(A.W.) — Armenia’s Naré, 13, won the 24th Junior Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Ta’ Qali, Malta, with her song “BOO!”
This was Armenia’s third win, following victories in 2010 and 2021.
Contestants ages 9 to 14 were selected by national broadcasters that are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), including Armenia’s Public Television (AMPTV). In total, 16 countries took part in the annual competition.
Malta’s Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) hosted the contest at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta’ Qali before an audience of about 4,000. The live show lasted 150 minutes.
Under contest rules, national juries and online voting each accounted for 50% of the final score. Each national jury consisted of three music industry experts and two children ages 10 to 15.
According to organizers, millions watched the performances, with online votes cast from 194 countries and territories to help decide the winner. Each viewer could vote for up to three songs.
Online voting took place in two rounds: one before the show, based on preview clips of the performances, and another after the final live performance
Naré topped the scoreboard with 202 points.
Spain’s Lucas Paulano, 10, came in second with 184 points for the song “Cuore Bello (Te Quiero, Te Quiero).” France’s Alec, 12, took third place with 165 points for “Comment Tu Vas?”
Hailing from Yerevan, Naré started singing at a young age and has appeared in musicals, television shows and other music projects. She was chosen to represent Armenia from a pool of more than 100 applicants after auditions in Yerevan.
“BOO!” was written by Lilit Navasardyan, Grigor Kyokchyan, Nick Egibyan, Martin Mirzoyan and Anush Ter-Ghukasyan.
