Three Winners Crowned at Never Too Late 2026, Host Erupts

The 11th season finale of Never Too Late, the Grand Production singing contest for amateur performers, ended on June 24 with not one but three winners, because the show now splits its coveted title across three separate voting categories. Out of twelve finalists, three took home a trophy, and at one point the entire night was overshadowed by host Zika Jaksic, who scolded the production crew live on air.

Viktor Dimitrijevski from Kumanovo triumphed in the public vote, collecting 5,634 text messages from viewers at home. The Facebook vote, decided by likes and reactions on social media, went to Jasmin Selmanovic from Sjenica with a commanding 19,605 votes. The third title, the one chosen by the show’s professional jury, went to Ivana Salipur Lola, who burst into tears of joy on stage when she heard her name called.

Three winners means three different measures of success, a format Never Too Late has nurtured for years. The text and Facebook channels gauge how well a contestant moved the audience at home, while the jury score remains a matter of craft and the impression built over an entire season. This year proved those can be three completely different names, as the public favorite, the social media favorite and the jury pick all diverged.

Why did Zika Jaksic erupt during the announcement?

Still, the moment that drew the most attention came as the public vote winner was about to be revealed. As the host announced that Viktor Dimitrijevski had won the most text votes, the camera was not pointed at the young singer from Kumanovo. Zika Jaksic reacted at once, live, addressing the team running the broadcast.

“What is this, what kind of directing is this, Viktor should be shown,” the host snapped, demanding the shot cut to the winner at the very moment his title was being announced. The outburst lasted only a few seconds, but it stuck with viewers because Jaksic rarely steps so directly into the technical side of the show in front of an audience.

Moments like these are part of a live format and a reminder that the show is filmed in real time, with all the unpredictability that brings. For Viktor, at least, it all ended the way it should have, since he eventually got both the title and the camera shot the host had demanded.

What do three winners mean for the Never Too Late format?

Splitting the title across three names is no accident. The show rewards both the talent the audience recognizes and the one the jury recognizes, so no contestant leaves empty-handed if they managed to win at least one voting channel. Viktor, Jasmin and Ivana showed three faces of the same contest this season, one that for eleven years has gathered singers who got their chance later than usual.

It remains to be seen how the three laureates fare once the spotlight fades, since a Never Too Late title often opens doors to performances and collaborations on the scene. And what about you, do you think it is fairer to have a single winner or three, as this year’s finale showed?