Lilja. Yohanna’s new single in 2024 is titled “Töfrar” and announces a new album. Entries Is It True? Country🇮🇸 Iceland Year2009 LanguageEnglish LyricsÓskar Páll SveinssonChris NeilTinatin Japaridze MusicÓskar Páll SveinssonChris NeilTinatin Japaridze BackingsFriðrik ÓmarErna Hrönn ÓlafsdóttirHera Björk ÞórhallsdóttirBörkur Hrafn BirgissonHallgrímur Jensson Results Semi Points: 174Position: 1Running order: 12 Results Finals Points: 218Position: 2Running order: 7 https://youtu.be/UBEpub4qE9c?si=rGTnr6b0vxYPQ800

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Tinkara Kovač

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameTinkara Kovač Born03 September 1978 Nationality🇸🇮 Slovenian National SelectionEMA 2020EMA 2014EMA 2001EMA 1999EMA 1997 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongSpet/Round and Round (2014) Biography Tinkara Kovač, a Slovenian singer, pop-rock musician, flutist, and educator, was born on 3rd September 1978. She began her musical journey at a young age, winning a competition at the age of nine. Noticing her talent, producer Bojan Adamič offered her an extended engagement, but her parents declined due to her young age. Later, she was encouraged by composer Danilo Kocjančič, who, along with lyricist Drago Mislej-Mef and Marino Legovič, wrote the song that earned her the award for most promising performer at Melodije Morja in Sonca (Melodies of the Sea and Sun). In 1997, she signed her first record contract and released her debut album, which earned her a gold award and two Zlati Petelin awards. With the song “Vetr z juga” she took part in EMA, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. She then collaborated with the world/jazz/rock project Terra Mystica, earning two more Zlati Petelin awards. Her second album was released in 1999, which received gold and later platinum status. In the same year, she participated in EMA again, where she became 2nd with “Zakaj”. As Tinkara became more involved in creating her own music and lyrics, she signed with Dallas Records (EMI/Virgin Slovenia). Her third album “Na Robu Kroga”, which featured five hit singles and corresponding videos, was released under the label. She participated in EMA again, her song “Sonce v očeh” reached a 5th place. During this time, she also performed 30–50 concerts per year, collaborated with Carlos Nunez, and became the first Slovenian artist to have a special one-hour TV show dedicated to her on German television. Her fourth album, “O-range”, was introduced at a grand concert. The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) selected one of the songs from the album “O-range” as one of the top ten in the pop-rock category among 11,000 entries. Tinkara also began making inroads in the Italian, Greek, Macedonian, and Croatian markets following the licensed release of the “O-range” album by EMI International. She competed in the international music festival Megahit in Turkey in 2003 with the song “Reason why,” finishing in 5th place out of 14 countries. In 2004, for her fourth concert at Cankarjev Dom, she invited Ian Anderson, the lead singer of Jethro Tull, whose music had greatly influenced her decision to learn the flute. She also participated as a guest in his orchestral solo performances and Jethro Tull group concerts in Croatia, Italy, Austria, and Germany. In the same year, she released “Enigma”, a special four-language project with a limited edition, exclusively for Slovenia and Italy. During her tour in Italy, she participated in several important festivals and received the Gian Carlo Deganutti award for the Enigma album in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In 2005, she performed a concert with Italian rock star Elisa, attracting over 8,000 listeners, marking Slovenia’s entry into the Schengen area. Later that year, she performed in front of a 185,000-strong crowd at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican at the first meeting of Pope Benedict XVI with young people, being the only foreign guest and flutist soloist with the Vatican Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mons. Frisina. In 2009, she released a compilation album of her greatest hits, and in 2012, an album called “Rastemo” featuring re-interpretations of hits from Slovenia and former Yugoslavia. In 2013, she won the award for best performer at the Melodije Morja in Sonca festival and released an album called “Zazibanke” with a selection of Istrian, Furlan, and other folk lullabies. In 2014, she represented Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song ‘Spet/Round And Round’ after winning the Slovenian EMA selection. She managed to qualify for the finals, where she ended up in the penultimate place. In the summer of 2014, she performed at Melodije Morja in Sonca, opening the event with the song Mars and Venera. After her Eurovision performance in 2014, she released a new song “2X2”, performed with Tomaž Klepač and the Children’s Choir of OŠ Koper. They also recorded a video clip. She then presented a song in Italian, “Cuori di ossigeno”, which climbed many music charts, including in Italy.  She released a new album in 2016, called “Dober dan, življenje”. An Italian album, “Cuori di ossigeno”, was released a year later. In 2019, she won again at Melodije Morja in Sonca with the song “Bodi z mano do konca” (Stay with me till the end), for which she also received the award for best lyrics. In 2020, she released a song titled “Forever,” for which she penned the lyrics herself. She performed this song as a duet with Raiven. It was one of the participating songs in EMA 2020. A new album, “Neskončnost”, was released in 2021. In 2022 she performed in Melodije Morja in Sonca again and ended up as the winner. Entries Spet/Round And Round Country🇸🇮 Slovenia Year2014 LanguageEnglishSlovenian LyricsTinkara KovačHannah ManciniTina Piš MusicRaay BackingsRaayLea SirkManca ŠpikNika Zorjan Results Semi Points: 52Position: 10Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 9Position: 25Running order: 17 https://youtu.be/CiwM1sY3u0s

