Lithuania was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song "Stay", written by Monika Linkytė and Krists Indrišonoks, and performed by Linkytė herself. The Lithuanian participating broadcaster, the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), organised the national final 2023 to select its entry for the contest.
Lithuania was drawn to compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 11 May 2023 and was later selected to perform in position 15. At the end of the show, "Stay" was announced among the top 10 entries of the second semi-final and hence qualified to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Lithuania placed fourth out of the sixteen participating countries in the semi-final with 110 points. In the final, Lithuania performed in position 22 and placed eleventh out of the 26 participating countries, scoring a total of 127 points.
Background
Prior to the 2023 contest, the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Lithuania 22 times since its first entry in . Its best placing in the contest was sixth, which it achieved in with the song "We Are the Winners", performed by LT United. Following the introduction of semi-finals in , Lithuania, to this point, had managed to qualify to the final 11 times. It was by the song "Sentimentai", performed by Monika Liu, who qualified for the final and ended 14th overall with 128 points.
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, LRT organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. Other than the internal selection of their debut entry in 1994, LRT has selected all of its entries through a national final procedure: between and , and since . LRT confirmed its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 on 29 July 2022. On 11 October 2022, the broadcaster announced the organization of , which would be the national final format to select its entry for Liverpool.
Before Eurovision
Pabandom iš naujo! 2023 ("Let's try again! 2023") was the national final format developed by LRT in order to select Lithuania's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. The competition involved a five-week-long process that commenced on 21 January 2023 and concluded with a final on 18 February 2023. The six shows took place at the LRT studios in Vilnius and were hosted by Giedrius Masalskis, Augustė Nombeko and Richardas Jonaitis. The shows were broadcast on LRT televizija, LRT Lituanica and LRT Radijas as well as online via the broadcaster's website lrt.lt and official YouTube channel.
Format The 2023 competition involved 30 entries and consisted of five shows. The first two shows were the heats consisting of 15 entries each. The top ten entries advanced in the competition from each heat, while the remaining 20 entries participated in the third and fourth shows which were the competition's semi-finals where ten entries participated in each show and the top five proceeded to the final. In the final, the winner was selected from the remaining ten entries. The broadcaster allocated up to €1,500 to be divided for each of the competing artists in order to support their preparations for the national final. A monetary prize of €5,000 was also awarded to the winning songwriters by the Lithuanian Copyright Protection Association (LATGA).
The results of each of the five shows were determined by the 50/50 combination of votes from a jury panel and public televoting. The ranking developed by both streams of voting was converted to points from 1–8, 10 and 12 and assigned based on the number of competing songs in the respective show. The public could vote through telephone and SMS voting. Ties in all shows were decided in favour of the entry that received the most points from the jury.
Competing entries LRT opened a submission period on 11 October 2022 for artists and songwriters to submit their entries with the deadline on 12 December 2022. On 20 December 2022, LRT announced the 30 artists selected for the competition from more than 60 submissions received. Among the artists was Monika Linkytė who represented Lithuania in . The nine-member jury panel that selected the competing entries consisted of Gytis Oganauskas (LRT deputy director general), ( chief producer), (LRT pop music editor-in-chief), ( senior music editor), Lina Patskočimaitė (Head of LRT's digital assets department), Rūta Putnikienė (Head of LRT's communication and marketing department), Miglė Savickaitė (LRT public relations representative), Povilas Varvuolis (television director) and (composer).
On 23 December 2022, the final changes to the list of 36 competing acts were made with the addition of the band The Pixls following the disqualification of Lina Štalytė due to her song being previously published in 2020.
