Austria has won the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest with 24-year-old JJ's (Johannes Pietsch) operatic ballad ‘Wasted Love’.
It was a nail biting reveal, with Israel in the top spot until the very last moment — but ultimately coming in second place, followed by Estonia.
This is the third time Austria — who were also one of our predicted winners — has won the contest, with previous successes in 1966 and 2014. The country also holds the record for the longest gap — 48 years — between wins.
In an interview with Euronews, JJ explained that his song is about unrequited love and finding strength through painful emotions: “The song is quite sad, but then there's the hope that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. And if you have a short, bad phase, it means that you can overcome it because... it really is never the end of the world. You always come out of every situation on a positive note. Hope dies last.”
A total of 26 contestants took part in the ceremony, with a record number singing in their native languages — the most diverse representation since 1999.
Despite this year’s mascot symbolising ‘unity’, the contest was also gripped by political divisions over Israel’s inclusion, with pro-Palestine protests taking place outside the event, and over 70 former contestants signing an open letter demanding Israel and its national broadcaster KAN be banned.
There was also controversy over the song lyrics from Malta’s entry, resulting in Miriana Conte releasing a reworked version of her song 'Kant'.
For the most part, however, it was an evening filled with sandstorm power ballads, sauna anthems and everything in between; delivering on spectacular sets and dazzling performances that felt more novel and niche than ever before.
Take a look at our live blog to see more highlights from throughout the night.
