Who got into the longlist of the National Selection for Eurovision 2026 and what is known about the scandal
25 November 2025 05:21
The public broadcaster has announced 15 artists who have been shortlisted for the National Selection for Eurovision 2026. This year, the main attention is focused on the return of several stars who have already represented or tried to represent Ukraine on the international stage, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
Who is in the longlist of the National Selection 2026
It includes 15 Ukrainian artists. Up to 10 artists will make it to the final.
This year’s longlist includes:
- ANSTAY
- Jerry Heil
- Karyotype
- KHAYAT
- LAUD
- LELÉKA
- MOLODI
- MON FIA
- Monokate
- Mr. Vel
- OKS
- The Elliens
- Valeriya Force
- Marta Adamchuk
- “ShchukaRiba”
The list is diverse in style, from electronica to indie pop, which traditionally makes the National Selection one of the most anticipated music shows of the year.
The main return: Jerry Heil is going to Eurovision again
The popular singer Jerry Heil, who won third place at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2024 together with alyona alyona, decided to try her hand again. Back then, the duo became one of the brightest in the audience and jury ratings.
The return of the artist became the main intrigue of the selection – whether she would be able to repeat her success and go to the competition for the second time as a solo artist.
Go_A are back – but not as a group
Another high-profile comeback is Katya Pavlenko, the frontwoman of Go_A, which became a global sensation in 2021. Now she is participating as a solo artist under the pseudonym Monokate.
For Go_A fans, this is a chance to see a familiar voice in the selection again, but in a new sound and style.
KHAYAT, LAUD, and MOLODI: familiar faces
Other participants from previous years are also returning to the National Selection stage:
- KHAYAT – participating for the fifth time.
- LAUD – making their third attempt.
- MOLODI – in the selection for the second time.
Their experience and already established audience make the competition even tougher for the longlisters.
Why there was a scandal around the National Selection
This year’s National Selection was not without a loud public controversy. Singer Olya Polyakova, when she applied, said that the rules of the competition were “discriminatory”.
This refers to a clause that prohibits artists who visited Russia after 2014 from participating.
The national broadcaster explains that this is an important security and moral norm that has been in place for years, and they have no plans to revise it.
After Suspilne refused to change the regulations, Polyakova’s producer Mykhailo Yasynskyi threatened to take legal action.
So far, the broadcaster has not changed its position.
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How Eurovision 2025 went down
The final of the previous contest took place in May in Basel, Switzerland. The Austrian singer JJ won with his song Wasted Love.
The Ukrainian band Ziferbla took 9th place.
Austria will host the contest for the third time
This will be the third Eurovision Song Contest for Austria. The first time the country hosted the contest was in 1967, and the second time was in 2015, after Conchita Wurst won with her song Rise Like a Phoenix.
Vienna shares the 4th place with Copenhagen, Malmö and Stockholm in the ranking of cities that have most often hosted Eurovision. Only Dublin, London and Luxembourg have hosted more contests.
According to the official information of the Eurovision press service, the grand final will be held on May 16, 2026, and the semifinals on May 12 and 14.
