Ukraine: Aussievision’s Vidbir rankings for Eurovision 2026

With national final season going strong, Ukraine is close to selecting their entry to head over to Vienna through the selection process, Vidbir 2026.

The show has been used to determine Ukraine’s representative to Eurovision since 2016, with Vidbir’s first winner, Jamala’s 1944, ending up as the winner of Eurovision later that year.

Vidbir will be a one-shot national final where a professional jury and public voting will choose the next Ukrainian representative for Vienna in a single grand final show.

Six Aussievision team members have heard all ten songs and scored them Eurovision-style, from 12 points down to 1.

So who topped the rankings?  Let’s reveal the full results and our favourite Vidbir 2026 entry.

Results:

10. Valeriya Force – Open Our Hearts – 22 points.

Highs: 7 points from John.

Lows: 1 point from Paul, Rebecca, and Craig.

9. MOLODI – Legends – 23 points.

Highs: 5 points from Paul and Joel.

Lows: 2 points from Craig.

“I really enjoy the sound of Molodi’s songs, but I think this one is missing a little bit of a punch in the production.” ~ Rebecca.

8. ShchukaRyba – Moia Zemlia – 25 points.

Highs: 8 points from Paul.

Lows: 1 point from Sam and Joel.

“This is really cute!  I love the harmonies.  It feels like a big, warm hug from someone you love when you have to say goodbye for a while.  Good vibes.” ~ Rebecca.

“This song is so pure.  No histrionics, no bells or whistles, just pure hypnotic vocals and instrumentation.  It reminds me of a warm hug with an occasional electronic beat.  Elegance the way that Ukraine can only deliver.” ~ Paul.

=6. The Elliens – Crawling Whispers – 32 points.

Highs: 12 points from Joel.

Lows: 2 points from Paul and Rebecca.

“Singer Olena’s voice has definitely matured and has a harder edge than her 2021 Junior Eurovision appearance, and I love this direction for her.  The song may be more reminiscent of old-school Eurovision, but that’s why I’m here for it!” ~ Joel.

=6. LAUD – Lightkeeper – 32 points.

Highs: 12 points from Rebecca.

Lows: 1 point from John.

“I really love the gospel sound in this one.  As whole, though, this song is a bit of a sleeper hit: on the first listen I thought it was decent enough, but by about the third listen I was singing along without even realising I knew the words.  The ad-libs during that final chorus are really great, too, and I’m looking forward to hearing how this sounds live.  Potentially a very stunning and moving performance!” ~ Rebecca.

5. LELÉKA – Ridnym – 34 points.

Highs: 12 points from Craig.

Lows: 2 points from Sam.

“In a sea of returning acts doing variations on their previous work, Leleka stand out as a fresh new voice which I think would help take Ukraine in a slightly new direction.  The chorus of this song is really soaring and beautiful, and the instrumentation feels folky but not quite in a way we've had at Eurovision recently.  For me, the clear standout in this selection and I really hope it translates to the stage well.” ~ Craig.

“Soft and melodic voice backed by a sweeping musical ballad, this is a beautiful song that takes you on a journey.  That long note in the last minute of the song is brilliant.  This is different to all the heaviness and heavy-handedness shown with the rest of the songs in this selection, which makes it stand out for all the right reasons.” ~ Paul.

4. KHAYAT – Hertsi – 38 points.

Highs: 10 points from Joel; 8 points from Sam and Rebecca.

Lows: 3 points from John.

“Come on Ukraine, it’s time to give Khayat a turn!  This is his fourth attempt at Vidbir and he’s brought a cracking tune, his best one yet.  All the noise is going to be around the returning Eurovision artists, but for me, this is one of the songs to beat.” ~ Joel.

“The metaphor of ‘the hertz put pressure on the heart’ just tickles my brain so right.  Not to mention the treasure trove of great lyrics in the rest of the song!  It makes the subject of the song both unique and unspecific at the same time, because there are several different ways to interpret it.  What a great job!” ~ Rebecca.

3. Monokate – TYT – 45 points.

Highs: 10 points from John and Rebecca.

Lows: 3 points from Paul.

“If not Jerry Heil, maybe Kateryna will because her previous appearance in 2021 lighted up the world like nobody else, and the ethnic vibe around that entry may be a solid contender for Top 5.” ~ John.

“Kateryna’s voice is just so magnetic and hypnotising.  There’s something quite mysterious-sounding about this song that draws you in, too.  Very enjoyable.” ~ Rebecca.

2. Mr. Vel – Do or Done – 46 points.

Highs: 12 points from Sam, 10 points from Paul.

Lows: 2 points from John.

“This is a great bop!  Yes the lyrics are a little simple, but in true Ukrainian Eurovision style, MR.VEL has created an absolute earworm.  I hope this will be a dark horse.” ~ Sam.

“The most straightforward pop song that starts off as a dramatic ballad and then goes into thumping dance beat with a beautiful falsetto.  The song and vocals take you on a journey that will stick into your mind.  Love this song, but I fear that this might not get the love that it deserves.” ~ Paul.

“As a native English speaker (and one with an English degree, on top of that) it’s hard to take this seriously if I’m paying attention to the lyrics.  But damn if this isn’t really catchy!  The chorus was stuck in my head for the rest of the evening after my first listen.” ~ Rebecca.

1. Jerry Heil – Catharticus (Prayer) – 51 points.

Highs: 12 points from John and Paul.

Lows: 2 points from Joel, 5 points from Rebecca.

“The song itself, along with her previous Eurovision appearance in 2024, proves why she would do better as a solo artist and give Ukraine another victory.  There is no argument about it, and she got what it takes to maybe challenge the early frontrunners for the Grand Final.” ~ John.

“Hypnotic, haunting, engaging, and pop-art at its finest.  This is quite arresting in its beauty as it takes you on a journey.  Absolutely brilliant, and I’d expect nothing less after her renaissance with her previous Eurovision entry in 2024.” ~ Paul.

“I am desperate for Jerry Heil to go to Eurovision as a soloist, and I enjoy the prayer theme of this song.  The music video for this is spectacular – who doesn’t like seeing hot young people in chains?  I like the distorted spoken word in the bridge.  The song overall is quite mid-tempo though and it took a few listens for me to get into, which is the opposite of what you want at Eurovision.  But knowing Jerry she will have amazing staging and I hope she can pull off a Vidbir victory.” ~ Sam.

“There's nothing new here, and, if I'm honest, I think this lacks the impact of Jerry's previous two Eurovision attempts, but there's still something really hypnotic and transfixing here which I can see translating to the stage quite well.  I like what we've heard so far and will reserve judgment until we get to see it live.” ~ Craig.

“Ah, Jerry Heil is doing her thing again, and it’s definitely got my attention.  It’s a very interesting and unique song, if slightly repetitive, but with the right staging and vocal performance that won’t matter much at all.  That being said, I feel like the staging will make or break this: it could be powerful and symbolic, or a huge cringey mess.  I’m holding out hope for the former though since we know Ukraine does exceptional staging.” ~ Rebecca.

Where to watch Vidbir:

The final of Vidbir commences on 7 February at 17:00 CET which is 8 February at 03:00 AEDT.  A live stream is available on YouTube.

For continued updates on all Eurovision Song Contest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Instagram. All the links can be found at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet