Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025
| Eurovision Song Contest 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participating broadcaster | Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) | |||
| Country |  Albania | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Festivali i Këngës 63 | |||
| Selection date(s) | Semi-finals: 19 December 2024 20 December 2024 Final: 22 December 2024 | |||
| Selected artist(s) | Shkodra Elektronike | |||
| Selected song | "Zjerm" | |||
| Selected songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
| ||||
Albania will be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "Zjerm", written by Beatriçe Gjergji and Lekë Gjeloshi, and performed by the duo under the name Shkodra Elektronike. The Albanian participating broadcaster, Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) selected its entry through its traditional national selection competition Festivali i Këngës.
Background
[edit]Prior to the 2025 contest, Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Albania 20 times since its first entry in 2004. Its highest placing in the contest, to this point, had been the fifth place, which was achieved in 2012 with the song "Suus" performed by Rona Nishliu. It accomplished its second-highest placing when first participating in 2004, with the song "The Image of You" performed by Anjeza Shahini, finishing in seventh place. During its tenure in the contest, it failed to qualify for the final eight times. In 2024, it failed to qualify for the final, ultimately placing fifteenth in the semi-final with the song "Titan" performed by Besa.[1]
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, RTSH broadcasts the event in the country and organises Festivali i Këngës, an annual music competition which has been consistently used as its national selection format for the contest since its 2004 debut.[1] On 30 September 2024, RTSH confirmed its intention to participate in the 2025 contest, and that Festivali i Këngës would select its entry.[2]
Before Eurovision
[edit]Festivali i Këngës 63
[edit]The Albanian representative in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 was selected during the 63rd edition of Festivali i Këngës, an annual music competition in Albania organised by RTSH at the Palace of Congresses in Tirana. The event took place between 19 and 22 December 2024 and was hosted by Enkel Demi and Ornela Bregu. The festival featured one category, which also selected Albania's entry for Eurovision.[3] The broadcaster opened an application period for interested artists and composers to submit their applications on 27 September 2024, lasting until 29 September 2024,[4] and ultimately selected 30 contestants.[5][6] After the entries were announced, Olsi Bylyku withdrew, but Klea Dina was designated as his replacement.[7] The jury selected 15 finalists, with the final result determined by a combination of votes from a professional jury, votes from abroad cast through an online platform (entitled the "diaspora's votes") and SMS voting in Albania and Kosovo.[8][9]
Final
[edit]The grand final of Festivali i Këngës was held on 22 December 2024. Shkodra Elektronike with "Zjerm" emerged as the winner and was thus chosen as the Albanian representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.[9]
| Draw | Artist | Song | Jury | Public vote | Total | Place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | SMS | ||||||
1
|
Jet | "Gjallë" | 10 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 9 |
2
|
Kejsi Jazxhi | "Kur bota hesht" | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 |
3
|
Vesa Smolica | "Lutem" | 51 | 0 | 3 | 54 | 4 |
4
|
Stine | "E kishim nis" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
5
|
Djemtë e Detit | "Larg" | 35 | 0 | 2 | 37 | 6 |
6
|
Nita Latifi | "Zemrës" | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
7
|
Gjergj Kaçinari | "Larg jetës pa ty" | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 9 |
8
|
Orgesa Zaimi | "I parë" | 20 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 8 |
9
|
Ardit Çuni | "Amane" | 22 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 7 |
10
|
Algert Sala | "Bosh" | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 |
11
|
Shkodra Elektronike | "Zjerm" | 78 | 23 | 42 | 143 | 1 |
12
|
Lorenc Hasrama | "Frymë" | 36 | 1 | 4 | 41 | 5 |
13
|
Elvana Gjata | "Karnaval" | 74 | 42 | 19 | 135 | 2 |
14
|
Mal Retkoceri | "Antihero" | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 12 |
15
|
Alis Kallaçi | "Mjegull" | 52 | 1 | 6 | 59 | 3 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Albania". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ Farren, Neil (30 September 2024). "Albania: Eurovision 2025 Participation Confirmed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (10 December 2024). "Albania: Festivali i Këngës 63 Winner to Eurovision & Diaspora Vote Introduced". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (4 August 2024). "Albania: Festivali i Këngës 63 Song Submission Window September 27 to 29". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 6 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ Conte, Davide (7 October 2024). "🇦🇱 Albania: Festivali i Këngës 63 Artists Revealed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ "Festivali i Këngës 63 participants revealed, Elvana Gjata back in the race". ESCBubble. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ Farren, Neil (19 November 2024). "Albania: Olsi Bylyku Withdraws From Festivali i Këngës 63". Eurovoix. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Fest 63–Emrat e jurisë profesionale që do të përzgjedhin finalistët" (in Albanian). Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH). 19 December 2024. Archived from the original on 19 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ a b Ljuština, Stevan (23 December 2024). "Evrovizija 2025 | Shkodra Elektronike putuje u Bazel". Evrovizija.rs. Retrieved 23 December 2024.