Final preparations are under way at the HMH Arena in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for the 10th Junior Eurovision Song Contest, on Saturday (1 December).

Contestants from 12 countries will take to the stage in front of millions of fans watching on television or via live streams.

Dress rehearsals will take place on Friday (30 November), with the live show starting at 20.15 CET the following day.

The winner will be selected by juries and viewers in the participating countries, as well as a special kids’ jury comprising one child from each country.

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest promotes young popular music talent by encouraging competition among children between 10 and 15. Contestants must have written and composed the song themselves.

This year's contest is organized in special cooperation with KidsRights, a Dutch non-profit organization that promotes the wellbeing of very vulnerable children around the world and advocates the expression of their rights. The Junior Eurovision Song Contest shares these values and supports their mission to give children a voice.

Countries represented in this year's Finals include:

The first Junior Eurovision Song Contest (JESC) took place in Copenhagen (Denmark) on 15 November 2003 and was an instant international hit. Since then it has taken place in Lillehammer (Norway), Hasselt (Belgium), Bucharest (Romania), Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Lemesos (Cyprus), Minsk (Belarus) and Yerevan (Armenia).

Unlike the main Eurovision Song Contest, the country winning the Junior Eurovision Song Contest does not automatically host the next show. In 2012 the host broadcaster will be AVRO in the Netherlands.

About Eurovision

Eurovision, operated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), is the industry's premier distributor and producer of top quality live sport and news, as well as entertainment, culture and music content.

The Eurovision satellite and fibre network is the largest and most reliable in the world directly plugged in to public service media everywhere.

Eurovision's staff of experienced media professionals acquire and manage media rights on behalf of EBU Members, and provide network, transmission and events services to the broadcasting industry.

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