Azerbaijani broadcaster Icitimai TV has selected its Eurovision 2026 act via an internal selection.
The Selection Process
- 186 songs were submitted to the selection process. 107 of them were submitted by local writers and composers.
- The jury panel evaluated the songs and invited 18 artists to live auditions
- 3 artists were shortlisted for the final stage
- A focus group made the final decision
The national broadcaster revealed that the chosen artist is JIVA.
About JIVA
JIVA (Jamila Hashimova) is an Azerbaijani singer who is known for combining technical vocal mastery with raw, sincere emotion. Her ascent began in 2003 with a second-place finish at the Baku Autumn competition, followed by a breakout appearance in the 2007 Showtime project.
Throughout her career, JIVA has navigated diverse musical landscapes, from performing at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival with the Rashad Hashimov-led RAST ensemble to fronting the Hazz Band, where she fused jazz sophistication with modern pop.
Since launching her solo career in 2017, she has become a trilingual force in pop, dance, and R&B. Her momentum reached a fever pitch in 2025 when she was crowned the winner of The Voice of Azerbaijan under the mentorship of Roya Aykhan.
No stranger to the grand stage, Jiva previously secured a top-three spot in Azerbaijan’s 2011 Eurovision national selection, making her 2026 journey a highly anticipated return.
You can listen to her latest release here:
Her Eurovision 2026 entry will be revealed later on this month
Azerbaijan will compete in semi-final 2 of Eurovision 2026 (May 14th, 2026).
The country will perform in the first half of the show.
Eurovision 2026 will be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th, 14th, and 16th, 2026.
