Albania in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest

Participating broadcaster| Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH)
Participation summary
Appearances| 9
First appearance| 2012
Highest placement| 5th: 2015

Participation history

*     * 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018

* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023

External links
Albania's page at JuniorEurovision.tv
For the most recent participation see
Albania in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2023

Albania debuted in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2012. Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH), a member organisation of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has been responsible for the selection process of their participants since their debut.

The nation's first representative was Igzidora Gjeta in 2012 with the song "Kam një këngë vetëm për ju" in, which achieved a score of thirty-five points, finishing in twelfth place out of twelve participating entries. The country was subsequently absent in 2013 and 2014. Albania returned to the contest in 2015, when Mishela Rapo represented them with the song "Dambaje", achieving ninety-three points and finishing in fifth place out of seventeen participating countries; this remains the country's best score to date. Albania subsequently competed every year until 2020, when they had their first absence from the contest in six years after withdrawing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] However, on 18 August 2021, RTSH announced that they would return to the contest in 2021.[2] The country has participated in every contest since.

## History

[edit]

Mishela Rapo at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015, in Sofia, Bulgaria

Efi Gjika at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Minsk, Belarus

In 2005, Albanian broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) broadcast that year's contest in Hasselt. On 14 August 2012, RTSH announced that they would be making their Junior Eurovision debut at the 2012 contest in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 1 December 2012.[3] The mechanism used at the time in order to select their representative was a national pre-selection show entitled Junior Fest Albania 2012.[4] It consisted of a televised production in which the participants voted for each other, giving one, two, or three points to each other with no jury or public vote.[5] Child-singer, Igzidora Gjeta, was the first participant to represent Albania with the song "Kam një këngë vetëm për ju",[6] which finished in twelfth place achieving a score of thirty-five points. This was Albania's worst result in their contest history.[7]

On 27 September 2013, RTSH announced that their withdrawal from the 2013 contest, with the EBU stating that the withdrawal was due to financial and organisational issues.[8] Albania continued to be absent from the contest in 2014,[9] and it was not until 13 March 2015 that RTSH announced their return to the competition.[10] The national selection show which was organised in order to select the 2015 participant was entitled Festivali i Këngës për Femije, and was won by Mishela Rapo with the song "Dambaje".[11] At the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015, Rapo finished in fifth place, achieving ninety-three points and their best result to date.[12]

On 1 June 2016, Klesta Qehaja won the Festivali i Këngës për Femije with the song "Besoj", earning the right to represent Albania at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Valletta. She received thirty-eight points, therefore finishing thirteenth out of seventeen participating countries.[13] Albania went on to appear at every Junior Eurovision Song Contest until 2020.

Following a brief withdrawal from the 2020 contest due to the COVID-19 pandemic, RTSH returned to competing in 2021, with Anna Gjebrea placing fourteenth out of nineteen with "Stand By You".[14] On 16 July 2022, RTSH confirmed it would participate in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Yerevan, Armenia.[15] The broadcaster organised Junior Fest to select the Albanian entry for the fifth time, resulting in the selection of Kejtlin Gjata with the song "Pakëz diell".[16] Gjata placed twelfth at the contest with 94 points. On 5 July 2023, RTSH confirmed that the Albanian representative for the 2023 contest in Nice, France would be chosen via the national selection competition Junior Fest 2023.[17][18] Bojken Lako was named as the creative director for the competition, which was to undergo changes as compared to previous years.[17] Viola Gjyzeli was ultimately selected to be the Albanian representative with the song "Bota ime". At the contest, Albania achieved its second best result in history, placing eighth overall with 115 points and fifth with the professional juries. This also marked the first Albanian entry in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest to receive more than 100 points.

## Participation overview

[edit]

Table key  ◁  | Last place

|

Year  | Artist  | Song  | Language  | Place  | Points

|
|
|
|
|

2012 | Igzidora Gjeta  | "Kam një këngë vetëm për ju"  | Albanian | 12 ◁  | 35
2015 | Mishela Rapo  | "Dambaje"  | Albanian, English[a] | 5  | 93
2016 | Klesta Qehaja  | "Besoj"  | Albanian, English  | 13  | 38
2017 | Ana Kodra  | "Don't Touch My Tree (Mos ma prekni pemën)"  | Albanian, English  | 13  | 67
2018 | Efi Gjika  | "Barbie"  | Albanian, English  | 17  | 44
2019 | Isea Çili  | "Mikja ime fëmijëri"  | Albanian  | 17  | 36
2021 | Anna Gjebrea  | "Stand By You"  | Albanian, English  | 14  | 84
2022 | Kejtlin Gjata  | "Pakëz diell"  | Albanian  | 12  | 94
2023 | Viola Gjyzeli  | "Bota ime"  | Albanian  | 8  | 115
2024 | TBD 27 September 2024 †[20] | Upcoming †

## Commentators and spokespersons

[edit]

The contests are broadcast online worldwide through the official Junior Eurovision Song Contest website junioreurovision.tv and YouTube. In 2015, the online broadcasts featured commentary in English by junioreurovision.tv editor Luke Fisher and 2011 Bulgarian Junior Eurovision Song Contest entrant Ivan Ivanov.[21] The Albanian broadcaster, RTSH, sent their own commentator to each contest in order to provide commentary in the Albanian language. Spokespersons were also chosen by the national broadcaster in order to announce the awarding points from Albania. The table below list the details of each commentator and spokesperson since 2012.

Year  | Commentator  | Spokesperson  | Ref.

|
|
|

2005 | Unknown | Did not participate  | [22]
2006-2011 | No broadcast  |
2012 | Andri Xhahu | Keida Dervishi  | [22]
2013-2014 | No broadcast  | Did not participate  |
2015 | Andri Xhahu  | Majda Bejzade  | [23][24]
2016 | Juna Dizdari  | [25][26]
2017 | Sabjana Rizvanu  | [22]
2018 | Daniil Lazuko  | [27][28]
2019 | Efi Gjika  | [29]
2020 | Unknown[b] | Did not participate  | [30]
2021 | Andri Xhahu  | Alex  | [31]
2022 | Mariam Gvaladze | [32]
2023 | Guilia Moulay  | [33][34]
2024 | TBA |

## See also

[edit]

* Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest
* Albania in the Eurovision Young Dancers
* Albania in the Eurovision Young Musicians

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Contains phrases in Turkish, Italian, German, French and Serbian.[19] The word "Dambaje" is an imaginary word.
2. ^ Delayed broadcast in a shortened format on 6 October 2022 at 07:00 CET

## References

[edit]

1. ^ García, Belén (17 September 2020). "Exclusive: Albania reveals the reasons behind Junior Eurovision withdrawal". ESCplus. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
2. ^ Farren, Neil (18 August 2021). "🇦🇱 Albania: Junior Eurovision 2021 Participation Confirmed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
3. ^ Granger, Anthony (14 August 2012). "Albania debut in Amsterdam". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
4. ^ Escudero, Victor M. (4 October 2012). "Tonight: Albania picks their first ever Junior entry!". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
5. ^ Granger, Anthony (4 October 2012). "Albania: Igzidora Gjeta to Amsterdam". Eurovoix. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
6. ^ Siim, Jarmo (10 October 2012). "Igzadora Gjeta going for Albania". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 7 December 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
7. ^ "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Scoreboard". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
8. ^ Nuhiu, Rinor (27 September 2013). "Albania RTSH withdraws from Junior Eurovision". escchat.com. ESC Chat. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
9. ^ "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2014 Participants". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
10. ^ Granger, Anthony (13 March 2015). "Albania: Return To Junior Eurovision". Eurovoix. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
11. ^ Ko, Anthony (28 May 2015). "Mishela Rapo will represent Albania at JESC 2015 in Bulgaria". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
12. ^ "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 Scoreboard". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
13. ^ "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 Scoreboard". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 20 November 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
14. ^ García, Belén (17 September 2020). "Exclusive: Albania reveals the reasons behind Junior Eurovision withdrawal". ESCplus. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
15. ^ Ibrayeva, Laura (16 July 2022). "🇦🇱 Albania: Will Participate in Junior Eurovision 2022". Eurovoix. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
16. ^ "Viola Gjyzeli wins Junior Fest in Albania". junioreurovision.tv. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
17. ^ a b Grace, Emily (5 July 2023). "🇦🇱 Albania: Junior Eurovision 2023 Participation Confirmed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
18. ^ "Junior Fest 2023, RTSH fton fëmijët të aplikojnë për ngjarjen e madhe muzikore". lajme.rtsh.al. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
19. ^ "Original Lyrics Mishela Rapo – Dambaje – Albania 2015". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
20. ^ ""Junior Fest" – Aplikimet deri më 31 gusht, Kraja: Besnik ndaj traditës së këngëve për fëmijë. RTSH, dritare për talentet e reja" [“Junior Fest” – Applications until August 31, Kraja: Faithful to the tradition of children's songs. RTSH, window for new talents]. RTSH (in Albanian). 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
21. ^ Fisher, Luke James (21 November 2015). "Tonight: Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015!". Junior Eurovision Song Contest – Bulgaria 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
22. ^ a b c Farren, Neil (24 November 2017). "Albania: Commentator and Spokesperson Revealed". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
23. ^ Lako, Niko (19 November 2015). "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 Finalja e 21 Nëntorit në RTSH në komentin e Andri Xhahu" [Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 Final on November 21 commentated by Andri Xhahu]. imalbania.com (in Albanian). Infomedia Albania. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
24. ^ Juhász, Ervin (21 November 2019). "Meet the spokespersons of tonight's Grand Final!". junioreurovision.tv. EBU. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
25. ^ Kasaj, Justin (20 November 2016). "Zbuloni fituesen e Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016" [Discover the winner of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016]. imalbania.com (in Albanian). Retrieved 17 November 2019.
26. ^ Granger, Anthony (19 November 2016). "JESC'16: All Seventeen Spokespersons Announced". Retrieved 12 May 2017.
27. ^ Granger, Anthony (24 November 2018). "Albania: Andri Xhahu To Commentate on Junior Eurovision 2018". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
28. ^ Granger, Anthony (25 November 2018). "Junior Eurovision 2018 - Who Are The Spokespersons?". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
29. ^ Granger, Anthony (17 November 2019). "Albania: Efi Gjika Announced as Spokesperson". eurovoix.com.
30. ^ "četvrtak, 6. oktobar 2022". RTSH Shkollë. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
31. ^ Granger, Anthony (19 December 2021). "Where to Watch, Stream & Listen To The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
32. ^ Granger, Anthony (10 December 2022). "Albania: Andri Xhahu Commentator for Junior Eurovision 2022". Eurovoix. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
33. ^ @rtshqiptar (14 November 2023). "Junior Eurovision Song Contest, drejtpërdrejt nga Nice, Francë më 26 nëntor💥 në #RTSH1 📺 #rtsh #junioreurovision" - via Instagram.
34. ^ Stephenson, James (25 November 2023). "🇦🇱 Albania: Andri Xhahu to be Albania's Commentator at Junior Eurovision 2023". Eurovoix. Retrieved 25 November 2023.

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Albania in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest

* 2012
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