The Uuden musiikin kilpailu (UMK), Finland's contest for new music, achieved remarkable success this year, with just over 2.5 million Finns tuning in. On the day of the broadcast, an average of 1.8 million viewers watched the event on television, according to Finnpanel statistics. The broadcast was also available on Yle Areena, contributing to its extensive reach. This marks a significant increase in audience engagement compared to previous years, showcasing the growing popularity of the competition.

Votes cast during the event reached a total of 446,681, exceeding last year's total by over 100,000 votes. Most of the voting occurred through the Yle app, highlighting a trend towards digital engagement among the audience. Additionally, the UMK chat feature received 27,778 messages and 467,540 reactions, reflecting a high level of interaction and enthusiasm from fans participating in the event.

This year's UMK crowned Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen as the winners with their song "Liekinheitin," who will represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, in May. The positive response and record-breaking numbers suggest a thriving interest in music competitions in Finland, potentially energizing the country's representation at Eurovision and broadening its cultural impact in the European music scene.