Austria won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 on Saturday night, with singer JJ taking home the trophy for his emotional ballad Wasted Love.
JJ earned a combined 436 points — 258 from the professional jury and 178 from the public vote — bringing Austria its third Eurovision victory. The country previously won in 1966 with Udo Jürgens’ “Merci, Cherie” and in 2014 with Conchita Wurst’s “Rise Like a Phoenix.”
The winning song, Wasted Love, explores the pain of unrequited affection. JJ’s performance blended modern and operatic elements and was presented in stark black and white for TV viewers.
“It’s like being adrift at sea in a fragile paper boat — grabbing at every crumb of hope, only to see it dissolve beneath you,” JJ told The Independent, describing the inspiration behind the song.
Who is JJ?
JJ, whose real name is Johannes Peach, is a Filipino-Austrian singer who grew up in Dubai before moving with his family to Vienna in 2016. His father works in IT. JJ developed a love for classical music early, attending performances at the Vienna State Opera and eventually enrolling at the Vienna Conservatory.
He gained early recognition after competing in The Voice UK in 2020 and has said that performing and songwriting felt like “the most natural” way to express himself. JJ also identifies as queer, a point he regularly discusses in interviews.
Controversy over Russian opera influence
Despite his win, JJ sparked backlash — particularly in Ukraine — after revealing that one of his artistic inspirations was Anna Netrebko, a Russian opera star known for her vocal support of Vladimir Putin and Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Netrebko’s work partly inspired Wasted Love, JJ said. Following his final performance, he appeared to thank her on stage, though his microphone had already been cut in the official broadcast.
Ukraine’s result
Ukraine’s entry, Ziferblat, finished with 218 points — 60 from the jury and 158 from the public — tying with Albania. Ukraine previously won the first semi-final, earning 137 public votes, the highest among all countries.
“Friends, you are incredible. Thank you to everyone who supported us,” Ziferblat wrote on Telegram. “By the way, we won the first semi-final! I love you very much.”
About the contest
A total of 37 countries took part in Eurovision 2025. Montenegro returned to the contest for the first time in several years. The “Big Five” — France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom — along with host country Switzerland, automatically qualified for the grand final.