Marija Šerifović‘s win in 2007 was a major milestone for Serbia, as it marked their first victory as an independent country. Notably, it was also the first time since Switzerland’s debut win in 1956 that a country had won on their first attempt. The ballad “Molitva” (Prayer) was written by Vladimir Graić and Saša Milošević Mare, and performed in Serbian. The emotional and powerful performance of the song, combined with Marija’s captivating stage presence, helped secure Serbia’s place in Eurovision history.

The 2008 Eurovision Song Contest hosted by Serbia in the capital city of Belgrade was a spectacular event, showcasing one of the most beautiful ESC stages in recent memory. The show was a source of pride not only for the people of Serbia but also for the neighbouring countries who presented impressive entries, making it a highlight for the entire Balkan region. Prior to its independent participation, Serbia had competed as Serbia & Montenegro for two years.

After the breakup of Yugoslavia, the ex-Yugoslavian countries began participating individually, with Croatia and Slovenia debuting in 1993, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1994, and North Macedonia in 1998. Serbia and Montenegro debuted as a joint entity in 2004 and then separately in 2007. The former Yugoslavia took part 27 times and could achieve one victory with “Rock Me” by Riva in 1989 in Lausanne. The debut year of Yugoslavia was 1961. And the last time Yugoslavia has been sending a song to Eurovision was 1992 with “Ljubim Te Pesmama” by Extra Nena.

This year it is going to be the 15th time for Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest already. The Serbian songs were mostly quite successful, out of 14 participations so far they could qualify eleven times for the Grand Final (79% chances) and achieved Top10 ranks for four times, that’s a chance of 36%.

Željko Joksimović has been an important figure in the Serbian participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. He composed the song “Lane moje” for Serbia and Montenegro in 2004, which finished in second place. He also represented Serbia in 2008 with the song “Oro”, finishing in sixth place. Additionally, he was the host of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade.