“Congratulations on the victory at the Eurovision Song Contest!”

Vice Chancellor, Cultural and Media Minister Andreas Babler received today, Sunday, Johannes Pietsch alias JJ, the Austrian winner of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), at the Vienna-Schwechat Airport, to congratulate him personally. “I am fulfilled with joy and pride. It feels like not only JJ but all of us had won a bit yesterday. With ‘Wasted Love’, JJ not only enthusiastic Austria at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, but all of Europe. The victory in Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest is a big moment for the domestic music scene – and of course for JJ itself, which is our country with talent, personality and post “, Babler commented on the victory JJS also at the subsequent press conference in the ORF center.

“JJ is an outstanding young artist. As the son of an Austrian and a Filipinin who spent a large part of his childhood in Dubai, he represents our cosmopolitan Austria, in the heart of the European Union. As a trained countertenor, he shows that high culture and pop culture are not in contradiction. Vice -Chancellor.

Austria won the song contest for the third time since the first time it was discontinued in 1956: in 1966 with Udo Jürgen’s “Merci, Chérie”, 2014 with Conchita Wurst’s “Rise Like a Phoenix” and 2025 with JJS “Wasted Love”. “Three figures of the Austrian music scene, which ideally represent the diversity of our cultural nation,” said Babler.

Thanks and recognition to ORF

In addition, vice chancellor and media minister Babler also expressed his thanks and the fullest recognition to ORF, representing everyone involved in particular by the program director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz. In a multi-stage selection process including scouting, songwriting camp and evaluation by a 30-member jury, it was possible to position the exceptional talent JJ ​​for the ESC.

“And it has paid off: Not only can Austria celebrate the third ESC victory with JJ, but we can traditionally also play the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Austria in 2026- a fact that I, as Minister of Culture and media, is particularly pleased,” said Babler, who was confident that the 70th anniversary of the ESC became an unforgettable event despite the tense budget. To do this, he is already in intensive and good conversations with the ORF. “I am sure that the ORF will do a great job here again,” said the Vice Chancellor.

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