Azerbaijan: Jiva to Eurovision 2026

Azerbaijani broadcaster ITV has just announced who will be waving the flag for the country in Vienna this May.

Jiva will represent Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

Jiva was selected after an internal selection process that involved 100 applications and 186 submitted songs. Following an evaluation by a professional panel, eighteen candidates were invited to live auditions and interviews. A shortlist of three candidates was formed, and Jiva was selected as the representative based on the assessment of a specially formed focus group.

Her song will be released at a later date.

Jiva

Jiva, whose real name is Jamila Hashimova, is an Azerbaijani singer. Her musical career started in 2003 when she finished second in the Baku Autumn competition. A few years later, in 2007, she took part in the music project Show Time.

Throughout her career, Jiva has been involved in a number of musical collaborations and projects. She has performed with the well-known RAST ensemble, directed by Rashad Hashimov, and has also appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Later she became the lead singer of Hazz Band, where she blended jazz influences with modern pop sounds.

Since 2017, Jiva has focused on her solo career. She releases music in pop, dance and R&B styles, performing in Azerbaijani, Russian and English. A major milestone came in 2025 when she won The Voice of Azerbaijan as a member of Roya Aykhan’s team.

Her connection to the Eurovision Song Contest goes back several years. In 2011, she reached the top three in Azerbaijan’s national selection for Eurovision.

Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest

Azerbaijan has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 17 times since its debut in 2008. They have had great success in Eurovision, with five top-5 results out of 17. They won the competition in 2011 (Ell/Nikki - "Running Scared").

Their worst results was in 2025 when Azerbaijan finished last in Semi-final 1. They have qualified for the Grand Final 13 out of 17 times.