NTU, the Ukrainian national broadcaster will be holding the 2014 Ukrainian national final next Saturday 21 December in Kiev. The show will be aired live on NTU at 11.15 CET in the morning. NTU has revealed the titles of the 20 competing entries in the final.

A total of 20 acts will battle for the golden ticket to Copenhagen.

The 20 candidates

1 – duet “Anna Maria” – 5 Stars Hotel 
2 – Roman Polonsky – WANTED DEAD or ALIVE 
3 – ULI RUD – Tsvetok
4 – Marietta – It’s my live
5 – Stas Shurins – Why
6 – Anatoly Shparov – Waiting for you
7 – Natalia Valevska – Love makes you beautiful
8 – Lisa Vassabi – No fear
9 – Vladimir Tkachenko – Be where you are 
10 – Shanis – My Soul
11 – Victoria Petrik – Love is lord
12 – Eugene Litvinkovych – Strelyannaya Bird
13 – group “NeAngely” – Courageous
14 – Illariya – I’m alive
15 – Tanya Shyrko – Let Go
16 – Tanya Burke – Believe me
17 – Mary Yaremchuk – Tick-Tock
18 – Victor Romanchenko – At the edge of the abyss
19 – Anna Khodorovska – If there is love 
20 – Dennis Lyubimov – Love

NTU received over 50 applications for the 2014 Ukrainian national selection. A 4 member jury composed by : Vladislav Baginskiy , Michael Nekrasov , Jack Feshak  and Vladimir Kozlov evaluated all the bidding acts and made their final deliberation.

On December 7 a special jury held auditions with all the artists who have applied to compete in the selection. The jury  picked a total of 20 acts who will battle for the golden ticket to Copenhagen at the 2014 Ukrainian Eurovision national final, scheduled to be held in Kiev on 21 December. The show will be televised on NTU Channel 1. The 2014 Ukrainian representative and entry will be selected via a jury/televoting deliberation.

Ukraine debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003 and has the won the event once in 2004 with Ruslana’s Wild Dances  bringing the trophy to Ukrainian soil for the very first time. Kiev and NTU sucessfully hosted the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest.

Ukraine is one of the most successful countries in the contest, having qualified to the final every year since their debut and holds a good record in the competition (7 top 10 results out of their 11 contributions). The country placed 1st in 2oo4 with Ruslana, 2nd in 2007 with Verka Serduchka and in 2008 with Ani Lorak, 3rd in 2013 with Zlata Ognevich, 4th in 2011 with Mika Newton, 7th with Tina Karol in 2006 and 10th with Alyosha in 2010.

Stay tuned to esctoday.com for more news on Ukraine and the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest.