Albania in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest

Albania debuted in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2012. Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH), a member organisation of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has been responsible for the selection process of their participants since their debut.

Albania
Member stationRadio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH)
National selection events
National final
  • Junior Fest
  • 2012
  • 2017–2019
  • 2021
  • Festivali i Këngës për Femije:
  • 2015–2016
Participation summary
Appearances7
First appearance2012
Highest placement5th: 2015
External links
Albania's page at JuniorEurovision.tv
For the most recent participation see
Albania in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021

The nation’s first representative was Igzidora Gjeta in 2012 with the song "Kam një këngë vetëm për ju" in, which achieved a score of thirty-five points, finishing in twelfth place out of twelve participating entries. The country was subsequently absent in 2013 and 2014. Albania returned to the contest in 2015, when Mishela Rapo represented them with the song "Dambaje", achieving ninety-three points and finishing in fifth place out of seventeen participating countries; this remains the country’s best score to date. Albania subsequently competed every year until 2020, when they had their first absence from the contest in six years after withdrawing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] However on 18 August 2021, RTSH announced that they will return to the contest in 2021.[2]

History
Mishela Rapo at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015, in Sofia, Bulgaria
Efi Gjika at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Minsk, Belarus

In 2005, Albanian broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) broadcast that year’s contest in Hasselt. On 14 August 2012, RTSH announced that they would be making their Junior Eurovision debut at the 2012 contest in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 1 December 2012.[3] The mechanism used at the time in order to select their representative was a national pre-selection show entitled Junior Fest Albania 2012.[4] Child-singer, Igzidora Gjeta, was the first participant to represent Albania with the song "Kam një këngë vetëm për ju",[5] which finished in twelfth place achieving a score of thirty-five points. This was Albania's worst result in their contest history.[6]

On 27 September 2013, RTSH announced that their withdrawal from the 2013 contest, with the EBU stating that the withdrawal was due to financial and organisational issues.[7] Albania continued to be absent from the contest in 2014,[8] and it was not until 13 March 2015 that RTSH announced their return to the competition.[9] The national selection show which was organised in order to select the 2015 participant was entitled Festivali i Këngës për Femije, and was won by Mishela Rapo with the song "Dambaje".[10] At the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015, Rapo finished in fifth place, achieving ninety-three points and their best result to date.[11]

On 1 June 2016, Klesta Qehaja won the Festivali i Këngës për Femije with the song "Besoj", earning the right to represent Albania at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Valletta. She received thirty-eight points, therefore finishing thirteenth out of seventeen participating countries.[12]

Participation overview
Table key
◁ Last place
Year Entrant Song Language Place Points
2012 Igzidora Gjeta "Kam një këngë vetëm për ju" Albanian 12 ◁ 35
2015 Mishela Rapo "Dambaje" Albanian, English, Imaginary 5 93
2016 Klesta Qehaja "Besoj" Albanian, English 13 38
2017 Ana Kodra "Don't Touch My Tree" Albanian, English 13 67
2018 Efi Gjika "Barbie" Albanian, English 17 44
2019 Isea Çili "Mikja ime fëmijëri" Albanian 17 36
2021 Anna Gjebrea "Stand By You" Albanian, English 14 84

Commentators and spokespersons

The contests are broadcast online worldwide through the official Junior Eurovision Song Contest website junioreurovision.tv and YouTube. In 2015, the online broadcasts featured commentary in English by junioreurovision.tv editor Luke Fisher and 2011 Bulgarian Junior Eurovision Song Contest entrant Ivan Ivanov.[13] The Albanian broadcaster, RTSH, sent their own commentator to each contest in order to provide commentary in the Albanian language. Spokespersons were also chosen by the national broadcaster in order to announce the awarding points from Albania. The table below list the details of each commentator and spokesperson since 2012.

Year Commentator Spokesperson Ref.
2005 Unknown Did not participate
2006–2011 No broadcast
2012 Andri Xhahu Keida Dervishi
[14]
2013–2014 No broadcast Did not participate
2015 Andri Xhahu Majda Bejzade
[15][16]
2016 Juna Dizdari
[17][18]
2017 Sabjana Rizvanu
[19]
2018 Daniil Lazuko
[20][21]
2019 Efi Gjika
[22]
2020 No broadcast Did not participate
2021 Andri Xhahu Alex

See also

References
  1. García, Belén (2020-09-17). "Exclusive: Albania reveals the reasons behind Junior Eurovision withdrawal". ESCplus. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  2. Farren, Neil (2021-08-18). "🇦🇱 Albania: Junior Eurovision 2021 Participation Confirmed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  3. Granger, Anthony (14 August 2012). "Albania debut in Amsterdam". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  4. Escudero, Victor M. (4 October 2012). "Tonight: Albania picks their first ever Junior entry!". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  5. Siim, Jarmo (10 October 2012). "Igzadora Gjeta going for Albania". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  6. "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Scoreboard". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  7. Nuhiu, Rinor (27 September 2013). "Albania RTSH withdraws from Junior Eurovision". escchat.com. ESC Chat. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  8. "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2014 Participants". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  9. Granger, Anthony (13 March 2015). "Albania: Return To Junior Eurovision". Eurovoix. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  10. Ko, Anthony (28 May 2015). "Mishela Rapo will represent Albania at JESC 2015 in Bulgaria". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  11. "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 Scoreboard". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  12. "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 Scoreboard". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 20 November 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  13. Fisher, Luke James (21 November 2015). "Tonight: Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015!". Junior Eurovision Song Contest – Bulgaria 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  14. Mikheev, Andy (23 November 2012). "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2012". esckaz.com. ESC Kaz. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  15. Lako, Niko (19 November 2015). "Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 Finalja e 21 Nëntorit në RTSH në komentin e Andri Xhahu" [Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 Final on November 21 commentated by Andri Xhahu]. imalbania.com (in Albanian). Infomedia Albania. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  16. Juhász, Ervin (21 November 2019). "Meet the spokespersons of tonight's Grand Final!". junioreurovision.tv. EBU. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  17. Kasaj, Justin (20 November 2016). "Zbuloni fituesen e Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016" [Discover the winner of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016]. imalbania.com (in Albanian). Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  18. Granger, Anthony (19 November 2016). "JESC'16: All Seventeen Spokespersons Announced". Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  19. Farren, Neil (24 November 2017). "Albania: Commentator and Spokesperson Revealed". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  20. Granger, Anthony (24 November 2018). "Albania: Andri Xhahu To Commentate on Junior Eurovision 2018". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  21. Granger, Anthony (25 November 2018). "Junior Eurovision 2018 - Who Are The Spokespersons?". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  22. Granger, Anthony (17 November 2019). "Albania: Efi Gjika Announced as Spokesperson". eurovoix.com.
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