Moldova has chosen its act for Eurovision 2024 through the show Etapa Națională. There were 11 performers in the running, but it was Natalia Barbu who emerged victorious and earned the ticket to Malmö.
It was a close fought race, as Natalia tied for first place with Valeria Pasha. But since Natalia earned the highest jury score (securing 12 points from all five jurors), she was crowned the winner.
This will be Natalia’s second appearance at Eurovision. She previously represented Moldova in 2007, finishing tenth.
Etapa Națională 2024 results
The final result was determined through combined voting of the Moldovan public and a jury. Each counted for 50% of the overall score. In the result of a tie, the act with the highest jury score would come out on top.
Jury votes
Each juror awarded a set of 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 points. After all five jurors had voted, their votes were emerged together into one set of points.
- Natalia Barbu – 12 (60 points)
- Valeria Pasha – 10 (43 points)
- Iulia Teleucă – 8 (40 points)
- Cătălina Solomac – 7 (29 points)
- OL – 6 (26 points)
- Nicoleta Sava – 5 (22 points)
- Viola Julea – 4 (21 points)
- Reghina Alexandrina – 3 (19 points)
- Sasha Letty – 2 (12 points)
- Victor Gulick – 1 (11 points)
- Y-Limit – 0 (7 points
Public votes
- Valeria Pasha – 12 (4771 votes)
- Natalia Barbu – 10 (2421 votes)
- Iulia Teleucă – 8 (2178 votes)
- Cătălina Solomac – 7 (905 votes)
- Reghina Alexandrina – 6 (294 votes)
- Viola Julea – 5 (285 votes)
- Sasha Letty – 4 (233 votes)
- Nicoleta Sava – 3 (211 votes)
- Y-Limit – 2 (147 votes)
- OL – 1 (107 votes)
- Victor Gulick – 0 (76 votes)
Combined result
- Natalia Barbu – 22 points
- Valeria Pasha – 22 points
- Iulia Teleucă – 16 points
- Cătălina Solomac – 14 points
- Viola Julea – 9 points
- Reghina Alexandrina – 9 points
- Nicoleta Sava – 8 points
- OL – 7 points
- Sasha Letty – 6 points
- Y-Limit – 2 points
- Victor Gulick – 1 points
Running order
- Nicoleta Sava – “Bravo”
- Valeria Pasha – “Anti-Princess”
- Reghina Alexandrina – “Contrasens”
- Viola Julea – “Light Up!”
- OL – “No Time No Space”
- Sasha Letty – “DNA”
- Natalia Barbu – “In the Middle”
- Y-Limit – “Revolution”
- Cătălina Solomac – “Fever”
- Victor Gulick – “Fever”
- Iulia Teleucă – “Runaway”
Do you think Moldova have chosen wisely at Etapa Națională 2024? How will the country do at Eurovision in May? Let us know in the comments below.
I was really excited since I listened the chorus… But then the verses wtf?? Spread your wings dont be afraid of falling down, i want you to be Happy??? I thought It was going to be the whole song in Moldovan with a more mystical meaning but all this “message”… Booooring.
“Thank you for your support, I have thousands of messages and shares. 4771 votes – every vote counted for me! But unfortunately, with the score tied 22/22 – the organizers decided not to take your votes and opinion into account.
We are not trying to blame Natalia Barbu’s team, but we want transparency. Together with my team, we decided that we will fight for the support given by you. For each of the 4771 votes. For this reason, we will appeal and rely on your support”, Valeria Pa?a wrote.
In the rules regarding the conduct of the national selection and the designation of the representative of Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 it is stipulated that “the mode of judging for the final will be: 50% jury and 50% televote, and the winner will be considered the performer/group that will manage to accumulate the maximum score “. At the same time, it is also mentioned that “at any stage of the contest, TRM has the right to decide whether it will organize and conduct the next stage and/or whether it will otherwise designate the representative of Moldova at… Read more »
Where Basim, Melovin, The Roop and Margaret Berger (and others) have failed, Natalia Barbu has succeeded, and she is the first returning artist at Eurovision 2024.
Bit concerning that this is the fourth straight year that Moldova has sent a returning artist – is there any new talent in the country? I’m putting money on a Nelly Ciobanu return for 2025.
That’s been my observation too. It might be down to money and resources to do Eurovision and there may be preference for veterans who have those things in abundance.
True, but then just go ahead and choose internally. Save money and the broadcaster gets the representative it wants.
Moldova should really shift to choosing internally. Why even bother with a NF? Maybe choose a singer and then have a NF with three potential songs and let the public decide the song? That would be a much better option for everyone. I understand that Valeria is upset and angry, we all would be if we were her! But as a non-Moldovan, to me personally Natalia Barbu was clearly the best of the night. Best song, best staging and best vocal of the night. With a good staging in ESC, I think it can easily qualify.
The least bad. She has vocals a choreo though. Valeria Pasha better stop talking like a sore loser to keep image intact. It was just 2000 votes, not like the whole Moldova vote for her. And her song isn’t better either.
No one asked you. People votes matter!!
Well done, Moldova! It certainly stands out. It’s not for the win but I feel it may qualify. It has its charm, with the ladies, resembling statues, the violins, the vocals.
I also feel the whole thing needs a bit more work, vocally it was very loud, the staging very static. A good staging would elevate the song which is no masterpiece by itself either.
Moldova could qualify with televote and then rely on the juries for a mid ranking position.
I can’t find anywhere that jury breaks the tie
Valeria Pasha also couldn’t find this rule. It seems to have been made up last minute – which is why Pasha is contesting results, especially when she got almost double the votes!
Moldova 7/12
That was something fishy! The rules does not mention anything about tie-breaking criteria in case of a tie, but it is written that the television reserves the right to designate the winner at any time, according to the method the organizers deem appropriate! Valeria made an appeal, let’s see how this will be solved…
Another drama unfolding…
This is quite a nice song and could be a real surprise in May due to its effective staging.
Anti pricess robbed
only won here because of her millionaire husband UGH
Formatia Vele should sue them as well tbh, Carnaval another robbed bop
i really like in the middle but it’s sad when the jury is the decider, especially when it’s only 5 people… still i think moldova will qualify easily
last place in semi vibes
when ur interval act is better than the participants tea
Holograf for 2025 pls
If televote points were distributed proportionally based on the % of the votes received instead of being converted to 1-8,10 and 12 point system, the results would look like this: Valeria Pasha 162 points (43 jury, 119 televote) Natalia Barbu 121 points (60 jury, 61 televote) Iulia Teleuca 95 points (40 jury, 55 televote) Catalina Solomac 52 points (29 jury, 23 televote) OL 29 points (26 jury, 3 televote) Nicoleta Sava 28 points (22 jury, 6 televote) Viola Julea 28 points (21 jury, 7 televote) Regina Alexandrina 26 points (19 jury, 7 televote) Sasha Letty 18 points (12 jury, 6… Read more »
Valeria has appealed the result. In 2017 same happened & the public was the tie break. Appeal is based on tie break process wasn’t known before the show (no idea if this is true)
Why wasn’t the 2017 resolution used here? What has changed?
Wow by far Natalia is the better choice here. They staged “In the Middle” perfectly! Looks so classic and beautiful and love the inclusion of strings. Valeria could have been cool, but the song is just not up there at all…
….It’s not for me this time I don’t think. I don’t have much to say so this time I won’t really say anything at all.
The fact that Anna Odobescu from 2019 is the last non-returning artist from Moldova until now is insane.
So i guess people in Moldova vote for the name of artist only… poor new artist if they want to come to esc
The Juries do!
Sounds like the outcome is a little controversial, but I enjoyed this. The song isn’t the most memorable but the staging and vocals carry it through.
This was very fishy but ultimately Natalia is definitely a better choice than Valeria for Moldova. Valeria is great and her performance was maybe even better but Anti Princess is so safe NQ from Semi 1 it shouldn’t be even debated. This however has a potential for a good staging and we know that Moldova can pull it off.
Having a tie-breaker not been set clear before the show is fishy.
Valeria getting almost double the votes of those of Natalia (not to mention that Valeria’s song is miles better) could’ve been a great tie-breaker imo, but if Moldova’s broadcaster wanted Natalia so much, they should’ve elected her internally and save us this drama. My support goes to Valeria here.
Valeria Pasha in fresh news has just sent an appeal to look into how the process occurred! She is officially contesting the results of the selection! This is because she believes the contestants were unfairly not told about how the system would work especially regarding the tiebreaker with the juries picking! She also argues she got almost double the number of votes as Barbu! Transparency was avoided and the public were duped as well! The entry sent is not one the people of Moldova decided to send! Pasha living up to the name ‘Anti-Princess’!
I must credit who was behind the staging of this song. This was a 100% improvement from the previous preview video. They have taken a very average song and made it stand out with the choreo and costumes.
Yes, I agree. And if they work more on it, the staging would elevate it. I like the resemblance to statues (hence the statues in the background visuals). It has its charm, if a good staging artist takes on the song, it will qualify and get some points from the juries in the final for a mid-ranking position.
I always appreciate Moldova’s attempts. I like how they always find way to be original. The music and stage performance are cool, the lyrics… well, they are just not a lot, english makes them weaker and dated.
So basically if converted in percentage both juries and tele points, Valeria Pasha won.
Now if we get to the 22 points tie, 5 people had more power to vote than 5 THOUSAND people??? TRMoldova is becoming the new TVR. My winner was still Catalina-Fever she and Valeria devoured
same like in ESC, the power of 5 ppl is even bigger
The whole production is basic, and the stage with the Christmas trees in the side gave me a good laugh. Felt like a national final back in 2001.
