Antonio Nejkov wins unanimous jury backing on Zvezde Granda

Twenty-year-old Antonio Nejkov from Strumica stole the show on Zvezde Granda, earning a standing ovation and winning the approval of the entire expert panel — all seven votes in his favor.

The performance stunned the studio audience and judges alike; presenter Ana Sevic ran onstage to embrace him after the applause. Commentators also noted his stage presence and physical appearance during the broadcast.

Several panel members compared his looks to a high-profile athlete. "Antonio is a physical copy of the famous Barcelona footballer Lamin Jamal!" the judges joked, drawing laughter across the room.

From the clinic to the contest

Offstage, Nejkov works as a medical technician and is studying elder care — a detail that earned immediate praise from Dragan Kojic – Keba. Keba singled him out for recognition, while Djordje David highlighted the winning spirit associated with Strumica.

Dragan Kojic also addressed Antonio after the performance: "I personally wrote the song 'Srce piše suzama' — it is one of the best lyrics I have created, and you performed it so well that I take my hat off to you!" The young singer then chose Kojic as his mentor going forward.

The evening was notable for the strong showing by Macedonian contestants. Alongside Nejkov, 19-year-old Nemanja Dencic from Skopje secured a straight pass to the second round with all six votes, and was even compared by Djordje David to last year’s winner Bojan Ilievski.

Photo: press material from the event