Today rehearsals for Junior Eurovision 2024 kicked off in Madrid. Countries rehearsing on Day 1 include Georgia, Italy, Cyprus, Albania, Ukraine, Estonia, Armenia, North Macedonia and Spain. The fifth country to rehearse today is Ukraine’s Artem Kotenko.
What did we learn about Artem Kotenko’s staging?
Disclaimer: Please note that the EBU has not released footage from the first rehearsals, and that the description detailed in this article is mainly based from the pictures and if available footage from the delegations themselves.
4 dancers accompany Artem Kotenko on stage give us a cross between Eric Saade and Sam Ryder, using rectangular silver frames. The colour scheme is silver and white, with Artem’s look being elevated by a white blazer
If you are interested in seeing more pictures from Artem Kotenko’s first rehearsal today, you can look through them right here.
Who is Artem Kotenko?
Artem Kotenko grew up in Khotyrka, a frontline city in Ukraine. Since watching Junior Eurovision for the first time in 2019, he’s become a huge fan, watching it yearly with his family and attempting now twice to represent Ukraine at the contest! He made it to the longlist of participants in 2023. Outside of singing, he also loves playing the piano, theatre, and dancing.
Artem beat out fourteen other longlisted artists and five live competitors at Natsvidbir na Dytiache Yevrobachennia 2024. At the end of the show, which was held on 22nd September, he was tied with Zlata Ivaniv; however, as Kotenko received a higher public vote, he was declared the winner.
His song, originally titled “Dim”, is sung mostly in Ukrainian, but some parts have been retitled to “Hear Me Now” ahead of Junior Eurovision.
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 17 times, and even won once in 2012 with Anastasiya Petryk and her song “Nebo” (Небо).
In 2023, Ukraine selected its representative through a national final, which Anastasia Dymyd won with “Kvitka”. She placed 5th, receiving 128 points from the jury and online vote.
Are you looking forward to seeing Ukraine at Junior Eurovision in Madrid? As always, let us know what you think by commenting down below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Junior Eurovision 2024!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU
That Eurovision Site 
Tim J