RTCG, the Montenegrin broadcaster has revealed the names of the 5 candidates who will battle for the golden ticket to Lisbon at the 2018 Montenegrin national final: Montevizija 2018.

This year, Montenegro is bringing back its national final in order to select its Eurovision entry and act for Eurovision. A total of 5 acts will battle for the golden ticket to Lisbon during Montevizija 2018 which is scheduled to be held on Saturday 17 February.

The 2018 Montenegrin entry and act will be deliberated via a 100% televoting deliberation. The show will be aired live on RTCG 1.

The Montenegrin broadcaster invited singers and composers to send in their application in order to compete in Montevizija last November. The submission window ran from 1 November – 1 December 2017.

The broadcaster received a total of 31 entries in its quest to find the 2018 Montenegrin Eurovision entry. Hereafter a special jury panel shortlisted the thirty one submitted entries to five.

The jury panel

1. Dejan Bozovic: Composer
2. Slaven Knezovic: TVCG Music editor
3. Vladimir Maras: RadioCG Music editor
4. Ismeta Dervoz: Singer from Bosnia and Herzegovina (Eurovision 1976 participant)
5. Kornelije Kovac: Composer from Serbia (Eurovision 1974 participant)

The 2018 Montevizija hopefuls

• Lorena Jankovic – Dusu mi daj (Give me your soul)
  
• Nina Petkovic – Disem (I breathe)
• Katarina Bogicevic – Nezeljena (Unwanted)
• Ivana Popovic Martnovic – Poljupci (Kisses)
• Vanja Radovanovic – Inje (Hoarfrost)

Montenegro in Eurovision

Montenegro debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007 as a solo country and is yet to win the competition. The country has only made it twice to the Grand Final (2014 & 2015), whilst its best result to date is a 13th place achieved by Knez in Vienna.

In 2017, Slavko Kalezić was selected via an internal selection by the Montenegrin broadcaster to fly to Kyiv. He represented his homeland with  Space; despite a catchy performance he failed to qualify to the Grand Final.