Austria won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday after 24-year-old Johannes Pietsch, known as JJ, delivered the powerful pop-opera ballad “Wasted Love”, marking the country’s third win in the competition’s history.
The final, hosted in Basel after Switzerland’s win last year, saw 26 countries competing in front of a global audience of more than 160 million viewers. The dramatic finale saw Israel’s Yuval Raphael leading the scoreboard until the final jury and public votes placed Austria at the top. Estonia’s Tommy Cash placed third, while pre-contest favorite Sweden finished fourth.
However, Israel’s participation sparked geopolitical tensions over the ongoing war in Gaza. Raphael, a survivor from an Israeli music festival that was attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023, faced both cheers and protests, with demonstrations outside the venue and two protesters attempting to disrupt her performance on stage. Over 70 former Eurovision artists had called for Israel’s exclusion.
