Olena Usenko has been selected to represent Ukraine at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with “Vazhil”.
Ukraine will be represented by Olena Usenko with the song “Vazhil” at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Paris, France. The singer beat off competition from ten other acts to be chosen to compete in this December’s contest.
The full results were (jury+public):
- Arseniy Grischenko – ‘Redemption’ – 23+7 – 30 points
- Anastayia Doroshenko (Nana Do) – ‘Svit nadliudei’ (The World of Super People) – 32+5 – 37 points
- Daryna Zinchenko – ‘Save this world’ – 25+4 – 29 points
- Karina Kornuta – ‘Save this world’ – 17+2 – 19 points
- Darina Kryvenko – ‘Kosy khmarochosy’ (Skyscraping Braids) – 41+10 – 51 points – 2nd
- Veronika Morska – ‘Save this world’ – 35+9 – 44 points – 3rd
- Yelizabeta Petryk – ‘Save this world’ – 17+6 – 23 points
- Darya Rebrova – ‘Make Me Happy’ – 24+3 – 27 points
- Sofia Skvaruk – ‘Golden Time’ – 31+1 – 32 points
- Mariya Tkachuk – ‘Pazly svitu’ (Puzzles of the World) – 33+8 – 41 points
- Olena Usenko (Ellen Usenko) – ‘Vazhil’ (Leverage) – 52+11 – 63 points – 1st
The winner was chosen by 20% public vote and 80% jury voting. The jury ranked all the performances from 1st to 11th, the act they ranked 1st scored 11 points, while 11th place scored 1 point. On the jury were:
- Alyosha – Represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
- Igor Kondratyuk – TV presenter and producer
- Lyuba Morozova – Musicologist
- Igor Panasov – Editor in Chief of Karabas Live & Music Journalist
- Oleksandr Balabanov – Represented Ukraine at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020
Ukraine debuted in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 and has competed in the contest ever since. To date, Ukraine has only won the competition once. In 2012 Anastasiya Petryk won in Amsterdam with the song “Nebo”, she scored 138 points including eight sets of 12 points. Ukraine has hosted the contest twice, the first time being in 2009 and the second being in 2013 following their victory in Amsterdam.
