This article forms part of the OnEurope archive and was originally published on oneurope.co.uk. It has been permanently migrated to oneurope.net, the official home of OnEurope.
Eurovision fans love statistics, and both contests are an absolute goldmine for facts, figures and number-crunching. So, just before the scoreboard in Nice rewrites everything we know about Junior Eurovision, let’s go through the running order and see what each country needs to beat its best-ever placing or score on Sunday.
Spain
It has been nearly 20 years since Spain last lifted the Junior Eurovision trophy. María Isabel won the second edition of the contest in 2004 with “Antes Muerta Que Sencilla”. Spain’s hiatus from the contest explains some of that gap, but the country still has at least one victory to its name.
In terms of points, Spain will need more than 212 on Sunday to surpass its highest-scoring entry so far: Melani García’s “Marte”, which scored 212 points in Gliwice in 2019.
Malta
Malta has proved its credentials at Junior Eurovision, collecting 11 Top 10 finishes since its debut. Gaia Cauchi and Destiny Chukunyere both topped the scoreboard with “The Start” and “Not My Soul”, respectively, in a run that included three consecutive Top 5 placings between 2013 and 2015.
Surprisingly, neither of those winners is Malta’s highest-scoring Junior Eurovision entry. That honour belongs to Christina Magrin’s “Parachute”, which placed sixth on home turf in 2016 with 191 points. The question is: does the Dreaded 2nd Place Curse apply to JESC?
Ukraine
With only five of its Junior Eurovision entries ever finishing outside the Top 10, Ukraine is a force to be reckoned with at Junior, much as it is at the adult contest. Its only victory to date came in Amsterdam in 2012, when Anastasiya Petryk won with “Nebo”.
To give Ukraine its highest-scoring entry so far, “Kvitka” will need at least 182 points: enough to equal Darina Krasnovetska’s “Say Love”, which came fourth in Minsk in 2018.
Ireland
Ireland reigned for many years as the country with the most victories at the Eurovision Song Contest, a feat only recently equalled by Sweden. Its much shorter Junior Eurovision record is more mixed, with only two Top 10 placings.
Last year in Yerevan was Ireland’s most successful attempt so far. Sophie Lennon and “Solas” brought the country both its best placing, fourth, and its highest score, 150 points. Sophie is back this year to give Jessica a hand. Can she help Ireland achieve another best placing and best score two years running?
United Kingdom
Of the four songs the United Kingdom has entered into Junior Eurovision, three have reached the Top 5 — a record the country would kill to have once more at the adult contest.
The UK’s best placing came in 2004, when Cory Spedding finished second to Spain with “The Best Is Yet to Come”. But, like neighbouring Ireland, the United Kingdom returned in glory at last year’s contest in Yerevan. Freya Skye’s “Lose My Head” finished first in the televote and fifth overall, scoring 146 points and giving the UK its highest-scoring Junior Eurovision entry to date.
Will Nice prove equally lucrative for Stand Uniqu3?
North Macedonia
Since debuting at the first Junior Eurovision, North Macedonia has missed only three editions of the contest. Its best result is two back-to-back fifth places: Rosica Kulakova and Dimitar Stojmenovski with “Ding Ding Dong” in 2007, followed by Bobi Andonov with “Prati mi SMS” in 2008.
To achieve its highest-ever Junior Eurovision score, North Macedonia will need more than 150 points — the total Mila Moskov scored with “Fire” in Gliwice in 2019.
Estonia
As Estonia is making its debut this year, “Hoiame Kokku” by Arhanna will have the bizarre distinction — for the next year at least — of being the Baltic country’s highest-placing, lowest-placing, highest-scoring and lowest-scoring Junior Eurovision entry all at the same time.
Aren’t statistics fun?
Armenia
Armenia knows how to do Junior Eurovision. Fact. It has topped the scoreboard twice: first with Vladimir Arzumanyan’s “Mama” in 2010, and more recently with Maléna’s “Qami Qami” in 2021.
All 16 of Armenia’s Junior Eurovisions have finished in the Top 10, so it really says something when the country’s lowest placing is ninth. Armenia will need more than 232 points to beat Anahit and Mary’s 2016 entry “Tarber” and claim its highest-scoring entry on Sunday. Given that track record, it is not unlikely.
Poland
Poland also has two Junior Eurovision victories under its belt and was the first country to claim back-to-back wins. Roksana Węgiel did it with “Anyone I Want to Be” in 2018, followed by Viki Gabor and “Superhero” in 2019.
“Superhero” remains Poland’s highest-scoring entry and the highest-scoring Junior Eurovision winner ever. If Maja plans to beat it, she will need more than a hefty 278 points.