Key: Withdrawn Replacement entry Artist Song Songwriter(s)Agnė"New Start"Agnė Buškevičiūtė-Tumalavičienė, Vilius TumalavičiusAistė Pilvelytė"We're Not Running"Justine Eltakchi, Aidan O'ConnorAlen Chicco"Do You"Tomas Alenčikas ""Martynas Enčius, Karolis SteponavičiusBaiba"When the Lights Go Out"Baiba Skurstene, Andrius KairysBeatrich"Like a Movie"Marc Dowding, Beatričė PundžiūtėDonata"Dreamer"Ylva Persson, Linda Persson, Janne Hyöty, Christopher WortleyGabrielius Vagelis""Kim Wennerström, Gabrielius VagelisGebrasy"Saw Your Ghost"Faustas Venckus, Audrius PetrauskasIl Senso"" I.T.""Ingrida Toleikytė-MikalauskienėJoseph June"Vacuum"Vytautas GumbelevičiusJusta Rubežiūtė"When I'll Find"Algirdas Veževičius, Justinas StanislovaitisJustė Kraujelytė"Need More Fun"Justė Kraujelytė, Edgaras Žaltauskas, Kasparas MeginisJustin 3 Dj AugustYno"Not Giving Up"Algirdas Veževičius, Justinas StanislovaitisLina Štalytė"My Body"Lina ŠtalytėLuknė"Paradise"Rob PriceMario Junes"Do What You Do"Marius Kijauskas, Faustas VenckusMatt Len"Midnight Train"Matas LenktisMelona"Song of Whispers"Algirdas Veževičius, Illona Podrabinkína, Justinas StanislovaitisMonika Linkytė"Stay"Monika Linkytė, Krists IndrišonoksMoonBee"Rumor"Austėja Pukelytė, Gytis ValickasMultiks"London"Paulius BurbaNoy"Destiny's Child"Nojus Žebrauskas, Viktorija Raibužytė, Rita Dmitrijenko, Dominykas ZalieckasPaulina Paukštaitytė"Let Me Think About Me"Paulina Paukštaitytė, Krists Indrišonoks, Jānis JačmenkinsPetunija"Love of My Life"Agnė Šiaulytė, Diana Anisko, Morta Grigaliūnaitė, Egidija MačiulytėRūta Mur"So Low"Rūta MurinaitėThe Pixls""Mantvydas Sabaitis, Kęstutis Vaitkevičius, The PixlsViktorija Faith"If You Ever Miss Me"Viktorija FaithVoldemars Petersons"Things"Voldemars PetersonsW.I"You Can Not"Viktoras Olechnovičius, Ieva Lapinskaitė
Jury members The jury panel consisted of five members in the heats and the semi-finals, and seven members in the final. +Jury members by show Jury memberHeatsSemi-finals Final Occupation(s) 1 2 1 2Duncan Laurence Dutch singer, winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2019Gerūta Griniūtė radio host singer, composerIeva Narkutė singer-songwriterJievaras Jasinskis composerLeonas Somovas producer, composerMonika Liu singerRaminta Naujalytė-Bjelle singer, Head of the LATGA Council LRT pop music editor-in-chiefStanislavas Stavickis-Stano singer, composer, producerVaidotas Valiukevičius vocalist for the band The Roop composer
Shows
Heats The two heats of the competition were filmed on 17 and 23 January 2023 and aired on 21 and 28 January 2023, featuring 15 entries each. The top ten entries advanced to the semi-finals from each heat, while the bottom five were eliminated.
+ Heat 121 January 2023 Artist Song Jury Televote Total PlaceVotes Points 1 Aistė Pilvelytė "We're Not Running" 2 207 0 2 11 2 Joseph June "Vacuum" 2 414 4 6 8 3 Il Senso "" 2 466 6 8 7 4 W.I "You Can Not" 0 162 0 0 15 5 Multiks "London" 0 279 1 1 13 6 Luknė "Paradise" 3 201 0 3 10 7 Gabrielius Vagelis "" 6 865 10 16 2 8 Alen Chicco "Do You" 8 467 7 15 3 9 Rūta Mur "So Low" 12 973 12 24 1 10 Justin 3 Dj AugustYno "Not Giving Up" 0 164 0 0 14 11 Baiba "When the Lights Go Out" 5 227 0 5 9 12 Justa Rubežiūtė "When I'll Find" 0 313 2 2 12 13 Noy "Destiny's Child" 4 559 8 12 6 14 Paulina Paukštaitytė "Let Me Think About Me" 7 431 5 12 5 15 Justė Kraujelytė "Need More Fun" 10 367 3 13 4 + Heat 228 January 2023 Artist Song Jury Televote Total PlaceVotes Points 1 Antikvariniai Kašpirovskio dantys "" 2 527 3 5 10 2 I.T. "Žinau, tai tu" 0 651 4 4 11 3 Donata "Dreamer" 4 466 1 5 9 4 Matt Len "Midnight Train" 5 780 7 12 4 5 Melona "Song of Whispers" 0 306 0 0 13 6 Monika Linkytė "Stay" 10 851 8 18 2 7 The Pixls "Šaukt" 0 147 0 0 15 8 Viktorija Faith "If You Ever Miss Me" 1 133 0 1 12 9 Agnė "New Start" 0 918 10 10 6 10 Gebrasy "Saw Your Ghost" 6 349 0 6 8 11 MoonBee "Rumor" 3 698 5 8 7 12 Voldemars Petersons "Things" 0 210 0 0 14 13 Petunija "Love of My Life" 8 467 2 10 5 14 Beatrich "Like a Movie" 12 955 12 24 1 15 Mario Junes "Do What You Do" 7 744 6 13 3
Semi-finals The two semi-finals of the competition were filmed on 31 January and 7 February 2023 and aired on 4 and 11 February 2023, each featuring ten of the 20 entries that qualified from the heats. The top five entries advanced to the final from each semi-final, while the bottom five were eliminated.
