Olly conquers hearts with 'Bittersweet Nostalgia' at Italy's Sanremo festival
The 75th edition of the Sanremo Festival crowned singer-songwriter Olly the winner on Sunday with his song 'Bittersweet nostalgia.'
"It sounds absurd, but it really happened," the young Genoese artist said on the stage of the Ariston Theatre, before singing again at the end of a very long evening.
"I didn't expect this finale," Olly added after the win, "it was a leap of faith from the first performance. I am in disbelief. But my life will remain the same, every day on the piano, on the guitar, with the guys I've been playing with for ten years. I hope to play as much as possible."
As is tradition, Olly will also be invited to Eurovision. The winners of the Sanremo Festival are automatically entitled to participate, although they can theoretically opt out.
In second place and winning the Mia Martini Critics' Prize was Lucio Corsi, with his song 'Volevo essere un duro.' Singer-songwriter Brunori Sas came in third with his song 'L'albero delle noci.'
From the point of view of preferences, however, it was a neck-and-neck: the winner Olly was only 0.4% ahead of Corsi: it was 23.8% to 23.4%, taking into account the television vote, press room and radio jury. Brunori Sas took home 20.3%.
The contest favourite, Giorgia, reached only sixth place.
The special guest on the last evening of the festival was the Roman singer-songwriter Antonello Venditti, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Venditti is a true icon, with his 50-year career and 40 million records sold.
He sang two of his old hits to the Ariston audience.
After him, another distinguished guest appeared: the young footballer Edoardo Bove, whose career was cut short after a sudden illness. He shared his experience with the crowd.
As probably Europe's biggest music competition after Eurovision, the Sanremo festival has been a launchpad for the success of many Italian musicians - most famously Måneskin, the band from Rome who, after their success on the Ariston stage and their triumph at Eurovision, earned worldwide fame.
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Euronews
5 days ago
- Euronews
Austria's JJ talks Eurovision 2025 win, dream collab and what's next
What do you get when you combine the soaring soprano stylings of Maria Callas, the drama of '90s divas like Celine and Whitney, and the bass-heavy, brat-pop chaos of Charli XCX? You get a winning Eurovision song. JJ, Austria's newly crowned champion of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, brought all of that and more with his electrifying song "Wasted Love". Euronews Culture caught up with the rising star to unpack the whirlwind of the final - from early morning rehearsals to the surreal moment his name was announced as the winner. The 24-year-old singer also reflects on his musical upbringing between karaoke nights and classical symphonies, and shares what's next for his music career now that the trophy is his. Euronews Culture: So, JJ, first of all, how are you? How have things been? JJ: Yeah good. Very busy. I've been traveling around a lot, but I'm enjoying every moment. It's so fun. Please walk us through the day of your Eurovision win, from waking up to taking home the trophy. So I woke up, I think, around 7:30 because we had to leave at 8 to head to the arena. Once we got there, we did a bit of press, then hair and makeup, and had a rehearsal in one of the vocal warm-up rooms. We went through the song once or twice - kind of like a performance run-through, including how I would move on stage. Then we had the family show, which I think started at 1 PM. That was basically the dress rehearsal for the evening show. It was fun, and the crowd was already wild. They were so loud - it was just an insane feeling. We also rehearsed the flag parade, and then I got to perform. While I was sitting there, I just thought, 'Okay, you just have to perform now. Tonight, soak in the moment, because this is the last time you're going to be on that stage." And yeah, it was so fun. I could really feel the energy of the crowd. After I came off stage, we did a bit more press - lots of interviews and TikToks and things like that. 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But the waiting part felt endless. When they finally announced '178,' my team and I were freaking out. There's a video on social media where you can see them flinging me around like I was a fidget toy before pushing me toward the stage. It was all such a blur - so much happened at once. I was full of adrenaline and emotion - I felt every emotion you could think of. And yeah, I was just constantly sobbing. What did you do the night after winning? I performed again, then had to stay on stage for more interviews and official portraits. After that, we went to the press conference at the media center in Basel. I got back to the hotel at 3:30 AM, where I saw my sister and all the other delegations. We had a huge party in the hotel lobby until about 6 AM. So yeah, it was a long night! Where is the trophy going to go? Good question - I have no idea yet. So far, it's just been in my room. But I think we have a glass cabinet in the living room where we keep my grandmother's trophies. 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Yeah - Mariah Carey was a big influence. But really, the '90s divas - Celine, Whitney - they were a huge part of my life. My older sister and my mom loved listening to them, so I got a lot of inspiration through them. And I also listened to the radio a lot. I loved Ariana Grande too. So I'd say I'm a mix. And now, especially with the electronic side, my love for Charli XCX has grown even more -especially with her brat album. How did the operatic style come in? Did you learn that formally at school, or…? After going through puberty, I realised that I still had a high singing voice, and I thought it would be a cool party trick to imitate a soprano - like, 'Let's just sing high notes!' So. I started teaching myself by listening to audio recordings of Maria Callas and Montserrat Caballé on YouTube. Since I love imitating voices and sounds, I tried to recreate how they projected their voices. That's how I started learning to sing classically. 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And then he played it for us - and we were like, "Wow. This slaps." And from that day on, we just kept it. How has life been since winning? Yeah, it's been very fun - pretty busy, because I've been traveling a lot. But I love being in different places, meeting new people - especially with my amazing team. I honestly can't complain. I have the best people behind me, so I'm really happy about that. I do get recognised a lot more. And sometimes, you know, when we're in a rush, I want to take a picture with people, but then I have to start running again. So it's a bit stressful in that sense - but it's fun. It's nice being recognised. So what's next for you? What have you got going on - tour, album? Yeah! So after the whole European press and promotion tour, I'm heading right back into the studio once I get home to make new music - because that's what everyone is very excited for. I'm so looking forward to it. I love being in the studio and experimenting a bit. We've got enough time, and we're gonna let Wasted Love have its well-deserved moment. And while that's still riding its wave, I'll be back in the studio working on what's next. And where do you see your sound going? I'll definitely keep my operatic sound - that's my USP, that's what people know me for. I want to hold on to my musical we'll see how commercial we can go - or what other experimental switch-ups might fit with that operatic sound. But I'm definitely keeping the high notes. If you could team up with anyone - your dream collab - who's top of your list? Obviously, Ariana Grande. But I'd also love to work with Charli XCX. That would be insane.
