Italy: Aussievision's Sanremo 2026 Rankings
- Liv Webster
- 2 minutes ago
- 7 min read
The 76th edition of the illustrious Sanremo Music Festival has been running over the last four days. Tonight the winner will be crowned and we'll be one step closer to finding out who will represent Italy at Eurovision 2026.
Seven Aussievision team members have ranked the Italian songs from first to tenth place with points awarded in the usual Eurovision system (ie. 1st = 12 points, 2nd = 8 points, etc.). Rankings are made on personal taste, not a prediction on how the songs will place on the night.
Results
Nul Points
Enrico Nigiotti – Ogni Volta Che Non So Volare
Francesco Renga – Il Meglio di Me
J-Ax – Italia Starter Pack
Luchè – Labirinto
Michele Bravi – Prima o Poi
Tredici Pietro – Uomo Che Cade
Note: Artists with equal points were broken via a count back (ie. most 12 points, then 10 points... etc.)
23. Eddie Brock – Avvoltoi (1 point)
23. Patty Pravo – Opera (1 point)
21. Raf – Ora e per Sempre (2 points)
21. Leo Gassmann – Naturale (2 points)
20. Nayt – Prima Che (3 points)
17. Arisa – Magica Favola (3 points)
17. Malika Ayane – Animali Notturni (3 points)
17. Mara Sattei – Le Cose Che Non Sai di Me (3 points)
16. Fulminacci – Stupida Sfortuna (4 points)
15. Dargen D’Amico – AI AI (4 points)
14. Fedez & Masini – Male Necessario (5 points)
13. Chiello – Ti Penso Sempre (6 points)
12. Tommaso Paradiso – I Romantici (8 points)
11. Samurai Jay – Ossessione (12 points)
10. Levante – Sei Tu (17 points)
Highs: 7 points Domenic, 6 points Craig, 4 points Laura.
Lows: 0 points Liv, Dale, Kyriakos & Joel.
9. Sayf – Tu Mi Piaci Tanto (19 points)
Highs: 5 points Dale & Craig, 4 points Domenic.
Lows: 0 points Joel, 1 point Kyriakos, 2 points Liv & Laura.
8. Sal Da Vinci – Per Sempre Sì (24 points)
Highs: 12 points Joel, 6 points Dale, 4 points Liv.
Lows: 0 points Laura, Craig & Domenic. 2 points Kyriakos.
"This song is such a little burst of joy! I honestly can’t explain why I love it so much - it just does something for me. It feels like the kind of track I would’ve been obsessed with 25 years ago… and now the artist is touring regional cities on a nostalgia run. And I’m absolutely still here for it." ~Joel
7. Maria Antonietta & Colombre – La Felicità e Basta (25 points)
Highs: 7 points Dale, 6 points Kyriakos, 5 points Laura.
Lows: 0 points Liv & Domenic, 3 points Joel, 4 points Craig.
6. Elettra Lamborghini – Voilà (32 points)
Highs: 8 points Laura & Kyriakos. 7 points Joel. 5 points Liv.
Lows: 1 point Dale & Craig. 2 points Domenic.
"Barbara Pravi diehards, look away now! Elettra Lamborghini is back with one of the ultimate (not-so-)guilty pleasures of the year, in my opinion. The heiress to the Lamborghini fortune is known for delivering light-hearted, summery bops to Sanremo, but Voilà is definitely a big step above her previous efforts! From the Scatman-esque hooks in the chorus, to the funky guitars, to the performances filled with a fun and breezy attitude that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this song is an absolute joy from start to finish. Viva, viva, viva Elettra!" ~Laura
5. LDA & Aka 7even – Poesie Clandestine (38 points)
Highs: 10 points Joel. 8 points Liv & Dale. 7 points Laura.
Lows: 0 points Craig & Domenic. 5 points Kyriakos.
"What a vibe! The boys deliver a really polished performance and I’d love to hear that reggaeton-infused bounce at Eurovision." ~Joel
"I absolutely adore the mixture of influences here and the distinctly Neapolitan references and sounds. Hearing a mix of Italian pop and contemporary urban-pop on the Sanremo stage is a welcome departure from the more traditional entries. We need a few upbeat bangers every year." ~Liv
4. Bambole di pezza – Resta Con Me (38 points)
Highs: 10 points Laura & Dale. 8 points Domenic. 7 points Kyriakos.
Lows: 0 points Craig & Joel. 3 points Liv.
"One of the joys of the Eurovision season is discovering new artists I would not have otherwise heard of, and the first all-female rock band to take part in Sanremo in the festival’s history has been nothing short of an absolute delight! This song is so wonderful, with its big, powerful, anthemic guitar sound and so much heart and emotion poured into the performances that I had no choice but to look up the translation of the lyrics, which are equally moving. It’s no secret that I love some rock music with plenty of girl power, and I adore everything about this song; I’m sure it will ‘stay with me’ long after Sanremo 2026 is over." ~Laura
"This has managed to combine a big beautiful Italian Sanremo ballad with rock and it somehow just works perfectly. It's actually my favourite ballad and the way they've been able to blend it with their band and the rock genre is seamless - right down to the ball gowns. Obsessed." ~Dale
3. Ermal Meta – Stella Stellina (39 points)
Highs: 12 points Liv & Domenic. 7 points Craig.
