Malta finished in fifth place at this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest after an extremely tight vote.

Ela Mangion, 12, wowed the crowds in Minsk with her powerful ballad Marchin’ On, a song that deals with sensitive topics such as bullying and Malta’s migrant crisis.

Europe’s judges clearly liked what they saw, ranking Malta second after a neck and neck race with Australia. However, the public was more lukewarm, with their votes ensuring Malta ended up in fifth place.

Poland took the title home, with France finishing second, Australia third and Ukraine fourth.

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici was all praise for Ela after tonight’s show.

“Well done for a splendid performance, Ela! Malta is proud of you!” he tweeted.

READ NEXT: WATCH: Malta’s Junior Eurovision Contestant Ela Slays During Her First Rehearsal

Tim Diacono

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]