Nine-year-old singer Maria won the Junior Songfestival national final at the RTM Stage in Rotterdam on Saturday to represent the Netherlands at Junior Eurovision 2026.
She secured victory with her song Stronger Together, written and composed by Mell Jonk and Ton Dijkman, earning 31 points in a tightly contested national selection.
The final classification was determined by combining three voting blocks of equal weight. Maria collected 12 points from the professional panel, 10 points from the children jury, and nine points from the public televote.
Maria finished ahead of competing acts Vajèn, Nolan, and The Crossovers. The Crossovers received the highest tally from the public vote with 12 points, while Vajèn was named the favorite of the children jury, leaving just three points separating the winner from her rivals.
National selection in Rotterdam
Junior Songfestival is the annual televised competition organized by Dutch public broadcasting to select the nation's representative for the international contest. The 2026 final took place at the RTM Stage, a multi-purpose concert and event venue located inside the Rotterdam Ahoy complex in South Holland.
The professional jury evaluating the performances comprised Dutch singer Numidia, dance music production trio Kris Kross Amsterdam, and soul vocalist Berget Lewis. The children jury included Meadow, who represented the Netherlands at Junior Eurovision in 2025, alongside the Dutch pop group Level Up.
The final was broadcast live across the Netherlands on children television channel NPO Zapp starting at 7:20 pm. The gala was co-hosted by Stefania Liberakakis, who represented Greece at Eurovision 2021, and Matheu Hinzen, who represented the Netherlands at Junior Eurovision in 2019.
Song message and composition
The winning song Stronger Together promotes a central message of unity, empathy, and solidarity. Its lyrics emphasize the importance of understanding others and offering support during times of sadness or pain, tailored specifically to the young audience of the competition.
The track was composed by songwriters Mell Jonk and Ton Dijkman. Jonk is best known as the lead vocalist of the Dutch roots-pop band Mell and Vintage Future, while Dijkman is a prominent Dutch session drummer and music producer.
International final in Malta
Maria will now travel to Ta' Qali in central Malta to represent her country in the 24th annual Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The main show will be held at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre on Saturday, October 24, starting at 9:00 pm.
Malta is an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea with a history of hosting international Eurovision events, having previously staged Junior Eurovision in 2014 and 2016. The venue in Ta' Qali is the country's largest indoor facility for large scale entertainment and broadcasting events.
Dutch record at Junior Eurovision
The Netherlands holds a unique record in the competition, having participated continuously in every single edition of Junior Eurovision since the European Broadcasting Union inaugurated the event in 2003. Despite its unbroken attendance streak, the nation has claimed overall victory only once in contest history.
That sole victory came in 2009, when Ralf Mackenbach won the competition in Kyiv with his hit song Click Clack. In the previous 2025 edition held in Madrid, Dutch representative Meadow placed tenth overall after scoring 93 points with her entry Freeze.
