The Eurovision scoring board has undergone various changes over the years, though most have been minor. This year, Junior Eurovision in Madrid is introducing a radically different scoring concept. Could this innovative design be a precursor to Eurovision 2025 in Basel?
One of the highlights of every Eurovision contest is the scoring board, which builds suspense as the votes are revealed. Over the years, the scoring board has seen several adjustments, evolving into a digital graphic that aligns with the annual branding of Eurovision. For instance, this year in Malmö, designer Sidney Lim restructured the screen layout and added a scoring board behind the hosts. However, most changes over the years have been minor, reflecting general technological advancements and trends in graphic design. This year, Junior Eurovision has decided to take a bold leap, introducing a completely revamped scoring concept.
The redesigned scoring board replaces the traditional horizontal list with a vertical display located at the bottom of the screen. Flags of participating countries now appear within circles, accompanied by vertical bars displaying each country’s name. These bars fill up as points are allocated, enabling viewers to track scores without the need for the countries’ positions to shuffle. Beneath each flag, a smaller circle shows the cumulative points.
The most striking change occurs during the voting process itself. Traditionally, each country’s representative announces their jury votes—previously a mix of jury and televoting, now limited to jury scores. The hosts then reveal the public votes, starting from the lowest to the highest-ranked country based on jury results.
In the new system, the jury points are initially presented by score value without individually highlighting all countries—except for the iconic “Douze Points” (12 points). For example, if Spain and San Marino both award five points to Albania, the flags of Spain and San Marino will appear above Albania’s bar, showing a total of 10 points. These points are immediately added to Albania’s cumulative score displayed below its flag, and the bar height adjusts accordingly. Representatives still appear to announce the famous 12 points.
At #JESC2024, all 1 points will be delivered at once, then all 2s, then all 3s and so on
oh. my. god. pic.twitter.com/ySmNMQFlBq
— sтevan ⚕️ (@ImStevan) November 15, 2024
For the public votes, the scoring format reverts to the classic horizontal table. However, while the relative filling of bars remains, the changing order of countries on the list introduces the familiar suspense.
This innovative scoring concept offers a fresh take on an iconic Eurovision element. It eliminates the constant repositioning of countries on the screen—a frequent source of visually jarring animations. However, the new design’s complexity introduces a significant drawback: a cluttered screen with more elements than usual, which can overwhelm viewers. Its saving grace is the static placement of countries during the jury vote phase, allowing for clearer visual tracking.
The streamlined presentation also shortens the broadcast’s voting sequence, potentially reducing the high-tension moments that viewers cherish. This change is feasible for Junior Eurovision, where only 17 countries participate—far fewer than the approximately 40 in recent years’ main Eurovision contests. Adopting such a design for a larger field of participants could prove chaotic.
Some elements from Malmö 2024 remain, such as the inclusion of the scoring board behind the hosts, enabling wide-angle stage shots instead of solely focusing on screen graphics. This begs the question: is the revamped design a one-time choice for Spain’s Junior Eurovision, or a pilot test for Eurovision 2025 in Basel? The fact that only the jury votes employed the new concept might suggest a trial run. If it is indeed intended for the main contest, will it gain approval, or will we return to the classic scoring presentation? These questions will likely be answered as the Eurovision season unfolds.
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