Anžej Dežan

Anžej Dežan is a Slovenian pop singer born on 17 June 1987 in Šentjur pri Celju, then part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He began his musical journey at the age of ten by winning a television karaoke competition. His first major breakthrough came in 2005 when he participated in the Slovenian talent show “Spet Doma” on RTV Slovenija, finishing as the runner-up to Omar Naber. 

Following his success on “Spet Doma,” Dežan collaborated with composers and lyricists Urša and Matjaž Vlašič and Boštjan Grabnar. This partnership led to the release of his debut single “C’est la vie” in December 2004, which achieved significant airplay on Slovenian radio stations. 

In 2005, Dežan served as a backing vocalist for Nuša Derenda during the EMA, Slovenia’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. That same year, he performed his second single “Vroče” at the Melodije morja in sonca festival, where he won first place. 

Dežan’s most prominent appearance came in 2006 when he won EMA with the song “Plan B,” earning the right to represent Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens. For the contest, the song was translated into English and retitled “Mr. Nobody.” Despite a strong performance, he finished 16th in the semi-final and did not advance to the final. 

After Eurovision, Dežan continued his musical career, releasing songs such as “Zarja” in 2007 and “Šopek maka” in 2008, the latter earning him the jury prize for best song and best interpretation at the Slovenian Song Festival. 

In addition to his singing career, Dežan has worked as a television and radio presenter, hosting programs like “Jasno in glasno,” “NLP,” and “Vroče.” 

As of 2024, Dežan holds the position of Head of Heritage Programming & Orchestration in the Arts & Culture sector.