Georgia
While Georgia’s songs are often found languishing among the DNQ entries at the adult contest, the country reigns supreme at Junior Eurovision. Georgia holds the record for the most victories, with three: “Bzz..” by Bzikebi in 2008, “Candy Music” by the girl group Candy in 2011 and “Mzeo” by Mariam Mamadashvili in 2016.
“Mzeo” is also Georgia’s highest-scoring Junior Eurovision entry, with 239 points, giving this year’s contestants a tall order. History would seem to suggest they are at least in with a chance.
Portugal
Portugal entered a few Junior Eurovisions in the mid-2000s, and some have argued that its return in 2017 was inspired by the country’s landslide adult-contest victory in Kyiv earlier that year. Its JESC back catalogue has been more tame, with many mid-table finishes, but last year brought a change.
Nicolas Alves placed eighth with “Anos 70”, giving Portugal both its highest placing and its highest score, 121 points. Júlia asks “Where Do I Belong?” — could the answer be higher up the scoreboard?
France
As hosts for 2023, France has sent only six songs to Junior Eurovision since debuting in 2004. All but one finished in the Top 5, and the one that missed out came sixth.
France has also claimed two victories: Valentina with “J’imagine” in 2020 and, of course, last year’s winner Lissandro with “Oh Maman!”. Intriguingly, two songs share France’s highest Junior Eurovision score. “Oh Maman!” scored 203 points, as did Angélina’s “Jamais Sans Toi” in 2018.
Can France’s seventh entry keep up this momentum — or even provide a third win?
Albania
In 2015, Mishela Rapo was only Albania’s second Junior Eurovision entrant when she secured fifth place with “Dambaje”. No other Albanian JESC entry has reached the Top 10 since, but the country’s 2022 entry, “Pakëz Diell” by Kejtlin Gjata, scored 94 points and gave Albania its highest score to date.
Albania is one of only two countries in this year’s line-up yet to break the 100-point mark. Will that still be true come Sunday?
Italy
Always one to watch at Europe’s favourite TV show, Italy instantly proved its mettle at Junior Eurovision too, winning on its first attempt with Vincenzo Cantiello’s “Tu Primo Grande Amore” in 2014.
Italy’s highest JESC score came in 2016, when Fiamma Boccia placed third with “Cara Mamma (Dear Mom)”. This year’s entry therefore needs more than 209 points to set a new Italian scoring record.
Germany
A relative latecomer to the Junior Eurovision party, Germany debuted in 2020. It was not terribly auspicious: Susan’s “Stronger with You” finished last in Warsaw in a field of 12.
The strange thing is that Germany’s only other entry so far, Pauline’s “Imagine Us”, finished 17th with 61 points in 2021. That means the 2020 entry remains Germany’s highest-placing and highest-scoring entry, with 66 points.
On the plus side, Germany theoretically has the most room to increase its highest score in Nice this year.
Netherlands
In 2009, Ralf Mackenbach gave the Netherlands its only Junior Eurovision victory to date with “Click Clack”. If OnEurope and assorted friends and family are to be believed, that statistic could be in need of updating come Sunday afternoon.
Even if Ralf is not joined in the winners’ pantheon, Sep and Jasmijn will still need more than 186 points to give the Netherlands a new highest-scoring entry. That is the total Matheu achieved with “Dans Met Jou” at the 2019 contest in Gliwice.
Best placings to beat
Taking out the countries that have already won Junior Eurovision, here are the current highest placings of the Nice 2023 line-up:
| Best placing | Country |
|---|---|
| 2nd | United Kingdom |
| 4th | Ireland |
| 5th | Albania, North Macedonia |
| 8th | Portugal |
| 12th | Germany |
Germany and Portugal therefore have the most wiggle room to improve on their best placings and finish higher up the scoreboard. The UK, meanwhile, needs nothing short of a win to move higher — no pressure there, then! Wherever Estonia lands, it will get its best placing. The real pressure starts next year.
Highest scores to beat
| Score to beat | Country |
|---|---|
| 278 | Poland |
| 239 | Georgia |
| 232 | Armenia |
| 212 | Spain |
| 209 | Italy |
| 203 | France |
| 191 | Malta |
| 186 | Netherlands |
| 182 | Ukraine |
| 150 | Ireland, North Macedonia |
| 146 | United Kingdom |
| 121 | Portugal |
| 94 | Albania |
| 66 | Germany |
Albania and Germany should stand a good chance of improving on their highest scores, as they are starting from relatively low totals. Previous winners France, Italy, Spain, Armenia, Georgia and Poland will all have to get beyond 200 points before they can even think about setting a new high score. It is not impossible, but it is by no means an easy task either.
We are days away from the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Nice, so it will not be long until we find out for sure.
JS