Euronews
05-06-2025
- Euronews
EU lawmakers take aim at Eurovision over ‘rigged' televote
Just over two weeks after the conclusion of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, controversy over the integrity of televoting continues to mount. A group of 12 MEPs from socialist, leftist, green, and liberal groups has written to the top brass of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the contest, expressing 'renewed apprehension regarding increasing concerns of irregularities tied to the 2025 contest' in a letter seen by Euronews. Their appeal follows a wave of concern from national broadcasters, including the Netherlands' AVROTROS/NPO, Norway's NRK, Spain's RTVE, Slovenia's RTVSLO, Iceland's RÚV, Belgium's Flemish VRT, and Finland's Yle. The broadcasters cited suspicions of televoting manipulation and questioned the role of state-backed promotion, particularly involving this year's runner-up in the contest, Israel's entry, which reportedly benefited from campaigns pursued by the Israeli Government Advertising Agency (Lapam). Irish broadcaster RTÉ has formally requested access to the voting data, while VRT publicly questioned whether it will continue participating in the contest if full transparency is not ensured. 'While the Eurovision Song Contest is meant to unite Europe through music and culture, recent developments have cast a shadow over its credibility and neutrality,' Slovenian MEP Matjaž Nemec, who initiated the letter, told Euronews. Nemec criticised the involvement of national governments in promoting their acts, calling it a breach of the EBU's principles of fairness, impartiality, and independence. The letter cites data from VRT revealing significant and unexplained discrepancies between viewer numbers and televoting participation during the 2023–2025 contests. 'These trends are not easily explained by organic fluctuations in viewer enthusiasm and warrant further scrutiny,' the letter reads, warning that the increasing number of broadcasters questioning their own data points to a deeper, systemic issue. 'This is not an isolated concern: it signals a broader problem that must be addressed,' Nemec said. The MEPs have called on the EBU to take specific actions, including releasing complete voting data, authorising an independent audit, and enforcing safeguards to prevent political interference in the contest. 'Without answers and accountability, Eurovision risks losing the trust of its audience and becoming a stage not for unity, but for manipulation,' Nemec warned, adding that the European public deserves full transparency on this year's voting process. Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green has issued an open letter addressing concerns about transparency and the integrity of the voting process. Green acknowledged the issues raised by broadcasters and confirmed that they would be discussed at the upcoming EBU Reference Group meeting. He noted that while promotional efforts by participating countries are permitted and common in the music industry, the EBU is reviewing whether such campaigns could unduly influence public voting. He also pointed out that Eurovision's voting system incorporates 'multiple security layers' and is overseen by over 60 professionals across Cologne, Vienna, and Amsterdam, while the voting is managed by Once Germany GmbH and independently verified by EY (Ernst & Young). Regarding the current rule limiting votes to 20 per payment method per person, Green stated that there is no evidence this affects the results. Nonetheless, the issue will be re-examined as part of the post-contest review process.
France 24
22-05-2025
- France 24
Austria's Eurovision winner wants 2026 edition 'without Israel'
He also expressed regret over Israel's participation in this year's competition despite the war in Gaza. Eurovision has faced criticism for allowing Israel to participate in the contest despite the devastating Gaza war. This year, pro-Palestinian activists staged protests during the extravaganza in Switzerland over the weekend. Russia has not been allowed to participate in Eurovision since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "It is very disappointing to see that Israel continues to participate in the contest," the 24-year-old countertenor told Spanish daily El Pais in an interview. "I would like next year's Eurovision to take place in Vienna without Israel," he added. "But the ball is in the court" of the organiser, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), he said. "We, the artists, can only express our views on the subject." JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, also called for "greater transparency" regarding the public vote, after Israeli singer Yuval Raphael was propelled into second place. Israel's entrant survived the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war, hiding beneath bodies as Hamas gunmen attacked a music festival, killing hundreds. "This year, everything happened in a very strange way," said JJ. The singer faced a backlash over his comments in Austria, one of Israel's staunchest supporters in Europe. The country's public broadcaster ORF distanced itself from his remarks, saying they "reflected a personal opinion", APA news agency reported. JJ said he was "sorry if his comments had been misinterpreted" via his record label Warner. On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of the most outspoken critics of the Israeli government, said Israel should be excluded from Eurovision. He expressed his solidarity with "the people of Palestine who are experiencing the injustice of war and bombardment". "What we cannot allow is double standards in culture," Sanchez said in reference to Russia's ban. Israel has come under massive international pressure to abandon its intensified military campaign in Gaza and allow urgent humanitarian aid into the besieged strip. Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed 53,762 people in Gaza, mainly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
