Who will represent Ukraine at Eurovision 2024? National selection finalists and their biographies

The Eurovision 2024 national selection organizers held a drawing on Jan. 11 to determine the order finalists will perform.

The national selection for this year’s contest will take place in Kyiv on Feb. 3, but there will be no audience in attendance. Instead, the event will be in a televised concert format. For safety reasons, the location of the performances will remain undisclosed.

Read also: Thirty-seven countries set for Eurovision 2024, excluding Russia and Belarus

The national selection for this year’s contest will take place in Kyiv on Feb. 3, but there will be no audience in attendance. Instead, the event will be in a televised concert format. For safety reasons, the location of the performances will remain undisclosed.

This year's national competition for Ukraine's Eurovision entry will feature 11 performers and bands rather than the usual 10. Fans can already preview each act's song as they compete for the chance to represent Ukraine on the international stage in Malmö, Sweden.

NV shares some details about the contenders and hopes that whoever prevails at home will go on to claim victory for Ukraine abroad.

YAKTAK

Yaroslav Karpuk, an 18-year-old Ukrainian artist who became the most popular performer on Spotify in Ukraine in 2023, is the youngest participant in the selection. His songs topped Spotify's streaming charts in the country, and his track "Pohlyad" cracked the Ukrainian top 10 on Apple Music. As a child, Karpuk was active in local music contests and festivals before he launched his solo career in February 2022. He won Best New Pop Artist at the Muzvar Awards in 2023.

INGRET

Ingret Kostenko, a representative of Ukraine's indie music scene, has competed in several talent shows, including "X-Factor," which she left voluntarily, and "Holos Krainy” (The Voice of Ukraine"), where she finished as runner-up. She previously tried to become Ukraine's Eurovision representative in 2018 but did not advance to the national selection finals.

After Russia's full-scale invasion began, Ingret relocated to Germany. Through the charity project, “Music. Support. Freedom,” the singer performed across Europe and visited Ukrainian refugees. Proceeds from her performances were donated to the Masterskaya volunteer center in Kyiv.

NAZVA

Pavlo Hotz and Yaroslav Yarovenko founded the alternative band NAZVA in Lviv in 2019. The artists describe their music, which features instruments like double bass, alto saxophone, keys, and flute, as “ethno-art chaos.” NAZVA released their debut album in 2022, which included the popular song "Sigele-Migele." Their sophomore album "GURMA" dropped in October 2023, featuring collaborations with renowned Ukrainian musicians like Oleh Skrypka, DakhaBrakha, Go_A, and others.

ANKA

Anna Korchenova, a singer-songwriter originally from Kyiv, spent the last year-and-a-half in the Netherlands competing on the European version of "The Voice." She writes her own music, as well as composes for other artists. Korchenova launched her solo project in 2022, releasing 13 songs, including collaborations with Slava Kaminska and several Ukrainian DJs.

DREVO

Maxym Derevyanchuk, born in Varash in Ukraine's Rivne region, previously competed in the Eurovision national selection and made the longlist last year. The performer recorded several songs over the past year, with his track "Samolit" garnering over 1 million views on YouTube.

alyona alyona & Jerry Heil

Jerry Heil and alyona alyona, both well-established Ukrainian artists, are teaming up for this year’s Eurovision national selection. While Heil competed in the selection in 2020 and 2022, this year marks alyona alyona's first time participating. The rapper and singer have collaborated successfully in the past, and their latest joint single for the competition quickly became a top trending video on Ukrainian YouTube.

Melovin

Ukrainian singer Melovin represented his country at Eurovision in 2018, placing 17th. This will be his third time competing in Ukraine's national selection. Melovin has pursued the arts from a young age, dancing, studying music, and singing in choirs as a child. He recorded his debut track in 2016 after winning the talent competition "X-Factor."

SKYLERR

Valeriya Kudryavets, author of the hit song "Vechornytsi" (also known as "Dobryi Den Everybody"), was a contestant on the TV talent show "X-Factor." She won the Best New Artist award at the Muzvar Awards in 2023. Since the start of the war, Kudryavets has performed in over 50 charity concerts to raise funds and awareness.

Ziferblat

Daniil, Valentin, and Fedor founded their band in 2015. Two years later, they released their debut EP. After appearing on "X-Factor" in 2019, the band went on to win Best New Name in Alternative Music at the 2023 Muzvar Awards. Most recently, in 2022, the group released their first full-length album, which featured 13 tracks.

YAGODY

When forced to flee Donetsk in 2014, Zoryana Dybovska relocated to Lviv, where she founded the musical group YAGODY in 2016. Comprised of student-actresses whom Dybovska taught, the band actively tours abroad and holds charity concerts.

NAHABA

Vocalist Vakyolia and singer Andriy make up the young pop duo that combines male and female vocals with electronic music. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, Vakyolia has traveled across Europe, performing songs about Ukrainian courage on city streets. Andriy participated in the 10th season of "Holos Krainy” (The Voice of Ukraine") and joined the Ukrainian Air Force in 2023. The duo faced accusations of plagiarism for their Eurovision entry "Glass," which listeners say resembles the hit "Nas Ne Dogonyat" by Russian band TATU.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine