After three days filled with artistic spirit and energetic musical performances, Albania chose their representative for Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. An intense voting sequence was introduced for the first time in Festivali i Këngës and the winner was Shkodra Elektronike with the song “Zjerm”.
On the third night, the Festival continued to honor the empowering messages and stories. Bora Ferri, the daughter of the well-known actor, Xhevdet Ferri shared her personal story about their relationship and all the things she learned from him such as dignity, independence, and respect. A message of strength and encouragement was given by politician Arta Dade to all women to help them realize their dreams and ambitions. The artistic director, singer, and Albanian representative in 2015, Elhaida Dani has confessed her battle with prejudice about her private life. All these inspiring stories have made this show not only about music but also about life, showing how everybody fights their own battles no matter who they are.
The finalists of Fest 63 performed tonight in the following running order:
- Jet – “Gjallë”
- Kejsi Jazxhi – “Kur bota hesht”
- Vesa Smolica – “Lutem”
- Stine – “E kishim nis“
- Djemtë e Detit – “Larg”
- Nita Latifi – “Zemrës”
- Gjergj Kaçinari – “Larg jetës pa ty”
- Orgesa Zaimi – “I parë”
- Ardit Çuni – “Amane”
- Algert Sala – “Bosh”
- Shkodra Elektronike – “Zjerm”
- Lorenc Hasrama – “Frymë”
- Elvana Gjata – “Karnaval”
- Mal Retkoceri – “Antihero”
- Alis Kallacej – “Mjegull”
Voting
This year’s innovation is the diaspora vote which had its own voice for the first time in choosing the winning song. All Albanians living outside the borders of the country could vote through the RTSH official website, festivali.rtsh.al. Diaspora votes accounted for 25% of the total points awarded.
An additional 25% of the points came from Albanian citizens and Kosovo who voted via SMS. The remaining 50% of the points were awarded by the professional jury panel consisting of musical experts, producers, and singers.
- Zana Çela (Chairperson)
- Alma Bektashi
- Ylljet Aliçka
- Merita Rexha Tërshana
- Florent Boshnjaku
- Jonida Maliqi
- Ramona Tullumani
The juries were the first to award their points to the 15 finalists. Here is the cumulative result after all juries voted in the standard ESC voting system for their top 10 favourites (1-8 / 10 / 12 points).
After the jury vote, two front-runners separated from the rest of the competition and the two-horse race started. Shkodra Elektronike and Elvana Gjata were two favorites before the show.
The next step in the exciting voting sequence was to award the diaspora votes (25% of the total points awarded).
All contestants besides the two front-runners received 2 or fewer points from the diaspora vote, meaning that the central figures remained the same. Elvana Gjata received 42 points, while Shkodra Elektronike received 23 points from the diaspora vote, which pushed Elvana into the lead.
In the end, the last 25% of the points were given by the audience (standard televote) in Albania and Kosovo. They rewarded Shkodra Elektronike with 42 points, while Elvana Gjata received 19 points which meant the tables turned again and Shkodra Elektronike won the 63rd edition of Festivali i Këngës with a total of 143 points and will represent Albania in Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland.
Other rewards
Besides the obvious winning prize, representing Albania in the contest, two additional rewards have been awarded, “Best Text” and “Critic’s Award”.
The Critic’s Award goes to Shkodra Elektronike, who is also the author of the music, text, and orchestration. The reward is given for the quality of interpretation, composition, and performance. This award recognizes the artist for their contribution to art and music, highlighting their professional skills and dedication to music.
The award for Best Text was given to Vesa Smolica whose text was written by Erjona Rushit. Her song “Lutem“ addresses the issues of anxiety and depression as a common struggle of many people in society. This is an award that recognizes the authors of lyrics that present powerful, poetic, and accomplished messages, and that deeply affect the public.
This edition of the Song Festival has been filled with emotions and strong competition. “Zjerm” will represent Albania on the international stage of Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland.
How do #YOU like “Zjerm” and what are your initial thoughts? Are #YOU excited to see Shkodra Elektronike on the Eurovision stage? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our Discord, or on our forum page!
