Ukraine (631 points)
Ukraine won the contest by a landslide when the folk-inspired hip-hop group Kalush Orchestra performed their song, Stefania. The song is a tribute to their mother, telling about their treasured memories and their hardships. When the war in Ukraine broke out, the band dedicated the song to the mothers who were fighting to protect their children.
Ukraine came 4th in the jury vote; however, they earned 439 points from the televoters, the most points ever awarded from the public. Yet, some have criticised the contest for being “too political” and that Ukraine would not have won if there was not an ongoing war. The EBU have exclaimed that Eurovision is a non-political contest, but there is no way to separate politics from culture. Since most of their points come from the televoters, it is impossible to stop them from giving “sympathy votes”. Nonetheless, I think that Kalush Orchestra deserved to win as they brought something new to the contests and also sang in their native language. Ukraine has consistently scored well in the contest since its debut in 2003 and never failed to reach the Grand Final. With now three wins, I expect more to come from Ukraine.
The United Kingdom (466 points)
The United Kingdom surprised everyone with the TikTok famous singer Sam Ryder. He performed his song Space Man, and despite that the UK has had a bad track record during the past decade, he managed to get to second place. He was the most favoured act by the juries but being only 5th in the televotes; he could not surpass Ukraine. Nevertheless, this is an excellent achievement for the country as they infamously earned 0 points last year. Even Sam Ryder was surprised when he exclaimed: “We got points!”
Space Man is a song with impressive vocals and a fantastic staging, which shows how musically talented the United Kingdom is.
Spain (459 points)
The Cuban-Spanish singer Chanel impressed the audience with her song SloMo, with the most impressive part of her performance being the dancing and her ability to sing stably. A catchy melody to which you can sing along even if you do not speak Spanish and the Latin pop genre may have been a critical factor in her success in the contest. I hope that Chanel will continue to release energetic songs and give unforgettable performances. Just like the UK, Spain has not performed well this past decade. This contest might have been a turning point for both countries as they both have shown what they are capable of and that, for once, they will give Eurovision an honest try.
By Matilda