**Ukraine’s Ziferblat Takes 9th Place at Eurovision Song Contest**
On May 17, the Ukrainian band Ziferblat performed their song “Bird of Prey” at the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final in Basel, Switzerland. Although they didn’t take home the top prize, the band still had a successful showing, taking ninth place overall.
**Austrian Singer JJ Wins with “Wasted Love”**
The winner of this year’s contest was Austrian singer JJ, who performed the song “Wasted Love.” JJ scored 436 points, a significant victory. The second-place finisher was Yuval Raphael from Israel, who earned 357 points with his song “New Day Will Rise.”
**Other Notable Finishers**
Estonia’s Tommy Cash took third place with his song “Espresso Macchiato,” just one point behind the second-place winner. This year’s contest was marked by controversy, with several contestants facing scrutiny for their ties to Russia or cultural influences linked to it.
**Ukraine’s Success in Eurovision**
This is not Ukraine’s first success in the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has won three times since its debut in 2003. In 2004, Ruslana took home the top prize with her song “Wild Dances.” Jamala followed suit in 2016 with her song “1944,” which referenced the forced deportation of Crimean Tatars carried out by the Soviet Union.
**Kalush Orchestra’s Recent Win**
Most recently, Kalush Orchestra won the contest in 2022 with their song “Stefania,” just months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This year’s contest was marked by a renewed focus on Ukrainian culture and music, following Russia’s ban from the competition since 2022.
**Ziferblat’s Performance**
Ukraine’s Ziferblat placed ninth overall, receiving 218 points – 60 from the jury and 158 from the audience. The band consists of three members: vocalist Daniil Leshchynskyi, guitarist Valentyn Leshchynskyi, and drummer Fedir Hodakov.
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