Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest

1961–1991: Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961 along with Spain and Finland. The national pre-selection organized by the Yugoslav broadcaster Yugoslav Radio Television (JRT) was Jugovizija, and it featured entries submitted by the subnational public broadcasting centers based in the capitals of each of the constituent republics of the Yugoslav federation: SR Bosnia and Herzegovina (RTV Sarajevo), SR Croatia (RTV Zagreb and RTV Split^[1]), SR Macedonia (RTV Skopje), SR Montenegro (RTV Titograd), SR Serbia (RTV Belgrade) and SR Slovenia (RTV Ljubljana) and also the broadcasting services of the autonomous provinces within SR Serbia: SAP Kosovo (RTV Priština) and SAP Vojvodina (RTV Novi Sad).^[2] The first to compete in 1961 were Belgrade, Ljubljana and Zagreb, while the others joined in the following years.^[2]

During its existence, SFR Yugoslavia was represented by a variety of artists from five of the eight Yugoslav federal units. These artists were from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia, with Macedonia, Vojvodina, and Kosovo never passing the national pre-selection. Croatia was the most successful constituent republic, as its performers won the national contest 13 out of the 26 times SFR Yugoslavia took part in the contest. From 1977 to 1980, and in 1985, Yugoslavia didn't participate in the contest.

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia won the Eurovision Song Contest 1989 with the song "Rock Me" by the group Riva. Following the rules of the contest, the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 took place in Zagreb, as the entry came from Croatia.

1992: Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

During the process of breakup of SFR Yugoslavia in 1991, the former constituent republics: Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia proclaimed independence and hence withdrew from Jugovizija, while the then-leaderships of Serbia and Montenegro agreed to maintain a close alliance. On 28 March 1992, the republics that still (at least formally) constituted the fading and shrunken former Yugoslav federation took part in 1992 Jugovizija held in Belgrade. It included artists not only from Serbia and Montenegro, but also from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although the latter declared independence on 1 March of that year. Among it candidates was Alma Čardžić.^[3] The winner of that pre-selection was "Ljubim te pesmama" performed by Extra Nena (Snežana Berić) from Serbia.^[4] Before that year's ESC took place, on 28 April, a new federative state was formed consisting of Serbia and Montenegro called Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which was represented by the previously mentioned Extra Nena in the Eurovision Song Contest 1992 held on 9 May.^[5][6][7] Yugoslavia was banned from participating in the Song Contest until 2004 due to UN sanctions during the Yugoslav Wars.

1993–present: After the breakup of SFRY

After the dissolution of SFR Yugoslavia its former constituent republics proclaimed independence. The once subnational public radio and TV stations changed to national but under new names, including: RTV Slovenia, HRT, RTS, MKRTV and so on. Since joining the EBU respectively, all of the ex-Yugoslav countries have participated in the Eurovision Song Contest: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia.

Overall the results of the new republics have been mixed: Croatia had some top 10 finishes in the mid-1990s, and the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina have enjoyed high scores in the 2000s, while the Republic of Macedonia has never secured a top 10 result despite making it through to the final each year until 2008, in which it lost at the semi-final stage. In 2004, the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro debuted and came in 2nd and in 2007, Montenegro joined the contest but failed to qualify for the final, while Serbia won the Eurovision Song Contest the first time it entered as an independent nation. In 2013, no ex-Yugoslav country secured a spot in the final, as Bosnia & Herzegovina withdrew before the contest began, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia all failed to qualify in the first semi-final and Macedonia failed to qualify in the second semi-final.