Azerbaijani Eurovision fans launch an explosive petition demanding that national broadcaster İTV completely overhaul its selection process after Jiva‘s last-place finish.
An earthquake is shaking a country that was once an undisputed Eurovision powerhouse. After four consecutive years of disappointment, non-qualifications, and two consecutive last-place finishes, fans in Azerbaijan have finally had enough. A fierce and unusual online petition targets the national broadcaster with harsh accusations, demanding a complete revolution in how the country selects its artist and song for the contest. What are the severe allegations regarding censorship and a lack of transparency, what demands do the angry fans present, and is Azerbaijan on its way back to its glory days? Here are all the details behind the petition that is shaking up the Eurovision community.
Fans Demand Full Clarity in the Selection Process
An explosive petition was recently published on the website Change.org – a platform dedicated to initiating and publicizing public petitions – expressing deep disappointment with the country’s Eurovision results over the past four years (failing to qualify for the Grand Final, and finishing dead last for the past two consecutive years). The petition states:
“Despite Azerbaijan’s great success in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, the results in recent years have been disappointing. Our failure to reach the final in the past four years and our consecutive last place in the last two years both discourage fans and damage the musical reputation of our country in Europe.”
The authors of the petition added:
“We believe that the main problems are a lack of clarity and a lack of public participation in our Eurovision selection process. The current activities of the public national broadcaster and the Azerbaijani delegation lead to deficiencies in communication with fan communities, the media, and independent Eurovision platforms, negative reactions to constructive criticism, poor communication, and the failure of the selected participants to demonstrate their full potential.”
Core Issues and Demands Raised by the Petition
The petition highlights several major issues:
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Closed selection: The selection of representatives and songs is carried out opaquely behind closed doors, without any involvement from the citizens whom the song and artist represent.
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Failed selection method: The strategy of selecting entries via a “focus group” has yielded nothing but failures in recent years.
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Silencing criticism in media and networks: Blocking fan pages, blogs, and singers who wish to represent the country on social media to avoid accepting constructive feedback.
The demands of the petition’s organizers are as follows:
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Democratic process: Conducting a transparent and democratic selection process that allows talented artists the opportunity to represent their country.
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Investigation of national broadcaster operations: Auditing the activities of the current team, and if necessary, replacing them with a team that operates more democratically and fairly.
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National final: Implementing a national final system – not落 necessarily in the traditional or widespread format – the main focus being active public participation in selecting the entry.
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Open communication with the audience: The national broadcaster must maintain open communication with citizens and be willing to accept criticism and feedback.
The petition concludes with a call to action:
“It’s time for change! By signing the petition, you can contribute to a transparent and fair change that will bring Azerbaijan back to Eurovision success. Let’s march together towards a bright and successful future for our country in the contest!”
From Eurovision Powerhouse to Modern Downfall
When examining Azerbaijan’s track record at Eurovision, it is hard to believe this is the same country. Since its impressive debut in 2008 – an eighth-place finish with the song “Day After Day“ – the nation quickly established itself as an undisputed Eurovision empire. Azerbaijan achieved an extraordinary streak of five consecutive top-five placements in the Grand Final: third place in 2009 with “Always”, fifth place in 2010 with “Drip Drop“, an unexpected historic victory in 2011 with “Running Scared“, fourth place in Baku in 2012 with “When The Music Dies“, and second place in 2013 with “Hold Me“. During those years, the Azerbaijani national broadcaster invested massive budgets, hired top Swedish producers and songwriters, and achieved exceptionally impressive results in the grand contest.
However, several years later, reality paints a completely different picture – a total and unprecedented collapse. Following its first non-qualification in 2018 with “X My Heart“, Azerbaijan gradually declined significantly, and since 2023, it has experienced a painful and deeply disappointing streak of four consecutive non-qualifications. This negative streak reached a new low over the past two years, as the country finished dead last in the semi-final for the first time in its history – two years in a row! This occurred in 2025 with “Run With U“, and once again in the most recent Eurovision, where Jiva finished last in her semi-final with her song “Just Go”, scoring only 2 points. From a mighty powerhouse that no one could stop, Azerbaijan has officially become one of the weakest countries on the modern Eurovision map.
Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2026
“Just Go” is the song that will be performed by the singer JIVA, who will represent Azerbaijan as song number 2 in the second semi-final on May 14th, in Vienna, Austria. The song was written and composed by Fuad Javadov. This marks the first Eurovision participation for both the singer and the songwriter. The song is performed in English and Azeri.
Currently, Azerbaijan is ranked 35th in the betting tables ahead of Eurovision 2026.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Azerbaijan’s 18th participation in Eurovision. Azerbaijan joined the contest in 2008 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2011 when singers Ell and Nikki, won first place with the song “Running Scared”.
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A writer and content creator in the field of Eurovision, a commentator with extensive expertise in the modern era of the contest. Adiel’s vast knowledge and familiarity with Eurovision are reflected in every article, ensuring professional and up-to-date content. He closely follows song releases and various Eurovision pre-events. Adiel has a fondness for cultures and new languages, which he discovered through his love of Eurovision. In his writing, he places great emphasis on professional commentary and a diversity of opinions.