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Anmary

About Quick Facts NameLinda Dinsberga, born Amantova Born03 March 1980 Nationality🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionEirodziesma 2012Eirodziesma 2009 In Eurovision2012 Baku SongBeautiful Song (2012) Biography Linda Dinsberga (born Linda Amantova on March 3, 1980), better known by her stage name Anmary, is a Latvian singer and vocal coach. Anmary got her education at a Children’s Music School, Music College, Latvian Music Academy, and Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy. In Gulbene and Rēzekne, she learned to play the piano. She has worked as a vocal coach on various TV shows and in several pop music studios, . In 2003, she participated in the TV show , where she secured the 2nd place. She has participated in the production of the musical West Side Story, portraying the character Carlita. In 2008, she took part in the TV3 show Koru Kari (Choir Wars) in Arnis Mednis’ Riga choir. As part of the group Policistas, she participated in the 2009 Eirodziesma, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “In Love We Trust”, finishing in 11th place in the semi-final and thus not qualifying for the final. In 2012, Anmary’s song “Beautiful Song” qualified for the Eurovision semi-final. She won the final, becoming Latvia’s representative at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. In the Eurovision semi-final in Baku, she ranked 16ths. Anmary has participated in various musical projects – concerts, concert performances, portrayed the role of Mother in Jānis Lūseņš and Māra Zālīte’s rock opera Kaupēn, mans mīļais, sung in a duet with Uģis Roze in Jānis Lūseņš’ musical ensemble Promenāde, collaborated with many Latvian musicians, and in 2021, participated as Saulesmeita in the TV3 show Balss Maskā (The Masked Singer). On August 9, 2022, Anmary returned to her audience with new original songs, the mini-album “Laidies ar mani” (“Lie Down With Me”) and a video for the title track. The music for the mini-album’s title track “Laidies ar mani” was written by Anmary and Juris Ludženieks, who is also the single’s producer. The lyrics were written by Anmary, and guitarist Jānis Griķis participated in its creation. The mini-album “Laidies ar mani” includes four songs. In October 2023 she played one of the main roles in the rockopera Lāčplēsis. Entries Beautiful Song Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2012 LanguageEnglish LyricsRolands Ūdris MusicIvars Makstnieks BackingsLīga RobežnieceAnna ZhukovaAnita LevšaJelena Matule Results Semi Points: 17Position: 16Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/KAxYfMFE_94?si=uHteQq8Yy_y_stng

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Rona Nishliu

About Quick Facts NameRona Nishliu Born25 August 1986 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2011Festivali i Këngës 2004 In Eurovision2012 Baku SongSuus (2012) Biography Rona Nishliu is a Kosovar-Albanian singer. She grew up in Mitrovica but relocated to Pristina at 13 due to political unrest in her native town. In 2004, she participated in “Ethet e së premtës mbrëma”, a show reminiscent of Idols, making it to the Top 5 in the live episodes. Post-show, Rona took up a presenting role at Radio Blue Sky in Prishtina. In the same year, she collaborated with Vesa Luma and Teuta Kurti to participate in the 43rd Festivali i Këngës. They aspired to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with their song “Flakareshë”. While they reached the final on 18 December 2004, Ledina Çelo ultimately won. Nishliu represented Albania in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Baku, Azerbaijan. She won her national selection on 29 December 2011 with “Suus”, becoming the first Kosovo singer to represent Albania. The tragic Qafa e Vishës bus incident led to a delay of over two hours in the first semi-final on 22 May, impacting the viewership of Nishliu’s performance. Consequently, Albania relied on jury votes for voting. RTK did not broadcast the semi-final highlights due to the tragedy. Nishliu secured fifth place in the final, earning 146 points, which stands as Albania’s top performance. She was granted Albanian citizenship on 12 January 2012. Following Eurovision, Nishliu dedicated herself to humanitarian causes. She joined “Bonu cool, mos bjer shpullë”, an initiative promoting gender sensitivity. For this, she released “Se vetëm zemra flet saktë”, a song against young gender violence, which she produced and wrote. This song is part of a campaign by the Kosovo Gender Studies Centre, funded by the European Union. On 18 September 2014, Rona showcased Kosovar culture with a concert in Belgrade, Serbia during the “Mirëdita, dobar dan” festival, earning a standing ovation. In 2017, Rona became a coach for the sixth season of The Voice of Albania. In 2018, she performed at the Jazz Fest of Tetova. She also was present at the OGAE Congress in Spain. In April 2019, Rona recorded a couple of songs with the Rona Nishliu Quartet, like “Mallëngjimi” and “Me lule t’bukra” and a live album, “Mindil”. She also performed for the charity organization SOS Fshatrat e Fëmijëve Kosovë. In December 2021, she performed in a Christmas show on Kosovar television in duet with Gjon’s Tears. In December 2022 she started performing as Rona Nishliu & The New Big Band under the lead of Edon Ramadani. In August and September 2023 she performed at the Mitrovica International Jazz Days. Entries Suus Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2012 LanguageAlbanian LyricsRona Nishliu MusicFlorent Boshnjaku Backings– Results Semi Points: 146Position: 2Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 146Position: 5Running order: 3 https://youtu.be/QeBL2UHhyEc?si=Wo22IA6TbEXH_RD2

