London
CNN
—
Austria won its third Eurovision Song Contest after a glittering grand final in neighboring Switzerland, with singer JJ earning the continent’s votes for the operatic pop anthem “Wasted Love.”
The song, which showcases the classically trained Austrian-Filipino singer’s remarkable vocals and was staged in a dramatic style that evoked a shipwreck, dazzled the crowd in Basel and saw Austria triumph for the first time since Conchita Wurst’s victory in 2014.
Israel came second in the leaderboard, with Yuval Raphael – a survivor of Hamas’ October 7 attacks – winning support for her performance of “New Day Will Rise.” Estonia was placed third, while San Marino earned the last-place spot.
Before the final, JJ told CNN: “I feel very, very humbled and honored that the artwork that I’m putting out there is being so well accepted. This is the kind of music that I want to continue making.”
“I had a pretty tough year, and I wanted to write about my personal experience with wasted, unreciprocated love,” he said, adding that if he won Saturday’s final, he would “probably break down, start crying and then call my family.”
The Eurovision grand final is a defining event on the LGBTQ+ calendar and attracts interest across the continent, showcasing some of Europe’s most talented, eccentric and varied performers.
Taking to the stage on Saturday were a Latvian ethno-pop six-piece, whose bewitching track melded a folk chant with fairytale imagery; a Ukrainian glam rock-inspired group; a gimmicky Estonian artist who caricatured Italian coffee culture; and an Albanian double act whose haunting track “Zjerm” became a fan favorite.
A rumored appearance by Celine Dion, who won Eurovision for Switzerland in 1988 and who, along with ABBA, is the contest’s most celebrated alumni, failed to materialize.
Though organizers insist Eurovision is an apolitical event, the contest has long been embroiled in the continent’s tensions. Russia and Belarus were banned following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and the participation of Israel has been opposed by segments of the fanbase due to the country’s ongoing war in Gaza.
The Israeli contestant Raphael — who was attending the Nova music festival when Hamas launched its cross-border attacks in October 2023 — sang to an arena where Palestinian flags were flying, following a rule change by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
At the end of her performance on Saturday, a man and a woman attempted to storm the stage, according to the EBU. “One of the two agitators threw paint, and a crew member was hit. The crew member is fine and nobody was injured,” the EBU told CNN in a statement.
