**Austria’s JJ Wins Eurovision, But Scandal Surrounds His Victory**
The 69th Eurovision Song Contest has come to a close in Basel, Switzerland, and Austria’s Johannes Pitch, also known as JJ, is celebrating his victory with the song “Wasted Love.” He received a total of 436 points, making it Austria’s third-ever win in the competition. However, his triumph has been overshadowed by controversy surrounding his connections to Russian soprano Anna Netrebko.
Netrebko is a well-known supporter of Vladimir Putin and Russian military operations in Ukraine’s Donbas region. Pitch has publicly spoken admiringly of her, even crediting her as the inspiration behind his winning song. Critics have pointed out that since 2021, Pitch has regularly engaged with Netrebko’s social media posts containing pro-Russian propaganda. This association has made Pitch’s victory particularly contentious.
**Ukraine Fails to Impress**
Meanwhile, Ukraine finished in ninth place overall after combining jury and public votes. A member of the Ziferblat band expressed satisfaction with their performance, stating that a top 10 finish is “an important thing” for Ukrainian music. Ukraine started strong, finishing 14th after national jury votes were counted, but rose significantly following audience voting.
The final top 10 consisted of Austria (first), Israel (second), Estonia (third), Sweden, Italy, Greece, France, Albania, Ukraine, and Switzerland. Twenty-six countries participated in the final, with twenty qualifiers from two semifinals joining six automatic finalists, including host country Switzerland and the “Big Five” nations.
**Ukraine’s Spokesperson Speaks Out**
Jerry Heil served as Ukraine’s spokesperson, broadcasting from a shelter in Kyiv while announcing the Ukrainian national jury’s 12 points for Germany. This year’s contest has been marked by controversy and political tensions, making this performance all the more significant.
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