+ Semi-final 14 February 2023 Artist Song Jury Televote Total Place Votes Points 1 Il Senso ""51,87612173 2 Alen Chicco "Do You"6364286 3 Baiba "When the Lights Go Out"42111510 4 Joseph June "Vacuum"4420487 5 Noy "Destiny's Child"1584679 6 Petunija "Love of My Life"129367192 7 Justė Kraujelytė "Need More Fun"83963115 8 Gabrielius Vagelis ""71,3428154 9 Rūta Mur "So Low"101,44010201 10 Donata "Dreamer"2461578 + Semi-final 211 February 2023 Artist Song Jury Televote Total PlaceVotes Points 1 Paulina Paukštaitytė "Let Me Think About Me"81,38310182 2 Agnė "New Start"3765369 3 Matt Len "Midnight Train"4772487 4 Luknė "Paradise"21091310 5 Monika Linkytė "Stay"101,3287173 6 Gebrasy "Saw Your Ghost"6380286 7 MoonBee "Rumor"52,45712174 8 Beatrich "Like a Movie"121,3428201 9 Mario Junes "Do What You Do"78525125 10 Antikvariniai Kašpirovskio dantys ""1964678
Final The final took place on 18 February 2023 and featured the remaining ten entries that qualified from the semi-finals. The final was the only show in the competition to be broadcast live; all other preceding shows were pre-recorded earlier in the week before their airdates. "So Low" performed by Rūta Mur and "Stay" performed by Monika Linkytė were tied at 22 points each after the combination of the jury vote and the public vote, but since Linkytė received received the most votes from the jury she was declared the winner. In addition to the competing entries, Ukrainian 2023 representative Tvorchi appeared as guests, while Eurovision Song Contest 2019 winner Duncan Laurence and Lithuanian 2022 representative Monika Liu performed as interval acts.
+ Final18 February 2023 Artist SongJury Televote Total Place Votes Points Votes Points 1 Mario Junes "Do What You Do"30 3 1,102 2 5 9 2 MoonBee "Rumor"14 1 3,780 7 8 7 3 Justė Kraujelytė "Need More Fun"43 5 606 1 6 8 4 Paulina Paukštaitytė "Let Me Think About Me"49 6 2,910 5 11 5 5 Beatrich "Like a Movie"78 8 9,392 8 16 3 6 Rūta Mur "So Low"88 10 12,822 12 22 2 7 Il Senso ""19 2 2,090 3 5 10 8 Petunija "Love of My Life"62 7 2,501 4 11 4 9 Gabrielius Vagelis ""42 4 3,085 6 10 6 10 Monika Linkytė "Stay"97 12 12,675 10 22 1 + Song Juror Total 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 "Do What You Do" 2 5 2 3 23533 30 2 "Rumor" 1 2 1 2 1 2221 14 3 "Need More Fun" 3 7 5 4 57345 43 4 "Let Me Think About Me" 6 4 3 7 6 5666 49 5 "Like a Movie" 10 8 12 10 3 108107 78 6 "So Low" 12 10 8 8 12810812 88 7 "" 4 1 4 1 4 1112 19 8 "Love of My Life" 8 6 7 6 76778 62 9 "" 5 3 6 5 8 4434 42 10 "Stay" 7 12 10 12 10 12121210 97
Ratings