Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025
| Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 2025 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) | |||
| Country |  Georgia | |||
| Selection process | Internal selection | |||
| Announcement date | 14 March 2025 | |||
| Competing entry | ||||
| Song | "Freedom" | |||
| Artist | Mariam Shengelia | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Placement | ||||
| Semi-final result | Failed to qualify (15th) | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
| ||||
Georgia was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "Freedom", written by Buka Kartozia and Keti Gabisiani, and performed by Mariam Shengelia. The Georgian participating broadcaster, the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB), internally selected its entry for the contest.
Georgia was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, which took place on 15 May 2025. Performing during the show in position 10, Georgia was not announced among the top 10 entries of the second semi-final and therefore did not qualify to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Georgia placed 15th out of the 16 participating countries in the semi-final with 28 points.
Background
Prior to the 2025 contest, the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest sixteen times since its first entry in 2007.[1] Its highest placing in the contest, to this point, has been ninth place, which was achieved on two occasions: in 2010 with the song "Shine" performed by Sofia Nizharadze, and in 2011 with the song "One More Day" performed by Eldrine. GPB briefly withdrew from the contest in 2009 after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) rejected its entry, "We Don't Wanna Put In", for perceived political references to Vladimir Putin who was the Russian Prime Minister at the time. The withdrawal and fallout was tied to tense relations between Georgia and then host country Russia, which stemmed from the 2008 Russo-Georgian War.[2][3][4] Georgia has, to this point, qualified to the final on eight occasions. In 2024, the song "Firefighter" performed by Nutsa Buzaladze qualified to the final and was their first entry to do so since 2016; it ultimately placed 21st.
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, GPB organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. GPB confirmed its intentions to participate at the 2025 contest on 2 September 2024.[5] The broadcaster has selected its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest both through national finals and internal selections in the past. In 2024, GPB opted to internally select its entry, a method which was continued for its 2025 participation.[6]
Before Eurovision
Internal selection
On 14 March 2025, GPB announced "Freedom" performed by Mariam Shengelia as the Georgian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.[7] Shengelia had previously attempted to represent Georgia in 2020, placing sixth in the ninth season of the reality television singing competition and artist selection Georgian Idol.[8] "Freedom" was composed by Keti Gabisiani with lyrics by Buka Kartozia, and was selected from 18 applications received by GPB, with another 20 entries also sent in by foreign composers. The music video of the song was directed by Kakha Bukhrashvili with artistic direction by Shako Popiashvili and Nino Tsulaia, and premiered alongside the entry announcement via the official Eurovision Song Contest's YouTube channel.[9][10]
At Eurovision
Voting
Points awarded to Georgia
| Points | Televote |
|---|---|
| 12 points | |
| 10 points |  Armenia |
| 8 points | |
| 7 points |  Israel |
| 6 points | |
| 5 points |  Greece |
| 4 points | |
| 3 points | |
| 2 points | |
| 1 point |
Georgia failed to qualify to the Grand Final.
Points awarded by Georgia
|
|
Detailed voting results
Each participating broadcaster assembles a five-member jury panel consisting of music industry professionals who are citizens of the country they represent. Each jury, and individual jury member, is required to meet a strict set of criteria regarding professional background, as well as diversity in gender and age. No member of a national jury was permitted to be related in any way to any of the competing acts in such a way that they cannot vote impartially and independently.[13] The individual rankings of each jury member as well as the nation's televoting results were released shortly after the grand final.
The following members comprised the Georgian jury:[14]
- David Tsintsadze
- George Rostiashvili
- Shalva Popiashvili
- Ani Kekua
- Salome Bakuradze
| R/O | Country | Televote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Points | ||
| 01 | .svg.png){kind=small} Australia | 10 | 1 |
| 02 |  Montenegro | 15 | |
| 03 |  Ireland | 13 | |
| 04 |  Latvia | 4 | 7 |
| 05 | Armenia | 1 | 12 |
| 06 |  Austria | 5 | 6 |
| 07 | Greece | 6 | 5 |
| 08 |  Lithuania | 3 | 8 |
| 09 |  Malta | 9 | 2 |
| 10 | Georgia | ||
| 11 |  Denmark | 11 | |
| 12 |  Czechia | 8 | 3 |
| 13 |  Luxembourg | 12 | |
| 14 | Israel | 2 | 10 |
| 15 |  Serbia | 14 | |
| 16 |  Finland | 7 | 4 |
| R/O | Country | Jury | Televote | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juror A | Juror B | Juror C | Juror D | Juror E | Rank | Points | Rank | Points | ||
| 01 |  Norway | 12 | 22 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 4 | |
| 02 | Luxembourg | 26 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 21 | 26 | 23 | ||
| 03 |  Estonia | 8 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 23 | 12 | 3 | 8 | |
| 04 | Israel | 10 | 14 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 05 | Lithuania | 22 | 24 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 5 | 6 | |
| 06 |  Spain | 14 | 15 | 20 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 22 | ||
| 07 |  Ukraine | 4 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 10 |
| 08 | .svg.png){kind=small} United Kingdom | 21 | 10 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 19 | 26 | ||
| 09 | Austria | 17 | 23 | 26 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 6 | 5 | |
| 10 |  Iceland | 20 | 7 | 23 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 20 | ||
| 11 | Latvia | 5 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 12 | |
| 12 |  Netherlands | 1 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 18 | 4 | 7 | 16 | |
| 13 | Finland | 24 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 24 | 11 | ||
| 14 |  Italy | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 13 | |
| 15 |  Poland | 13 | 17 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 15 | ||
| 16 |  Germany | 6 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
| 17 | Greece | 9 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 14 | |
| 18 | Armenia | 3 | 19 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| 19 | .svg.png){kind=small} Switzerland | 11 | 2 | 7 | 21 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 19 | |
| 20 | Malta | 15 | 11 | 13 | 25 | 13 | 18 | 17 | ||
| 21 | .svg.png){kind=small} Portugal | 23 | 6 | 3 | 23 | 14 | 11 | 21 | ||
| 22 | Denmark | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 24 | |
| 23 |  Sweden | 19 | 18 | 17 | 26 | 6 | 17 | 10 | 1 | |
| 24 |  France | 18 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 18 | ||
| 25 |  San Marino | 16 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 25 | ||
| 26 |  Albania | 25 | 26 | 24 | 13 | 25 | 23 | 8 | 3 | |
References
- ↑ "Georgia". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 15 September 2023.
- ↑ Bakker, Sietse (10 March 2009). "Georgian song lyrics do not comply with Rules". Eurovision.tv. EBU. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
- ↑ Jonze, Tim (11 March 2009). "Eurovision 2009: Georgia pulls out of contest over 'Putin song'". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
- ↑ "Putin jibe picked for Eurovision". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 19 February 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
- ↑ Jiandani, Sanjay (Sergio) (2 September 2024). "Georgia: GPB confirms participation at Eurovision 2025". ESCToday. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ↑ Bessell, Hayley (14 March 2025). "Mariam Shengelia to represent Georgia with Freedom". Aussievision. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ↑ "Mariam Shengelia will sing 'Freedom' in Basel for Georgia". eurovision.tv. 14 March 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ↑ Bijuvignesh, Darshan (14 March 2025). "🇬🇪 Georgia: Mariam Shengelia to Eurovision 2025 with "Freedom"". Eurovoix. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ↑ Jiandani, Sanjay (Sergio) (14 March 2025). "Georgia: Mariam Shengalia will fly to Basel with 'Freedom'". ESCToday. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ↑ "Mariam Shengelia to represent Georgia at Eurovision 2025". 1TV. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- 1 2 "Second Semi-Final of Basel 2025 – Detailed voting results". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- 1 2 "Grand Final of Basel 2025 – Detailed voting results". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "How the Eurovision Song Contest works". European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ↑ "Grand Final of Basel 2025 – Jurors". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 18 May 2025.