Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst, popularly known as “the bearded lady,” won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday with the James Bond-theme-like ballad Rise Like a Phoenix, before a global TV audience of about 180 million people in 45 countries.
Wurst, sporting high heels, butterfly eyelashes and a full beard, topped the Netherlands’ modern-country duo the Common Linnets, who sang Calm After The Storm. Sweden’s Sanna Nielsen came in third with her new-age pop song Undo.
“For me, my dream came true,” Wurst, 25, whose birth name is Tom Neuwirth, told a news conference after the win. “But for our society, it just showed me that there are people out there who want to go into the future and go on, you know, not stepping back or thinking in the past.
The Danish organizers had declared tolerance a main theme for this year’s event, and the rainbow-coloured flag symbolizing gay pride has been flying in many places in Copenhagen during the past week.
“I hope we can change just a few minds,” said Wurst’s agent René Berto. “It is just a lady with a beard. But it is like we have landed on the moon.”
Wurst, Austria’s first Eurovision winner since 1966, received the biggest cheers from the audience but also stirred controversy in some countries.
Online petitions were started in Belarus, Armenia and Russia — whose government passed a law last year banning “gay propaganda” among minors — to have Wurst removed or edited out of broadcasts in their countries.
“We did it. It is the most amazing thing. But I knew she would win. I just knew it,” Austrian fan Damel Saric told Reuters. “I have travelled to Copenhagen just for this moment”, Mirror informs.
- Austria: Conchita Wurst, Rise Like a Phoenix — 290 points
- The Netherlands: The Common Linnets, Calm After The Storm — 238 points
- Sweden: Sanna Nielsen, Undo — 218 points
- Armenia: Aram MP3, Not Alone — 174 points
- Hungary: Andras Kallay-Saunders, Running — 143 points
- Ukraine: Mariya Yaremchuk, Tick — Tock — 113 points
- Russia: Tolmachevy Sisters, Shine — 89 points
- Norway: Carl Espen, Silent Storm — 88 points
- Denmark: Basim, Cliche Love Song — 74 points
- Spain: Ruth Lorenzo, Dancing In the Rain — 74 points
- Finland: Softengine, Something Better — 72 points
- Romania: Paula Seling & OVI, Miracle — 72 points
- Switzerland: Sebalter, Hunter Of Stars — 64 points
- Poland: Donatan & Cleo, My Slowianie — We Are Slavic — 62 points
- Iceland: Pollaponk, No Prejudice — 58 points
- Belarus: Teo, Cheesecake — 43 points
- United Kingdom: Molly Smitten-Downes, Children of the Universe — 40 points
- Germany: Elaiza, Is it Right — 39 points
- Montenegro: Sergej Cetkovic, Moj Svijet — 37 points
- Greece: Freaky Fortune feat. RiskyKidd, Rise Up — 35 points
- Italy: Emma, La Mia Citta — 33 points
- Azerbaijan: Dilara Kazimova, Start a Fire — 33 points
- Malta: Firelight, Coming Home — 32 points
- San Marino: Valentina Monetta, Maybe (Forse) — 14 points
- Slovenia: Tinkara Kovac — 9 points
- France: TWIN TWIN, Moustache — 2 points
