Italy wins 2014 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, Armenia Takes Third Place

MALTA — Eleven-year-old Betty (Elizabeth Danielyan) representing Armenia finished third in Junior Eurovision 2014 that ended in Malta Saturday night in the victory of an Italian participant.

A combined vote by a professional panel of judges and European TV audiences gave the Armenian contestant a total of 144 points for her performance of an upbeat tune, “People of the Sun”.

Italy’s Vincenzo Cantiello won the contest with the song “Tu Primo Grande Amore” (“Your First Great Love”), followed by Bulgarian participants Krisia Todorova (singing), and Hasan and Ibrahim (on the piano). The 14-year-old singer from Sant’Arpino scored a total of 159 points. The runners-ups had a score of 146 points.

Armenia received 12 points from Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia and Malta.

Representatives of 16 European nations took part in the popular competition organized and held under the auspices of the European Broadcasting Union.

Armenia had won the contest in 2011 and hosted it the following year.