Germany will be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "Baller", written by Alexander Hauer, Attila Bornemisza and Tünde Bornemisza, and performed by the Bornemiszas under their stage name Abor & Tynna. The German participating broadcaster on behalf of ARD, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), organised the national final format Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland? in collaboration with private broadcaster RTL to select its entry.

Prior to the 2025 contest, ARD has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Germany 67 times since its debut at the inaugural contest in 1956, making Germany, to this point, the country with the most entries in the contest: they have taken part in every edition except in 1996 when they were eliminated in a pre-qualification round.^[1] They have won the contest on two occasions: in 1982 with the song "Ein bißchen Frieden" performed by Nicole, and in 2010 with the song "Satellite" performed by Lena. In 2024, "Always on the Run" performed by Isaak placed 12th out of 26 competing songs in the final with 117 points.^[1]

As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, ARD organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. ARD confirmed its participation in the 2025 contest on 27 May 2024.^[2] Since 1996, ARD has delegated the participation in the contest to its member Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR). Since 2022, NDR had set up national finals with several artists to choose both the song and performer to compete in the contest. On 29 October 2024, the broadcaster announced that it would organise a multi-artist national final in collaboration with private broadcaster RTL and Stefan Raab.^[3] Raab, a three-time German Eurovision participant (as singer and/or songwriter) and co-presenter of the 2011 contest in Düsseldorf, had previously worked with NDR on its national finals between 2010 and 2012.^[4][5]

Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland? ("Top priority ESC 2025 – Who sings for Germany?") was the competition that selected the German entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.^[6] The competition took place between 14 February 2025 and 1 March 2025 at the EMG Studio 8 in Hürth, hosted by Barbara Schöneberger, and consisted of two heats, a semi-final and a final.^[7] The heats and semi-final were broadcast on RTL and online via RTL+, while the final was broadcast on Das Erste and One as well as online via the ARD Mediathek [de] platform and ARD's Eurovision Song Contest website eurovision.de.^[8][9]

Interested artists and composers were able to submit their entries for the competition between 6 and 28 November 2024. Artists without their own songs were also able to apply and had to submit an introduction video along with a performance clip of a cover song.^[8][10] By the end of the process, it was announced that 3,281 applications were received, of which 1,198 included an own song.^[8] The 24 competing acts were selected by a panel consisting of representatives of Raab Entertainment, ARD and RTL, and announced on 4 February 2025.^[11][12]

Two heats took place on 14 and 15 February 2025. In each heat each, twelve artists performed a cover song or their own song (though not their candidate Eurovision song should they progress to the semi-final), and an expert jury selected seven acts to proceed to the semi-final. The jury panel for both shows consisted of producer Stefan Raab, singer and actress Yvonne Catterfeld, and presenter Elton, while 2004 German entrant Max Mutzke and singer-songwriter Johannes Oerding featured as guest jurors in the first and second heat, respectively.^[9][13]

The semi-final took place on 22 February 2025. Each of the remaining fourteen artists performed their candidate Eurovision song and an expert jury selected nine acts to proceed to the final. The jury panel consisted of Raab, Catterfeld and Elton, as well as singer-songwriter Max Giesinger.^[16]

The final took place on 1 March 2025. The winner was selected through two rounds of voting. In the first round of voting, each of the remaining nine artists performed their candidate Eurovision song and a cover song, and an expert jury will selected five acts to proceed to the second round. In the second round, the winner was selected solely through public voting with options for landline, SMS and online voting.^[18] The jury panel that voted in the first round consisted of Raab, Catterfeld, 2014 Austrian entrant and winner Conchita Wurst, and singer-songwriter Nico Santos.^[18]

• Official NDR/ARD Eurovision site