Eurovision 2017: Portugal Wins for First Time

Portugal’s Salvador Sobral has won the Eurovision Song Contest with his love ballad Amar Pelos Dois, which was written by his sister.

It is for the first time in the competition’s history when Portugal is the winner.

Salvador Sobral, 27, said on receiving the trophy: “We live in a world of fast food music. This is a victory for music… music isn’t fireworks, music is feeling.”

Bulgaria came second and Moldova third.

Salvador Sobral, who has a serious heart condition that saw him miss the first week of rehearsals, reprised his song at the end of the show and was joined by his sister Luisa for a duet.

Their song, which translates as For the Both of Us, won top marks from both from the televoters and the countries’ professional juries, getting 758 points altogether. This dwarfed Jamala’s win last year for Ukraine with 534 points.

Portugal had been one of the favorites to win, along with Italy’s entry, which came sixth.

It wasn’t all about the singing, though – last year’s winner Jamala had her performance briefly interrupted by a man flashing his bottom.

The Ukrainian TV identified him as “scandalous” prankster Vitaliy Sedyuk. Jamala continued to sing “unfazed”, the broadcaster 1+1 TV said.

The stage invader, wrapped in an Australian flag, was swiftly wrestled off the stage by a security guard.

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest took place in the Kiev International Exhibition Center in Ukraine. The host country could only manage 23rd place out of 26 this time round.

Portugal will host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018.