Eurovision 2026: Meet Montenegro’s Tamara Živković and her song Nova Zora
- Joel Grace
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
We profile the 2026 entry from Montenegro including details on the artist, song, how it was chosen, odds, fan reaction and how the nation has fared at Eurovision.
Montenegro made its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007, and has competed intermittently ever since.
Despite its relatively short history in the contest (2026 will mark only their 14th appearance), the nation has developed a reputation for sending entries that either lean towards emotional Balkan ballads, or avant-garde pop experiments. With Montenegro there’s no in-between!
To date, Montenegro have only ever qualified for the Grand Final on two occasions. The country’s best result came in 2015, when Knez came 13th with Adio. Prior to this, their only other qualification was in 2014 when Sergej Ćetković’s Moj svijet finished in 19th place.
Since 2015 results have been mixed, with a string of non-qualifications and occasional withdrawals due to financial constraints.
Can 2026 artist Tamara Živković earn Montenegro their 3rd Eurovision Grand Final appearance with Nova Zora?
You can find out more about Tamara Živković and her song below!
2026 entry: Tamara Živković – Nova Zora
Montenegro will compete in the first semi-final, performing in eighth position in the running order
My Eurovision Scoreboard ranking: 11th
Odds to win ranking: 33rd
(Rankings as of 20 April 2026)
About the artist
Born in Kotor in 2000, twenty-six year old Tamara Živković is a Montenegrin singer and flautist who began her music career at a young age. In 2016 she took part in the Serbian singing competition Pinkove Zvezdice, followed by a 2022 appearance in Zevzde Granda where she made it to the grand final.
As of 2025, Tamara was a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Arts in Belgrade, splitting her time between the Serbian and Montenegrin capitals.
Tamara first came to wider attention through her Montesong 2024 entry Poguban let where her debut earned her 9th place, but her breakthrough moment came when she won Montesong 2025 with Nova Zora.
About the song
Nova Zora is an up-tempo Montenegrin-language track (including a little English in the pre-chorus) that is built around themes of rebirth, resilience, and breaking free from toxic relationships.
The song title translates to “new dawn”, and the lyrics explore the periods of personal growth and self-liberation that come with weathering the storms after relationships end.
Written by Serbian singer-songwriter Boris Subotić, the songs revels in the darker side of electropop production, with an intense build that will certainly bring drama to the Eurovision stage. Subotić is renowned for participating in the Serbian National Final Pesma za Evroviziju in 2022 and 2023, and also co-wrote Nina Žižić’s Dobrodošli from Eurovision 2025.
How was Tamara Živković chosen for Eurovision?
The song was one of 15 entries in Montenegro’s national final, Montesong 2025, where it quickly emerged as a favourite.
On the night of the final, Tamara Živković’s strong performance of Nova Zora helped her win the jury vote and come second in the public televote, securing enough combined points to win the competition and earn the chance to represent Montenegro in Vienna.
On her victory, Tamara said:
"Everything still seems like a dream to me. I believe that you shouldn't give up on your dreams… I always had an image of myself on a big stage.”
Montenegro will compete in the first semi final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on 12 May 2026 in Vienna.
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