Prior to the 2025 contest, Radiotelevizija Slovenija (RTVSLO) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Slovenia twenty-nine times since its first entry in 1993. Its highest placing in the contest, to this point, has been seventh place, achieved on two occasions: in 1995 with the song "Prisluhni mi" performed by Darja Švajger and in 2001 with the song "Energy" performed by Nuša Derenda. Its only other top ten result was achieved in 1997 when Tanja Ribič performing "Zbudi se" placed tenth. Since the introduction of semi-finals to the format of the contest in 2004, Slovenia has thus far managed to qualify to the final on eight occasions, the latest being in 2024, when "Veronika" performed by Raiven ultimately placed 23rd in the final.[1]
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, RTVSLO organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. The broadcaster had usually selected its entry through a national final entitled Evrovizijska Melodija (EMA), which has been produced with variable formats, with the exceptions of 2013, 2021, 2023, and 2024, when the entries were internally selected. On 12 September 2024, RTVSLO announced that it would not take a decision on participation in the 2025 contest until October 2024, having been granted an extension by the EBU.[2] However, on 16 September 2024, RTVSLO confirmed its intention to participate in the 2025 contest;[3][4] plans regarding the selection were announced on 28 October 2024, with EMA returning as the national final format.[5]
Before Eurovision
EMA 2025
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EMA 2025 was the twenty-fifth edition of EMA, the format used by RTVSLO to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition took place on 1 February 2025 at the RTVSLO Studio 1 in Ljubljana, hosted by Gregor Štrasbergar[sl] and Raiven, the latter of whom represented Slovenia in 2024.[5][6] The show was broadcast on TV SLO 1[sl], Radio Val 202, and Radio Maribor[sl], as well as online via the streaming platform RTV 4D.[7][8] The show was watched by an average of 206,500 viewers, equating to an average viewing share of 24%. 514,000 viewers watched for at least one minute, with a peak of 267,900 viewers. This marked a reduction of 28,300 viewers since the previous edition in 2022.[9][10]
Competing entries
A submission period for interested artists and composers was open between 29 October and 25 November 2024. In order to qualify to compete, the main performer of an entry was required to hold temporary or permanent residence in Slovenia. RTVSLO also directly invited artists and composers from the national music scene.[5] At the closing of the window, 114 entries had been submitted.[11] An expert committee consisting of 2018 and 2022 Slovenian representatives Lea Sirk and Filip Vidušin (the latter as part of the group LPS), as well as singer Alenka Godec, Radio Val 202 editor Neja Jerant and composer Martin Bezjak selected twelve contestants, which were announced on 13 December 2024.[12]
The entries were presented to the public in an introduction show, entitled Ema pred Emo ("EMA before EMA"), on 25 January 2025, hosted by Bernarda Žarn[sl] and Jože Robežnik[sl], and broadcast on TV SLO 1.[13][14] The introduction show included guest appearances from Miša Molk and Denis Živčec as well as multiple past Slovenian entrants: Josip-Cole Moretti[sl] (1993 as part of 1X Band), Nuša Derenda (2001), Omar Naber (2005 and 2017), Maja Keuc (2011), Eva Boto (2012) and Lea Sirk.[15] Each entry was presented during the show with a thirty second clip, and all 12 entries were later released in full on RTVSLO's RTV 360 online platform.[16][17]
The final took place on 1 February 2025 at 20:00 CET. The winner, "How Much Time Do We Have Left" performed by Klemen, was determined over two rounds of voting.[18] In the first round, five thematic jury panels, each composed of five members, each distributed their points following the same pattern used in the Eurovision Song Contest, i.e. 1–8, 10 and 12 points and selected two entries to proceed to the second round; these panels consisted of music performers, songwriters and producers, radio and television personalities, members of OGAE Slovenia, and international Eurovision influencers and journalists.[5][12] In the superfinal, televoting exclusively determined the winner.[5][19]
Israel's continuing participation in the contest was one of the topics discussed by the management board of RTVSLO in December 2024, in light of the controversies relating to the country's participation in the 2024 edition amidst the Gaza war. The board voted to initiate a request within the European Broadcasting Union for Israel not to compete in 2025, and to keep the Slovenian public informed about these efforts.[26]
↑ Maatko, Alesh. "Pred izborom Ema 2025 še Ema pred Emo"[Before the 2025 EMA selection, there's still EMA before EMA]. Evrovizija.com (in Slovenian). Retrieved 10 January 2025.
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