Austria sweeps to Eurovision victory after nail-biting finish
In an extraordinary photo-finish to the competition, Israel was dominating the leaderboard by a margin of 99 points. But in a final twist, global TV audience votes handed Austria 178 points, and confirmation of the win.
The final score was Austria with 436 points, followed by Israel (357), Estonia (356), Sweden (321), Italy (256), Greece (231), France (230), Albania (218), Ukraine (218) and Switzerland (214).
Australia's Eurovision hopes were dashed earlier this week when singer Marty Zambotto, known by the stage name Go-Jo, was ousted from the competition in a shock finish to a hotly contested second semi-final.
Zambotto delivered a winning performance but found himself in a perfect storm of strategic challenges: a second semi-final heavily loaded with strong performances and 16 competing countries, requiring that almost a third of the countries in that semi-final be eliminated.
Despite the loss, Zambotto was upbeat. 'We put so much work and effort in, I know I could not have worked harder,' he said. The 29-year-old West Australian-born singer remained a favourite with fans, performing to a packed Euroclub the night after his elimination.
Iconic former Eurovision winner Celine Dion appeared in a pre-taped segment earlier this week, describing Eurovision as 'a life-changing moment for me, and I am so thankful for everyone who supported me. [Switzerland] is a country that believed in me and gave me a chance to be a part of something extraordinary.'
The competition semi-final heats and grand final have been staged in Basel's St Jakobshalle arena. As late as the live final telecast, rumours persisted that Dion would appear in the adjacent St Jakob-Park football stadium, but the rumoured surprise appearance did not eventuate.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
18 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The Brisbane designer who made Chappell Roan's outfit out of human hair
US singer-songwriter Chappell Roan is the biggest new name in pop right now, so when her stylist, Genesis Webb, asks you to make her an outfit out of human hair, you don't hesitate. But for Brisbane-born Connor O'Grady, designing the skimpy ensemble for the video for Chappell Roan's single The Subway was not as much of a challenge as getting the item from London to New York in time. Having made the bra and matching skirt in a four-day rush – scouring wigs from West End theatrical shops, dyeing the hair Roan's exact shade of auburn, and plaiting and stitching it into place – O'Grady dropped the package off for urgent delivery across the Atlantic. Three days later, it was still sitting at the warehouse, and the freelance designer and milliner begged to have it released back to him. 'I said, 'it's my sister's wedding dress'. And I think I freaked out the poor person behind the counter. I could see it in the storeroom, I was going to do a runner with it,' he says. O'Grady got the package back, booked a flight to New York, and delivered it in person to Webb at the video's Brooklyn set. Less than a month later, on August 1, the hirsute video dropped – O'Grady's showgirl-inspired piece is the one Roan is wearing as she leans on the fire escape of a New York tenement building overlooking Hudson Street. This is the latest fast-fashion moment in a frenzied 12 months for the 24-year-old recent graduate of the London School of Design.
The Age
18 minutes ago
- The Age
The Brisbane designer who made Chappell Roan's outfit out of human hair
US singer-songwriter Chappell Roan is the biggest new name in pop right now, so when her stylist, Genesis Webb, asks you to make her an outfit out of human hair, you don't hesitate. But for Brisbane-born Connor O'Grady, designing the skimpy ensemble for the video for Chappell Roan's single The Subway was not as much of a challenge as getting the item from London to New York in time. Having made the bra and matching skirt in a four-day rush – scouring wigs from West End theatrical shops, dyeing the hair Roan's exact shade of auburn, and plaiting and stitching it into place – O'Grady dropped the package off for urgent delivery across the Atlantic. Three days later, it was still sitting at the warehouse, and the freelance designer and milliner begged to have it released back to him. 'I said, 'it's my sister's wedding dress'. And I think I freaked out the poor person behind the counter. I could see it in the storeroom, I was going to do a runner with it,' he says. O'Grady got the package back, booked a flight to New York, and delivered it in person to Webb at the video's Brooklyn set. Less than a month later, on August 1, the hirsute video dropped – O'Grady's showgirl-inspired piece is the one Roan is wearing as she leans on the fire escape of a New York tenement building overlooking Hudson Street. This is the latest fast-fashion moment in a frenzied 12 months for the 24-year-old recent graduate of the London School of Design.
