Prior to the 2024 contest, Poland had participated in the contest ten times. In 2003 and 2004, Poland finished in last place, and they decided not to participate from 2005 to 2015.[1] The country returned in 2016. In both 2018 and 2019, Poland won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest with Roksana Węgiel and Viki Gabor respectively. In 2021, Sara James competed for Poland with the song "Somebody" which ended up in 2nd place, being 6 points short of winning the competition.[2] In 2023, Maja Krzyżewska competed for Poland with the song "I Just Need a Friend", which ended up in 6th place out of 16 entries with 124 points.[3]
In light of the 2023 Polish public media crisis, head of the Polish delegation for the contest Marta Piekarska reportedly assured that as long as "TVP trusts her", Poland would not withdraw from the Junior Eurovision Song Contest;[4] she was later confirmed as a member of the contest's steering group, therefore confirming her involvement with the delegation for another year.[5] In January 2024, a tender announcement was made by TVP in liquidation for the organisation of two traditional editions of Szansa na sukces that year – a spring edition, serving as the selection method for a newcomer spot at the Opole Festival, as well as an autumn edition held in relation to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest – thereby confirming it as the national final for the sixth year running.[6][7]
Before Junior Eurovision
Szansa na sukces
TVP selected the Polish representative with the television program Szansa na sukces (transl. Chance of Success); the same show has also been used for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest since 2019 and various times for the Eurovision Song Contest, directly or indirectly.[a]Artur Orzech accepted a preliminary invitation to host the format following the takeover of Polish public media in late 2023.[11] Casting for the show took place on 26 May 2024 at the TVP Headquarters in Warsaw, from which 21 acts were selected to advance to the competition.[12]
The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is set to take place at Caja Mágica in Madrid, Spain on 16 November 2024. Poland will perform 8th, following North Macedonia and preceding Georgia.[20]
Voting
The same voting system that was introduced in the 2017 edition will be used, where the results will be determined by 50% online voting and 50% jury voting. Every country has a national jury that consists of three music industry professionals and two children aged between 10 and 15 who are citizens of the country they represent. The rankings of those jurors are combined to make an overall top ten.[21]
The online voting consists of two phases. The first phase of the online voting will begin on 15 November 2024 when a recap of all the rehearsal performances is shown on the contest's website Junioreurovision.tv before the viewers can vote. After this, voters will also have the option to watch longer one-minute clips from each participant's rehearsal. This first round of voting will end on 16 November at 17:59 CET. The second phase of the online voting will take place during the live show and begin right after the last performance and will be open for 15 minutes. International viewers will be able vote for three songs.[22] They will also be able to vote for their own country's song. These votes will then be turned into points which will be determined by the percentage of votes received. For example, if a song receives 10% of the votes, it will receive 10% of the available points.
At the end of the show, Poland received 13 points from juries and 48 points from online voting, placing 12th.
^The format has been involved at least thrice in the selection of the Polish representative in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 1995, the selection of Justyna to represent the country was partially motivated by her win in the first edition of Szansa na sukces;[8] similarly, in 1996, Viola Brzezińska [pl], who won the second edition, was initially selected to represent Poland, however she would be later replaced by Kasia Kowalska,[9] while in 2020, a special edition of the format served as the selection method for the contest later that year.[10]
^Błażewicz, Maciej (26 November 2023). "Eurowizja Junior 2023: Zwycięstwo Francji, a za kulisami niezadowolenie. Maja Krzyżewska na 6. miejscu! Gdzie konkurs trafi za rok. Nie będzie to Francja?" [Junior Eurovision 2023: French victory, but behind the scenes [there's] dissatisfaction. Maja Krzyżewska in 6th place! Where will the competition end up next year? Will it not be France?]. Dziennik Eurowizyjny (in Polish). Retrieved 4 April 2024. Marta Piekarska w rozmowie z Dziennikiem Eurowizyjnym zapewniła, że dopóki TVP jej ufa, z JESC się nie wycofamy [In an interview with the Eurovision Journal, Marta Piekarska [Polish Head of Delegation] assured that as long as TVP trusts her, Poland will not withdraw from the JESC]
^Błażewicz, Maciej (18 January 2024). "Eurowizja 2024: Wiemy, kto będzie dowodził polską delegacją w Malmo! Czy powróci Konrad Smuga? Ida Nowakowska nie poda już polskich punktów" [Eurovision 2024: We know who will lead the Polish delegation in Malmö! Will Konrad Smuga return? Ida Nowakowska will not deliver the Polish points anymore]. Dziennik Eurowizyjny (in Polish). Retrieved 4 April 2024. Wczoraj w sieci pojawiło się ogłoszenie przetargowe TVP w likwidacji dotyczące „Szansy na Sukces", która w tym roku będzie miała dwie standardowe edycje. W wiosennej ramówce wybierany będzie wokalista, który w nagrodę zaśpiewa na Festiwalu w Opolu, a w jesiennej reprezentant Polski na Eurowizję Junior 2024. Można więc uznać, że Polska potwierdziła już udział w JESC oraz formę preselekcji. „Szansa na Sukces Eurowizja Junior" (w ogłoszeniu zapisana skrótem SNS EJ) powróci. [Yesterday a tender announcement by TVP in liquidation regarding "Szansa na sukces", which will have two standard editions this year, started circulating in the web. In the spring schedule, a singer will be selected who will sing as a reward at the Festival in Opole, and in the autumn schedule, a singer will be selected to represent Poland at Junior Eurovision 2024. Therefore, it can be assumed that Poland has already confirmed its participation in JESC and the form of pre-selection. "Szansa na sukces. Eurowizja Junior" (abbreviated as SNS EJ in the announcement) will return.]
