Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026

Montenegro is set to be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song "Nova zora", written by Boris Subotić and performed by Tamara Živković. The Montenegrin participating broadcaster, Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG), organised the national final Montesong 2025 to select its entry for the contest.

Prior to the 2026 contest, Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Montenegro as an independent country thirteen times since its first entry in 2007.^[1] Its best placing in the contest was thirteenth position, which it achieved in 2015 with the song "Adio" performed by Knez. In 2014, Montenegro qualified to the final for the first time since it began participating, and have since featured in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest one more time in 2015. RTCG opted not to participate in 2010, 2011, 2021, 2023, and 2024, citing "modest results" and/or financial difficulties as the reason for its absences.^[2][3] In 2025, Montenegro failed to qualify for the final with the song "Dobrodošli" performed by Nina Žižić, finishing 16th (last) in its semi-final.

As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, RTCG organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. On 26 August 2025, RTCG confirmed its participation, with Montesong returning as the national selection.^[4] RTCG had used various methods to select the Montenegrin entry in the past, such as internal selections and televised national finals to choose the performer, song or both to compete at Eurovision.

Montesong 2025 was the national final format organised by RTCG to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The competition consisted of a final on 21 December 2025, which took place at the RTCG Grand Studio in Podgorica and was hosted by Andrea Šekularac, Dajana Golubović Pejović and Jelena Božović.^[5][6][7] The final was broadcast on TVCG 1, TVCG MNE, MNE Play, and on the Youtube channels of Montesong and Eurovision Song Contest.^[8] Internationally, most of the audience following the contest live was from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.^[9]

On 3 September 2025, RTCG opened a submission platform for interested artists and composers to submit their entries until 3 October 2025. Performers were required to be citizens of Montenegro, while songwriters may be of any nationality. Unlike the 2024 edition, there were no requirements on the language of the entries. RTCG received 37 submissions at the closing of the deadline.^[10] A selection jury consisting of Andrijana Božović, Dražen Bauković, Stefan Bjeletić, Jovo Vukčević and Antonela Martinović reviewed the submissions and selected the top fifteen songs for the competition; each juror evaluated each song using a points system, giving a maximum of 50 points for composition, 30 points for lyrics and 20 points for production, with entries having to achieve at least 75 points in order to advance to the final.^[11][12] The selected entries were announced on 14 October 2025 during the RTCG morning show Dobro jutro, Crno Goro, broadcast on TVCG 1,^[13] and released on 27 November 2025.^[14] Among the competing artists is Andrea Demirović, who represented Montenegro in 2009.^[15]

The final took place on 21 December 2025. The winner, "Nova zora" by Tamara Živković, was selected by a 50/50 combination of votes from a five-member international jury and a public vote – consisting of a televote and an online voting on the RTCG website, with the latter also accepting votes worldwide – following a similar pattern to the one used in the Eurovision Song Contest final: the two votings each determined a ranking whereby the entries were assigned 1–8, 10 and 12 points.^[16] The jury consisted of past Eurovision representatives Abor & Tynna (Germany 2025), Asja Džogović (Montenegro at the 2025 junior contest), Nina Žižić (Montenegro 2025) and Shkodra Elektronike (Albania 2025), all of whom attended the show as guests, as well as composer Vladimir Graić; 2015 Montenegrin entrant Knez also performed during the show.^[17][18]

The show also saw the presentation of the Montefon Awards by Association of Variety Artists and Performers of Montenegro, with the prize for discovery of the year awarded to Baryak, the prize for group of the year awarded to Bubnjivi i psi, the prize for contribution to Montenegrin musical culture awarded to Edo Abdović, the prize for hit of the year awarded to Nina Žižić for "Dobrodošli" and the prizes for female and male singer of the year awarded to Andrijana Božović and Knez, respectively; a separate participation award for best interpretation went to Majda Božović.^[18]

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 12 and 14 May and the final on 16 May 2026. All nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final will progress to the final. On 12 January 2026, an allocation draw was held to determine which of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show, each country will perform in; the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot.^[21] Montenegro was scheduled for the second half of the first semi-final.^[22]