Spain has won Junior Eurovision once. That victory came in 2004, in Lillehammer (Norway), with María Isabel and “Antes muerta que sencilla”. Since then, Spain has come close several times: it has finished second three times and third twice, and it has missed the top five only three times in 11 participations. With Lucas Paulano about to represent Spain at Junior Eurovision 2026 in Ta’ Qali, it is time for a quick look back at Spain’s record in the children’s contest.
In the 23 editions held so far, Spain has taken part 11 times, in two separate stages: the first from 2003 to 2006 and the second from 2019 to 2025. The 2026 contest will be its 12th participation.
2003: a runner-up place at the first contest
In 2003, Spain made its debut alongside 15 other countries. Sergio represented it with the ballad “Desde el cielo”, which came close to victory and finished second, behind Croatia’s Dino Jelusić. It was a very successful start for Spain.
2004: Spain’s only victory
In 2004 came Spain’s first and only victory. María Isabel and her iconic “Antes muerta que sencilla” won the contest with 171 points. It was the first Spanish victory in an EBU contest in more than 30 years, since the adult Eurovision Song Contest of 1969, and it caused a media sensation across the country. María Isabel became a major figure on the Spanish music scene, especially among young audiences.
Two more good results followed: Antonio José was second in 2005 with “Te traigo flores”, and Dani Fernández was fourth in 2006 with “Te doy mi voz”. After that, Spain’s broadcaster left the contest, and it did not return until 2019.
2019–2020: two third places on Spain’s return
After 13 years away, Spain returned in Gliwice (Poland) in 2019 with Melani García. Her song “Marte” earned a wonderful third place with 212 points, one of the most acclaimed Spanish entries among fans.
In 2020, Soleá brought reggaeton to the contest with “Palante” and reached third place again (133 points), in an unusual edition marked by Covid-19. In its first six participations, Spain had never finished outside the top five.
2021–2022: the setback in Paris and the recovery in Yerevan
Spain’s run was interrupted in Paris 2021, where Levi Díaz and his positive song “Reír” finished 15th with 77 points, Spain’s worst position in the contest to date.
The delegation bounced back in 2022. Carlos Higes took “Señorita”, a Latin pop song, to Yerevan and finished sixth with 137 points.
2023: so close to a second victory
In Nice 2023, Sandra Valero performed “Loviu” and made Spanish fans feel that a second win was possible. She finished second with 201 points, only behind France’s Zoé Clauzure, after a few tense minutes of split screen between France and Spain.
2024: hosting in Madrid
Spain did not win, but it ended up organising the 2024 edition after France declined to host again. La Caja Mágica in Madrid hosted the contest, with 17 countries. Chloe DelaRosa, a young singer from Extremadura, brought “Como la Lola” to the stage and finished sixth again. The winner was Georgia’s Andria Putkaradze with “To My Mom”.
2025: fifth place in Tbilisi
Last year, in Tbilisi, Gonzalo Pinillos performed “Érase una vez (Once Upon a Time)”, a song full of theatricality. He finished fifth with 152 points, in a contest won by France’s Lou Deleuze with “Ce monde” (248 points).
Spain’s results at Junior Eurovision at a glance
| Year | Artist | Song | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Sergio | “Desde el cielo” | 2nd | 125 |
| 2004 | María Isabel | “Antes muerta que sencilla” | 1st | 171 |
| 2005 | Antonio José | “Te traigo flores” | 2nd | 146 |
| 2006 | Dani Fernández | “Te doy mi voz” | 4th | 90 |
| 2019 | Melani García | “Marte” | 3rd | 212 |
| 2020 | Soleá | “Palante” | 3rd | 133 |
| 2021 | Levi Díaz | “Reír” | 15th | 77 |
| 2022 | Carlos Higes | “Señorita” | 6th | 137 |
| 2023 | Sandra Valero | “Loviu” | 2nd | 201 |
| 2024 | Chloe DelaRosa | “Como la Lola” | 6th | 144 |
| 2025 | Gonzalo Pinillos | “Érase una vez (Once Upon a Time)” | 5th | 152 |
Across the 23 editions, France and Georgia are the most successful countries, with four victories each, while Spain is one of the five countries with a single win. Even so, with eight top-five finishes in eleven participations, Spain is a great power of the contest. Whether Lucas Paulano can give Spain its second victory will be decided on Saturday 24 October 2026.