'Dreams really do come true': Former Dubai resident JJ on winning Eurovision
JJ – real name Johannes Pietsch – won the 69th Eurovision contest on Saturday night, performing his original song, Wasted Love. Representing Austria, the singer won with 436 points, with Israel's act Yuval Raphael coming in a close second with 357 points. In third place was Tommy Cash, performing Espresso Macchiato for Estonia with 356 points. As Pietsch accepted the glass microphone trophy, he said: "Thank you so much for making my dreams come true... Love is the strongest force in the world, let's spread more love." Speaking to That Eurovision Site post-show, Pietsch further expressed his joy over the win. "Be proud of who you are and where you come from," he said. "No matter who you are, there is always someone out there who will love you, and you should really believe in yourself. "Dreams really do come true – never give up," Pietsch added. Born in Vienna, Pietsch is the son of an Austrian father and Filipino mother, but grew up in Dubai, where his father ran an IT business. His winning song combines his classical music skills with his love of pop, a skill he honed while growing up in Dubai. Speaking to The National just days before, Pietsch said: 'It actually was in Dubai that I discovered my love for music, especially classical music. "When I was a kid, my parents hosted karaoke parties almost every weekend, and my sisters and I loved to sing along... My father would also make us listen to classical music. So I guess this is also a reason why I sing 'popera' now. It is a privilege to be able to combine both worlds.' Raphael, Israel's winner and a survivor of Hamas's October 7 attack, finished in second place with song, New Day Will Rise. The country's participation in this year's singing contest has been met with backlash in the run-up to the final. Similar to last year, demonstrations calling for Israel to be banned from the competition were ongoing near the venue and around Basel. Protests were also held on Nakba Day, which remembers May 15, 1948, when about 750,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes.
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