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Jamala

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameSusana Alimivna Jamaladinova Born27 August 1983 Nationality🇺🇦 Ukrainian National SelectionVidbir 2016Evrobachennya 2011 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm Song1944 (2016) Biography Susana Alimivna Dzhamaladinova, better known as Jamala, is born in Osh in the Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union. She is a Ukrainian singer of Crimean Tatar-Armenian origin. Soon, the family moved to Melitopol, and in the late 1980s, they settled in the village of Malorichenske near Alushta. From a young age, Susana participated in various children’s competitions. She studied at Music School No. 1 in Alushta, specializing in piano. After completing her studies there, she enrolled in the Simferopol Music School, graduating in 2001. She then continued her education at the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv, where she received an academic degree.  During her studies, Susana took part in various Ukrainian and international festivals such as Voices of the Future (2000, Russia), Crimean Spring (2001), Do#Dzh Junior (2001), and Il Concorso Europeo Amici della musica (2004, Italy). She sang in the female a cappella quintet Beauty Band (2001-2007), and in 2006, she participated in Do#Dzh Junior, where she was noticed by choreographer Olena Kolyadenko, who invited her to play a solo role in her own musical, Pa (2008). Thus, Olena Kolyadenko became Jamala’s first producer. After receiving her diploma, Susana sent her recordings to the Zurich Opera Theatre. During that period, she had already received an offer to do an internship at the renowned La Scala opera theatre in Milan. She had already decided to choose opera when an unexpected invitation came to participate in the 8th International Competition Nova Khvyla (New Wave). Susana agreed and performed at the competition under the stage name Jamala, which is the first part of her surname. In the end, she and Indonesian contestant Sandhy Sondoro both received 358 points, thus sharing the victory. In 2011, Jamala participated in Evrobachennya 2011, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. For the occasion, she sang the song “Smile” and ended up in 3rd place. On March 19, 2013, simultaneously on over 60 digital platforms, the release of the singer’s second album “All or Nothing” took place.Jamala personally presented the album on April 26 at a solo concert at the October Palace. In the same spring, the album was released on vinyl, and Jamala received the ELLE Style Award in the category of Singer of the Year. In the second half of 2013, Jamala participated in the MTV EXIT campaign against human trafficking. She appeared as a narrator in the documentary film “Life for Sale,” where she shared the stories of three labor migrants from Ukraine. In the spring of 2014, Jamala received the Red Apple Awards in the Art category for her contribution to the development of culture and strengthening peace. In the fall, she appeared in the film “Guide”. That same year, Jamala appeared in the television musical “Alice in Wonderland”, playing the role of the Caterpillar.  On October 1, 2014, the singer presented her third mini-album, titled “Thank You,” with musical producers Yevhen Filatov and the guitarist of her band, Serhiy Yeremenko (“Perfect Man”). The album included the Ukrainian-language song “Zaplutalas,” which Jamala introduced on September 25. The album predominantly features electronic sound and contains six songs. In the same fall, Andriy Khlyvnyuk invited Jamala to collaborate. Together with Dmytro Shurov and Andriy, they recorded the song “Zlyva”. The song became the musical composition for the film “The Winter That Changed Us” and the project “TSN – 94 Days. Euromaidan through the Eyes of TSN.” The duet of Jamala, Andriy Khlyvnyuk, and Dmytro Shurov, along with their song “Zlyva,” won the categories of Best Duet and Best Song at the YUNA Music Awards in 2016. On October 12, 2015, the fourth album “Podikh” was presented. The album won the Best Album category at the YUNA Music Awards in 2016, and the song “Inye” became the soundtrack for the Russian TV series of the same name. In 2016, Jamala took part in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest again, this time with the song “1944,” dedicated to tragic events of the past, including the deportation of the Crimean Tatars. Based on the results of the audience vote and the jury, Jamala advanced to the final of the national selection and won. In April, she participated in the recording of Usain Bekirov’s album “Taterrium”. During her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Jamala received the Eurostory Awards 2016 for the best lyrics in a competition song and the Marcel Bezençon Award in the Artistic Award category.  In the final of Eurovision on the night of May 15, Jamala emerged as the winner with 534 points. On May 16, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko awarded her the honorary title of People’s Artist of Ukraine. During her time at Eurovision, Jamala signed a contract with Universal Music Group, which released her album “1944” in Europe on June 10 and in the USA on July 10. On July 20, the premiere of the telefilm Dyvys na sebe! by journalist Bohdan Kutepov took place on the channels UA: Pershyi and Hromadske Telebachennia. The film focused on Jamala’s victory at the Eurovision Song Contest. In the fall, Jamala participated in the seventh season of the vocal show The Voice of the Country and collaborated on the song “Zamanily” with the Ukrainian ethno-band “DakhaBrakha.”  In early 2017, Jamala won awards in the categories of Best Solo Artist, Best Song, and Best Duet at the YUNA 2017 Music Awards. She also won in the Culture category of the all-Ukrainian Woman of Ukraine 2016 award and the Pride of the Country category of the “Viva! The Most Beautiful 2017” award. During the “Flower Expo Ukraine” exhibition in Kyiv, she received a certificate from the Dutch company “StoKolex” for the naming of a new tulip variety after her. In June, the filming of the movie Nebo directed by Oleksiy Panteleev began, in which Jamala played one of the roles. In July, the documentary film Jamalas

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Slavko Kalezić

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameSlavko Kalezić Born04 october 1985 Nationality🇲🇪 Montenegrin National SelectionInternal selection 2017 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongSpace (2017) Biography Slavko Kalezić is a Montenegrin singer and actor. He was born in Titograd, Yugoslavia (currently Podgorica, Montenegro). Slavko studied at the Academy of Performing Arts at Cetinje, Montenegro. After his studies he became a part of the Ensemble of the Montenegrin National Theatre. He played several roles in theater and movies like “L’homme qui voulait vivre sa vie” in 2010, “Lokalni vampir” in 2011. In 2011 he released a single called “Muza”. He had a role in the romantic comedy “Budva na pjenu od mora” from 2012 until 2014.  In 2013, Kalezić rose to fame by competing in series 1 of X Factor Adria, the Serbian pan-regional version of The X Factor. Unfortunately he failed to make it to the live shows and the Final. In 2014, after X Factor Adria, Kalezić released the album “San o vječnosti”. Singles included most notably “Krivac”, “Feel the Music” and “Freedom”. Slavko was, in 2017, internally selected as the Montenegrin entrant to the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with his song, “Space”, on 29 December 2016. He represented Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song “Space”. Slavko did not qualify to compete in the final. In July 2017, he auditioned for the fourteenth series of the UK The X Factor. Also here, he did not make it to the live shows. Slavko was invited by RTP and OGAE Portugal to travel to Lisbon and perform at a number of events during the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Slavko performed remixes of his Eurovision 2017 song “Space” along with new single “El Ritmo” in Lisbon. In April 2018 hepublished a book called Moja Istina (My Truth) about his experience at Eurovision 2017 and The X Factor. It was published in Montenegrin with a view to having it translated to English later on. In November 2019, he produced and performed a one-off show at the Ramada Hotel in Podgorica of the same name, telling the story of the book in a musical multi-media show. In 2020, Slavko joined a campaign of the Montenegrin government around the COVID19 measures. In November of that year, he had a role in the play “Posjeta”, and in March 2021 “Đokonda”. With the monodrama “Soulfood”, he celebrated 15 years of acting. In October of the same year, he played a role in “Omladina bez boga”. In April 2022, Slavko could be seen on stage in a play called “Djeca sunca”. In May of the same year, a new single, “Ko smo mi?” was released. In July, he played a role in “Pokojnik” with the Montenegrin National Theatre. In December 2022, Slavko went to the field of ballet, in the play “Cippolino”.   Entries Space Country🇲🇪 Montenegro Year2017 LanguageEnglish LyricsAdis EminićIva BoršićMomčilo Zeković MusicMomčilo Zeković BackingsOliver KatićMarko NikolićIgor Stanojević Results Semi Points: 56Position: 16Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/rQ1BXJpfa4I

