Mariam Shengelia is spreading her wings and heading to Switzerland. She’ll be representing Georgia at Eurovision with the liberating song, ‘Freedom’.

Eurovision, at last

The Georgian broadcaster chose their artist internally for 2025, and they knew it had to be Mariam Shengelia. She might be from a small town in Georgia, but now she’s heading to the biggest song competition in the world.

The Eurovision stage has been a long time coming for Mariam. In 2020, she was ready to pack her bags for Rotterdam, to be a backing vocalist for Tornike Kipiani.

Mariam had taken part in the country’s national selection show for that year, and while she didn’t win, she was still picked to be part of the act heading to the Contest. Tornike was set to represent Georgia with the song Take Me As I Am but the COVID pandemic meant the Contest was cancelled.

For the 2025 Contest, Mariam will be singing Freedom, putting her emotion, strength, and storytelling on the stage. The music was written by Georgian composer and music producer Keti Gabisiani, who’s worked on television shows and popular hits. The lyrics come from the mind of Georgian musician Buka Kartozia, who founded the vocal jazz group The Quintessence.

The Contest of all contests

Mariam’s been making music from an early age, and first got the country’s attention when she competed in The X Factor Georgia in 2018 . She let loose her powerhouse vocals with songs including Sia’s Chandelier, and got all the way to the semi-finals.

She’s also taken on The Voice Georgia, where she reached the semi-finals, and was a finalist on Dancing with the Stars. She’s living proof that talent and perseverance can be just as powerful as formal training.

As well as being a soloist, Mariam performs as part of the band Mixtura, which is full of diverse musical influences. She feels that performing in a group has expanded her musical range, and no doubt competing at Eurovision will widen her horizons even further.

Watching from back home will be Mariam’s dog Shusha, who has likely witnessed her worst habit – staying up late at night.

Liberation through Eurovision

Mariam’s earliest Eurovision memory was watching Alexander Rybak win for Norway in 2009 with Fairytale. She says: “I was obsessed with him as a kid!” You weren’t alone, Mariam.

Her one and only Eurovision hero is Conchita Wurst, after her win for Austria in 2014 with Rise Like A Phoenix. Mariam loved how Conchita embraced her individuality and smashed norms. And what greater symbol of freedom than the phoenix?

Heartfelt music

As a strong vocalist who can deliver a power track with ease, it’s no surprise that Mariam’s favourite songs are emotional ballads. Some of her favourites include Etta James’ At Last, Aretha Franklin’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, and Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You. Her all-time favourite icons are Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Etta James.

But it’s not just the classics filling up Mariam’s playlist. She also loves Billie Eilish’s WILDFLOWER, Andra Day’s Rise Up, and Die With A Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

When it comes to her favourite karaoke track, she always goes for a retro blues classic – Etta James’ I’d Rather Go Blind. Despite her soulful playlist, Mariam promises she’s a very happy person.

Switzerland with a smile

In Mariam’s vision of Switzerland, the country will be full of mountains, skiing, and chocolate, and we can only hope she’s right. As she says in her song, “Freedom is the mountain spring fresh air.”

But the thing she’s looking forward to most is meeting all the other contestants.

Listen out for Mariam on the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast .

You can learn more about Mariam Shengelia from Georgia right here .