Ukraine is the Winner! It’s official!

Kalush Orchestra
Eurovision 2022 Winner
Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

The jury didn’t want it to happen, but The Eurovision Song Contest, sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision allocated its number one song to the Republic of Ukraine.

Eurovision is an international songwriting competition organized annually by the European Broadcasting Union, featuring participants representing primarily European countries. 

A jury and TV spectators from across Europe are allowed to vote. Spectators in Europe were able to change the jury at the event in Turin, Italy Saturday night and awarded Ukraine the winner for 2022.

After the jury scores were tabulated, the United Kingdom’s entry Space Man by Sam Ryder was leading the pack with 283 points, with Sweden and Spain close behind with 258 and 231 points, but as we all know, that’s only half of the story.

After a tension-packed vote announcement, it was revealed that Ukraine claimed top marks with the public from throughout Europe and Australia with 439 points.

With those numbers aggregated, Ukraine claimed the win with 631 overall points.

This is the nation’s third win, following victories in 2004 and 2016. TV audiences were allowed to vote by phone, except for their own country.

The Ukrainian Kalush Orchestra won Eurovision with the Hip-hop song “Stefania.”

In winning the event, Ukraine will be the host of Eurovision 2023. The following statement was released:

We congratulate Ukraine and Kalush Orchestra on their win and superb performance. Now we will begin planning for 2023 with winning broadcaster UA: PBC.

Obviously, there are unique challenges involved in hosting next year’s competition.

However, as in any other year, we look forward to discussing all the requirements and responsibilities involved in hosting the competition with UA: PBC, and all other stakeholders, to ensure we have the most suitable setup for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest

Screen Shot 2022 05 14 at 16.11.03 | eTurboNews | eTN

How does it work?

Each participating broadcaster that represents their country chooses their performer (maximum 6 people) and song (maximum 3 minutes, not released before) through a nationally televised selection, or through an internal selection. Each country is free to decide if they send their number-1 star or the best new talent they could find. They have to do so before mid-March, the official deadline to send in entries.

The winner of the Eurovision Song Contest will be chosen through 2 Semi-Finals and a Grand Final.

Traditionally, 6 countries are automatically pre-qualified for the Grand Final. The so-called ‘Big 5’ — France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom — and the host country.

The remaining countries will take part in one of the two Semi-Finals. From each Semi-Final, the best 10 will proceed to the Grand Final. This brings the total number of Grand Final participants to 26.

Each act must sing live, while no live instruments are allowed.

After all, songs have been performed, each country will give two sets of 1 to 8, 10, and 12 points; one set given by a jury of five music industry professionals, and one set given by viewers at home. Viewers can vote by telephone, SMS, and through the official app.

Out of fairness, you cannot vote for your own country.

Only those countries who take part in the respective Semi-Final vote, along with 3 of the 6 pre-qualified countries. Which countries take part and vote in which Semi-Final is determined by the so-called Semi-Final Allocation Draw in late January.

In the Grand Final, juries and viewers from all participating countries can vote again, after the 26 finalists have performed.

Once the voting window has closed, the presenters will call upon spokespersons in all participating countries and ask them to reveal their jury points live on air.

Next, viewers’ points from all participating countries will be added up, and revealed from the lowest to the highest, culminating in a climax that will eventually reveal the winner of the 64th Eurovision Song Contest.

The winner will perform once again, and take home the iconic glass microphone trophy. The winning country will traditionally be given the honor of hosting the next Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2014 Eurovision Conchita Wurst said, her beard was not 100% real, this year political sentiments may have influenced the landslide win for the war-torn country.

Obviously, the Grand Prix was influenced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian artists were not allowed to compete.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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