For the first time in 15 years, the Czech Republic hosted a live broadcast of the songs competing in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESCZ) 2023. The competition served as their selection process for the annual Eurovision Song Contest and instead of crowning a winner during the show, fans were given the opportunity to vote through the official Eurovision app until February 6th. The voting consisted of 100% televote, with 70% of the votes coming from international fans and 30% from Czech citizens.
After the voting was complete, the band Vesna was selected as the winner by the public. Based in Prague, the band is led by singer, composer and lyricist Patricie Fuxová and includes permanent members from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Russia. Vesna’s music blends elements of folklore with contemporary pop and the group has released two albums to date. In 2019, they were nominated for an Anděl Award and have opened for Norwegian singer Aurora.
Vesna’s Eurovision song, “My Sister’s Crown,” highlights the importance of sisterhood and female power. According to Patricia Fuxová, the inspiration for the song came from the band itself and its six members, each with different abilities and opinions, who work together with respect and support. The song is about these values and how they can be applied to current world issues such as minority rights and forms of violence.