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Vital Statistics: Junior Eurovision 2021 🏆

17 December 2021 at 15:30 CET
The Junior Eurovision 2021 Trophy Andres Putting/EBU
We've compiled some facts, figures, and statistics on this year's Junior Eurovision singers and songs. Impress your friends and family by having these numbers at your fingertips!

Who’s performing in Paris?

This year, we welcome 19 nations to the Junior Eurovision stage. This is an increase of 7 from 2020, with 1 withdrawal and 8 returning countries. In alphabetical order, they are:

  • 🇦🇱 Albania (RTSH)
  • 🇦🇲 Armenia (AMPTV)
  • 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan (Ictimai)
  • 🇧🇬 Bulgaria (BNT)
  • 🇫🇷 France (France TV)
  • 🇩🇪 Germany (NDR/KiKa)
  • 🇬🇪 Georgia (GPB)
  • 🇮🇪 Ireland (TG4)
  • 🇮🇹 Italy (Rai)
  • 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan (Khabar Agency)
  • 🇲🇹 Malta (PBS)
  • 🇳🇱 Netherlands (AVROTROS)
  • 🇲🇰 North Macedonia (MKRTV)
  • 🇵🇱 Poland (TVP)
  • 🇵🇹 Portugal (RTP)
  • 🇷🇺 Russia (RTR)
  • 🇷🇸 Serbia (RTS)
  • 🇪🇸 Spain (TVE)
  • 🇺🇦 Ukraine (UA:PBC)
Rehearsals for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, La Seine Musicale, 16 December 2021 Andres Putting/EBU

Who’s singing?

  • Female Soloists (9): Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Ukraine
  • Male Soloists (5): France, Georgia, Ireland, Portugal, Spain
  • Duos (4): Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Malta, Serbia
  • Groups (1): North Macedonia

How old are the performers?

  • 9: Kazakhstan (Beknur)
  • 10: Georgia, Serbia (Jovana)
  • 11: Kazakhstan (Alinur), Malta (Ike & Kaya), Serbia (Dunja)
  • 12: Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria (Denislava), Italy, Russia
  • 13: Bulgaria (Martin), France, Germany, Poland, Spain
  • 14: Armenia, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Ukraine
Beknur Zhanibekuly from Kazakhstan is this year’s youngest artist. Andres Putting/EBU

How were they chosen?

  • Internal Selection (8): Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, France, Italy, North Macedonia, Serbia, Spain
  • National Final (8): Albania, Germany, Kazakhstan, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Ukraine
  • National Final for artist selection, song internally commissioned for the winner (3): Georgia, Ireland, Portugal

What language will the song be performed in?:

The 2021 Junior Eurovision Song Contest is one of the most linguistically diverse editions we’ve seen, with nineteen different languages being heard. As per the Official Contest Rules, 60% of the lyrics of the songs must be in an official language of the country.

  • Sung in a single language: France, Malta, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Ukraine
  • Primarily in a single language, with a few words in English peppered in: Ireland
  • Bilingual/Multilingual: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Russia

How many songs this year were written or composed (at least partially) by the performer?

  • Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine
Ukraine’s singer-songwriter Olena Usenko. Andres Putting/EBU

How many had previously performed in a National Final (not counting their 2021 participation)?

  • Armenia: MalĂ©na performed the song Par at the 2018 Armenian National Final.
  • Malta: As a soloist, Kaya performed the song Made of Stars at the 2020 Maltese National Final.
  • Russia: Tanya Mezhentseva competed in, and won, the 2019 Russian National Final with the song A Time For Us, a duet with Denberel Oorzhak.
  • Ukraine: Olena Usenko performed the song Never Get Free at the 2020 Ukrainian National Final.

How many of this year’s songwriters or composers have previous connections to Eurovision or Junior Eurovision?

Armenia:

  • David Tserunyan is the lyricist of Boomerang, Misha’s entry for Junior Eurovision 2017, as well as Fly With Me, Artsvik’s song for Eurovision that same year.
  • tokionine was the composer of Walking Out, Srbuk’s song for Eurovision 2019.

Bulgaria:

  • Voice of Love was written and composed by Vasil Garvanliev, who represented North Macedonia at Eurovision 2021 with Here I Stand, and was intended to represent the nation in 2020 with the song You.
Denislava & Martin from Bulgaria Andres Putting/EBU

France

  • Tic Tac's lyrics were co-written by LĂ©a Ivanne, who was a member of the songwriting team for Tom Leeb’s The Best in Me in 2020.

Georgia

  • Giga Kukhianidze is the composer behind Georgia’s Junior Eurovision entries from 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2020. That illustrious list includes three winning songs (Bzz…, Candy Music, and Mzeo)!

Ireland

  • Nial Mooney co-wrote the Irish entries at Eurovision in 2009 (Et Cetera) and 2010 (It’s For You), as well as the Junior Eurovision entries at 2015 (RĂ©alta na Mara), 2018 (IOU), and 2019 (Banshee).
  • Anna Kearney represented Ireland at Junior Eurovision in 2019 with Banshee, which she also co-wrote.
  • Anna Banks was also part of the songwriting team for Banshee, and she’s also the sister of Aimee Banks, Ireland’s first Junior Eurovision entrant back in 2015. She had the honor of reading out Ireland’s points during the show.
  • Cyprian Cassar, in addition to being on the songwriting team for Malta’s entry this year, also had a hand in Malta’s song at Junior Eurovision in 2018 (Marchin’ On) and Ireland’s Junior Eurovision entry in 2019 (Banshee).
Maiú Levi Lawlor from Ireland Andres Putting/EBU

Italy:

  • The team of Franco Fasano, Marco Iardella, Fabrizio Palaferri, and Stefano Rigamonti have appeared as songwriters, in one combination or another, for every Italian Junior Eurovision song since 2016's Cara Mamma (Dear Mom). This includes 2017's Scelgo (My Choice), 2018's What is Love?, and 2019's La voce della terra. In addition, Franco Fasano was part of the songwriting team for Italy’s 1989 Eurovision, Avrei voluto.

Malta:

  • Matt “Muxu” Mercieca: JESC: Muxu is a well-known name Malta’s Junior Eurovision history, having contributed to their entries 2013 (The Start), 2014 (Diamonds), 2015 (Not My Soul), and 2016 (Parachute), as well as the country’s Eurovision entries in 2015 (Warrior) and 2018 (Taboo).
  • Cyprian Cassar, in addition to being on the songwriting team for Ireland’s entry this year, also had a hand in Malta’s song at Junior Eurovision in 2018 (Marchin’ On) and Ireland’s Junior Eurovision entry in 2019 (Banshee).

North Macedonia:

  • Robert Bilbilov wrote North Macedonia’s 2019 Eurovision song, Proud.

Poland:

  • Dominik Buczkowski-Wojtaszek was one of the composers and lyricsts for Poland’s Junior Eurovision-winning song in 2019 (Superhero), and he was also part of the team that created Empire, Poland’s intended entry for Eurovision 2020.
  • Patryk KumĂłr was also on the songwriter’s roster for Superhero, as well as Anyone I Want to Be, Poland’s Junior Eurovision champion the previous year.

Russia:

  • Tanya Mezhentseva was one of the co-lyricists for her 2019 Junior Eurovision song, A Time for Us.

Make sure to follow the official Junior Eurovision Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook channels for exclusive behind-the-scenes content from Paris.