Sweden is once again on top of the European pop music world as Mans Zelmerlow took home the Eurovision prize, securing his homeland's sixth victory in the event. He performed a pop number, "Heroes," which gathered 365 points from the 40 countries voting in this year's competition.
This year marked the 60th anniversary of the Eurovision competition. It was held in Vienna, following the victory of Austrian vocalist Conchita Wurst during 2014. Twenty-seven nations performed in the championship round, marking a new record. The newest entry was Australia, which—despite being quite a long ways from the European mainland—has always consumed the contest with great vigor. The rookie didn't do too poorly either, as entrant Guy Sebastian placed fifth with his song "Tonight Again."
Zelmerlow may not have been as eye-catching a winner as Wurst last year, but his undeniable stage presence (and a flashy animation sequence) brought him to the top, ensuring victory for Sweden and that Eurovision 2016 will take place in Stockholm. Sweden produced the most famous Eurovision winners of all, ABBA, during 1974, and has now won the competition five more times over the last 40 years. It trails only Ireland (seven) for most titles.
Once again many eyes were on Russia, a nation that has irked much of Western Europe with both its policies and its military involvement in Ukraine. Although the presenters warned that politics should play no role in the matter, any nation announced giving points to Russian performer Polina Gagarina was roundly booed by the audience. It's no secret that political elements play into the final vote (former Soviet nations and close allies to Russia made sure not to support the cross-dressing Wurst) but the Russian pop star still landed a second-place finish, and deservedly so. She did seem to appeal to more Western voters by opting for an English-language song.
Italy's opera trio, Il Volo, finished third. Last year's champs, Austria (as well as neighbor Germany), were the worst of the bunch, as both nations finished with no points.
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