Suspilne Mova has announced the lineup of the jury for the final of the National Selection for Junior Eurovision 2026. The six finalists competing for the right to represent Ukraine at the international contest will be judged by musician Dmytro Shurov (PianoBoy), singer SKYLERR, and producer and radio host Anna Svyridova. This was reported by Wave RBC.UA, citing the official Instagram account of "Eurovision" in Ukraine run by Suspilne Mova. The National Selection final will take place on September 26, 2026, at 19:00, and the country's representative, as in the previous year, will be determined jointly by the viewers and the three jury members.

Judging criteria: from vocals to childlike sincerity

Each jury member outlined their priorities when evaluating children's performances. Dmytro Shurov admitted that he considers this task particularly responsible, since he himself took part in contests as a child, and expressed hope that "regardless of the results of this final, every child will come out of it stronger, more inspired, and even more in love with music." Singer SKYLERR emphasized that she would pay attention not only to vocals but also to the overall performance — charisma, the song, the staging, confidence, and the ability to convey emotion to the audience — while stressing the importance of preserving childlike sincerity and not seeing on stage an "adult artist in a small body." Anna Svyridova named vocals, artistry, emotionality, and the contest composition itself among the main criteria, which, in her words, should be modern, interesting, and capable of engaging a European audience.

Hosts, direction, and stage design

The hosts of the final will be Timur Myroshnychenko, Anna Tulyeva, and Ukraine's representative at Junior Eurovision 2023, Anastasiia Dymyd. The show's directors are Lesia Podolyanko and Ilya Osedlyi. For each of the six finalists, the team is preparing an individual stage look, lighting design, and scenography, which, according to the directors' vision, should highlight the individuality of each performance.

Voting format and broadcast platforms

The final result will be formed using the same model as last year: Ukraine's representative is determined jointly by the viewers and the three jury members. The final on September 26 can be watched on the "Suspilne Kultura" TV channel and website, on the junior.eurovision.ua website, and on the "Eurovision Ukraine" YouTube channel. Thus, the audience will have several independent channels to access the live broadcast.

Context: last year's result and the international final in Malta

Last year, Ukraine was represented at Junior Eurovision by Sofia Nersesyan with the song Motanka, which finished in second place, losing to the winner from France, Lou Deleuze. The 2026 international final will take place on October 24 in Malta, where representatives from 16 countries will compete. Additional context for preparing the finalists' performance is information about the National Selection's songwriter: according to other publications, the role of the contest composition's author has again been taken on by alyona alyona, indicating the continuity of the project's creative team.