4 March 2026, Bucharest — Tonight Romania concluded its national final Selecția Națională 2026, selecting the song and artist who will represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna this coming May. It was a significant moment: Romania returns to the Eurovision stage after a two-year absence following non-participation in 2024 and 2025.
The final took place in the TVR Studios in Bucharest, hosted by Giulia Nahmany and Daniel Nuță and broadcast live on TVR and online platforms. A seven-member professional jury decided the result – there was no public televote – with a tiebreak based on YouTube views if needed.
The Winner: Alexandra Căpitănescu — “Choke Me”
Emerging victorious from a field of twelve finalists was Alexandra Căpitănescu with her striking pop-anthem “Choke Me”. The song was written by Căpitănescu alongside Călin-Alexandru Grăjdan, Elvis-Claudiu Silitră and Ștefan Condrea. Alexandra now secures the opportunity to fly the Romanian flag at Eurovision, performing in the first half of Semi-Final 2 on 14 May in Vienna.
Căpitănescu is a rising voice in Romanian music, having won The Voice of Romania in 2023 at age 19, and has since been building a dedicated following with her emotionally charged vocal delivery and compelling stage presence.
The Finalists
A total of 12 acts competed in the final after an initial open call that attracted over 100 submissions and a series of qualifying rounds. These acts represented a wide range of styles from established names to emerging artists.
The finalists were:
- Emy Alupei – “Tili Bom”
- Robert Lukian – “Fire to the Lies”
- Vanu – “Therapy Enemy”
- Edward Maya x LavBbe x Costi – “Everybody Needs Somebody”
- Yguana – “Happy Birthday”
- HVNDS – “Dor (Yearning)” (Top 3)
- Antonio Pican – “Humans”
- WRS – “All the Way”
- Olivia Addams – “Croco”
- Monica Odagiu – “Fereastră pentru un orb” (Window for a blind person)
- Alexandra Căpitănescu – “Choke Me” (Winner)
- Alejandro Zandes & Emil Rengle – “Bailando Solo (Dancing Alone)” (Top 3)
Among the strong contenders were veteran producers and performers like Edward Maya, known for his global dance hit Stereo Love, and WRS, who previously represented Romania at Eurovision. Emerging acts like HVNDS and the duo Alejandro Zandes & Emil Rengle also impressed the jury and audiences alike, rounding out a competitive top-three finish.
Selecția Națională 2026 Final Results
| R/O | Artist | Song | Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Juror 6 | Juror 7 | Points | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emy Alupei | “Tili Bom” | 8 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 53 | 5 |
| 2 | Robert Lukian | “Fire to the Lies” | 5 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 53 | 4 |
| 3 | Vanu | “Therapy Enemy” | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 11 |
| 4 | Edward Maya, LavBbe and Costi | “Everybody Needs Somebody” | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 12 |
| 5 | Yguana | “Happy Birthday” | 2 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 31 | 9 |
| 6 | Hvnds | “Dor” | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 69 | 2 |
| 7 | Antonio Pican | “Humans” | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 10 |
| 8 | Wrs | “All the Way” | 9 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 49 | 6 |
| 9 | Olivia Addams | “Croco” | 3 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 35 | 8 |
| 10 | Monica Odagiu | “Fereastră pentru un orb” | 6 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 49 | 7 |
| 11 | Alexandra Căpitănescu | “Choke Me” | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 82 | 1 |
| 12 | Alejandro Zandes and Emil Rengle | “Bailando solo” | 12 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 66 | 3 |
Looking Ahead to Vienna
With her victory at Selecția Națională, Alexandra Căpitănescu now begins preparations to take Choke Me to the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, Austria. Romania is set to compete in Semi-Final 2 on Thursday, 14 May 2026, performing in the first half of the show – a crucial step toward securing a place in the Grand Final on 16 May. As the country returns to Eurovision after a two-year absence, all eyes will be on Romania’s staging, creative concept and promotion in the coming weeks, as Alexandra aims to captivate both the jury and international audiences with her powerful vocals and contemporary stage presence.
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