Ukraine wins 2022 Eurovision song contest as UK finishes second in Turin

Ukraine has gained the 66th Eurovision song contest, which was held on Saturday night in Turin in Italy. Riding a tidal wave of help from the telephone-voting European public, Stefania by Kalush Orchestra completed first after robust showings by the United Kingdom, Spain and Sweden in the early voting.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, welcomed the victory, Ukraine’s third since its 2003 Eurovision debut, and mentioned “we will do our best” to someday host the contest in the port metropolis of Mariupol. He underlined “Ukrainian Mariupol. Free, peaceful, rebuilt!”

“I am sure our victorious chord in the battle with the enemy is not far off,’’ Zelenskiy said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

“Please help Ukraine, Mariupol. Help Azovstal right now,” lead singer Oleh Psiuk shouted from the entrance of the stage after the band had carried out.

He later instructed a information convention that individuals may help by “spreading information, talking out this, reaching out to governments to help”.

“We are here to show that Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian music are alive, and they have their own and very special signature,’’ Psuik told journalists.

The winning song, which mixes rap with elements of Ukrainian folk music, was originally written in honour of the group’s mothers. The group have subsequently rededicated it to all matriarchs in Ukraine, as lines such as “I’ll always find my way home, even if all roads are destroyed” discovered new resonance. The six males who make up the group needed to obtain particular permits to go away Ukraine and journey to Italy through the warfare.

The Azov battalion, which is amongst Mariupol’s final 1,000 defenders, despatched their thanks from the warren of tunnels beneath the Azovstal metal plant, posting on Telegram: “Thank you to Kalush Orchestra for your support! Glory to Ukraine!”

Sam Ryder’s entry for the UK, Space Man, led on the midway level, having gained the jury vote from round Europe with 283 factors. But after the factors from the general public vote had been added, it completed second.

Before the occasion, Ryder had mentioned he wasn’t involved the place he completed, saying “This is something that celebrates inclusivity, expression, love, peace, joy, togetherness. And so to think about the scoreboard, for me, takes a bit of the shine and the magic out of the room entirely.”

One of the night time’s most notable performances was Norway’s Subwoolfer with Give That Wolf A Banana. The nameless duo, identified solely beneath their pseudonyms Jim and Keith, carried out in yellow wolf masks with the refrain pleading “Before that wolf eats my grandma / give that wolf a banana”.

Goth-rock band the Rasmus, internationally identified for his or her 2003 hit In the shadows, sung for Finland, whereas Australia’s Sheldon Riley wore the night time’s heaviest costume, weighing greater than 40kg.

Serbia’s song In Corpore San featured a veiled critique of Serbia’s healthcare system, with artist Konstrikta washing her fingers on stage whereas asking “What is the secret of Meghan Markle’s healthy hair?’

Russia did not compete, having been excluded by the organiser, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), on account of the invasion of Ukraine which began on 24 February.

Ewan Spence from the Eurovision Insight Podcast told the Guardian from Turin that “throughout the week, the singers, the broadcasters, the community have proudly stood with Kalush Orchestra and Ukraine. This will always stand as a victory at Eurovision; but it means so much more. It is the grandest gesture of love to the people of Ukraine from every single corner of every single country in Europe and beyond.”

Ukraine first appeared in the Eurovision song contest in 2003, and had gained it twice, with Wild Dances by Ruslana in 2004 and the song 1944 by Jamala in 2016. The latter brought on controversy as the topic of the song was the deportation of the Crimean Tatars in the Forties by Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union for alleged collaboration with the Nazis through the second world warfare. It was sung in English and Crimean Tatar, and got here two years after the Russian Federation had annexed Crimea after the 2014 invasion.

There was the same old sprint of controversy at this yr’s contest too. North Macedonia’s nationwide broadcaster threatened to tug out after its act, Andrea, was accused of disrespecting the nationwide flag by showing to throw it to the bottom. She issued an apology explaining that she had been making an attempt to throw it throughout to a member of her crew who was too far-off to catch it.

Organisers censored the song Eat Your Salad by Latvia’s Citi Zēni. The protest song in favour of going inexperienced included the road: “Instead of meat, I eat veggies and pussy.” With the EBU insisting the phrase “pussy” was dropped, Eurovision audiences had taken to shouting it out loud and clear. The song did not qualify from Tuesday’s semi-final, avoiding a clumsy pre-watershed second for broadcasters throughout the continent.

There had been additionally issues on the stage. A hi-tech ingredient named the “kinetic sun” was alleged to revolve, permitting acts to make use of both a large LED display screen or a wall of lights. The mechanism for switching it proved to not be quick sufficient, leaving some acts scrambling simply days earlier than the contest to readjust how they offered their songs.

Despite the UK ending second, Ukraine’s victory does nonetheless give the BBC a glimmer of hope of staging the occasion once more for the primary time since 1998. Traditionally the winner of the present hosts it the next yr, however given the present scenario in Ukraine, the EBU could also be cautious of planning for an occasion in a yr’s time in Kyiv. The 2023 host will probably be chosen from one of many so-called “big five” nations who contribute probably the most to Eurovision coffers and who’re assured direct entry into the ultimate: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.

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