By Rob Picheta, CNN Entertainment | 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.”
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Go here to read more:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/17/entertainment/eurovision-song-contest-winner-austria-jj-latam-intl
BTW, for those of you who don’t know, ABBA won Eurovision with their pop song “Waterloo” way back in 1974! The Eurovision contest is unique in that it not only judges the winners on their voices and stage appearance but on their songwriting abilities. So, therefore, each contestant performs an original song. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABBA