lifestyle MONDAY, MAY 25, 2015 Sweden pips Russia AWARDSin Eurovision nail-biter

Sweden’s Mans Zelmerlow holds the throphy after winning the final..—AP/AFP photos

weden narrowly beat Russia yesterday in a 292 points with their rousing, operatic “Grande test being held in Russia had not been relished by nail-biting 60th edition of the Eurovision Amore”. In fourth place among the 27 finalists was the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, SSong Contest, winning its sixth crown in Belgian Loic Nottet, followed by Australia’s Guy who said Thursday Eurovision promoted values Europe’s annual anything-goes music extravagan- Sebastian, whose country entered for the first “repulsive to our soul and our culture”. Geopolitics za. Forty-one years after Swedish superstars ABBA time as a wild card for the 60th anniversary. was present again this year with Armenia’s ballad- took the title, chiseled Mans Zelmerlow won 365 of hosts failed miser- described by one magazine as “feeling as long as points from voters and juries in 40 countries with ably to match the magic of last year’s victory by a Wagner opera”-widely seen as being about 1915 his up-tempo crowd-pleaser “Heroes”. As the bearded drag queen , scoring zero mass killings by Ottoman Turkey. The song came scores came through nation by nation via vide- points-a feat matched by ’s . 16th. Turkey, which refuses to recognize the olink to , it looked for a while as though “I will continue (to make music),” the German said killings as genocide, has been absent from Russian would take the title with afterwards, saying she had been “very satisfied” Eurovision since 2012. Another no-show was her paean to world peace “A Million Voices”. In the with her performance. Almost suffering the same Ukraine, cash-strapped from the conflict with end though her anthem scored just 303 points. humiliation were France’s with just Russian-backed rebels in its east. Gagarina did however avoid the boos that Russia’s four points, one fewer than British electro-swing

Romania’s performs on stage. (From left) TV hosts Alice Tumler, , and Last year win- ner Conchita Wurst announce the results. singer got last year following Moscow’s annexa- tion of Crimea. duo . France last won in 1977, and Turkeys, orcs and babushkas “It was absolutely amazing,” 28-year-old Britain in 1997. Angell told RTL radio she thought Mostly though the riotous affair, open to the Zelmerlow told a packed news conference in her score was an “injustice”. 56 members of the European Broadcasting Union Vienna after winning. “I couldn’t believe it. I really Ireland, which failed to make it into the final, and a world away from its civilized black-and- thought either Russia or Italy would win,” still holds the record for the number of Eurovision white beginnings, is about not taking life too seri- he said. “My feelings right now are all over the victories with seven trophies to its name. ously. It is watched every year by around 200 mil- place, I am so proud, so full of joy, so excited. Yeah, Sweden’s victory means that the contest will be lion people worldwide, including in Australia happy.” Cheeky Italian trio came third with held in Sweden in 2016. The prospect of the con- where it has long enjoyed a cult following. This

Sweden’s Mans Zelmerlow celebrates with the trophy winning the 60th Eurovision Song Contest final in Vienna.

A general view ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest final.

Sweden’s Mans Zelmerlow kisses a Israel’s Britain mascuot Nadav ’s Electro at a press Guedj per- Velvet confer- forms on performs ence after stage. on stage. winning the Eurovision Song Contest final.