| Year: | 2025 |
| Broadcaster: | Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) |
| Country: | Montenegro |
| Preselection: | TBD |
| Prev: | 2022 |
Montenegro will be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. The Montenegrin participating broadcaster, Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG), initially organised the national final to select its entry for the contest. Neonoen won the national final with the song "Clickbait", however, the band later withdrew due to a controversy over having previously performed their song in June 2023.
See main article: Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest. Prior to the 2025 contest, Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Montenegro as an independent country twelve times since its first entry in .[1] Its best placing in the contest was thirteenth position, which it achieved in with the song "[[Adio (song)|Adio]]|i=no" performed by Knez. In, 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 . RTCG briefly withdrew from the competition between 2010 and 2011, as well as in 2021, 2023, and 2024, citing "modest results" and/or financial difficulties as the reason for its absences.[2] [3] In, Montenegro failed to qualify for the final with the song "Breathe" performed by Vladana.
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 6 January 2024, RTCG outlined its aim to introduce a popular music festival, which could serve as its selection process for the 2025 contest, dependent on funding.[4] On 7 August 2024, RTCG published a document outlining the rules of Montesong 2024.[5] An official confirmation of both participation in the 2025 contest and the organisation of a national final was announced by RTCG on 15 August 2024.[6] 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. The reintroduction of a national final for the 2025 contest marked the first time since that the broadcaster organised a national selection, with Montevizija held in 2018 and 2019.
Montesong 2024 was the national final format organised by RTCG to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. Organised in a collaboration between the broadcaster and the Association of Variety Performers of Montenegro, a live final was initially scheduled for 26 November 2024, with an awards ceremony to be held the following day. However, the event was later revised to a final on 27 November 2024.[7] [8] The competition took place at the Voco Hall in Podgorica, and was hosted by Marko Todorović and Vladana Vučinić, the latter of whom represented Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, alongside Lazar Radulović and Andrea Šekularac reporting from the green room. The show was broadcast live on, MNE Play, and via the event's YouTube channel.[9] [10] [11]
The competition consisted of a live final held on 27 November 2024. Sixteen entries competed.[12] The winner was selected through a 50/50 combination of votes from a 7-member jury and from a public televote, with the same system used to award points in the Eurovision Song Contest final: the jury and the public each awarded one set of 12, 10 and 8–1 points to their 10 favourite entries. In case of a tie following the addition of the jury and the televoting points together, the song that received more 12 points from individual members of the jury had an advantage. This process was to be repeated with other points, in descending order, until the tie could be broken. In the public televote, only one vote per phone number was permitted.[13] [14] The professional jury consisted of both local music professionals and music representatives from across Europe.[12]
On 7 August 2024, RTCG opened a submission platform for interested artists and composers, which remained open until 1 October 2024. Performers are required to be citizens of Montenegro, while songwriters may be of any nationality. All submitted songs are required to be written in at least 51% of one of the official languages of Montenegro. From there, a committee set up by the broadcaster reviewed the submissions and selected sixteen songs for the competition. The panel consisted of Boris Šarančić (entertainment editor for TVCG), Dražen Bauković (journalist and editor of music shows), Eva Papović (music editor at TVCG), Ana Petrović (music editor at RCG), Renata Perazić (musician and author), Marija Božović (musician and author), and Natalija Pavićević (songwriter). Each juror judged each song using a points system, giving a maximum of 50 points for composition, 30 points for lyrics and 20 points for production, meaning each song could earn a maximum of 100 points. However, songs had to achieve at least 75 points from this process in order to reach the competition stage. RTCG also stipulated that it had the right to internally select its entry for the contest if no submitted entry reached the threshold. At a press conference on 5 September 2024, Montesong director Danijel Alibabić, who represented Serbia and Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 as part of No Name, confirmed that up to sixteen entries would be performed in the national final.[12] On 2 October 2024, RTCG revealed that it had received 32 submissions, and that they would allow any further late applications due to postal delays. In total, 37 submissions were received, with 4 of those being disqualified.[15] [16] The competing entries (plus three backups) were announced on 10 October 2024 during the RTCG show Jutarnji program, which was broadcast on . On 4 November 2024, Boban Rajović withdrew from the competition due to personal comittments, and RTCG confirmed that reserve artist, Tamara Živković, would replace his entry for the contest.[17] [18]
Among the competing artists was Nina Žižić, who provided uncredited vocals for Who See at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013.[19] [20] [21] [22] [23] Also among the competing acts were Kejt, who competed in [[Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018#Montevizija 2018|Montevizija 2018]] and Milena Vučić, who competed in Evropesma-Europjesma 2004 as a part of the group, as well as a solo artist in Montevizija and Evropesma-Europjesma 2006. Among the backup entries was Danijel Popović, who won Jugovizija 1983, Yugoslavia's national final for Eurovision, and subsequently represented the country in the with the song "Džuli"; he competed in Yugoslavia's national selection a further four times: in 1984, 1986, 1987 and 1991. He previously applied his entry "i=unset|Kano kastigan" to Dora 2023, Croatia's national selection for the .[24] The competing songs were released on 10 November 2024.[22]
Entry withdrawn Replacement entry
| Song | Language | Songwriter(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anastasija Koprolčec | "Kraj|i=no" (Крај|i=no) | Montenegrin | ||
| Baryak | "Dva srca|i=no" (Два срца|i=no) | Montenegrin | ||
| Bend 9 | "Stop War" | Montenegrin | Milić Šarović | |
| Boban Rajović | "Suze|i=no" (Сузе|i=no) | Montenegrin | ||
| Dolce Hera | "Repeat" | Montenegrin | ||
| Đurđa | "To ljubav je|i=no" (То љубав је|i=no) | Montenegrin | ||
| Glumci Bend | "San|i=no" (Сан|i=no) | Montenegrin | ||
| Isak Šabanović | "Ljeto, ljeto, ljeto|i=no" (Љето, љето, љето|i=no) | Montenegrin | ||
| Kejt | "Obala raja|i=no" (Обала раја|i=no) | |||
| Luka Radović | "Kada dođe maj|i=no" (Када дође мај|i=no) | Montenegrin | Luka Radović | |
| "Škorpija|i=no" (Шкорпија|i=no) | Montenegrin | |||
| Nemanja Petrović | "Među zvijezdama|i=no" (Међу звијездама|i=no) | Montenegrin | Branislav Opačić | |
| Neonoen | "Clickbait" | Montenegrin | Ilija Pejović | |
| Nina Žižić | "Dobrodošli|i=no" (Добродошли|i=no) | Montenegrin | ||
| Tamara Živković | "Poguban let|i=no" (Погубан лет|i=no) | Montenegrin | Boris Subotić | |
| Tina Džankić | "Nova|i=no" (Нова|i=no) | Montenegrin | ||
| Verica Čuljković | "Čuješ li|i=no" (Чујеш ли|i=no) | Montenegrin |
| Hanibal | "Čuvaj me|i=no" (Чувај ме|i=no) | Montenegrin | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danijel Popović | "Kano kastigan|i=no" (Кано кастиган|i=no) |
The final took place on 27 November 2024 at 20:00 CET.[26] The running order was revealed on 19 November.[27] [28] The group Neonoen won the contest with their song "Clickbait". They finished second in the jury vote, and second in the televote. In addition to the competing artists, guests included Sergej Ćetković, who represented Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 and event director Danijel Alibabić, who represented Serbia and Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 as part of No Name. Co-host Vladana Vučinić also performed "Respira", an Italian language version of her 2022 entry "Breathe", 1983 Yugoslav entrant Danijel Popović performed "Džuli", and Emmelie de Forest, who won the 2013 contest for Denmark, performed her winning song "Only Teardrops".
The jury consisted of Hari Varešanović, who represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 as part of Hari Mata Hari, Nuša Derenda, who represented Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001, Dado Topić, who represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, Elena Risteska, who represented Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, Tijana Bogićević, who represented Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, Emmelie de Forest, who won the 2013 contest for Denmark, and Danijel Popović, who represented Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest 1983.
A total of 3,262 votes were successfully cast according to RTCG, however the figure announced during the show was 2,233. The broadcaster explained that the discrepancy was due to a delay in communicating the updated number of received votes.[29] [30] Bogićević accidentally awarded her 8 points to "Repeat" instead of "Dva srca|i=unset", which she disclosed while announcing her points.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Jury | Televote | Total | Place | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | Points | Votes | Points | ||||||
| 1 | Anastasija Koprolčec | "Kraj|i=no" | 9 | 0 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| 2 | Tina Džankić | "Nova|i=no" | 34 | 5 | 154 | 3 | 8 | 7 | |
| 3 | Nemanja Petrović | "Među zvijezdama|i=no" | 18 | 1 | 109 | 0 | 1 | 12 | |
| 4 | Bend 9 | "Stop War" | 2 | 0 | 143 | 0 | 0 | 16 | |
| 5 | Tamara Živković | "Poguban let|i=no" | 39 | 6 | 107 | 0 | 6 | 9 | |
| 6 | Luka Radović | "Kada dođe maj|i=no" | 5 | 0 | 147 | 1 | 1 | 13 | |
| 7 | Đurđa | "To ljubav je|i=no" | 26 | 4 | 328 | 8 | 12 | 4 | |
| 8 | Kejt | "Obala raja|i=no" | 45 | 7 | 152 | 2 | 9 | 5 | |
| 9 | Nina Žižić | "Dobrodošli|i=no" | 59 | 12 | 316 | 7 | 19 | 2 | |
| 10 | Neonoen | "Clickbait" | 54 | 10 | 443 | 10 | 20 | 1 | |
| 11 | Isak Šabanović | "Ljeto, ljeto, ljeto|i=no" | 24 | 2 | 241 | 5 | 7 | 8 | |
| 12 | Glumci Bend | "San|i=no" | 4 | 0 | 288 | 6 | 6 | 10 | |
| 13 | Dolce Hera | "Repeat" | 8 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 0 | 14 | |
| 14 | Baryak | "Dva srca|i=no" | 25 | 3 | 476 | 12 | 15 | 3 | |
| 15 | Verica Čuljković | "Čuješ li|i=no" | 6 | 0 | 168 | 4 | 4 | 11 | |
| 16 | Milena Vučić | "Škorpija|i=no" | 48 | 8 | 49 | 0 | 8 | 6 | |
| Draw | Song | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "i=unset|Kraj" | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | ||||
| 2 | "i=unset|Nova" | 4 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 34 | |
| 3 | "i=unset|Među zvijezdama" | 12 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 18 | ||||
| 4 | "i=unset|Stop War" | 2 | 2 | |||||||
| 5 | "i=unset|Poguban let" | 10 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 39 | |
| 6 | "i=unset|Kada dođe maj" | 5 | 5 | |||||||
| 7 | "i=unset|To ljubav je" | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 26 | ||
| 8 | "i=unset|Obala raja" | 8 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 47 | ||
| 9 | "i=unset|Dobrodošli" | 6 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 59 | |
| 10 | "Clickbait" | 6 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 54 | ||
| 11 | "i=unset|Ljeto, ljeto, ljeto" | 1 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 24 | |||
| 12 | "i=unset|San" | 4 | 4 | |||||||
| 13 | "Repeat" | 8 | 8 | |||||||
| 14 | "i=unset|Dva srca" | 2 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 25 | ||||
| 15 | "i=unset|Čuješ li?" | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |||||
| 16 | "i=unset|Škorpija" | 8 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 48 |
On 1 December 2024, RTCG revealed that "Clickbait" was previously performed during Festival kulture Zabjelo|i=no in Zabjelo, Podgorica in June 2023, which breaches the contest's rules obliging that competing songs may not have been released commercially or publicly performed before 1 September 2024, and that it would discuss with the EBU the following day to decide whether the entry is eligible for the contest.[31] In response, Neonoen stated they believed the number of attendees who saw the performance was not substantial enough to influence the result of Montesong 2024, as well as that they were not aware of the rule regarding the ban on performing the entry fully or in part prior to 1 September 2024, but that they would respect any decision made by RTCG and the EBU.[32] On 4 December, Neonoen withdrew from participating in the contest, citing a "desire to end the uncertainty". RTCG affirmed its intent to make a decision on Montenegro's representative in the coming days.[33]