Nuša Derenda

Nuša Derenda (born March 30, 1969) is a Slovenian pop singer. She is best known for representing Slovenia at the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest, where she achieved seventh place. Many consider Derenda one of Slovenia’s top vocalists in popular music. Her career spans from the late 1980s to the present. Over the years, she has released numerous hit songs and eight albums, while winning many awards in her home country. 

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Nuša Derenda was born as Anuška Žnideršič in the town of Brežice. She grew up singing in school choirs and performing as a soloist. Nuša learned to play the accordion in music school during her childhood. In high school she met her future husband, Frenk Derenda, who played in a band that needed a singer. Nuša joined his band, which launched her performing career. Although she briefly trained to be a preschool teacher, music ultimately became her primary focus. In the early 1990s, her band toured extensively across Europe. She performed in Yugoslavia, Germany, Switzerland, and even made trips to the United States. This period gave her valuable stage experience, with the group sometimes performing over 150 concerts in a year.

Rise to Fame in Slovenia

By the late 1990s, Nuša Derenda was gaining recognition through music competitions. In 1998 she won the Orion talent show with the song “Vzemi me veter” (“Take Me, Wind”). The following year, her long-held dream of recording an album came true. She released her debut album Vzemi me veter in 1999. That year she also won the Best Singer award at the Slovenska Popevka (Slovenian Song Contest) and earned an audience’s choice award at the MMS festival (Melodies of the Sea and Sun) for her performance of the song “Boginja” (“Goddess”). In 2000, Derenda continued her winning streak. She again won the Orion contest with the song “Čez dvajset let” (“In Twenty Years”) and took first place at the HIT Festival with the upbeat song “Ni mi žal” (“I Have No Regrets”). In December 2000, she released her second album, also titled Ni mi žal, which became her best-selling record.

Eurovision Breakthrough (2001)

However, 2001 proved to be her breakthrough year. Nuša Derenda won the EMA national song contest, earning the right to represent Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen. She performed the energetic dance-pop song “Energy” (the English version of “Ne, ni res”) and achieved seventh place in the Eurovision final, Slovenia’s best-ever result up to that time. This strong showing brought her broad international attention. As a result, Derenda received invitations to perform across Europe. In 2001 she toured internationally, including an appearance at the Golden Stag Festival in Brașov, Romania, where she won a special award from the Ministry of Culture for the best interpretation of a Romanian song. The same year, she was a special guest at the Eurosong fan club concert in Cologne, Germany, and performed at the Zadarfest music festival in Croatia. At Zadarfest 2001, an expert jury awarded her second place and a prize for best lyrics for her song “Ako moj je grijeh”.

Back at home, Derenda received major honors due to her Eurovision success. In 2001 she won the Viktor award for most popular singer in Slovenia (awarded by Stop magazine’s readers) and also received a Zlati petelin (“Golden Rooster”) music award for her hit “Ni mi žal”. By the end of that year, she was widely recognized as a leading pop star in Slovenia.

Continued Musical Success

Nuša Derenda sustained her popularity with further achievements in the 2000s. In 2002, she won the national Slovenska Popevka song festival with the power-ballad “Pesek v oči” (“Sand in the Eyes”). That same year in December, she released her third studio album, Na štiri oči (“Face to Face”). In 2003, she triumphed at the HIT Festival again. This time with the song “V ogenj zdaj obleci me” (“Dress Me in Fire”), which earned awards for its music and lyrics. Derenda also explored television presenting. In September 2004, she successfully hosted the live broadcast of the Slovenska Popevka festival in Ljubljana, showcasing her ease in front of the camera. Furthermore, that year she participated in the international Megahit Mediterranean Song Contest in Turkey, where she achieved third place with the song “Devil” among competitors from many countries.

In 2005, Derenda attempted to return to the Eurovision stage. She entered EMA again with the song “Noe, Noe”, which was well-received by listeners but ultimately did not win the national selection. The following year, she marked a career milestone with her first major solo concert. In February 2006, Nuša staged a sold-out concert at Cankarjev Dom in Ljubljana, performing live with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and Big Band. Notably, legendary Eurovision singer Johnny Logan appeared as a guest at this concert.

New albums and festivals

After a brief break from recording, Derenda released a new studio album Prestiž (“Prestige”) in 2008, produced in collaboration with songwriter Raay. The album featured the single “Danes vračam se” (“Today I’m Coming Back”), for which she also filmed a popular music video. Over her career, Nuša Derenda has put out a total of eight albums, including a 2004 greatest-hits collection and a 2005 album of children’s songs, demonstrating her range as an artist.

Nuša Derenda remained a fixture of Slovenian pop music throughout the 2010s. She continued to compete in song festivals and produce new hits. For example, in 2012 she teamed up with singer Marko Vozelj to win the Slovenian song festival with their duet “Naj nama sodi le nebo” (“May Only Heaven Judge Us). A few years later, in 2016, her song “Grafit” (“Graffiti”) earned second place at the renewed Slovenska Popevka competition. In March 2018, Nuša celebrated the 20th anniversary of her solo career with a large gala concert at Cankarjev Dom. The sold-out show featured Derenda performing her biggest hits, accompanied by the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra conducted by Patrik Greblo. 

Television Appearances

Beyond her music releases, Nuša Derenda has frequently appeared on television. In addition to hosting the Slovenska Popevka show in 2004, she has been a guest and performer on many TV programs. More recently, in 2024 she and her husband Frenk joined a reality TV series as guest judges, helping to evaluate couples competing for a dream wedding. During the finale of that show, she also performed some of her well-known songs, much to the delight of the audience. Derenda’s charismatic stage presence and familiarity with live TV have made her a welcomed personality on Slovenian television, whether as a host, judge, or musical guest.

Personal Life

Nuša Derenda married her longtime partner Frenk Derenda in 1995. He’s the same person who first got her into his band during high school. The couple has two sons, Matevž and Gašper. Derenda still resides near her hometown of Brežice and enjoys a stable family life.