Following an online public vote, the three jurors that will make up the jury in Ukraine’s Vidbir 2024 have been selected and revealed by Suspilne. The voting saw over 720,000 Ukrainians vote for the Jury.
Familiar faces in the jury of Vidbir 2024
For the past week, people living in Ukraine have been able to cast their vote to see who they would like to see on the judging panel for Vidbir 2023. The public could choose one person per device. Now, with the voting closed, all three jurors have now been revealed. These three jurors will now preside over the national selection on February 3.
There are two members of the jury with main Eurovision presence amongst the jury. Up first is Andriy Danylko (a.k.a. Verka Serduchka), who represented Ukraine at Eurovision 2007, with Dancing Lasha Tumbai, who won the vote, and was able to secure 43.79% of the votes.
Up second is Jamala, who won the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with her song “1944”. Jamala finished second in the vote, with a final share of 23.62% of the total. This will be the sixth time that Jamala will be on the panel. Speaking about their appointment to the jury, Jamala comments:
“In this contest, you can calculate everything: the theme of clothes, video and the like, but you can never, unfortunately, never take into account the factors that we cannot influence. For example, preparing a dress for three months, but losing it at the airport along with the luggage and at the first rehearsal almost in despair to go out in another one, but at the same time not losing the mood. Or when at the grand final the ear monitoring completely fails and you sing at random. So it was with me! There are many such examples. Where am I leading, you ask.
The performer’s confidence in performing live helps a lot to show the song, reveal the theme and work at 100%. So my main criterion is the live performance, the song itself and its meaning, as well as the number and charisma of the artist. Therefore, I will form an impression of the participants as soon as I see each of them perform live. Just like an ordinary viewer will watch Eurovision 2024.
I expect the performers to show their best. People will vote on the air, without shifting the responsibility to others, because it is the viewer who shows the last word with his vote! Again, I want to remind you that in 2016 it was not the jury, but the audience that chose me and was not wrong . “
Rounding off the three-person jury is Serhiy Tanchynets, an Honored artist of Ukraine, producer and the frontperson of the rock group Bez Obmezhen, who secured 12.42% of the votes. Speaking about their appointment to the jury:
“I will not evaluate the number, but rather the song, because it will be possible to work on the number before the Eurovision performance. It is important that the song is complete and contains “hooks”. Vocal data of the contestant is no less important!
Well, in general, a high competitiveness of the song is required. This contest has certain traditions of its own, so I will judge from the point of view of which song will have a chance to win Eurovision.
I wish victory to the best combination of song and voice! And we will see who it will be in the final of the National Selection“
What we know about Vidbir 2024
The eleven entries competing in this year’s contest had been narrowed from an initial long list of 65 songs. Ukraine’s national broadcaster Suspilne had decided 10 of the 11 entries in this year’s contest before opening up the selection to a wildcard round. With a following 9 entries opened up to a public vote, where Anka won with 26% of the vote. The running order and the entries for this year’s contest are as follows:
| Order | Artist(s) | Entry |
| 1 | YAKTAK | “Lalala” |
| 2 | INGRET | “Keeper” |
| 3 | NAZVA | “Slavic English” |
| 4 | ANKA | “Палала” (“Palala”) |
| 5 | Drevo | “Endless Chain” |
| 6 | alyona alyona & Jerry Heil | “Teresa & Maria” |
| 7 | MÉLOVIN | “DREAMER” |
| 8 | SKYLERR | “Time Is Running Out” |
| 9 | Ziferblat | “Place I Call Home” |
| 10 | YAGODY | “Tsunamia” |
| 11 | NAHABA | “GLASSS” |
Ukraine’s Eurovision Journey
Ukraine is one of the most successful countries to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has scored eight top-five placements, with an extra four top-ten finishes. Ukraine won the Contest three times – in 2004, 2016 and 2022 respectively. Ukraine made history for being the first ex-Soviet country to win the Contest more than once.
In 2023, TVORCHI represented Ukraine as co-host entry in Liverpool with their song “Heart of Steel”. The duo finished in 6th place, scoring 243 points – of which 54 points came from the jury, whilst the remaining 189 points came from the televote.
What do you make of Vidbir 2024? Are you excited to watch the selection on Februay 3? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we start looking ahead to Eurovision 2024!
News Source: Suspilne
Photo Credit: Suspilne
That Eurovision Site 
Rory Gannon