What a place Artem Kotenko from Ukraine took at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest

Artem Kotenko took third place at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest/still from the video

On Saturday, November 16, Spain hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest final for the first time. One of the brightest moments of the evening was the performance of 12-year-old Ukrainian Artem Kotenko, who won an honorable 3rd place for our country.

Artem, a talented singer from Sumy region, performed the song Hear Me Now (“Home”) at number 14 and received 203 points, writes 24 Channel. The author of the song was Svitlana Tarabarova, who was also the music producer of the National Selection.

The deep meaning of the track touches on the theme of home as a symbol of strength and peace. This composition has become especially close to Ukrainians, many of whom lost their homes due to the war.

I want to represent our country so that we can be heard in Europe and around the world, that now our home is being taken away from us, and home is the most important thing in life that you can never give away, and that's why we are fighting for it now,
– noted Artem.

Artem Kotenko – Hear Me Now: watch the video of the performance online

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Artem Kotenko was born in Okhtyrka, Sumy region. Already at the age of three, he began to sing, and from the age of five he has been doing vocals professionally. Despite his young age, Artem has a significant creative output:

• victory at the Black Sea Games competition in 2021;
• getting to the longlist of the National Selection of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2022.

In addition to music, Artem is fond of dancing, playing the piano, theater arts and reads in Ukrainian and English. His dream is to become a famous musician.

The road to the competition was not easy. After winning the National Selection, Artem became the object of cyberbullying from Russian bots. However, the young singer was able to find the strength to resist this.

“Don't pay attention to hate, but go your own way,” Artem advised everyone who faces similar difficulties.

The 3rd place at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest was another significant step in the creative career of the young talent. His speech inspired thousands of Ukrainians and drew the attention of the international community to the theme of home as a source of strength and invincibility.

Artem Kotenko proved that talented children of Ukraine are capable of overcoming any obstacles and reaching the top on the world stage. His story is an example to follow, a reminder that believing in your dreams can overcome even the most difficult challenges.