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Alika

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameAlika Milova Born05 September 2002 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongBridges (2023) Biography Alika is an Estonian singer. She was born in Narva, a city in the North East of Estonia.  Milova participated in The Baltic Voice, New Wave Junior, Kaunas Talent, Bravo Song Contest and Berlin Perle. In 2021 she participated in Eesti Ootsib Superstaari, the Estonian version of Idols. She managed to win the contest. She signed a record deal with Universal Music, and right after winning Eesti Ootsib Superstaari, she released her debut single “Önnenumber”. The song topped the Estonian charts rightaway.  In June 2022, Alika started performing with a band she formed, called Käsmus. A new record, “Bon apètit” was released. On 6 October of the same year it was followed by a new track, “C’est la vie”.  2023 had a good start for Alika. In January, she won the Female Artist Of The Year Award, chosen by the audience during the Eesti Music Awards. One month later, on 11 February, she won Eesti Laul, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “Bridges”. When she represented Estonia with the song, she reached the final and became 8th there. Entries Bridges Country🇪🇪 Estonia Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsAlika MilovaWouter HardyNina Sampermans MusicAlika MilovaWouter Hardy BackingsSofia-Liis LiivGrettel Killing Results Semi Points: 74Position: 10Running order: 4 Results Finals  Points: 168Position: 8Running order: 12 https://youtu.be/HsbC-OYMA3s

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Urban Symphony

About Quick Facts MembersSandra NurmsaluMann HelsteinJohanna MängelMari Möldre Active2007 – 2010 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongRändajad (2009) Biography Urban Symphony was an Estonian music group. In autumn 2007, Sandra Nurmsalu participated in the singing talent show 2 takti ette, organized biennially by Eesti Televisioon and broadcast nationwide. During one week of the contest, contestants were tasked with forming their own bands and producing a performance. Nurmsalu, who had studied violin for two years at the Georg Ots Music School and previously arranged Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” for a string ensemble, decided to form a string-based band. She recruited Mann Helstein on viola, Johanna Mängel on cello, a female contrabass player, and a male keyboardist from her former school. The newly formed band re-arranged the song “Hungry” by Kosheen, resulting in a well-received televised and recorded performance. After the talent show ended, Nurmsalu, Helstein, and Mängel decided to continue their collaboration. They brought in new cello player Mari Möldre and began working with music producer Sven Lõhmus. Their first completed track was “Rändajad”, which they entered into Eesti Laul, Estonia’s selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The song earned them a 6th place finish in the Eurovision final. For this project, Marilin Kongo and Mirjam Mesak joined the group as backing vocalists. They also performed in other songs such as “Päikese poole”, “Skorpion”, and “Crying in the Rain”. In 2010, Urban Symphony announced their disbandment. The decision came as Sandra Nurmsalu wished to prioritize motherhood, while the other members chose to continue their studies and pursue other interests. Sandra Nurmsalu participated in Eesti Laul twice more. In 2014 her song “Kui tuuled pööprduvad” reached a 5th place, while “Soovide puu” was 8th in 2019. Entries Rändajad Country🇪🇪 Estonia Year2009 LanguageEstonian LyricsSven Lõhmus MusicSven Lõhmus BackingsMirjam MesakMarilin Kongo Results Semi Points: 115Position: 3Running order: 18 Results Finals Points: 129Position: 6Running order: 15 https://youtu.be/gi0FEO2tFFA?si=4PR2hl24THvalkOh

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Yohanna

About Quick Facts NameJóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir Born16 October 1990 Nationality🇮🇸 Icelandic National SelectionSöngvakeppnin 2013Söngvakeppnin 2011Söngvakeppnin 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongIs It True? (2009) Biography Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, known as Yohanna, is an Icelandic singer born on October 16, 1990.  Yohanna was born in Copenhagen to Icelandic parents but moved back to Iceland when she was two. Her father, Jón Sverrir Sverrison, is an electrical engineer, and her mother, Margrét Steinþórsdóttir, is a nurse. The family lived in Reykjavík before moving to Hafnarfjörður. Yohanna started singing lessons at age nine. Yohanna began her music career in 2000 at age nine, signing with an Icelandic record label. She released two albums as a child: “Jóhanna Guðrún 9” in 2000 and “Ég sjálf” in 2001. These albums included covers of popular international songs sung in Icelandic. She released a Christmas album in 2002 before taking a break from music. After a six-year break, Yohanna returned to the music scene in 2008 and competed in Söngvakeppnin, Iceland’s national selection for Eurovision 2009 with the song “Is It True?”. She won the competition and represented Iceland in Moscow, where she finished second. This was one of Iceland’s best results in Eurovision history. Her song became a hit across Europe, reaching number one in Iceland and charting in several other countries. After Eurovision, Yohanna signed with Warner Music Sweden and released her album “Butterflies and Elvis” in 2009. The album included the single “I Miss You,” which was a top twenty hit in Iceland. Yohanna tried to return to Eurovision twice more. In 2011, she competed with the song “Nótt” and reached the finals but didn’t win. However, she won the OGAE Second Chance Contest 2011. She also released the singles “I Think Of Angels” and “Really over” in the same year. Yohanna lived in Iceland until 2012 when she moved to Kongsvinger, Norway, to be closer to mainland Europe. From there, the singles “Indian Rope Trick” and “Coming Home” came out. In 2013, she competed in Söngvakeppnin again, with the song “Þú” but didn’t make it past the semi-finals. In 2013, she also had a number-one hit in Iceland with the song “Mamma þarf að djamma,” performed with Baggalútur. After a break, she teamed up with ROK to release the song “Find A Better Man” in 2015. A year later, she came up with the single “Revolving doors”. In 2018, she married Icelandic musician Davíð Sigurgeirsson. They have two children, a daughter born in 2015 and a son born in 2019. Davíð wrote Yohanna’s 2013 single “Þú”. 2020 was the year of Yohanna’s comeback. She released a new album, the Christmas album “Jól með Jóhönnu”, and the single “Löngu liðnir dagar”. After the singles “Ætla ekki að eyða þeim ein” (2021) and “Jólin koma alltaf” (2022), a new album came out in 2023: “Óskalögin mín”. The latter contained the song “Best í heimi”, a duet with Margrét Lilja. Yohanna’s new single in 2024 is titled “Töfrar” and announces a new album. Entries Is It True? Country🇮🇸 Iceland Year2009 LanguageEnglish LyricsÓskar Páll SveinssonChris NeilTinatin Japaridze MusicÓskar Páll SveinssonChris NeilTinatin Japaridze BackingsFriðrik ÓmarErna Hrönn ÓlafsdóttirHera Björk ÞórhallsdóttirBörkur Hrafn BirgissonHallgrímur Jensson Results Semi Points: 174Position: 1Running order: 12 Results Finals Points: 218Position: 2Running order: 7 https://youtu.be/UBEpub4qE9c?si=rGTnr6b0vxYPQ800

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Tinkara Kovač

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameTinkara Kovač Born03 September 1978 Nationality🇸🇮 Slovenian National SelectionEMA 2020EMA 2014EMA 2001EMA 1999EMA 1997 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongSpet/Round and Round (2014) Biography Tinkara Kovač, a Slovenian singer, pop-rock musician, flutist, and educator, was born on 3rd September 1978. She began her musical journey at a young age, winning a competition at the age of nine. Noticing her talent, producer Bojan Adamič offered her an extended engagement, but her parents declined due to her young age. Later, she was encouraged by composer Danilo Kocjančič, who, along with lyricist Drago Mislej-Mef and Marino Legovič, wrote the song that earned her the award for most promising performer at Melodije Morja in Sonca (Melodies of the Sea and Sun). In 1997, she signed her first record contract and released her debut album, which earned her a gold award and two Zlati Petelin awards. With the song “Vetr z juga” she took part in EMA, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. She then collaborated with the world/jazz/rock project Terra Mystica, earning two more Zlati Petelin awards. Her second album was released in 1999, which received gold and later platinum status. In the same year, she participated in EMA again, where she became 2nd with “Zakaj”. As Tinkara became more involved in creating her own music and lyrics, she signed with Dallas Records (EMI/Virgin Slovenia). Her third album “Na Robu Kroga”, which featured five hit singles and corresponding videos, was released under the label. She participated in EMA again, her song “Sonce v očeh” reached a 5th place. During this time, she also performed 30–50 concerts per year, collaborated with Carlos Nunez, and became the first Slovenian artist to have a special one-hour TV show dedicated to her on German television. Her fourth album, “O-range”, was introduced at a grand concert. The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) selected one of the songs from the album “O-range” as one of the top ten in the pop-rock category among 11,000 entries. Tinkara also began making inroads in the Italian, Greek, Macedonian, and Croatian markets following the licensed release of the “O-range” album by EMI International. She competed in the international music festival Megahit in Turkey in 2003 with the song “Reason why,” finishing in 5th place out of 14 countries. In 2004, for her fourth concert at Cankarjev Dom, she invited Ian Anderson, the lead singer of Jethro Tull, whose music had greatly influenced her decision to learn the flute. She also participated as a guest in his orchestral solo performances and Jethro Tull group concerts in Croatia, Italy, Austria, and Germany. In the same year, she released “Enigma”, a special four-language project with a limited edition, exclusively for Slovenia and Italy. During her tour in Italy, she participated in several important festivals and received the Gian Carlo Deganutti award for the Enigma album in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In 2005, she performed a concert with Italian rock star Elisa, attracting over 8,000 listeners, marking Slovenia’s entry into the Schengen area. Later that year, she performed in front of a 185,000-strong crowd at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican at the first meeting of Pope Benedict XVI with young people, being the only foreign guest and flutist soloist with the Vatican Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mons. Frisina. In 2009, she released a compilation album of her greatest hits, and in 2012, an album called “Rastemo” featuring re-interpretations of hits from Slovenia and former Yugoslavia. In 2013, she won the award for best performer at the Melodije Morja in Sonca festival and released an album called “Zazibanke” with a selection of Istrian, Furlan, and other folk lullabies. In 2014, she represented Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song ‘Spet/Round And Round’ after winning the Slovenian EMA selection. She managed to qualify for the finals, where she ended up in the penultimate place. In the summer of 2014, she performed at Melodije Morja in Sonca, opening the event with the song Mars and Venera. After her Eurovision performance in 2014, she released a new song “2X2”, performed with Tomaž Klepač and the Children’s Choir of OŠ Koper. They also recorded a video clip. She then presented a song in Italian, “Cuori di ossigeno”, which climbed many music charts, including in Italy.  She released a new album in 2016, called “Dober dan, življenje”. An Italian album, “Cuori di ossigeno”, was released a year later. In 2019, she won again at Melodije Morja in Sonca with the song “Bodi z mano do konca” (Stay with me till the end), for which she also received the award for best lyrics. In 2020, she released a song titled “Forever,” for which she penned the lyrics herself. She performed this song as a duet with Raiven. It was one of the participating songs in EMA 2020. A new album, “Neskončnost”, was released in 2021. In 2022 she performed in Melodije Morja in Sonca again and ended up as the winner. Entries Spet/Round And Round Country🇸🇮 Slovenia Year2014 LanguageEnglishSlovenian LyricsTinkara KovačHannah ManciniTina Piš MusicRaay BackingsRaayLea SirkManca ŠpikNika Zorjan Results Semi Points: 52Position: 10Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 9Position: 25Running order: 17 https://youtu.be/CiwM1sY3u0s

