Junior Eurovision 2024: Georgia claims fourth victory with Andria Putkaradze’s Song – Congratulations!

Georgia has won the 2024 Junior Eurovision Song Contest (JESC) held in Madrid on Saturday 16 November – we take a look back at the 2024 edition of the contest in Madrid in November.

The winning song, “To My Mom”, was performed by 11-year-old Andria Putkaradze, giving Georgia its fourth win – the country took the lead for the record for the most wins in the contest, having triumphed in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2008, 2011 and 2016.

A brief overview of Andria Putkaradze’s career so far

Andria stunned the millions watching around the world on TV and online with a performance that topped the scoreboard with an impressive 239 points at the end of a spectacular two-hour show. That result ties as Georgia’s highest ever points tally, equalling the 239 points that the country achieved in 2016, thanks to Mariam Mamadashvili and her song Mzeo.

Victoria Nicole from Portugal received 213 points to finish in 2nd place with “Esperança”. Ukraine’s Artem Kotenko singing “HEAR ME NOW” came 3rd with 203 points. In third place, we had Ukraine, thanks to a performance of HEAR ME NOW by Artem Kotenko. It is Ukraine’s best result at Junior Eurovision in over a decade.

{%CAPTION%}Andria has dreams of becoming a professional singer. He has been performing since the age of two, later becoming a member of the vocal ensemble group Children of the Sea before studying piano at the Zakaria Paliashvili Music School. Already an accomplished musician, he won broadcaster GPB’s much-loved RANINA televised talent contest. When he’s not busy performing, Andria can be found playing PlayStation with his friends.

“To My Mom” was written by Georgian composer Giorgi Kukhianidze, with lyrics co-written by Maka Davitaia. Giorgi has been writing songs for Georgia since the country started competing in Junior Eurovision in 2007 and has now written all four of their winners.

For his presentation of To My Mom, Andria Putkaradze was joined on stage by another talented young performer. Gabriel Machabeli is the gifted dancer that you see moving skillfully beside Andria in Georgia’s winning Junior Eurovision performance.

The 22nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest was coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and hosted by Spain’s national broadcaster RTVE under the slogan “Let’s Bloom”, symbolizing the growth of young artists.

EBU Member broadcasters from 17 countries took part in the annual competition for talented youngsters aged 9 to 14. A total of 64 artists representing the 17 participating countries sang and danced live on stage at the Caja Magica in Madrid in front of an audience of nearly 7,000 fans.

Junior Eurovision 2024 Special Guest Productions

The colourful show began with all the competing artists performing the theme song “Let’s Bloom” as the traditional Flag Parade. In the opening number, three renowned figures from Junior Eurovision’s past will be joining us once again: María Isabel, Contest winner for Spain in 2004 with Antes Muerta Que Sencilla; Zoé Clauzure, reigning winner for France in 2023 with Cœur; and Sandra Valero, Spain’s representative who finished in second place with Loviu in Nice.

Another special performance that viewers can look forward to will be Time To Bloom, conceived by artistic director Sergio Jaén. Jaén gained recognition across the Eurovision Song Contest community at Malmö 2024, when he directed the performance of Doomsday Blue by Bambie Thug for Ireland.

The song Time to Bloom, with music by Federico Jusid and choreography by Borja Rueda, explores self-growth and acceptance, emphasising the value of authenticity. Designed to captivate both children and adults, the performance will combine a cinematic visual style with evocative dance, which promises to make for a powerful and engaging presentation.

Spanish singing star Abraham Mateo performed his hit “Maníaca” as the votes were counted.

“Stunning performance”

Martin Österdahl, the JESC’s Executive Supervisor, said

“2024 has been another remarkable year for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, brilliantly hosted by RTVE. This edition has truly highlighted the incredible talent and creativity of young artists from across Europe who all bloomed on stage. Our deepest thanks go to RTVE for their outstanding organization and unwavering commitment to making this event a memorable celebration of youth and music.” 

“Congratulations to our deserving winner Andria whose stunning performance resonated with audiences across Europe, embodying the essence of what Junior Eurovision represents. Every performer on that stage has shown us the power of music and the vibrant spirit of our future stars.”

This year’s show was hosted by Spanish singer Ruth Lorenzo, who gave Spain a Top 10 finish at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014 with her song “Dancing In The Rain”, award-winning actor Marc Clotet and Melani García, who represented Spain at the 2019 Junior Eurovision Song Contest where she came third.

Votes from 189 countries – Junior Eurovision 2024 in numbers

Viewers in the 17 participating countries and a further 172 nations helped decide the winner by voting online – 10 countries more than in 2023. Juries made up of three music industry experts and two children aged 10 to 15 from each participating country provided 50% of the scores.

Millions of valid votes were received in the online poll which was split into two rounds – one before the show based on preview clips and a second that opened after the last live performance, allowing viewers to cast their votes based on what they saw on stage.

State of the art production

Over 800 lighting fixtures and 18 cameras, 54 wireless microphones and 40 in-ear monitors were used in the state-of-the-art production. 20 kilometres of cabling, 175 motors and 11 generators were also on site to power the live broadcast of the event.

Screens played a central role in the stage design, with a monumental 19-metre-high, 11-metre-wide vertical main screen and a floor screen spanning 100 square metres which allowed the artists’ performances to fully embrace the space.

On both sides of the main screen, two large self-illuminated vertical gardens, each standing 14 metres high, illustrated the “Let’s Bloom” theme.

Unlike in the Eurovision Song Contest, JESC winners do not automatically have to host the following year’s event. We will be working with all our Members, including the winning broadcaster GPB, over the next few weeks to identify and then announce the host broadcaster for next year.

Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 – Watch it again with us!

Source: EBU, JuniorEurovision.tv, Eurovision.tv / OurVision International
Illustration: Andria Putkaradze wins Junior Eurovision 2024 for Georgia – Photo by Corinne Cumming (EBU)