Marta Adamchuk was called too 'aged' for Eurovision: how the singer made it to the longlist.

According to ТСН: The Ukrainian singer Marta Adamchuk, who this year made it to the longlist of the national selection for 'Eurovision 2026', shared her feelings about past rejections in the selection process.

The artist's path to the main music platform in Europe has been challenging. In a conversation with the program 'Closer to the Stars' on the TET TV channel, Marta openly discussed why she paused her participation in the National Selection a few years ago. She noted that although she managed to reach the main composition of the selection, she did not make it to the finals. The issue was not the quality of her songs but the subjective opinion of a producer who believed she was 'too aged' for this competition.

‘I had applied for 'Eurovision' before and once reached the main stage of the selection itself. I did not make it through; some wonders were happening. And then I was told, 'Well, Marta is already too old for Eurovision.' This was a producer. I won’t say who it was. Moreover, this was not said directly; it was communicated to me behind closed doors, and that made it even worse,’ commented Marta Adamchuk.

Despite past failures, this year Marta applied again and became one of the 15 artists on the longlist. She mentioned that this time the attitude has changed, and the producers see potential in her.

‘When I was told this, I had already somewhat given up and stopped applying. But now they told me: 'You have experience.' You see how differently producers can perceive things,’ the singer intrigued.

Although she did not make it to the list of nine finalists, she does not lose hope of performing at 'Eurovision'. According to the national selection rules, Ukrainians can choose a 10th finalist each year through voting. This year, the voting is scheduled for January in the 'Diia' app for artists who were on the longlist but did not advance further.

Marta's participation in the national selection for 'Eurovision' highlights how important it is for artists to have support and the opportunity to express themselves. Regardless of the outcome, her experience and efforts inspire other musicians not to give up and continue the fight for their dreams.