Why Charley should represent Australia at Eurovision 2026

Photo courtesy of Sayless

With the road to Vienna 2026 already underway, the Aussievision team is exploring who could take the stage for Australia at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

For the first time since joining the competition, Australia finds itself on a non-qualification streak, having narrowly missed the Grand Final two years in a row.

Last week, Sam opened the series by making the case for Troye Sivan as his dream representative.

This week, I’m keeping the momentum going by stating why Charley deserves her long-awaited chance to represent Australia at Eurovision 2026.

Who is Charley?

Charley is a 26-year-old Australian singer-songwriter celebrated for her powerhouse vocals and emotionally driven pop songs.

Born Charlotte Emma Wilson on the Gold Coast, she later moved to Sydney to pursue her music career and made her debut in 2021 with the single Hard For Me.

Eurovision fans will recognise her from Eurovision – Australia Decides 2022, where she performed the ballad I Suck At Being Lonely and quickly became a fan favourite thanks to her raw delivery and stunning vocals.

In 2023, she released her debut EP Timebomb, cementing her reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting emerging pop artists.

With her artistry, stage presence, and proven Eurovision experience, Charley is more than ready to represent Australia on the world’s biggest stage.

So let’s dive into why Charley deserves her chance at Eurovision 2026.

Charley's Perfect Pop Formula

If we look back at the past we can see Australia's best results at Eurovision have come when we send artists who can combine a big vocal with polished, contemporary pop songs.

We saw acts like Kate Miller-Heidke and Dami Im push Australia into the top ten with a strong vocal paired with show stopping staging, while Guy Sebastian proved that a slick, well-produced pop number can win over audiences and juries alike.

Charley already has that balance. Her debut EP Timebomb, released in 2023, features sleek Swedish-produced pop tracks alongside songs produced by DNA, the Sydney duo behind some of Australia's most successful Eurovision entries, including Dami Im's Sound of Silence (2nd in 2016) and Isaiah Firebrace's Dont Come Easy (9th in 2017).

This blend of Swedish pop expertise and proven Australian Eurovision hitmakers makes Charley’s sound tailor-made for the contest, directly linking her to the formula that has historically brought Australia its strong results.

What sets Charley apart from other acts is her ability to infuse emotional vulnerability into highly polished pop songs — a genre that Eurovision fans sometimes dismiss as artificial or emotionless.

Yet, we’ve seen artists like Loreen, Cornelia Jakobs, and Duncan Laurence prove that authenticity and polished pop can coexist, striking the perfect balance that cuts through crowded lineups and resonates with both juries and televoters.

With the right staging and support, Charley has the artistry, the contemporary sound, and the proven Eurovision connections to break Australia’s non-qualification streak and bring us back to the Grand Final in 2026.

An Amazing Live Performer

One of Charley's major strengths is her ability to command a stage and connect with audiences both in the crowd and through the camera lens.

She has performed at high-profile events, including recently headlining the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final, where she captivated thousands in the arena and viewers on national television with her energy, charisma, and vocal precision.

Not only has she has experience with television performances but Charley has also opened for major artists such as Fletcher and G-Flip, adapting her performance style to engage diverse audiences whilst still being able to leave a lasting impression.

Her live shows consistently demonstrate her versatility, whether delivering emotional ballads that tug at the heart or upbeat pop tracks about having horrible taste in women.

This combination of vocal control, stage presence and audience connection shows that Charley has the experience and confidence to deliver on one of Music's biggest stages.

Proven Eurovision Experience

Charley is certainly no stranger to the Eurovision world, having competed in Eurovision - Australia Decides 2022 with her raw ballad I Suck At Being Lonely.

The 2022 edition of Eurovision - Australia Decides has so far seen four out of the eleven acts reach Eurovision at some point, Isaiah Firebrace (2017), Sheldon Riley (2022), Voyager (2023) and Andrew Lambrou (Cyprus 2024).

Charley managed to finish fourth place in this incredibly tough national final, her performance won over both fans and critics for its heartfelt emotion, vocal strength and most importantly authenticity, proving that she has what it takes to shine in the high-pressure environment of Eurovision.

During a sit-down interview with radio personality, Abbie Chatfield back in 2023, Charley revealed that she would be up to returning to Eurovision in the future.

Eurovision is a massive undertaking, and we need an artist who is willing to put a hundred percent into competing, something Charley has already proven she is ready to do.

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If Charley were to represent Australia at Eurovision 2026, she would bring a wealth of live performance experience, a contemporary pop sound, and the vocal prowess to captivate both the audience and the juries.

Her sound and music industry backing gives her the kind of musical credibility that could help Australia break its recent back to back of non-qualifying entries and make a strong comeback to the Eurovision final.

It's also worth noting that it's been over 5 years since Australia has sent a solo female artist to Eurovision, making Charley an exciting opportunity to bring fresh energy and Aussie female representation back to the contest.

Beyond the music though, Charley's down-to-earth authenticity, emotional relatability and stage presence makes her a performer who could leave a lasting impression, representing Australia with both talent and heart.

It's only a ticking Timebomb till Charley makes her mark on the Eurovision stage and brings Australia back to the Grand Final!

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