Austria’s JJ wins Eurovision as Israel comes second

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter in Basel

Austria’s JJ has won the Eurovision Song Contest with the emotional song Wasted Love, while Israeli singer Yuval Raphael was the runner-up.

The Austrian singer, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, was emotional as he said “thank you Europe, I love you all”, after performing his song for a second time.

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.

Switzerland won the right to host Eurovision after Swiss rapper and singer Nemo won last year's contest in Malmo, Sweden.

Fans travelled from across Europe and beyond to Basel, with 100,000 people attending Eurovision events in the city, including the final.

Eurovision, which stresses its political neutrality, has also faced controversy again this year due to the war in Gaza.

Israel's entrant, Yuval Raphael, was at the Nova music festival during the October 7th, 2023, attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Pro-Palestinian groups urged the European Broadcasting Union to exclude Israel over Gaza, where more than 50,000 people have been killed in the ensuing offensive by Israel, according to local health officials.

Around 200 protesters mounted a demonstration in Basel on Saturday evening.

Spanish public broadcaster RTVE also showed a message before the start of the Eurovision show saying "When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and Justice for Palestine".