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Anmary

About Quick Facts NameLinda Dinsberga, born Amantova Born03 March 1980 Nationality🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionEirodziesma 2012Eirodziesma 2009 In Eurovision2012 Baku SongBeautiful Song (2012) Biography Linda Dinsberga (born Linda Amantova on March 3, 1980), better known by her stage name Anmary, is a Latvian singer and vocal coach. Anmary got her education at a Children’s Music School, Music College, Latvian Music Academy, and Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy. In Gulbene and Rēzekne, she learned to play the piano. She has worked as a vocal coach on various TV shows and in several pop music studios, . In 2003, she participated in the TV show , where she secured the 2nd place. She has participated in the production of the musical West Side Story, portraying the character Carlita. In 2008, she took part in the TV3 show Koru Kari (Choir Wars) in Arnis Mednis’ Riga choir. As part of the group Policistas, she participated in the 2009 Eirodziesma, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “In Love We Trust”, finishing in 11th place in the semi-final and thus not qualifying for the final. In 2012, Anmary’s song “Beautiful Song” qualified for the Eurovision semi-final. She won the final, becoming Latvia’s representative at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. In the Eurovision semi-final in Baku, she ranked 16ths. Anmary has participated in various musical projects – concerts, concert performances, portrayed the role of Mother in Jānis Lūseņš and Māra Zālīte’s rock opera Kaupēn, mans mīļais, sung in a duet with Uģis Roze in Jānis Lūseņš’ musical ensemble Promenāde, collaborated with many Latvian musicians, and in 2021, participated as Saulesmeita in the TV3 show Balss Maskā (The Masked Singer). On August 9, 2022, Anmary returned to her audience with new original songs, the mini-album “Laidies ar mani” (“Lie Down With Me”) and a video for the title track. The music for the mini-album’s title track “Laidies ar mani” was written by Anmary and Juris Ludženieks, who is also the single’s producer. The lyrics were written by Anmary, and guitarist Jānis Griķis participated in its creation. The mini-album “Laidies ar mani” includes four songs. In October 2023 she played one of the main roles in the rockopera Lāčplēsis. Entries Beautiful Song Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2012 LanguageEnglish LyricsRolands Ūdris MusicIvars Makstnieks BackingsLīga RobežnieceAnna ZhukovaAnita LevšaJelena Matule Results Semi Points: 17Position: 16Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/KAxYfMFE_94?si=uHteQq8Yy_y_stng

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Rona Nishliu

About Quick Facts NameRona Nishliu Born25 August 1986 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2011Festivali i Këngës 2004 In Eurovision2012 Baku SongSuus (2012) Biography Rona Nishliu is a Kosovar-Albanian singer. She grew up in Mitrovica but relocated to Pristina at 13 due to political unrest in her native town. In 2004, she participated in “Ethet e së premtës mbrëma”, a show reminiscent of Idols, making it to the Top 5 in the live episodes. Post-show, Rona took up a presenting role at Radio Blue Sky in Prishtina. In the same year, she collaborated with Vesa Luma and Teuta Kurti to participate in the 43rd Festivali i Këngës. They aspired to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with their song “Flakareshë”. While they reached the final on 18 December 2004, Ledina Çelo ultimately won. Nishliu represented Albania in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Baku, Azerbaijan. She won her national selection on 29 December 2011 with “Suus”, becoming the first Kosovo singer to represent Albania. The tragic Qafa e Vishës bus incident led to a delay of over two hours in the first semi-final on 22 May, impacting the viewership of Nishliu’s performance. Consequently, Albania relied on jury votes for voting. RTK did not broadcast the semi-final highlights due to the tragedy. Nishliu secured fifth place in the final, earning 146 points, which stands as Albania’s top performance. She was granted Albanian citizenship on 12 January 2012. Following Eurovision, Nishliu dedicated herself to humanitarian causes. She joined “Bonu cool, mos bjer shpullë”, an initiative promoting gender sensitivity. For this, she released “Se vetëm zemra flet saktë”, a song against young gender violence, which she produced and wrote. This song is part of a campaign by the Kosovo Gender Studies Centre, funded by the European Union. On 18 September 2014, Rona showcased Kosovar culture with a concert in Belgrade, Serbia during the “Mirëdita, dobar dan” festival, earning a standing ovation. In 2017, Rona became a coach for the sixth season of The Voice of Albania. In 2018, she performed at the Jazz Fest of Tetova. She also was present at the OGAE Congress in Spain. In April 2019, Rona recorded a couple of songs with the Rona Nishliu Quartet, like “Mallëngjimi” and “Me lule t’bukra” and a live album, “Mindil”. She also performed for the charity organization SOS Fshatrat e Fëmijëve Kosovë. In December 2021, she performed in a Christmas show on Kosovar television in duet with Gjon’s Tears. In December 2022 she started performing as Rona Nishliu & The New Big Band under the lead of Edon Ramadani. In August and September 2023 she performed at the Mitrovica International Jazz Days. Entries Suus Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2012 LanguageAlbanian LyricsRona Nishliu MusicFlorent Boshnjaku Backings– Results Semi Points: 146Position: 2Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 146Position: 5Running order: 3 https://youtu.be/QeBL2UHhyEc?si=Wo22IA6TbEXH_RD2

