Ukraine’s ‘Motanka’ Performance Brings Second Place at Junior Eurovision
Ukraine secured second place at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025, held on Saturday in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, with a strong performance by 10-year-old singer Sofiia Nersesyan.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Suspilne.
Representing Ukraine with the song “Motanka,” Nersesyan collected a total of 177 points from national juries and the public vote.
Ukraine received 79 points from national juries, with the highest scores coming from San Marino and Montenegro, while Croatia, Malta, Armenia, Georgia, France, Cyprus, Albania and several other countries also contributed to the tally. The audience vote added a further 98 points, confirming broad public support for the Ukrainian entry.
The results of Ukraine’s national jury were announced during the broadcast by Artem Kotenko, Ukraine’s representative at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Ukraine awarded its maximum 12 points to Armenia.
Last year’s Junior Eurovision final, held in Madrid, was won by Georgia. Ukraine placed third in that contest, also represented by Artem Kotenko – a result that marked the country’s strongest performance in more than a decade.
Born in Kyiv in 2015, Sofiia Nersesyan says she identifies with both Ukrainian and Armenian cultures as her father is from Armenia, while her mother is Ukrainian.
Nersesyan inherited her musical abilities from her father and grandfather, while on her grandmother’s side the Nersesyan family has ties to renowned Ukrainian singer Nina Matviyenko, making folk music a natural and lasting influence in her artistic development.
Vocal specialists note that Sofia possesses a rare second alto voice, a range uncommon among young performers.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sofiia has also been actively involved in volunteer efforts – she has raised and donated more than 13 million hryvnias to support Ukraine’s armed forces.
As The Gaze reported earlier, the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 grand final took place on May 17 in Basel, where Austria’s JJ won with the song Wasted Love, scoring 436 points. Ukraine secured 9th place overall.
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