Polyakova's producer called for a review of the rules for the Eurovision National Selection
Ukrainian music producer Mykhailo Yasinsky criticized the current format of the national selection for Eurovision and called for it to be updated. He also stated that Suspilne’s spending on entertainment projects during a full-scale war is controversial and needs to be reviewed in terms of its appropriateness.
Yasinsky discussed this in an interview with Glavkom.
One of the most contentious issues regarding the National Selection remains the strict restriction on musicians who have performed in the aggressor country since 2014. Commenting on the possible repeal of this rule and the risk of public condemnation (“censeling”) of such performers, Yasinsky emphasized that decisions must be made based on laws and in-depth sociological analysis, rather than under pressure from emotions on social media.
“Dissatisfaction among certain segments of the population is a normal phenomenon, and laws exist to regulate society, while sociology exists to study that society. Therefore, there should be no ‘caving in to public pressure.’ There are laws that must be followed, and there is public opinion, researched using appropriate methods. This is precisely what should form the foundation of decisions,” the producer noted.
Mykhailo Yasinsky distinguished between commercial TV channels, which produce expensive shows using their own funds, and “public broadcasting.” In his view, funding entertainment projects from the budget during wartime does not seem entirely appropriate, especially given the structure of revenue.
“This is TV that exists on taxpayers’ money—and in recent years, that includes foreign taxpayers—so spending on entertainment shows doesn’t seem entirely appropriate. It’s just as strange to spend a large budget on selecting an artist to ‘represent the country with dignity,’ yet then have the artist independently seek funds for the trip. It’s surreal,” Yasinsky emphasized.
When asked why the popular and successful Olya Polyakova needs this contest at all, given the high reputational risks in the event of a failed performance, Yasinsky noted that this question remains open for now. However, he revealed a secret: the singer’s participation could have been completely free for the Ukrainian budget.
All expenses for Polyakova’s preparation and performance were to be covered by her foreign partners. We’re talking about a well-known British label that previously invited the Ukrainian superstar to collaborate and is currently financing the recording of her English-language album.
“Answer: It’s a British label that invited Olya to collaborate a year ago and is now investing in the recording of Polyakova’s English-language album. The first single, “Warrior,” written by top producers Red Triangle, was released last fall. They were prepared to cover all expenses for Olya’s participation in the contest,” Yasinsky emphasized.
According to Yasinsky, they had planned to submit a completely different song to the selection committee—a track titled “Queen of the Night.” However, the producer is not yet willing to predict whether the team will return to this idea in the future.
As a reminder, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of Eurovision, Mykhailo Yasinsky released the results of a sociological survey he commissioned. It turned out that the overwhelming majority of respondents (69%) are against spending large sums of money on the National Selection for Eurovision. For example, this year’s National Selection budget amounted to 16 million hryvnias.
The producer insists: during the war, the show should be canceled, and Ukraine’s representative can be selected by a panel of experts. Although this is permitted by the rules of the international contest, not all players in Ukraine’s music market have welcomed this idea.
Yasinsky has long opposed the public broadcaster, which applied filters in the Eurovision National Selection, preventing his protégé Olya Polyakova from qualifying for the contest. The singer performed in Russia after 2014, for which she is now being penalized. The producer has consistently criticized this approach and is calling on Suspilne’s leadership to initiate an open discussion on the need to change the rules.
Previously, we reported:
Ahead of the Eurovision 2026 Grand Final, bookmakers have updated their predictions, and Ukraine’s chances of winning have plummeted.
Eurovision organizers issued a warning to Israel for violating voting rules.
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