Austrian singer Johannes Pietsch, known as JJ representing Austria with the song "Wasted Love" performs after winning the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. — Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI/ AFP)
Austria won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Swiss host city Basel on Saturday, in the country's first victory since bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst won in 2014.
Operatic singer JJ won ahead of Israel in the world's biggest music competition, which was watched by a television audience of more than 160 million people across the world.
The win was Austria's third in the competition, following Conchita's success and Udo Juergens' victory in 1966.
JJ, a 24-year-old from Vienna, combined elements of opera, techno and high-pitched vocals in his song Wasted Love, winning the hearts of the professional juries and telephone voters.
"This is beyond my wildest dreams," said the singer, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch. "It's crazy."
JJ said he wanted to give listeners an insight into his deepest thoughts when he wrote the song, and was happy it had resonated with so many fans.
"There's no wasted love. Love is never wasted. There's so much love that we can spread around, and we should use love as the strongest force on planet Earth," he added.
His success was applauded by Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, who said JJ was writing musical history.
"Dear JJ, you have moved Europe with your voice and sung Austria into the spotlight," Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said on X.
Switzerland won the right to host Eurovision after Swiss rapper and singer Nemo won last year's contest in Malmo, Sweden. – Reuters
