After months of auditions, selections and semi finals, the time came for the Netherlands to select their entrant for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

The singer Julia will represent her country with the song ‘Around’.
She won the national final with a landslide victory gaining the maximum amount of points possible. Julia got 12 points from the kids jury, adult jury and televoters, proving a popular and well deserving winner.

Julia van Bergen comes from Zeewolde in the province of Flevoland and is 15.  Despite the English language title, she will perform the song mainly in Dutch.

The Netherlands has participated in every Junior Eurovision since their inception in 2003.  In that time they’ve managed one win – in 2009 with the song Click clack by Ralf Mackenbach – and one runners-up spot, in 2011.

Junior Eurovision takes place on Saturday 15 November, and this year comes from the Shipbuilding in Malta.  Sixteen countries will participate.

Authors: Míceal O’Kane/John Stanton