The song sticks in your brain. I think it can qualify for the final.
There were not Christmas trees. You must have watched the audition video.
Valeria was so freaking robbed, I hate this
The Moldovan production is always terrible but for the last few years Moldova have managed to pull it off at Eurovision. I think that will end this year through. 2022 and 2023 were whacky and fun and that’s why it did well. This is an ok song but with semifinal 1 looking to be a tough one this year, I think this will be left behind
Also why does the jury get the say on a tie break, should it not be the public?
We should give them a credit. Moldova always delivers at Eurovision and their finals send decent entries to the Eurovision stage. They are among Europe’s poorest countries, geopolitically at a very difficult spot (next to Ukraine and Russia), come on, they do their best and we should welcome Moldovan efforts whatsoever. And bring Moldova closer to the EU (Ok that was political but I had to say it 🙂
Correction: not next to Russia from a geographic point of view but you know…
Valeria Pasha had almost DOUBLE Barbu’s votes. Think about that!
Moldova has a certain televote advantage but I personally don’t think this definitely deserves a Eurovision final.
televote advantage lol, only for their ethnic entries and the epic sax guy though
not for this generic snooze
Sasha has got a place in my heart forever but actually the winner here gave a quite intriguing stage show – I’d like to see this again in the contest, it could be quite engaging.
Very Good.
In a better production on the ESC24 stage in Sweden they will make a good show!!
Congrats Moldova, well Done!!
Welcome to the Finals. ?
And rightly so.
Thank you Moldova.
I got a new nr ONE!!
The staging needs MAJOR reworking. Pasha should have won. This is not memorable!
Yes Valeria should have reworked her entire song!
this one actually has strong staging potential, and we know moldova can deliver that. but it takes too much time to get to somewhere, and at esc people might just be disconnected by then
Good to see Natalia back after all these years. Very nice ballad from Moldova, reminds me of the golden years of Eurovision 2006-2011 when I started watching. Should stick out quite nicely among the circus acts of this year. Overall easy qualifier.
There will be like 3, max 4 circus acts. The usual amount we get each year.
That was quite predictable and leaves me rather indifferent. It’s a shame for Valeria winning the televote easily and not getting to represent her country. It would be nice for a change to not have yet another returning artist for Moldova.
Maybe we should have a year when returning artists are banned, including ABBA and Celine Dion.
I like this one. With some great staging this can be really unusual. Her voice is great.
Moldova has nothing to be ashamed of, congratulations
If it was the opposite, Valeria was the juries winner and Natalia the audience winner, do you think juries would have the upper hand or audience?!
I speak for myself, not the jury nor the public, I like the song
I will never understand the rules of some NF. Between the ones giving too much power to public, the ones giving no power to public at all and the ones giving them power but prefering juries choice…
For me there is one right formula: 50/50 and in case of a tie it’s the public choice that matters first. Not that I don’t like Natalia Barbu’s song but this is a shady move for Valeria Pasha.
Sorry but this ….
If the channel wanted Natalia so hard, why did they make this fiasco?!
Not only unfair but something else.
Money
Well that’s one guaranteed non qualifier. Especially in First Semi.
Choosing the jury over the televote is a joke.
Valeria Pasha won the televote. Barbu won the jury but that means they both got 12 and 10 points respectively.
They got the same overall score! This means it’s a tie.
But then…a twist…THE JURY SCORE IS THE DECIDER
What the actual f. Moldova wanted to send Pasha!
This reminds me of something from 2023…
“You Get me Sooooo Low…I can’t even breathe right now!”
To be fair, Lithuania always had a jury decider tie break rule clearly spelled out in their rules for years , but they changed to have a three song super final determined by televote only.
When is the old dude going to stop? If ever of course…
I think Moldova is voting for 2025 lol
HAHAHAHAHA, +10
When are the results being announced? It’s been too long!
3 hours in almost!!!
They really couldnt get pasha parfeni back for the interval huh? Like at this rate it’s just this guy’s concert with the competing songs as openers
Pasha is funnily enough, supporting Valeria Pasha with her song, as he co-wrote Anti-Princess with his wife!
Just back and heard the snippets again as I moved back through the house… I think Natalia has the most memorable song (in a semifinal of (assuming) similar pop’y songs). Sounded musically like it was from that region, and quiet ‘full/complete’.
Better, more fluid, staging of course, but that goes without saying.
Anti-Princess also good, as was Catalonia.
I though Maria Reim from last night NF would stand out in a similar way (not living any of entries) as it was retro esc.
Anywho… That’s my feeling.. but it’s up Moldova.
Nice show. I liked it. Nathalie has the best cards imo doing well in Sweden.