Yugoslavia participated in theEurovision Song Contest 27 times, debuting in 1961 and competing every year until its last appearance in 1992, with the exceptions of 1977–1980, and 1985. The Yugoslavian participant broadcaster in the contest wasJugoslavenska radiotelevizija (JRT) which selected its entrant with the national competitionJugovizija. Yugoslavia won the1989 contest and hosted the1990 contest.
Yugoslavia was represented by a variety of artists from five of the eight Yugoslav federal units. These artists were from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia, with Macedonia, Vojvodina, and Kosovo never passing the national pre-selection. Croatia was the most successful constituent republic, as its performers won the national contest 13 out of the 26 times SFR Yugoslavia took part in the contest. From 1977 to 1980, and in 1985, Yugoslavia did not participate in the contest, howeverJugovizija still took place.
Yugoslavia won the1989 contest with the song "Rock Me" by the groupRiva. In accordance with the rules, the1990 contest took place inZagreb, hosted by RTV Zagreb on behalf of JRT, as the entry came from Croatia.
During thebreakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, the former constituent republics ofCroatia,Slovenia, andMacedonia declared secession and hence withdrew fromJugovizija, while the then-leaderships of Serbia and Montenegro agreed to maintain a close alliance. On 28 March 1992, the broadcasters from the republics that still (at least formally) constituted the fading and shrunken former Yugoslav federation took part in 1992'sJugovizija held inBelgrade. It included artists not only from Serbia and Montenegro, but also from Bosnia and Herzegovina, although the latter declared independence on 1 March of that year. Among its candidates wasAlma Čardžić.[3] The winner of that pre-selection was "Ljubim te pesmama" performed by Extra Nena (Snežana Berić) from Serbia.[4] Before that year's contest took place, on 28 April, a new federal state was formed, consisting ofSerbia andMontenegro and called theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia, which was represented by the previously mentioned "Ljubim te pesmama" by Extra Nena in the1992 contest.[5][6][7]
After the breakup of Yugoslavia, its former constituent republics declared independence. The formerly sub-national public radio and TV stations of Yugoslavia changed to national but under new names, including:RTVSLO,HRT,RTS,MRT,BHRT, andRTCG. Since joining the EBU respectively, all of them have independently participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing their countries:Slovenia,Croatia,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Montenegro,Serbia, andNorth Macedonia (designated as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia until 2018).
The following lists the 27 contestants that won the local competition and went on to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.
22 out of the 26 Yugoslav entries in the contest between 1961 and 1991 were in Serbo-Croatian and the rest in Slovenian. The majority of entries, 10, came from Croatia, where Yugoslavia's pop music industry was centered. No entry from Macedonia or Kosovo ever made it to the contest, illustrating a cultural marginalisation of the poorest parts of the country.[8]
Jugovizija, the usual selection process for Yugoslavia, also took place between 1978 and 1980, and in 1985, but with no intention of sending an entrant to Eurovision.
^abDue to division among theJRT member broadcasters, two commentators provided commentary for Yugoslavia in 1991; Croatian commentary provided byHrvatska televizija was broadcast in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Slovenia, while Serbian commentary provided byTelevizija Beograd was broadcast in Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and Vojvodina.[51]
^Vuletic, Dean (2019). "Recognising Kosovo in the World of Televised International Song Contests".Eurovisions: Identity and the International Politics of the Eurovision Song Contest since 1956. Springer Nature. p. 116.ISBN978-9811394270.
^Roxburgh, Gordon (2012).Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. One: The 1950s and 1960s.Prestatyn, United Kingdom:Telos Publishing.ISBN978-1-84583-065-6.
^"Radio danes" [Radio today].Delo (in Slovenian). Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, Yugoslavia. 3 May 1986. p. 12. Retrieved28 October 2024 – via Digital Library of Slovenia.
^"Spored za soboto" [Schedule for Saturday].Delo (in Slovenian).Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. 5 May 1990. p. 14. Retrieved28 October 2024 – via Digital Library of Slovenia.
^"rtv" [Radio-TV].Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian).Split, Yugoslavia. 5 May 1990. p. 31.Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved28 November 2022.
Roxburgh, Gordon (2012).Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Volume One: The 1950s and 1960s. Prestatyn:Telos Publishing. pp. 291–299.ISBN978-1-84583-065-6.
M. B. (23 March 1970)."Чуда се не догађају увек" [Miracles don't always happen].Borba (in Serbo-Croatian (Cyrillic script)). Belgrade, Yugoslavia. p. 12. Retrieved6 December 2024 – via Belgrade University Library.
"Danes, jutri na RTV" [Today, tomorrow on RTV].Delo (in Slovenian).Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. 3 April 1976. p. 6. Retrieved28 October 2024 – via Digital Library of Slovenia.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 3 April 1976. p. 20. Retrieved18 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 7 May 1977. p. 20. Retrieved18 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 22 April 1978. p. 20. Retrieved18 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 4 April 1981. p. 20. Retrieved18 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 24 April 1982. p. 32. Retrieved18 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"Szombat – Április 23" [Saturday - 23 April].7 Nap melléklet [hu] (in Hungarian). No. 16.Subotica, Yugoslavia. 23–29 April 1983. p. 34. Retrieved29 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 5 May 1984. p. 24. Retrieved18 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 3 May 1986. p. 20. Retrieved18 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 9 May 1987. p. 24. Retrieved18 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 30 April – 2 May 1988. p. 32. Retrieved18 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"rtv" [Radio TV].Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian).Split, Yugoslavia. 6 May 1989. p. 31.Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved12 December 2022.
"Szombat" [Saturday].7 Nap [hu] (in Hungarian). Vol. 44, no. 18.Subotica, Yugoslavia. 29 April 1988. pp. 56–57. Retrieved8 December 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"rtv" [Radio-TV].Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian).Split, Yugoslavia. 5 May 1990. p. 31.Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved28 November 2022.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 5 May 1990. p. 24. Retrieved1 February 2025 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"Spored za soboto" [Schedule for Saturday].Delo (in Slovenian).Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. 4 May 1991. p. 14.Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved5 May 2024.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 4 May 1991. p. 24. Retrieved18 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 9 May 1992. p. 20. Retrieved18 June 2024 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
^"Televizió" [Television].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 13 May 1995. p. 16. Retrieved19 February 2025 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
^"TV szombat" [TV Saturday].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 3 May 1997. p. 15. Retrieved19 February 2025 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.
^"Tévéműsor" [TV show].Magyar Szó (in Hungarian).Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. 9 May 1998. p. 15. Retrieved19 February 2025 – viaVajdasági Magyar Digitális Adattár.