Justyna Steczkowska

Justyna Maria Steczkowska (Polish pronunciation: [juˈstɨna stɛt͡ʂˈkɔfska]; born 2 August 1972) is a Polish singer, songwriter, photographer, and actress. She represented Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1995 with the song "Sama", finishing in 18th place, and is set to represent the country again in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "Gaja".^[2]

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Quick Facts Born, Occupations ...

Justyna Steczkowska
Steczkowska in 2025
Born	(1972-08-02) 2 August 1972 (age 52) Rzeszów, Poland^[1]
Occupations	Singer songwriter
Spouse	Maciej Myszkowski
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Pop alternative trip hop world
Instruments	Vocals violin
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Pomaton EMI EMI Music Poland QL Music Luna Music
Website	www.justynasteczkowska.pl

Life and career

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Perspective

Early life and musical roots

She was born in Rzeszów, in the Subcarpathian region of southeastern Poland. She is the fourth of nine children of Danuta and Stanisław Steczkowski, a music teacher and conductor.

When she was five years old, she moved with her family to Stalowa Wola, where she attended the Ignacy Jan Paderewski State Music School. In 1991, she graduated from a music high school belonging to the Music School Complex No. 1 in Rzeszów. Later she moved to Gdańsk to study at a musical academy but she dropped out to focus on singing.^[3] She played violin in a family band and was a singer in rock and jazz bands before embarking on a solo career.

Breakthrough with "Boskie Buenos"

In 1994, Steczkowska participated in auditions for a television talent show Szansa na sukces. Dissatisfied herself with her performance of a song "Nie przynoś mi kwiatów, dziewczyno" by Trubadurzy, she was given another chance to compete. She came to prominence in June 1994 when she eventually won the show with the performance of Maanam's hit "Buenos Aires".^[4] Afterwards, the same year, she performed her first non-album single “Moja intymność” at the 31st National Festival of Polish Song in Opole where she won the main "Karolinka" award and was notably praised by Irena Santor, one of the legends of the Polish music.^[5] The national exposure introduced her striking voice to a wider audience and marked the beginning of her ascent in Polish pop culture.

Eurovision debut

As a promising young artist, Steczkowska was selected to represent Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1995 with the song “Sama” ("Alone"). With the track characterized by its introspective and melancholic tone, set in a minor key with folky, downbeat elements, she finished in 18th place.^[6]

Career-defining Dziewczyna Szamana

After winning the final of the Baltic Countries Song Festival in July 1995, Steczkowska began work on her first record. In 1996, she released her debut solo album Dziewczyna Szamana in collaboration with Grzegorz Ciechowski. Combining esoteric themes and jazz-influenced production, the album was both a critical and commercial success. The title track, along with singles like “Grawitacja” and “Oko za oko, słowo za słowo”, remain staples of her repertoire and are among her most iconic songs. In April 1997, Steczkowska was triumphant, having earned four Fryderyk awards for every category in which she was nominated.

Evolving sound and collaborations

After the debut, Steczkowska released the album Naga [pl] (1997), most known for a single “Za karę”. Three years later, she released Dzień i noc [pl] marked by the single “Kosmiczna rewolucja”. This album saw her depart from the work with Ciechowski and embrace new musical landscape leaning into electronic. On this third record, she collaborated with other prominent Polish female artists, Katarzyna Nosowska and Edyta Bartosiewicz.

In November 2001, Steczkowska released a collaborative album Mów do mnie jeszcze [pl] with Paweł Deląg, where they used poems by William Shakespeare, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Jonasz Kofta, Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, or Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska. In October 2002, she released the album Alkimja [pl], inspired by Jewish culture, featuring songs sung in Hebrew, Aramaic, Ladino, and Yiddish. The album earned her a Fryderyk award for Ethno-Folk Album of the Year.

In 2004, she released Femme Fatale [pl], an album of her interpretations of songs originally performed by famous Polish and international female singers, inspired by figures like Kalina Jędrusik, Anna German, Marilyn Monroe, Édith Piaf, Dalida, and Marlene Dietrich.^[7]

Her further discography includes Daj mi chwilę [pl] (2007), Puchowe kołysanki [pl] (2008), To mój czas [pl] (2009), XV [pl] (2012), Puchowe kołysanki 2 [pl] (2013), Anima [pl] (2014), Maria Magdalena. All Is One [pl] (2019), Szamanka [pl] (2022), Steczkowska Demarczyk (2023) and Witch Tarohoro [pl] (2024) as well as other collaborative albums: cabaret-inspired Mezalianse [pl] (2011) with Maciej Maleńczuk and Balkan-influenced I na co mi to było? [pl] (2015) with Boban Marković. She also composed and recorded the soundtrack for the film Na koniec świata [pl] (1999).

Eurovision comeback

In 2024, she finished second in Poland's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "Witch Tarohoro [pl]".^[8] The following year, she won the national final of Poland's national preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 and is set to represent Poland again after three decades with the song "Gaja".^[9] Steczkowska's gap of 30 years between her two participations breaks the previous record of 24 years set by Anna Vissi between her entries for Cyprus in 1982 and Greece in 2006.^[10]

Other ventures

Apart from her music endeavours, she has starred in the films Billboard and Na koniec świata ("To the End of the World"). She was also a runner-up in season six of the Polish version of Dancing with the Stars in 2007, co-hosted the Polish version of Dancing on Ice in 2008, was a coach on The Voice of Poland in seasons 2, 4–5, and 12–14, with two of her contestants winning the competition,^[11]^[12]^[13] and has served as a judge on the Polish version of Your Face Sounds Familiar since 2024.^[14] She has appeared in several advertising campaigns, and designed her own clothing collection for girls. She is actively involved in charity work.

Legacy

Steczkowska is regarded for her four-octave vocal range.^[15] She has won numerous music awards, including six Fryderyk awards, two Wiktor awards, a Superjedynka and a Bursztynowy Słowik. She has also been honored with the Bronze Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture, and has been ranked among Forbes Poland's most valuable stars of Polish show business numerous times.