TRANSCRIPT
Austria has emerged victorious, claiming its third-ever win at the world’s biggest music competition.
Operatic singer JJ whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, captivated both the jury and the public with his genre-blending track 'Wasted Love'.
Combining classical opera vocals with club beats and soaring falsetto, JJ took home a total of 435 points, with 257 from the professional juries and 178 from the public vote.
The 24-year-old, born in Vienna to Austrian and Filipino parents, stepped onto the stage holding back tears as he accepted the iconic glass microphone trophy.
JJ: “It’s beyond my wildest dreams. It’s crazy.
REPORTER: "What did you want the audience to feel while watching you sing?"
JJ: "I wanted to let them have an insight on my deepest soul, how I felt when we wrote the song. And I’m so, so, so happy that, you know, everyone has been resonating with this… And what I’m trying to permit is that there’s no wasted love. Love is never wasted. There’s so much love that we can spread around, and we should use love. It’s the strongest force on planet Earth.”
JJ now joins Austria’s elite circle of Eurovision winners, following Conchita Wurst in 2014 and Udo Jurgens in 1966.
His win comes a year after Switzerland’s Nemo claimed the crown in Malmö, granting Basel the right to host this year’s contest.
More than 160 million people tuned in worldwide, while 100,000 fans attended events across the host city.
Among them were enthusiastic supporters of the 37 countries competing, and a visible wave of protesters.
In the Sydney suburb of Hurstville, scores of fans, many dressed in the traditional garb of the countries they either came from or were rooting for, gathered at 5am to watch the performance live on SBS.
Among them was this man.
"It's been an amazing morning, it's been chaotic but fun and frenzied, you know, we just had, Finland and she went off. Everyone got up dancing to Estonia and Austria. It's been a great morning already so far."
When asked by SBS why he thought Australia loved Eurovision so much, he replied:
"I think it's because it's a safe and inclusive space for people, you know, it brings together people of different cultures, different languages. We're all united through music, and it's that celebration and cultural expression that I think everyone just loves and the fun and all the colour and excitement of Eurovision."
Although Eurovision brands itself as politically neutral, tensions surrounding Israel’s participation cast a shadow over the festivities.
Israel’s entrant this year, Yuval Raphael, is a survivor of the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023, an attack which killed 1,200 people.
Ms Raphael’s performance earned Israel second place overall, with strong backing from Australia’s public vote.
But the country’s involvement stirred controversy.
As the war in Gaza continues, pro-Palestinian groups called for Israel’s exclusion, pointing to the precedent set in 2022 when Russia was barred after invading Ukraine.
Around 200 protesters gathered outside the venue on the night of the final, where scuffles broke out between police and protesters over Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest final.
Among them was Sebastian Piery from France.
"Because I have the impression that Israel is using this as a showcase to clear itself of what's happening, to show that... Yes, it's a nation open to the world, gay-friendly. And so am I, but I don't think we can justify that. And to do what's happening on the other side, that's not OK."
Inside the venue, the political atmosphere rippled into the broadcast.
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE aired a message ahead of the show, stating: “When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine.”
Despite the calls for boycott, Israel competed, and nearly won.
Back on the scoreboard, Estonia placed third with its catchy caffeine-fuelled track Espresso Macchiato.
Jury favourites France, Italy, and Switzerland saw their high marks from experts undone by lukewarm audience votes.
One surprise came from Sweden’s comedy trio KAJ, favourites going into the competition with a humorous song about saunas.
Despite the buzz, they didn’t crack the top three.
Meanwhile, it was a disappointing night for the UK.
Girl group Remember Monday ended in 19th place, earning zero points from the public, echoing last year’s result when Olly Alexander landed in 18th.
But for JJ, it was a moment of transcendence.
His message, he says, was always about love.
And you can listen to all the entries from this year's Eurovision Song Contest - plus every winner over the years - on SBS EuroPop, our 24/7 Eurovision music station, running throughout the month of May at www.sbs.com.au/europop.