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Jamala

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameSusana Alimivna Jamaladinova Born27 August 1983 Nationality🇺🇦 Ukrainian National SelectionVidbir 2016Evrobachennya 2011 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm Song1944 (2016) Biography Susana Alimivna Dzhamaladinova, better known as Jamala, is born in Osh in the Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union. She is a Ukrainian singer of Crimean Tatar-Armenian origin. Soon, the family moved to Melitopol, and in the late 1980s, they settled in the village of Malorichenske near Alushta. From a young age, Susana participated in various children’s competitions. She studied at Music School No. 1 in Alushta, specializing in piano. After completing her studies there, she enrolled in the Simferopol Music School, graduating in 2001. She then continued her education at the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv, where she received an academic degree.  During her studies, Susana took part in various Ukrainian and international festivals such as Voices of the Future (2000, Russia), Crimean Spring (2001), Do#Dzh Junior (2001), and Il Concorso Europeo Amici della musica (2004, Italy). She sang in the female a cappella quintet Beauty Band (2001-2007), and in 2006, she participated in Do#Dzh Junior, where she was noticed by choreographer Olena Kolyadenko, who invited her to play a solo role in her own musical, Pa (2008). Thus, Olena Kolyadenko became Jamala’s first producer. After receiving her diploma, Susana sent her recordings to the Zurich Opera Theatre. During that period, she had already received an offer to do an internship at the renowned La Scala opera theatre in Milan. She had already decided to choose opera when an unexpected invitation came to participate in the 8th International Competition Nova Khvyla (New Wave). Susana agreed and performed at the competition under the stage name Jamala, which is the first part of her surname. In the end, she and Indonesian contestant Sandhy Sondoro both received 358 points, thus sharing the victory. In 2011, Jamala participated in Evrobachennya 2011, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. For the occasion, she sang the song “Smile” and ended up in 3rd place. On March 19, 2013, simultaneously on over 60 digital platforms, the release of the singer’s second album “All or Nothing” took place.Jamala personally presented the album on April 26 at a solo concert at the October Palace. In the same spring, the album was released on vinyl, and Jamala received the ELLE Style Award in the category of Singer of the Year. In the second half of 2013, Jamala participated in the MTV EXIT campaign against human trafficking. She appeared as a narrator in the documentary film “Life for Sale,” where she shared the stories of three labor migrants from Ukraine. In the spring of 2014, Jamala received the Red Apple Awards in the Art category for her contribution to the development of culture and strengthening peace. In the fall, she appeared in the film “Guide”. That same year, Jamala appeared in the television musical “Alice in Wonderland”, playing the role of the Caterpillar.  On October 1, 2014, the singer presented her third mini-album, titled “Thank You,” with musical producers Yevhen Filatov and the guitarist of her band, Serhiy Yeremenko (“Perfect Man”). The album included the Ukrainian-language song “Zaplutalas,” which Jamala introduced on September 25. The album predominantly features electronic sound and contains six songs. In the same fall, Andriy Khlyvnyuk invited Jamala to collaborate. Together with Dmytro Shurov and Andriy, they recorded the song “Zlyva”. The song became the musical composition for the film “The Winter That Changed Us” and the project “TSN – 94 Days. Euromaidan through the Eyes of TSN.” The duet of Jamala, Andriy Khlyvnyuk, and Dmytro Shurov, along with their song “Zlyva,” won the categories of Best Duet and Best Song at the YUNA Music Awards in 2016. On October 12, 2015, the fourth album “Podikh” was presented. The album won the Best Album category at the YUNA Music Awards in 2016, and the song “Inye” became the soundtrack for the Russian TV series of the same name. In 2016, Jamala took part in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest again, this time with the song “1944,” dedicated to tragic events of the past, including the deportation of the Crimean Tatars. Based on the results of the audience vote and the jury, Jamala advanced to the final of the national selection and won. In April, she participated in the recording of Usain Bekirov’s album “Taterrium”. During her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Jamala received the Eurostory Awards 2016 for the best lyrics in a competition song and the Marcel Bezençon Award in the Artistic Award category.  In the final of Eurovision on the night of May 15, Jamala emerged as the winner with 534 points. On May 16, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko awarded her the honorary title of People’s Artist of Ukraine. During her time at Eurovision, Jamala signed a contract with Universal Music Group, which released her album “1944” in Europe on June 10 and in the USA on July 10. On July 20, the premiere of the telefilm Dyvys na sebe! by journalist Bohdan Kutepov took place on the channels UA: Pershyi and Hromadske Telebachennia. The film focused on Jamala’s victory at the Eurovision Song Contest. In the fall, Jamala participated in the seventh season of the vocal show The Voice of the Country and collaborated on the song “Zamanily” with the Ukrainian ethno-band “DakhaBrakha.”  In early 2017, Jamala won awards in the categories of Best Solo Artist, Best Song, and Best Duet at the YUNA 2017 Music Awards. She also won in the Culture category of the all-Ukrainian Woman of Ukraine 2016 award and the Pride of the Country category of the “Viva! The Most Beautiful 2017” award. During the “Flower Expo Ukraine” exhibition in Kyiv, she received a certificate from the Dutch company “StoKolex” for the naming of a new tulip variety after her. In June, the filming of the movie Nebo directed by Oleksiy Panteleev began, in which Jamala played one of the roles. In July, the documentary film Jamalas

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Slavko Kalezić

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameSlavko Kalezić Born04 october 1985 Nationality🇲🇪 Montenegrin National SelectionInternal selection 2017 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongSpace (2017) Biography Slavko Kalezić is a Montenegrin singer and actor. He was born in Titograd, Yugoslavia (currently Podgorica, Montenegro). Slavko studied at the Academy of Performing Arts at Cetinje, Montenegro. After his studies he became a part of the Ensemble of the Montenegrin National Theatre. He played several roles in theater and movies like “L’homme qui voulait vivre sa vie” in 2010, “Lokalni vampir” in 2011. In 2011 he released a single called “Muza”. He had a role in the romantic comedy “Budva na pjenu od mora” from 2012 until 2014.  In 2013, Kalezić rose to fame by competing in series 1 of X Factor Adria, the Serbian pan-regional version of The X Factor. Unfortunately he failed to make it to the live shows and the Final. In 2014, after X Factor Adria, Kalezić released the album “San o vječnosti”. Singles included most notably “Krivac”, “Feel the Music” and “Freedom”. Slavko was, in 2017, internally selected as the Montenegrin entrant to the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with his song, “Space”, on 29 December 2016. He represented Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song “Space”. Slavko did not qualify to compete in the final. In July 2017, he auditioned for the fourteenth series of the UK The X Factor. Also here, he did not make it to the live shows. Slavko was invited by RTP and OGAE Portugal to travel to Lisbon and perform at a number of events during the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Slavko performed remixes of his Eurovision 2017 song “Space” along with new single “El Ritmo” in Lisbon. In April 2018 hepublished a book called Moja Istina (My Truth) about his experience at Eurovision 2017 and The X Factor. It was published in Montenegrin with a view to having it translated to English later on. In November 2019, he produced and performed a one-off show at the Ramada Hotel in Podgorica of the same name, telling the story of the book in a musical multi-media show. In 2020, Slavko joined a campaign of the Montenegrin government around the COVID19 measures. In November of that year, he had a role in the play “Posjeta”, and in March 2021 “Đokonda”. With the monodrama “Soulfood”, he celebrated 15 years of acting. In October of the same year, he played a role in “Omladina bez boga”. In April 2022, Slavko could be seen on stage in a play called “Djeca sunca”. In May of the same year, a new single, “Ko smo mi?” was released. In July, he played a role in “Pokojnik” with the Montenegrin National Theatre. In December 2022, Slavko went to the field of ballet, in the play “Cippolino”.   Entries Space Country🇲🇪 Montenegro Year2017 LanguageEnglish LyricsAdis EminićIva BoršićMomčilo Zeković MusicMomčilo Zeković BackingsOliver KatićMarko NikolićIgor Stanojević Results Semi Points: 56Position: 16Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/rQ1BXJpfa4I

