The professional jury of each country awards a set of 12, 10, 8–1 points to 10 songs. Viewers around the world vote for 3 songs, and their votes are distributed proportionally. The votes of the jury and the audience make up 50% of all votes.
The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is set to be the 23rd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The contest is expected to take place in Georgia, following the country's victory at the 2024 contest with the song "To My Mom" by Andria Putkaradze. If confirmed, this will be the second time that Georgia will host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, the first being in 2017.
Location
Unlike the Eurovision Song Contest, the winning broadcaster of the previous year's Junior Eurovision Song Contest does not automatically receive the right to host the next edition. However, since 2011 (with the exceptions of 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2024) it has become customary for winners to take on hosting duties, and since 2019, the winning broadcaster has had the right of first refusal on hosting the following competition. In 2024, French broadcaster France Télévisions was given this right but ultimately opted out of it.[1]
On 16 November 2024, upon its victory in the 2024 contest, the director of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB), Tinatin Berdzenishvili [ka], stated that the broadcaster would begin talks with the EBU on hosting the 2025 contest, although she stopped short of confirming whether the country would be hosting.[2][3][4] GPB announced shortly after the 2024 contest through its official Facebook page that the 2025 edition would be held in the country,[5] but the EBU later denied having selected Georgia as the host country, stating that it would make a decision at a later date.[6]
Eligibility for participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with active EBU membership capable of receiving the contest via the Eurovision network and broadcasting it live nationwide. The EBU issues invitations to participate in the contest to all active members.
As of December 2024[update], broadcasters from the following countries have publicly confirmed their intention to participate in the 2025 contest.
Participants of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025
Belgium – On 22 May 2024, Annemie Gulickxa, director of Ketnet, a children's channel owned by Flemish broadcaster VRT, said that the station would not organise a return to the contest in 2024 due to a lack of budget, but did not rule out a return in 2025.[17] Belgium last took part in 2012.
Croatia – On 8 November 2024, the Croatian head of delegation for the Eurovision Song Contest, Tomislav Štengl, confirmed that broadcaster HRT was examining a potential return to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2025, with the winner of The Voice Kids Hrvatska possibly being chosen to participate in the contest.[18] Croatia broadcast the event in 2024 on HRT 2, in a first for the country since 2014.[19] HRT published their financial plan for 2025 in December 2024, mentioning costs for Junior Eurovision at 78,000 Euros.[20] Croatia last took part in 2014.
Estonia – On 11 December 2024, Estonian broadcaster ERR confirmed that it would not participate in 2025 due to budget cuts.[21][22]
Italy – The Italian Head of Delegation, Mariangela Borneo, posted a picture of her inside the studio of The Voice Kids Italy on her Instagram. The last two representatives of Italy in Junior Eurovision were both winners of the previous seasons of The Voice Kids Italy. RAI itself hasn't confirmed a participation for 2025 yet.[23]
Lithuania – On 23 November 2023, head of department of the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT, Andrius Korenka, confirmed that they are considering returning to the contest in 2025 if the audience viewing results of the 2023–2024 broadcasts will be adequate.[24][25] After the final of the 2024 contest, the broadcaster stated that at that point it had not yet decided whether it would organise Lithuania's return to the contest.[26] Lithuania last took part in 2011.
Norway – On 7 January 2024, Norwegian broadcaster NRK stated that it was considering a return to the contest in 2025, with a national final to be held in such a scenario.[27] Norway last took part in 2005.
Wales – On 16 November 2024, Manw, Wales' 2018 representative, stated that Wales "missed an opportunity" by not taking part in the contest. In response, a spokesperson for Welsh broadcaster S4C stated that the BBC's decision in the summer of 2024 to withdraw from the contest did not give S4C enough time to change its plans,[28] implying that had the BBC announced its decision sooner, S4C would have opted to return in 2024. The broadcaster has not currently commented on its plans for the 2025 contest. Wales last took part in 2019.
Active EBU member broadcasters in Austria,[29]Denmark[30][31] and Israel[32][33] have confirmed non-participation prior to the announcement of the participants list by the EBU.
^Mateos, Guillem; Sanz, Patricia (16 November 2024). "Georgia acogerá Eurovisión Junior 2025" [Georgia to host Junior Eurovision 2025]. ESCplus España (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 November 2024.
^"Georgia wins 22nd Junior Eurovision Song Contest and sets new competition record". EBU. 16 November 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2024. Unlike in the Eurovision Song Contest, JESC winners do not automatically have to host the following year's event. We will be working with all our Members, including the winning broadcaster GPB, over the next few weeks to identify and then announce the host broadcaster for next year.
^Dimeska, V (31 October 2024). "Годишна програма за работа на ЈРП Македонска Радио Телевизија за 2025 година" [Annual Programme of Work of the Macedonian Radio Television for 2025] (PDF) (in Macedonian). MRT. pp. 100, 101, 107. Retrieved 17 November 2024. Трошоци за реализација на проектот Избор на песна – македонски претставник на Јуниорски евросонг 2025 година [Costs for the realization of the project Song selection – Macedonian representative for Junior Eurovision 2025]
^Aluloski, A (28 November 2024). "Записник од 263.седница на Програмскиот совет на Македонска Радио Телевизија одржана на ден 28.11.2024 година" [Protocol of the 263rd meeting of the Program Council of Macedonian Radio Television held on 28.11.2024.] (PDF) (in Macedonian). MRT. p. 2. Retrieved 14 December 2024. Членот Ивана Трајковска праша дали имаше одредено средства и буџет за маркетинг и промоција како овој цел проект би допрел до многу повеќе од граѓаните кај нас и во дијаспората и со тоа гласањето би било поголемо, бидејќи не можеме да расправаме за наредна година ако не учиме од грешките што сме ги направиле во оваа година. [Member Ivana Trajkovska asked if there were any funds and a budget for marketing and promotion so that this entire project would reach many more citizens in Macedonia and in the diaspora, and thus the vote would be larger, because we cannot discuss next year if we do not learn from the mistakes we have made this year.]
^"Financijski Plan HRT-a za 2025. Godinu"(PDF) (in Croatian). Retrieved 19 December 2024. u okviru odjela Glazbeni sadržaji izdvajaju se Eurosong (368 tisuća eura), Dora sa vezanim događajima (993 tisuće eura) i Dječji Eurosong (78 tisuća eura) [Within the Music Content department, the following stand out: Eurosong (368 thousand euros), Dora with related events (993 thousand euros) and Children's Eurosong (78 thousand euros)]
