Maria

Biography

Maria Dragan, a 9-year-old Dutch singer, began her musical journey at an early age through training in vocals and performance. After standing out on local stages and participating in community choirs, she decided to make the leap to national television by entering the selection process organized by the public broadcaster AVROTROS. She successfully navigated the in-person audition rounds—competing against more than 1,600 hopefuls—to become a finalist in the long-running Junior Songfestival 2026.

She cemented her status as an artist during the contest's grand final, held at the RTM Stage in Rotterdam's Ahoy arena. In one of the tightest votes in the format's history, Maria claimed victory with a combined total of 31 points from the professional jury, the kids' jury, and the public vote. Her win made her the Netherlands' representative for the 24th Junior Eurovision Song Contest, upholding the record of the only country to have competed uninterruptedly in the European event since 2003.

Her entry, "Stronger Together," is a bilingual pop song (in Dutch and English) created by songwriters Mell Jonk and Ton Dijkman and produced by the AVRO Muziekuitgeverij label. The song addresses themes of mutual support, empathy, and overcoming uncertainty together; it also links to social campaigns aimed at children, such as anti-bullying initiatives promoted on public television.

Outside of her professional performances, Maria pursues a wide range of artistic and athletic interests. She devotes part of her free time to learning the piano and composing simple arrangements at home, while also attending weekly modern dance and hip-hop classes to hone her rhythm and stage presence. She complements these activities with creative hobbies like painting and crafts, as well as ice skating and cycling with friends.