Photo: EBU / Thomas Hanses

For the first time since 2014, Ukraine‘s public broadcaster is organising a national final for Eurovision by itself. The country’s newly made national selection show is set to be broadcast in February 2022. Suspilne has now confirmed details of how the new national final will work.

The broadcaster revealed information about the upcoming Ukrainian national final for Eurovision 2022 via its website, officially launching applications. Suspilne has set the deadline on submissions for the contest for 10 January. 

After the submissions have been received, an export panel will choose the finalists for a selection show that will be held in February. The broadcaster will announce the shortlist of acts no later than 24 January

The broadcaster didn’t get into too much detail about the new national final. Suspilne wrote on their own site that a combination of jury and televoting will choose the eventual Eurovision 2022 song, but they have not yet outlined the exact way in which this will be done. Neither has the broadcaster confirmed whether it will hold multiple shows, similar to the previous national final Vidbir. The official press release suggests that there will only be one show.

Suspilne Managing Board Member in charge of television Yaroslav Lodygin said: 

“It is a thrilling moment for the whole [Suspilne] because, for the first time since 2015, we are holding the National Selection for Eurovision on our own and will broadcast it exclusively. It is a new stage for the whole broadcaster and we hope that in cooperation with an experienced production company we will do this on a high level. I am inviting all interested artists to participate in the selection, and guarantee transparency and objectivity. I would like the national selection to remain a music celebration for the whole country, and our team will make every effort for this,” 

Applicants need to provide history of foreign performances

The application form asks acts to provide information on all the foreign events where they have performed since 15 March 2014. After Ukraine ended up unable to compete in Eurovision 2019, the public broadcaster initiated a rule forbidding all competing acts to have performed in Russia five years prior to the selection. 

However, in an interview in July, former Vidbir producer Natalya Franchuk said that it this rule did always work as easily in practice. In 2020, she found that certain acts which had applied to Vidbir did have a recent performance history in Russia that they tried to hide. As a result, she had to reject five big names.

During the country’s Junior Eurovision 2020 selection, the broadcaster discovered mid-selection that a contestant had participated in a children’s music competition in London which had been co-organised and co-financed a Russian governmental organisation. As a result, broadcaster had to disqualify the child in question. The decision was met with both support for the competition’s rules as well as criticism for involving a minor in political issues

Ukraine prepares for Eurovision 2022

The new national selection comes as a follow-up on the five-year-long Vidbir collaboration between Suspilne and commercial broadcaster STB. Their collaboration contract ended this year as a result of conflicting views on the continuation of the selection show. 

Several Ukrainian artists have already shown interest in competing in the new selection show. ERIA – who last competed as Vilna in Vidbir 2019 – will participate in the selection the Ukrianian-language song “Mavta”. X Factor Ukraine 2019 alumnus Wellboy was reported by eurovision.ua to be enthusiastic about participating too. His track “Гуси” has been one of the biggest hits of this Autumn in Ukraine.

Carpathian rap group Kalush posted the Eurovision 2022 news in their Instagram story, calling their followers to vote for them in a eurovision.ua post. Their song “Зорi” was one largest hits in 2021. 

Are you excited for Ukraine’s Eurovision 2022 national final? Who would you like to see there? Let us know in the comments down below!

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trollo
trollo
2 years ago

so let’s make some SHUM ?

Alex
Alex
2 years ago

Also Alina Pash liked everyone who mentioned her on Suspilne.Eurovision Insta

Ukraine stan
Ukraine stan
2 years ago

This NF will give us some great songs. My favourite esc nation going strong 🙂