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Eurovision to take place in Vienna in 2026
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in Vienna. Austria's public broadcaster ORF, which will organise the world's largest live music event, announced the location on Wednesday morning. Following Austrian singer JJ's victory with "Wasted Love" in Basel earlier in 2025, the music competition will be held in May 2026 at the Wiener Stadthalle. "After thorough examination and based on a unanimous jury assessment, ORF has concluded that Vienna's bid is the most attractive not only in terms of infrastructure and logistics, but also economically," ORF Director General Roland Weissmann said. Innsbruck also applied to host the event. It will be Vienna's third time as host, following 1967 and 2015. "As mayor of Vienna, I am naturally delighted that Vienna has prevailed and will once again represent Austria next year. I am convinced that we will have a wonderful May together," Mayor Michael Ludwig wrote on X. Eurovision's finale will take place May 16 after the semi-finals are held May 12 and 14, 2026. JJ, whose winning song combined operatic, multi-octave vocals with a techno twist, and who also sings at the Vienna State Opera, won the contest in May. JJ, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, was Austria's third Eurovision winner after Conchita Wurst in 2014 and Udo Jurgens in 1966. The song contest is always held in the country whose singer won the competition. The last Eurovision song contest, which has been uniting and dividing Europeans since 1956, was watched by 160 million viewers. The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in Vienna. Austria's public broadcaster ORF, which will organise the world's largest live music event, announced the location on Wednesday morning. Following Austrian singer JJ's victory with "Wasted Love" in Basel earlier in 2025, the music competition will be held in May 2026 at the Wiener Stadthalle. "After thorough examination and based on a unanimous jury assessment, ORF has concluded that Vienna's bid is the most attractive not only in terms of infrastructure and logistics, but also economically," ORF Director General Roland Weissmann said. Innsbruck also applied to host the event. It will be Vienna's third time as host, following 1967 and 2015. "As mayor of Vienna, I am naturally delighted that Vienna has prevailed and will once again represent Austria next year. I am convinced that we will have a wonderful May together," Mayor Michael Ludwig wrote on X. Eurovision's finale will take place May 16 after the semi-finals are held May 12 and 14, 2026. JJ, whose winning song combined operatic, multi-octave vocals with a techno twist, and who also sings at the Vienna State Opera, won the contest in May. JJ, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, was Austria's third Eurovision winner after Conchita Wurst in 2014 and Udo Jurgens in 1966. The song contest is always held in the country whose singer won the competition. The last Eurovision song contest, which has been uniting and dividing Europeans since 1956, was watched by 160 million viewers. The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in Vienna. Austria's public broadcaster ORF, which will organise the world's largest live music event, announced the location on Wednesday morning. Following Austrian singer JJ's victory with "Wasted Love" in Basel earlier in 2025, the music competition will be held in May 2026 at the Wiener Stadthalle. "After thorough examination and based on a unanimous jury assessment, ORF has concluded that Vienna's bid is the most attractive not only in terms of infrastructure and logistics, but also economically," ORF Director General Roland Weissmann said. Innsbruck also applied to host the event. It will be Vienna's third time as host, following 1967 and 2015. "As mayor of Vienna, I am naturally delighted that Vienna has prevailed and will once again represent Austria next year. I am convinced that we will have a wonderful May together," Mayor Michael Ludwig wrote on X. Eurovision's finale will take place May 16 after the semi-finals are held May 12 and 14, 2026. JJ, whose winning song combined operatic, multi-octave vocals with a techno twist, and who also sings at the Vienna State Opera, won the contest in May. JJ, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, was Austria's third Eurovision winner after Conchita Wurst in 2014 and Udo Jurgens in 1966. The song contest is always held in the country whose singer won the competition. The last Eurovision song contest, which has been uniting and dividing Europeans since 1956, was watched by 160 million viewers. The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in Vienna. Austria's public broadcaster ORF, which will organise the world's largest live music event, announced the location on Wednesday morning. Following Austrian singer JJ's victory with "Wasted Love" in Basel earlier in 2025, the music competition will be held in May 2026 at the Wiener Stadthalle. "After thorough examination and based on a unanimous jury assessment, ORF has concluded that Vienna's bid is the most attractive not only in terms of infrastructure and logistics, but also economically," ORF Director General Roland Weissmann said. Innsbruck also applied to host the event. It will be Vienna's third time as host, following 1967 and 2015. "As mayor of Vienna, I am naturally delighted that Vienna has prevailed and will once again represent Austria next year. I am convinced that we will have a wonderful May together," Mayor Michael Ludwig wrote on X. Eurovision's finale will take place May 16 after the semi-finals are held May 12 and 14, 2026. JJ, whose winning song combined operatic, multi-octave vocals with a techno twist, and who also sings at the Vienna State Opera, won the contest in May. JJ, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, was Austria's third Eurovision winner after Conchita Wurst in 2014 and Udo Jurgens in 1966. The song contest is always held in the country whose singer won the competition. The last Eurovision song contest, which has been uniting and dividing Europeans since 1956, was watched by 160 million viewers.
