Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026
| Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | İctimai Televiziya (İTV) | |||
| Country |  Azerbaijan | |||
| Selection process | Internal selection | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
| ||||
Azerbaijan is set to be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The Azerbaijani participating broadcaster, İctimai Televiziya (İTV), will internally select its entry for the contest.
Background
Prior to the 2026 contest, İctimai Televiziya (İTV) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Azerbaijan seventeen times since its first entry in 2008.[1] It had won the contest on one occasion in 2011 with the song "Running Scared" performed by Ell and Nikki. Since its debut in 2008, it had had a string of successful results, qualifying to the final in every contest until in 2018 when it failed to qualify with the song "X My Heart" performed by Aisel. It had placed in the top ten seven times, including a third-place result in 2009 with the song "Always" performed by AySel and Arash, and a second-place result in 2013 with the song "Hold Me" performed by Farid Mammadov. In 2025, it failed to qualify to the final with the song "Run with U" performed by Mamagama.[1]
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, İTV organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. The broadcaster confirmed its intentions to participate at the 2026 contest on 2 September 2025.[2] İTV had used various methods to select its entry in the past, including internal selections of both the artist and song, as well as national finals to select its artist followed by an internal selection to determine the song. Between 2011 and 2013, İTV organized a national final titled Milli seçim turu to select the performer, song or both for Eurovision. In 2014, the broadcaster utilised an existing talent show format titled Böyük səhnə where the winning performer would subsequently be given an internally selected song. Since 2015, İTV had internally selected both the artist and song, a procedure which will continue for the selection of its 2026 entry.[3]
Before Eurovision
Internal selection
On 15 December 2025, İTV announced that both the artist and song that would represent Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 would be selected internally. Their announcement called for interested artists and songwriters to submit their applications and entries to the broadcaster by 18 January 2026. Songwriters could be of any nationality.[3] 186 submissions were received at the closing of the deadline, 107 of which were from local songwriters.[4] 18 acts were selected to take part in an audition round, from which three proceeded to the final stage based on the decision of a jury panel and a focus group.[5][6]
References
- ^ a b "Azerbaijan". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ Jiandani, Sanjay (Sergio) (2 September 2025). "Azerbaijan: Ictimai confirms participation at Eurovision 2026". ESCToday. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ^ a b Conte, Davide (15 December 2025). "🇦🇿 Azerbaijan: İTV Launches Selection for Eurovision 2026". Eurovoix. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ^ "🇦🇿 Azerbaijan's Eurovision 2026 Race Narrows to Three Finalists". That Eurovision Site. 6 February 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (5 February 2026). "🇦🇿 Azerbaijan: Three Artists Remain in Contention for Eurovision 2026". Eurovoix. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ^ "Azerbaijan advances selection process for Eurovision 2026". Azernews.Az. 6 February 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026.