🇬🇪 Road to Basel: Georgia

Road to Basel: Georgia

Road to Basel: Georgia! As the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel approaches, we continue our daily spotlight on this year’s contestants. Today, we focus on Georgia.

photo: GPB

Mariam Shengelia

Mariam Shengelia is a 22-year-old Georgian singer hailing from Mingrelia. She gained national recognition through her participation in various Georgian talent shows, including X Factor Georgia and Georgian Idol. In 2025, she finished as the runner-up in Tsekvaven Varskvlavebi, the Georgian version of Dancing with the Stars. Mariam is also a member of the Georgian music band Mix2ura. ​

“Freedom”

Georgia’s Eurovision entry, “Freedom,” is a powerful ballad performed in both Georgian and English. The song was composed by Keti Gabisiani with lyrics by Buka Kartozia. “Freedom” conveys a message of hope and determination, emphasizing a deep love for freedom and homeland. The official music video, directed by Kakha Bukhrashvili, features artistic direction by Shako Popiashvili and Nino Tsulaia.

​

Internal Selection Process

The Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) internally selected Mariam Shengelia to represent Georgia at Eurovision 2025. The song “Freedom” was chosen from 18 applications received by GPB, along with 20 entries submitted by foreign composers. The selection was announced on 14 March 2025, with the song’s release coinciding with the announcement. ​

Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest

Georgia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 16 times since its debut in 2007. The country’s best results came in 2010 with Sofia Nizharadze‘s “Shine” and in 2011 with Eldrine‘s “One More Day,” both achieving ninth place. Last year, Nutsa Buzaladze managed to bring Georgia back to the final after six years.​

A Random Georgian Entry

Reflecting on Georgia’s Eurovision history, random.org chose 2021. Tornike Kipiani won Georgian Idol on New Years Eve 2020. Therefore he got the ticket to represent his country in 2020. Due to COVID19 he had to wait a year. The song was called “You”. 

Betting Odds

As of now, Mariam Shengelia’s “Freedom” is 34th in the betting odds in order to win the Eurovision Song Contest. In the semifinal 2 odds the song is even last. That means it’s gonna be tough for Georgia, but nothing is impossible. Let’s wait and see.​

We eagerly await the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel and look forward to witnessing Mariam Shengelia’s performance on the grand stage.

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Top finalists react to their results at the Eurovision Song Contest. We have collected the reactions of some of the artists.  Austria (JJ) Austria’s JJ won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with his ballad “Wasted Love.” He said he was “so pleased” that people connected with the song. JJ, trained in opera, had taken a break from the Vienna State Opera to join the contest. He explained the meaning behind the song: “There’s no wasted love… it’s the strongest force on planet Earth.” After the final, JJ thanked fans for their support. He said he was proud to bring classical music to a large pop audience. “This is the biggest pop stage in the world,” he noted. JJ appeared humble about his victory. When asked how he would celebrate, he smiled and said he needed sleep after the long night. Estonia (Tommy Cash) Tommy Cash placed third for Estonia with “Espresso Macchiato.” He received 356 points, just one point behind the runner-up. He spoke openly about the result. “Too bad we didn’t get that one point. Things got a bit political there. Sorry we came in third, but second and third place are pretty good too,” he said. Estonia had a modest jury result with 98 points, but the public gave him 258 points. Cash thanked his fans for the strong televote. He also joked that now he could say he could sing, as even the jury gave him nearly 100 points. “Estonians, we’re still the most popular and the most famous in this game,” he added with a smile. news.err.ee. Sweden (KAJ) KAJ from Sweden ended in fourth place. Their song “Bara Bada Bastu” was seen as a favorite before the final. They scored 321 points. Axel Åhman from the group said, “It’s clear one is a little surprised. You can’t deny that.” The band received 126 points from juries. Finland gave them only 10 points, even though KAJ has Finland-Swedish roots. “We’ll probably have a serious talk with [Finland’s] government,” Åhman joked. Still, they were happy with the 195 televote points. “We had a great time on stage,” they said, thanking their supporters. svt.se. Italy (Lucio Corsi) Lucio Corsi placed fifth for Italy with “Volevo Essere Un Duro.” He got 256 points. Corsi had said before the final that he did not expect to win. “Music is not a competition,” he told reporters. “It goes beyond the ranking. I care about my song and giving a good performance.” After the final, Corsi said he was happy with the top-5 result. He outperformed expectations and thanked his listeners. Lucio was glad that people liked his Italian-language ballad. The Italian singer ended by saying that the experience mattered more than points. “This journey was a success for me,” he said. spettacolomusicasport.com Greece (Klavdia) Klavdia came sixth for Greece with “Asteromáta.” She earned 231 points, one of Greece’s best scores in recent years. After the show, she was emotional and thankful. “I feel the luckiest, most blessed, happiest, and most protected person on the planet right now,” she said. “I feel like a winner.” Klavdia said she had dreamed of fifth place. “But sixth is also a victory,” she added. Greece came second in the “Rest of the World” vote and got a strong televote overall. She thanked everyone who voted and supported her. “We did this together,” she said. “This night was unforgettable.” en.protothema.gr. Share

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