🇺🇦 Longlist of participants for Ukraine’s Junior Eurovision 2023 selection revealed

After the closing, Ukraine continues its search for Zlata Dziunka’s successor as UA:PBC reveals the longlist of participants still in the running to represent Ukraine in Nice.

10 acts still in the running to represent Ukraine in NIce

Following the submission process, it was revealed that the broadcaster has recieved 143 submissions, with Ukraine’s music producer for this year’s selection Svitlana Tarabarova mentioning how difficult it was to select only ten participants:

My experience as the music producer of the Ukrainian National Selection for Junior Eurovision 2023 coincided with my third motherhood experience. The oxytocin in my body both helped me hear the most important things and made it difficult: how can I say ‘no’ to a child? This was probably the most difficult task – to choose only 10 out of 143 participants. The ten strongest applicants to compete for the right to represent Ukraine at Junior Eurovision 2023 in Nice.

Yes, the rules are strict – only one will win the national final. But I have to admit publicly that you are all adorable, kids! I ask each participant for only one thing: don’t stop whatever happens. This is just the beginning of the journey. Your voice is important. Someone’s desperate heart is waiting for your message. You are our future. You are the children of the Victory!

The 10 acts still in the running, their age, and where they are from (and currenttly residing where applicable) are as follows:

• 3ʼBeauties – A band consisting of Vladyslava Volynets (13), Oleksandra Korovytska (13) and Anna Tkach (12), from Lutsk.
• POLINA BABIY. 14 years old, originally from Odesa, temporarily living in Bratislava, Slovakia.
• Anastasia Belibova. 12 years old, originally from Mykolaiv, currently living in Yuzhnoukrainsk, Mykolaiv region.
• Denys Hryshchuk. 12 years old, originally from Novovolynsk, Volyn region, temporarily living in Lublin, Poland.
• Anastasia Dymyd. 9 years old, from the village of Hoshiv, Ivano-Frankivsk region.
• Anna Doina. 13 years old, Kyiv. 
• Artem Kotenko. 11 years old, from Okhtyrka, Sumy region.
• Anastasia Piekh. 12 years old, from Chervonohrad, Lviv region.
• Kateryna Yavorska. 13 years old, Volytsia village, Lviv region.
• Nika Yarovenko. 14 years old, Piskivka village, Kyiv region.

Now that the longlist of participants have been revealed, they will now go through an audition process, with the National Selection set to take place in October.

Ukraine’s Junior Eurovision Journey

In 2006, Ukraine made their debut to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, with Nazar Slyusarchuk and the song “Khlopchyk Rock ‘n’ Roll” (Хлопчик рок ‘н’ ролл), which placed 9th. Since their debut, the Eastern European nation has participated 16 times, and even won once in 2012 with Anastasiya Petryk and her song “Nebo” (Небо).

In 2022, Ukraine selected its representative through a national final, where Zlata Dziunka won the right to represent the nation with “Nezlamna”, which managed to place 9th receiving 111 points from the jury and online vote.

Are you happy to see Ukraine participating at Junior Eurovision this year? Who do you think should succeed Zlata in Nice? Are you excited for Junior Eurovision 2023? Are you hoping to attend the contest in Nice? Let us know in the comments or on social media. Be sure to follow That Eurovision Site on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

News Source: UA:PBC

Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU