Austria won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 on Saturday night in Basel, Switzerland. The country was represented by 24-year-old JJ (Johannes Pietsch), who performed a powerful ballad called “Wasted Love.” He received 436 points in total, combining votes from both the professional juries and the public.
The competition ended with a tight finish. Israel's Yuval Raphael had been leading for most of the night with his song “New Day Will Rise,” but Austria pulled ahead at the last moment. Israel came in second with 357 points, and Estonia’s Tommy Cash followed closely in third with 356 points for his track “Espresso Macchiato.” Sweden placed fourth and Italy finished fifth.
JJ’s performance stood out for its black-and-white visuals and dramatic staging, which showed him on a small boat during a storm, meant to reflect the emotions in the song. The set was created by Spanish designer Sergio Jaén, with choreography by Borja Rueda. After winning, JJ thanked the audience and said, “Love is the strongest force in the world. Let’s spread more love.”
The UK’s entry, Remember Monday, finished in 19th place with 88 points, and once again received no points from the public vote. Their performance included a reference to Bucks Fizz’s famous costume reveal from 1981, but it didn’t seem to impress viewers.
The event also faced political controversy. Israel’s performance drew protests because of the ongoing war in Gaza. Some people in the audience threw paint, and organizers were accused of using fake crowd noise to cover up boos. Security was tight, and rules were added to limit flags and noisemakers. Spain’s broadcaster RTVE also complained about not being allowed to comment on political issues during the broadcast.
Even with the tensions, the show featured a wide mix of music styles and creative performances. Austria’s win was its third in Eurovision history, following past victories in 1966 and 2014.
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