Why JACOTÉNE should represent Australia at Eurovision 2026

Photo courtesy of Sony Music UK

As a new Eurovision year is dawning, the team at Aussievision has made the case for the Australian artists they’d like to see representing the Land Down Under for the eleventh time at the Eurovision Song Contest.

We’ve seen Sam put forward pop sensation Troye Sivan, Cooper nominating the Australia Decides star Charley, Troy proposing a Rhonda Burchmore participation, Liv advocating for Aussie hip-hop legends Hilltop Hoods, and last week, Saskia suggesting NSW rock band The Vanns to throw their hats into the ring and be Australia’s Eurovision representatives.

This week, I will be recommending JACOTÉNE, an Australian artist who is relatively new to the music scene and may be unfamiliar to some readers, but is no less deserving of greater recognition and success.

Who is JACOTÉNE?

JACOTÉNE (pronounced ‘jack-oh-teen’) is the stage name of Chelsea Jacotine, a nineteen-year-old singer hailing from Melbourne, Australia, who has already been dubbed a future icon of R&B and soul. 

The young artist had a difficult start to life, having been diagnosed with leukaemia at six months old. She says:

“I really do think my family’s strength came from my diagnosis back then. I always remind myself not to forget that part of my life because it’s part of my story. It made us realise we can do anything since we went through that.”

She was first inspired to focus on singing at the age of eight years old, when a young singer on The Voice Kids belted out the Alicia Keys hit Girl on Fire. From there, her mother enrolled her in singing lessons, and she met her manager through a performance at a showcase held by her singing school on Zoom during lockdown in 2022.

A young star on the rise

JACOTÉNE’s career breakthrough came at the age of 16, when she won Triple J Unearthed High in 2022 with her debut release, I Need Therapy, and was subsequently nominated for the Unearthed Artist of the Year award in the 2022 J Awards.

With a rising social media following of over 241 000 people on TikTok and 34 000 on Instagram, and currently over 150 000 monthly listeners on Spotify, JACOTÉNE is capturing attention around the globe.

Although she may be a relative newcomer to the music scene, JACOTÉNE already boasts a wealth of live performance experience, performing at many festivals, including Laneway Festival, and iconic venues such as the Sydney Opera House, as well as sharing the stage with G-Flip and TEMS.

In June 2025, JACOTÉNE released her debut EP Untitled (Read My Mind). Since then, she has gone on to perform at her first headline shows in 2025 around Europe and the UK.

“Is that Amy Winehouse’s little sister?”

One of the first things that stands out about JACOTÉNE is her powerhouse voice. It's not often that a voice stops people in their tracks, but this is exactly the kind of voice an artist needs to stand out in a song contest like Eurovision, where standing out is half the battle.

For Australia in particular, this has been an uphill battle. Failing to qualify in the last two years of televote-only semi-finals, it's clear that a change of direction is needed: one that's authentic, commanding, and full of emotion.

JACOTÉNE's soulful vocal performances has drawn comparisons to Amy Winehouse and Adele, with one Triple J listener commenting, "Is that Amy Winehouse's little sister?" and another texting in, "I'm sitting in my car outside work, I'm running late, but can't get out of the car! She is amazing!"

Even Willow Smith has been seen vibing to her music!

Triple J music director Dave Ruby Howe said in 2022: 

“JACOTÉNE feels like a one-in-a-million talent. Immediately upon first play of I Need Therapy, you hear a voice that’s out-of-this-world good and summoning some unshakeable soul. We’re huge fans of JACOTÉNE already and we reckon everyone will feel the same way very soon.”

In her five-star review of I Need Therapy, Triple J Mornings host Lucy Smith wrote:

“I'm gagged. You have one of those voices that's so full of character, like you've lived a thousand lives before the age of 16.”

To those looking for a teenager with multiple decades of experience for an entry-level position, do I have the candidate for you!

“Just not mediocre”

Australia deserves an artist who will give their best to represent the country at Eurovision.

JACOTÉNE has learned just that, growing up surrounded by classic artists thanks to her parents’ CD collection. The sounds of Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Michael Jackson were never far from the speakers, and the young singer also names Alicia Keys, TEMS, Sault, and Billie Eilish as her musical inspirations.

“Every artist [my parents] played were just not mediocre”, she recalls. “What I took away from it is to be your best. It really inspired me.”

JACOTÉNE’s drive to perfect her craft doesn’t stop at performing. The artist has also attended writing sessions in London, Los Angeles, and Miami to work on music for Untitled (Read My Mind), where she has honed her songwriting skills, working alongside Salaam Remi, the American, Grammy-award-winning producer for artists including Nas, Doja Cat, Fugees, Nelly Furtado, Alicia Keys, and ... Amy Winehouse.

Another detail that many eagle-eyed Eurovision fans will notice is that many of JACOTÉNE’s singles have a runtime of around 3 minutes or less - the perfect length for a Eurovision song!

She’s got ambition in spades

Performing at the Eurovision Song Contest requires the drive and ambition to perform in front of some of the largest audiences in the world. 

Australia needs an artist representing us who has the appetite to succeed, and JACOTÉNE has expressed her desire to perform on one of the world’s biggest stages - the Pyramid stage at the iconic Glastonbury Festival. She describes the opportunity as “the ultimate goal” and says, "I just want to see people singing my songs really loud."

Ok, so it may not be Glastonbury, but we hope 166 million voices in 37 countries will be loud enough!

The Soul of Australia

If JACOTÉNE were to perform at Eurovision 2026, she would bring a blend of talent, uniqueness, and authenticity unlike anything Australia has previously sent to the contest. 

Eurovision winners are often like catching lightning in a bottle. It’s not always about chart success, but showcasing top-quality musicianship to the world. While longtime fans of the contest may associate Eurovision with kitsch, camp, sequins, and spectacle, the competition has been evolving to showcase the finest musical talent that Europe and Australia’s music industries have to offer.

Furthermore, not being an established name in the music industry or an international celebrity is not an obstacle to glory at Eurovision. Many recent Eurovision winners, including JJ, Nemo, Duncan Laurence, and Kalush Orchestra, have been plucked from relative obscurity, becoming household names across Europe thanks to their Eurovision success.

I believe that JACOTÉNE is more than capable of not only following in their footsteps but also becoming a musical superstar in her own right, inspiring fans all over Australia and the world.

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