Eurovision 2026: Meet Poland's Alicja and her song Pray

We profile the 2026 entry from Poland including details on the artist, song, how it was chosen, odds, fan reaction and how the nation has fared at Eurovision.

Poland made their Eurovision debut back in 1994 with Edyta Górniak's To Nie Ja! which gave them their best result to date when they finished in a formidable 2nd place.

Poland has entered the Contest 26 times and since the semi-finals were introduced, has qualified to the Grand Final on 17 occasions. Their most recent best result was in 2016 with Michael Szpak's Colour of Your Life

Poland's qualification record over the past 10 years has been inconsistent at 60%. Poland was represented last year by Justyna Steczkowska with Gaja which finished in 14th place.

Can Alicja improve on last year's result in Vienna?

2026 Entry: Pray - Alicja

• 14th slot in semi-final 1

• My Eurovision Scoreboard ranking: 31st

• Odds to win ranking: 30th

(Rankings as of 11 April 2026)

About the artist

Alicja Szemplińska, known simply as Alicja, first rose to prominence after winning The Voice of Poland in 2019 as a 17-year-old, where she then quickly established herself as one of the country’s most promising young vocalists. It was this win that led to her to be selected for Eurovision 2020 with the song Empires, a dramatic ballad that showcased her powerful voice.

However, Alicja never got the chance to take the Eurovision stage that year due to the 2020 Contest being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike many artists who were internally re-selected for 2021, Alicja was not given an automatic return, leaving her Eurovision journey unfinished at the time.

In the years since, Alicja has continued to build her career both in Poland and internationally. She has released a string of singles that lean into contemporary pop and soul influences, often highlighting her vocal range. Alongside her recording work, she has performed at major national events and festivals, maintaining a steady presence in the Polish music scene while refining her artistic identity. In 2024, Alicja released an album Nie Wracam.

Her eventual return to Eurovision represents both a continuation and a second chance, bringing with her more experience, and the narrative of an artist whose original opportunity was taken away by circumstances beyond her control.

About the song

Pray is an interesting mix that blends RnB, gospel and rap. The song highlights Alicja's versatility and vocal ability.

The song is written by Alicja herself as well as songwriters Sinclair Alan Malcolm and Weronika Gabryelczyk.

The song is not a religious song but a song about hope and resilience. When the song was released, Alicja was quoted as saying that the song was:

"A personal prayer about fighting for your dreams and fighting for everything you want to achieve in life and getting your power and your strength back"

How was Alicja chosen for Eurovision?

This year, the Polish national broadcaster TVP once again took a pivot in the way they selected their entrant for Eurovision. Unlike the full national final format used in 2025 of Wielki Finał Polskich Kwalifikacji, in 2026 TVP used Finał Krajowych Kwalifikacji 2026 which was essentially the songs recorded live in the studio with voting open for a week via SMS (100% public vote). The was winner announced the following day on morning television show Pytanie na Śniadanie.

Poland will compete in 14th spot (second last) of the first semi-final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on 12 May 2026 in Vienna.

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