The Ukrainian national broadcaster Suspilne has announced the five judges for the “Vidbir 2026” final on 7 February, which will select Ukraine’s representative for the Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria
The Ukrainian national broadcaster Suspilne, which leads “Vidbir 2026” has officially revealed the members of its judging panel. This year marks a notable change in the jury’s composition, expanding from three to five judges. In addition, the judges were not selected via an online public vote, but instead appointed internally by the national broadcaster.
According to Herman Nenov, producer of the Ukrainian Eurovision national selection, the jury was expanded in order to incorporate a broader range of professional perspectives when evaluating Ukraine’s potential Eurovision entry.
Who Are the Judges of Vidbir 2026?
• Ruslana – Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with “Wild Dances”.
• Zlata Ognevich – Represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with “Gravity”, finishing in third place.
• Yevhen Filatov – Ukrainian singer and composer.
• Vitaly Drozdov – Chief producer at the media company “TAVR Media” and director at the Ukrainian radio station “HitFM”.
• Kostyantyn Tomilchenko – Producer, choreographer, and director who has staged numerous Eurovision performances, including the 2016 winning performance by Jamala with “1944”.
“Vidbir 2026”: Full Line-Up
- Jerry Heil – Catharticus
- KHAYAT – Hertzi
- LAUD – Lightkeeper
- LELÉKA – Ridnim
- MOLODI – The Legends
- Monokate – Ti Tut
- Mr. Vel – Do or Done
- The Elliens – Crawling Whispers
- Valeriya Force – Open Our Hearts
- ShchukaRyba – Moya Zeml
Familiar Faces Among the Finalists:
- Jerry Heil – Ukraine’s 2024 Eurovision representative alongside Alyona Alyona with the song “Teresa & Maria”, finishing third in the grand final. Jerry also competed in Vidbir in 2023 and 2020.
- Monokate – Ukraine’s representative at Eurovision 2020 and 2021 as part of the band Go_A, which placed fifth in 2021.
- Olena Usenko – Member of The Elliens, Ukraine’s Junior Eurovision entrant with “Vazhil”, placing sixth.
- LAUD – Competed in the 2018 preselection with “Waiting”, finishing fourth.
- MOLODI – Competed in the 2025 preselection with “My Sea”, finishing second.
Ukraine at Eurovision: Huge Success and an Impressive Record
Ukraine, together with Sweden, is among the two most successful countries in Eurovision in the 21st century. The country has won the competition three times – in 2004 with Ruslana and her song “Wild Dances”, in 2016 with Jamala and her song “1944”, and in 2022 with Kalush Orchestra and their song “Stefania”. In addition, Ukraine has finished twice in second place (2007 & 2008) and twice in third place (2013 & 2024) — and has never missed a Eurovision final, holding this distinction alongside Luxembourg, which returned to the contest in 2024.
Ukraine at Eurovision 2025
“Bird of Pray” is the name of the song that was performed by Ziferblat, representing Ukraine in Eurovision 2025. Ukraine qualified for the final from the first semi-final of the contest and finished 9th overall with 218 points. Ukraine finished 6th in the televoting and 14th in the juries.
The Ukrainian result is their worst one since 2018.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Ukraine’s 21st participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Ukraine joined the competition in 2003 and has won it three times. Ukraine’s last victory was in Eurovision 2022 with the song “Stefania” performed by Kalush Orchestra.
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A writer and content creator with a strong specialization in the Eurovision scene, particularly across Eastern Europe and post-Soviet countries. His work highlights the artistry, storytelling, and cultural variety that define the contest, offering readers a deeper look into both established performers and emerging voices.
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