Kalush Orchesta Wins Big for Ukraine, Sam Ryder of The UK Wins the Jury Vote

REUTERS/Yara Nardi

Congratulations are in order to …. KALUSH ORCHESTRA of Ukraine. The group won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest after receiving a record-shattering 439 points from the televote. (Moldova, Spain, and Serbia were the only other entries to receive more than 200 points from the televote.)

The group were in 4th place after the points from the 40 international juries were revealed. With 283 points, Sam Ryder of The UK was the winner of the jury vote, with Sweden and Spain close behind.

Overall, Ukraine, The UK, Spain, Sweden, and Serbia made up tonight’s Top 5 finishers, with Germany finishing in last place. That country finished 2nd-to-last at 2021’s Grand Final.

In all, 25 acts performed tonight in Turin. They were:

• 🇨🇿 CZECH REPUBLIC – We Are Domi – Lights Off
• 🇷🇴 ROMANIA – WRS – Llamamé
• 🇵🇹 PORTUGAL – MARO – Saudade, Saudade
• 🇫🇮 FINLAND – The Rasmus – Jezebel
• 🇨🇭 SWITZERLAND – Marius Bear – Boys Do Cry
• 🇫🇷 FRANCE – Alvan and Ahez – Fulenn
• 🇳🇴 NORWAY – Subwoolfer – Give That Wolf a Banana
• 🇦🇲 ARMENIA – Rosa Linn – Snap
• 🇮🇹 ITALY – Mahmood and Blanco – Brividi
• 🇪🇸 SPAIN – Chanel – SloMo
• 🇳🇱 NETHERLANDS – S10 – De Dipte
• 🇺🇦 UKRAINE – Kalush Orchestra – Stefania
• 🇩🇪 GERMANY – Malik Harris – Rockstars
• 🇱🇹 LITHUANIA – Monika Liu – Sentimentai
• 🇦🇿 AZERBAIJAN – Nadir Rustamli – Fade to Black
• 🇧🇪 BELGIUM – Jérémie Makiese – Miss You
• 🇬🇷 GREECE – Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord – Die Together
• 🇮🇸 ICELAND – Systur – Með hækkandi sól
• 🇲🇩 MOLDOVA – Zdob și Zdub and Frații Advahov – Trenulețul
• 🇸🇪 SWEDEN – Cornelia Jakobs – Hold Me Closer
• 🇦🇺 AUSTRALIA – Sheldon Riley – Not the Same
• 🇬🇧 UNITED KINGDOM – Sam Ryder – Space Man
• 🇵🇱 POLAND – Ochman – River
• 🇷🇸 SERBIA – Konstrakta – In Corpore Sano
• 🇪🇪 ESTONIA – Stefan – Hope

Tonight’s interval featured a number of guest performances. Reigning champions Måneskin returned to the Eurovision stage for the televised debut of their new Max Martin-produced single “Supermodel”. Lead vocalist Damiano David was visibly pained by what has been reported to be a busted ankle, but his spirits were still high. When asked by host Alessandro Cattelan for any advice he would give to this year’s competitors, Damiano joked, “stay away from the table,” a reference to a controversy from last year’s Grand Final. Eurovision 1964 champion Gigliola Cinquetti was on hand to perform her winning song “Non ho l’età”, and co-host Mika performed a medley of some of his biggest hits.

What did #YOU think of tonight’s show? Who did #YOU vote for? Are #YOU  upset that Toto Cutugno didn’t make a cameo appearance? Just me? Sound off in the comments below, in our forum, or on social media @ESCUnited.