The composition of the Ukrainian national selection Jury revealed by the local broadcaster, and host of the next Eurovision Song Contest, NTU.

Strong yet familiar names will take the chairs of the jury panel that will determine by 50% the final outcome of the national selection procedure in Ukraine. It was already known to the public that Jamala, the 2016 winner of the Eurovision Song Contest will share the panel with music producer Konstantin Meladze.

They’re still Dancing Lasha Tumbai!

Composer Andriy Danilko will also be part of the jury panel in Ukraine. Danilko is also known to the Eurovision industry for its alter ego drag persona, Verka Serduchka, when she came second in the 2007 Eurovision final in Helsinki, Finland with the song Dancing Lasha Tumbai.

Danilko commented over his participation in the jury:

It is an honor and responsibility to be a jury member of this national selection. It is nice but still a little scary, because among the contenders most likely there will be my colleagues, with whom we meet at festivals and concert venues. I want you to know that I will be objective, because I have one principle; to always tell the truth. Hopefully we will choose a worthy representative of Ukraine.

The National Selection procedure for Eurovision 2017

This year Ukraine goes big by organizing 6 auditions and an online selection procedure. The auditions take place in 6 cities throughout Ukraine where acts are invited to perform. In total around 20-40 acts will be chosen to perform on the live semi-finals.

In the meantime, an online voting selection is currently underway where Ukrainian residents are invited to vote for their favourite online submission. One of those acts, the most voted, will qualify directly to the live shows.

In total, 4 live shows hosted by Sergiy Prytula will take place on the 4, 11, 18 of February, while the final will take place on 25 February 2017.

The winner will be determined via a 50/50 combined jury/public vote, with the act receiving the most votes going on to represent the host nation at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in the host city of Kyiv.