cities to host the event, embraced both Eurovision and Ukraine with open arms and hearts. Liverpool, which won a competition among U.K.

Mae Muller, representing host country Britain, came second-last - a far cry from 2022, when the U.K.'s Sam Ryder finished second behind Ukraine. Käärijä was the undoubted star of Eurovision, and the insistent chorus of 'Cha Cha Cha' is likely to be heard on dancefloors across Europe this summer. 'You of course have to be proud of this performance. What I was looking for was a win,' Käärijä told Finnish media outlets in Liverpool. The Finn acknowledged that he was disappointed. The contest came down to a nail-biting finish between Loreen, who won the jury vote of music professionals across Europe, and Käärijä, who was the runaway winner in voting by the viewing public. The win gives Sweden the right to host next year, the 50th anniversary of Sweden's first Eurovision triumph - ABBA's 1974 victory with 'Waterloo.' Sweden's victory is the country's seventh, matching Ireland's record. who previously won Eurovision in 2012, said becoming only the second person to take the crown twice left her 'seriously overwhelmed.' Ireland's Johnny Logan was the first double winner, in the 1980s. She faced a strong challenge from Finnish singer Käärijä, a wildly energetic performer whose rap-pop party anthem 'Cha Cha Cha' came second. Loreen's anthem of intense love had been the bookies' favorite. The fact that you might not be watching it is crazy,' she said. Competitors each have three minutes to meld catchy tunes and eye-popping spectacle into performances capable of winning the hearts of millions of viewers.Īlesia Michelle, a Eurovision YouTuber in Washington, D.C., described Eurovision to 'CBS Saturday Morning' as 'Olympics of song for Europe.' Now in its 67th year, Eurovision bills itself as the world's biggest music contest - an Olympiad of party-friendly pop.

And no matter how bad it is, just hold the good attitude and move forward with a smile.'

'We hope our song can inspire people all around the planet to be stronger. 'What's important is to represent our country in the best possible way,' Hutsuliak told CBS News in Kyiv. Ukraine has again qualified for the final head of time, with producer Andrii Hutsuliak and Nigeria-born frontman Jeffery Kenny, who form the pop duo Tvorchi.

Ukraine eurovision 2020