Austria has taken the Eurovision Song Contest tiara for the third time! This stunning victory is thanks in large part to 24-year-old Johannes Pietsch, or JJ for short. His operatic ballad, Wasted Love, won over audiences and judges alike. That magical performance won Austria their first-ever 2025 edition. This year’s contest was a record-breaker, with 26 contestants. Several of them sang in their own languages, demonstrating the incredible diversity of music throughout Europe.
The 2025 Eurovision opening ceremony was held in Malta under the cloud of controversy over this year’s Maltese entry. Feminist rapper Miriana Conte drew controversy for the lyrics of her hit song “Kant.” To her credit, in the face of those criticisms, she moved quickly to publish a reworked version. A festive atmosphere In many ways, the buzz around the event felt surreal, given the ongoing controversy. This year’s mascot, Lumo, represented harmony between countries and connected the world.
JJ’s winning entry, “Wasted Love,” explores the complexities of unrequited love and the power of bouncing back. In a recent interview with Euronews, he spoke about the inspiration for his song.
“The song is quite sad, but then there’s the hope that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. And if you have a short, bad phase, it means that you can overcome it because… it really is never the end of the world. You always come out of every situation on a positive note. Hope dies last.” – JJ
Austria’s win is her third at the Eurovision Song Contest, having last won in 2014. Austria has the current record for longest gap between wins, at 48 years. This extraordinary accomplishment underscores just how important this achievement is to our country.
It was an impressive performance that would see Israel take home second place and Estonia third. The 2025 contest highlighted outstanding musical talent and fostered a spirit of camaraderie among contestants and fans.
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