The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has confirmed the final count: Austria has won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. Counter‑tenor Johannes “JJ” Pietsch captured hearts and phones alike, finishing first with 436 points — Austria’s third win after Udo Jürgens (1966) and Conchita Wurst (2014). (eurovisionworld.com)
Final scoreboard — top 10
Place Country Artist & Song Points 1 Austria JJ — “Wasted Love” 436 2 Israel Yuval Raphael — “New Day Will Rise” 357 3 Estonia Tommy Cash — “Espresso Macchiato” 356 4 Sweden KAJ — “Bara Bada Bastu” 321 5 Italy Lucio Corsi — “Volevo essere un duro” 256 6 Greece Klavdia — “Asteromáta” 231 7 France Louane — “Maman” 230 8 Albania Shkodra Elektronike — “Zjerm” 218 9 Ukraine Ziferblat — “Bird of Pray” 218 10 Switzerland Zoë Më — “Voyage” 214 (Full split‑vote PDF to follow when released by the EBU.) (eurovisionworld.com)
A historic moment for queer visibility
JJ walked onto the Basel stage wearing a discreet Progress‑Pride pin — no coincidence. In a March interview with queer.de he said: “Ich freue mich, die queere Community zu repräsentieren.” (“I’m happy to represent the queer community.”) (queer.de) Though he uses the umbrella term queer rather than a narrower label, the singer has spoken openly about wanting to be the role model he never had as a choirboy‐turned‑opera student.
Austria’s win therefore book‑ends a decade that began with Conchita Wurst’s groundbreaking 2014 triumph and underlines Eurovision’s reputation as a stage where LGBTQ+ voices are not just welcomed but celebrated.
Quick LGBTQ+ highlights
- Stage symbolism: The swirling mirror platform that “trapped” JJ during the first verse cracked open into a lotus‑shaped Pride colour wash when the televote kicked in.
- Community shout‑out: In his green‑room reaction, JJ dedicated the trophy to “every queer kid in a choir loft who thinks their voice is ‘too different’.”
- Record‑setter: JJ is the first openly queer male counter‑tenor ever to win Eurovision, and the first openly queer male solo champion since Duncan Laurence (Netherlands 2019).
What’s next
- Hosting 2026: ORF will invite cities to bid; Vienna, Graz and Innsbruck have already indicated interest.
- Charts: “Wasted Love” shot to #1 on Austria’s iTunes within minutes; Spotify viral‑50 trackers show similar spikes across Europe.
- Victory tour: Expect JJ at Vienna Pride on 8 June, a meet‑and‑greet at the queer youth centre ComeOut! and a likely encore at Basel’s winners’ gala in July.
Stay tuned to Emola for the full jury/televote breakdown, press‑conference video and backstage photo gallery as soon as the files drop. We’ll keep this article updated in real time. 🎤🇦🇹🏳️🌈
Euro Pride 2024
Celebrate Diversity
Secure Your Tickets
Enola Bar
Open Every Night at 23:00
365 Nights a Year!
Valaoritou Str. 19
Thessaloniki