Culture

Austria's JJ Wins Eurovision Song Contest

Published MAY 18 2025

Story

Above: JJ takes to the stage of the St. Jakobshalle for the opening of the final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest. Image credit: Jens Büttner/Contributor/picture alliance via Getty Images

The Facts

Austrian classical singer JJ won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, with "Wasted Love," a song combining operatic vocals with electronic elements. This was Austria's third Eurovision victory and first since Conchita Wurst in 2014.
Breitbart
NPR
The 24-year-old countertenor, JJ or Johannes Pietsch, performed with the Vienna State Opera and co-wrote the winning song with Teodora Spiric and Thomas Turner, securing 436 points in the final tally.
EFE Noticias
Eurovision
Daily Mail
Israel's Yuval Raphael finished second with "New Day Will Rise," scoring 357 points, while Estonia's Tommy Cash came third with "Espresso Macchiato," scoring 356 points. The contest featured 26 finalists from an initial field of 37 countries.
Breitbart
CNN
The Kyiv Independent
The U.K. entry "Remember Monday" finished 19th, receiving zero points in the public vote. The group, comprising friends Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull, and Charlotte Steele, represented the U.K. with their song "What The Hell Just Happened?"
guardian
Daily Mail
The competition drew approximately 160 million viewers worldwide and showcased diverse musical styles, from grunge rock to prog rock. Songs were performed in 20 languages, including Ukrainian, Icelandic, Albanian, Latvian, and Maltese.
1 News
CNN
Two activists attempted to disrupt Israel's performance, with a crew member being hit by paint, while pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside the venue, calling for Israel to be debarred from the contest over the war in Gaza.
1 News
Huffington Post

Sources Split

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CENTER

RIGHT

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PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The contest successfully maintained its role as a unifying cultural celebration, showcasing musical diversity and artistic excellence. JJ's winning performance demonstrated the evolution of Eurovision, combining classical training with modern elements. At the same time, the event's production values and global reach affirmed its status as the world's largest live music competition.

Eurovision

Narrative B

The inclusion of Israel in the contest amid the ongoing Gaza conflict undermined Eurovision's mission of political neutrality and universal values. The protests, attempted stage disruptions, and calls from former contestants to exclude Israel highlight how the competition cannot separate itself from broader geopolitical tensions.

Huffington Post