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Alika

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameAlika Milova Born05 September 2002 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongBridges (2023) Biography Alika is an Estonian singer. She was born in Narva, a city in the North East of Estonia.  Milova participated in The Baltic Voice, New Wave Junior, Kaunas Talent, Bravo Song Contest and Berlin Perle. In 2021 she participated in Eesti Ootsib Superstaari, the Estonian version of Idols. She managed to win the contest. She signed a record deal with Universal Music, and right after winning Eesti Ootsib Superstaari, she released her debut single “Önnenumber”. The song

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Urban Symphony

About Quick Facts MembersSandra NurmsaluMann HelsteinJohanna MängelMari Möldre Active2007 – 2010 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongRändajad (2009) Biography Urban Symphony was an Estonian music group. In autumn 2007, Sandra Nurmsalu participated in the singing talent show 2 takti ette, organized biennially by Eesti Televisioon and broadcast nationwide. During one week of the contest, contestants were tasked with forming their own bands and producing a performance. Nurmsalu, who had studied violin for two years at the Georg Ots Music School and previously arranged Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” for a string ensemble, decided to form a string-based band.

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Yohanna

About Quick Facts NameJóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir Born16 October 1990 Nationality🇮🇸 Icelandic National SelectionSöngvakeppnin 2013Söngvakeppnin 2011Söngvakeppnin 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongIs It True? (2009) Biography Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, known as Yohanna, is an Icelandic singer born on October 16, 1990.  Yohanna was born in Copenhagen to Icelandic parents but moved back to Iceland when she was two. Her father, Jón Sverrir Sverrison, is an electrical engineer, and her mother, Margrét Steinþórsdóttir, is a nurse. The family lived in Reykjavík before moving to Hafnarfjörður. Yohanna started singing lessons at age nine. Yohanna began her music career in 2000 at age nine, signing with

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Tinkara Kovač

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameTinkara Kovač Born03 September 1978 Nationality🇸🇮 Slovenian National SelectionEMA 2020EMA 2014EMA 2001EMA 1999EMA 1997 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongSpet/Round and Round (2014) Biography Tinkara Kovač, a Slovenian singer, pop-rock musician, flutist, and educator, was born on 3rd September 1978. She began her musical journey at a young age, winning a competition at the age of nine. Noticing her talent, producer Bojan Adamič offered her an extended engagement, but her parents declined due to her young age. Later, she was encouraged by composer Danilo Kocjančič, who, along with lyricist Drago Mislej-Mef and Marino Legovič, wrote the song

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Anmary

About Quick Facts NameLinda Dinsberga, born Amantova Born03 March 1980 Nationality🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionEirodziesma 2012Eirodziesma 2009 In Eurovision2012 Baku SongBeautiful Song (2012) Biography Linda Dinsberga (born Linda Amantova on March 3, 1980), better known by her stage name Anmary, is a Latvian singer and vocal coach. Anmary got her education at a Children’s Music School, Music College, Latvian Music Academy, and Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy. In Gulbene and Rēzekne, she learned to play the piano. She has worked as a vocal coach on various TV shows and in several pop music studios, . In 2003, she participated in

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Rona Nishliu

About Quick Facts NameRona Nishliu Born25 August 1986 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2011Festivali i Këngës 2004 In Eurovision2012 Baku SongSuus (2012) Biography Rona Nishliu is a Kosovar-Albanian singer. She grew up in Mitrovica but relocated to Pristina at 13 due to political unrest in her native town. In 2004, she participated in “Ethet e së premtës mbrëma”, a show reminiscent of Idols, making it to the Top 5 in the live episodes. Post-show, Rona took up a presenting role at Radio Blue Sky in Prishtina. In the same year, she collaborated with Vesa Luma and Teuta Kurti to participate

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Jamala

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameSusana Alimivna Jamaladinova Born27 August 1983 Nationality🇺🇦 Ukrainian National SelectionVidbir 2016Evrobachennya 2011 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm Song1944 (2016) Biography Susana Alimivna Dzhamaladinova, better known as Jamala, is born in Osh in the Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union. She is a Ukrainian singer of Crimean Tatar-Armenian origin. Soon, the family moved to Melitopol, and in the late 1980s, they settled in the village of Malorichenske near Alushta. From a young age, Susana participated in various children’s competitions. She studied at Music School No. 1 in Alushta, specializing in piano. After completing her studies there, she enrolled in the

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Slavko Kalezić

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameSlavko Kalezić Born04 october 1985 Nationality🇲🇪 Montenegrin National SelectionInternal selection 2017 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongSpace (2017) Biography Slavko Kalezić is a Montenegrin singer and actor. He was born in Titograd, Yugoslavia (currently Podgorica, Montenegro). Slavko studied at the Academy of Performing Arts at Cetinje, Montenegro. After his studies he became a part of the Ensemble of the Montenegrin National Theatre. He played several roles in theater and movies like “L’homme qui voulait vivre sa vie” in 2010, “Lokalni vampir” in 2011. In 2011 he released a single called “Muza”. He had a role in the

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