Lows: 0 points Laura & Joel. 4 points Dale & Kyriakos.
"As soon as I read the lyrics to this piece I knew it would be my winner straight away. This piece goes straight to the heart, and it is delivered in a way that (whilst maybe unexpected for this type of message) really pulls the heartstrings. The song is another powerful work of art from Ermal Meta, the music works beautifully with the orchestra, and the words behind it tell a story worth telling. Bravo." ~Domenic
"If you haven't looked up the lyrics and message of this entry: drop what you are doing and open up a Google tab immediately. The lullaby-like quality of the song is because it is inspired by an Italian children's song of the same name. I adore the mixture of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean musical motifs and influences woven through the production. I believe the contrast between the maturity of the lyrics and the mode of a children's lullaby makes it hit hard every listen. Perhaps not the most flashy song or getting the most streams, but as musical art it takes the prize this year." ~Liv
2. Serena Brancale – Qui Con Me (48 points)
Highs: 12 points Kyriakos. 10 points Craig & Domenic. 7 points Liv.
Lows: 0 points Dale. 3 points Laura. 6 points Joel.
"This ballad just hit me in the chest straight away! Serena's delivery is just exquisite! The song is big and so are her notes. Throughly enjoyed this performance!" ~Kyriakos
"How can you not be blown away from this performance. This is peak Sanremo. Flawless vocals, smooth orchestration and one heck of a show. Serena Brancale is one of the most talented vocalists Italy has and she has really proved it this week. Some may have been expecting something more similar to her 2024 entry, but this is Brancale in a nutshell. Goosebumps every time I listen to Qui con me." ~Domenic
"The best of the ballads for me, with a really lovely chord progression and an absolutely knockout vocal from Serena. If Giorgia couldn't make the top 5 last year I am a little worried this may suffer the same fate, but it deserves to be at the top of the chart at the end of the night." ~Craig
1. Ditonellapiaga – Che Fastidio! (69 points)
Highs: 12 points Laura, Dale & Craig. 10 points Liv & Kyriakos.
Lows: 5 points Domenic. 8 points Joel.
"WHAT A SONG! This is energetic, fresh and rich with attitude. This has gone straight into my Spotify playlist!" ~Kyriakos
"The first night performance felt a little shaky, but the second night was superb, and the studio version is Eurovision winner material. Playful both lyrically and production wise (the bossa nova section is a wonderful touch), this feels like La Reppresentante di Lista's "Ciao Ciao" after too much red cordial. Once the festival is over, can they just dog the winner and send this to Eurovision please?" ~Craig
"What do you mean the Sanremo audience probably won’t take a risk and choose this bold, innovative, novel, unapologetic, punchy, well-performed, fantastic piece of uptempo pop music to represent them at Eurovision this year? Che fastidio!" ~Laura "This is just out of this world good. So modern, so engaging and the lyrics I'm obsessed with. It is just such a great representative of the Italian music industry but also feels like something I haven't heard before. Fresh, amazing, likely to be robbed - somehow go to Eurovision please!" ~Dale
How to watch the final of Sanremo 2026
The final show will take place at 8:40pm CET 28 February 2026 (6:40am AEDT - Sunday morning).
All nights of Sanremo and the individual performances are available to stream online internationally with Italian Broadcaster RAI - link here.
All 30 artists will perform their songs for the third and final time. At the end of televoting, the final ranking will be drawn up, determined by 33% TV & Web Jury, 33% Radio Jury and 34% Televote. The top 5 ranked acts will proceed to super final to decide the winner. Votes will be reset. Of the top five in the super final - the winner will be decided by televote (34%), press jury (33%) and radio jury (33%).
Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest
Italy debuted in Eurovision at the inaugural contest back in 1956 and have claimed victory three times with Gigliola Cinquetti’s Non ho l'età (1964), Toto Cutugno’s Insieme: 1992 (1990) and of course Måneskin with Zitti E Buoni (2021).
Italy took a hiatus from the contest after the 1997 competition and returned with a bang in 2011 - emerging as part of the newly minted “Big Five”.
In more recent years, Italy has been a powerhouse of the contest, claiming two runner-ups with Raphael Gualazzi with Madness of Love (2011) and Mahmood with Soldi (2019). Of the last ten entrants, 50% have walked away with a top 5 result. In addition, since their return in 2011 Italy has only missed out on a Top 10 result twice.
With results like these, Italy has cemented itself as a consistently serious contender at Eurovision!
For continued updates on all Eurovision Song Contest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram. All the links can be found at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet