Aussievision's favourite 10 Junior Eurovision 2026 entries
The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in Malta next Saturday 24 October.
This year, 16 talented young performers from across Europe will participate in the Contest, bringing a variety of sounds from soaring ballads to fun, uptempo pop numbers.
Ahead of the Contest, eight members of the Aussievision team has listened to all 16 entries and ranked their favourite 10 using the standard Eurovision scoring system. Tiebreaks were determined with regard to the highest individual score received by each song.
Who will be the team's favourite? Find out below!
10. Portugal - Salvador Rio, Alma (25 points)
(10 points from Craig and Paul)
"An arresting and emotional song that only Portugal can produce – at any iteration of the Contest. This semi trip-hop ballad captures your heart and your soul, as you can hear the sincerity of lyrics through Salvador’s angelic voice. A wonderful entry that should translate well on the Junior Eurovision stage." ~Paul
"A nice ballad which builds up to a memorable and emotive chorus. The beat gives this a point of stickability, and I can see this being presented well on the stage - like it a lot!" ~Craig
9. Cyprus - Harry Georgiou, Who I Can Be (32 points)
(12 points from Mike, 8 points from Paul)
"A well-developed singing voice with a rich, pleasing tone that is easy on the ears. The production is polished, with the instrumentation complementing rather than overpowering the vocals. Overall, a well-produced song that allows the singer’s vocal quality to stand out." ~Mike
8. Ukraine - Erika Kolesnichenko, Not a Lullaby (33 points)
(12 points from Liv)
"Bravo Erika - this has EVERYTHING I am looking for in a JESC entry. Big vocals and something catchy and cute and this ticks all the boxes for me. I am obsessed with that dinky little pop drop, it sounds like I'm about to enter a boss battle in a 2000s video game. The lyrics are so fun and silly, I LOVE it." ~Liv
7. Ireland - Caleb Kirwan and Naomi Gribben, Níos láidre (34 points)
(12 points from Paul, 8 points from Sam)
"If a song was to ever bottle optimistic happiness, then this is the song. You cannot help but smile during and after you listen to this song. This shouldn’t discount what a strong entry this is – the ray of sunshine turns into a dance tune that you’d want to listen to repetitively. Great chemistry with the singers and wonderful energy that leaps off the screen/audio." ~Paul
6. North Macedonia - Ana Stojanoska, Idnata Jas (35 points)
(12 points from Sam, 10 points from Dale)
"There is a freshness and originality to this entry, coupled with hints of Balkan traditional music that we love at Eurovision contests. Ana has a big likeability factor and the best voice out of the female contestants this year. The fact that the melody is also super catchy, makes this an excellent overall package. Whilst I think victory is a bit of a stretch too far, I hope Ana gets North Macedonia its first top 5 placing at a Eurovision event ever." ~Sam
"I think Ana does a cracking job here, a great Balkan song with some heft while still not feeling too adult. I'm sure it'll be criminally overlooked like so many great North Macedonia JESC entries!" ~Dale
5. Poland - Wiktor Sas, Gravity (36 points)
(12 points from Craig, 10 points from Emma)
"The best Polish entry at Junior Eurovision in a good few years - this feels contemporary and well-produced and could go straight into a chart mix. I'm hoping that the Polish team have plans to stage this and that Wiktor's voice holds up through rehearsals, because this feels like it could go big in the hall." ~Craig
"Gravity is my second-ranked song this year thanks to its powerful pop sound and uplifting chorus. I love the way it builds from a reflective opening into an energetic anthem and Its catchy, contemporary production and empowering message make it a standout entry that leaves a lasting impression." ~Emma
4. Armenia - Naré, Boo! (40 points)
(12 points from Emma, 8 points from Craig and Liv)
"Thanks to its modern electro-pop sound, strong club beat and catchy hooks, “BOO!” is my top-ranked song this year. I love its infectious rhythm, and the punchy English lyrics make it instantly accessible and memorable. Its fresh, contemporary sound is perfectly suited to Junior Eurovision’s young voting audience, while the choreography has strong appeal for the TikTok generation." ~Emma
3. France - Alec, Comment tu vas ? (43 points)
(8 points from Emma and John Christian)
2. Spain - Lucas Paulano, Cuore bello (te quiero, te quiero) (43 points)
(10 points from Sam, 8 points from Mike)
"This sweeping, emotive ballad is definitely a surprise for Spain at Junior Eurovision, given they almost always send up-tempo, danceable tracks. However, Lucas delivers this extremely well, and has the best voice in the contest. After a couple of near misses it is time for Spain to win Junior Eurovision. Performing last in the running order will certainly help the Iberian nation’s chances." ~Sam
1. Italy - Matteo Trullu, Che cos'è l'amore? (55 points)
(10 points from John Christian, Liv and Mike, 8 points from Dale)
"A more mature and polished performance from the bunch - close your eyes during the lead into the main chorus and it has touches of Tame Impala's Dracula." ~Liv
"A more mature pop sound that suits his personality and vocal style. His voice has a fuller quality, without the thinness sometimes heard in younger singers, giving the song a more established pop feel. His natural charisma adds to the appeal of the song and should translate well to a live performance." ~Mike
"Italy might even be a dark horse winner because there are some YouTube rankings that put it somewhere in the middle, but as more momentum comes, that song grows on a lot of its detractors." ~John Christian
Our team also loved...
Mija Vukovic, Musika nas spaja (Montenegro) - "This is the song that stuck with me as an earworm, I coudln't get "Musika nas spaja" out of my head! It's a fun well constructed pop song that feels age appropriate and I just really enjoyed it!" ~Dale
Violamarie, Ruota panoramica (San Marino) - "It has a lot of cheery vibes similar to last year's entry, and it may perform well. We cannot underestimate her and her entry, she has a lot of potential in the near future." ~John Christian
Tune in next week to see if our team's favourites are matched by the Junior Eurovision scoreboard!
The Junior Eurovision Song Contest is not broadcast in Australia, but can be viewed via the stream on the official YouTube account next Saturday 24 October 2026 (Sunday morning in Australia).
For continued updates on all Eurovision Song Contest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. All the links can be found at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet
