Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra favored to win Eurovision music contest

K.J. Yossman The Eurovision Song Contest 2022 delivered stellar ratings, with 161 million viewers watching the three live shows (the first and second semi final and the grand final) in Turin, Italy just over ten days ago.According to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which hosts the annual concert, the grand final viewing share on Saturday May 14 rose by three percentage points from 2021, to a total of 43.3% across 34 markets.The coveted 15-24 year-old demographic was also up by three percentage points for the final, with a total of 56.2%.Across Europe, individual territories also reported a ratings spike, with the U.K.

TURIN, Italy -- Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest, a clear show of popular support for the group's war-ravaged nation that went beyond music.The band and its song “Stefania” beat 24 other performers early Sunday in the grand final of the competition. The public vote from home, via text message or the Eurovision app, proved decisive, lifting them above British TikTok star Sam Ryder, who led after the national juries in 40 countries cast their votes.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the victory, Ukraine's third since its 2003 Eurovision debut.

Following a rollercoaster voting section this year, Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday with their song ‘Stefania’. The UK’s Sam Ryder followed in second place with ‘Space Man’, in a dramatic turnaround from last year’s nul points disaster.Already one of the favourites to win the competition, it became widely expected that Ukraine would be Eurovision champions this year following the Russian invasion of the country in February.Of course, following those events, it had not been a given that Ukraine would be able perform at this year’s contest at all.

TURIN, Italy -- Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest, a clear show of popular support for the group's war-ravaged nation that went beyond music.The band and its song “Stefania” beat 24 other performers early Sunday in the grand final of the competition. The public vote from home, via text message or the Eurovision app, proved decisive, lifting them above British TikTok star Sam Ryder, who led after the national juries in 40 countries cast their votes.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the victory, Ukraine's third since its 2003 Eurovision debut.

Associated Press, were able to send their appreciation via Telegram: “Thank you to Kalush Orchestra for your support! Glory to Ukraine!”After their win, the six-member group, who blends traditional Ukrainian music with hip-hop, told reporter Samya Hafsaoui, “We want to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for us… Thank you to everyone for supporting Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian music. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”The band were not able to travel together or even rehearse before performing the song at the semi-finals on May 10.

LIVE – Updated at 09:28The Eurovision 2022 final proved to be one of the liveliest and most competitive in recent memory. While the atmosphere was still good-humoured, the sheer quality of the 25 countries competing this year presented voters with some tough decisions. Ultimately, though, favourites Ukraine and their entry Kalush Orchestra were crowned the winners, leaving many to wonder if the country will be able to host the contest in 2023.

The Eurovision Song Contest’s participants are officially banned from making any political statements from the stage, either verbally or in their lyrics, but that didn’t stop Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra.

Kalush Orchestra have shared a powerful video for ‘Stefania’, the song that won them last night’s (May 14) Eurovision Song Contest.The band triumphed over the UK’s Sam Ryder at the Turin ceremony, receiving a massive portion of the public vote.Following the performance, they have shared an official video for ‘Stefania’, which was shot in the cities of Bucha, Irpin, Borodyanka and Hostomel, all of which were bombed during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.At the end of the video, a message from the band reads:“This video was filmed in Bucha, Irpin, Borodyanka, Hostomel, cities near Kyiv that suffered the horrors of Russian occupation.“Dedicated to the brave Ukrainian people, to the mothers protecting their children, to all those who gave their lives for our freedom.“Every man, every woman, every innocent child.“The war in Ukraine has multiple faces, but it is our mother’s face that keeps our hearts alive in the darkest times.“Stand with Ukraine!”Watch the ‘Stefania’ video below:Speaking to NME this week, frontman Oleh Psiuk explained how their taking part was a “huge responsibility”, given the ongoing war with Russia.“To represent Ukraine in the international arena is always a responsibility, but to represent it during the war is just the highest responsibility possible,” he said.“The song [‘Stefania’] was composed and dedicated to my mother, but after the war the song has acquired lots of nuances because a lot of people are perceiving it as if Ukraine is my mother,” said Psiuk.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine will host the next Eurovision Song Contest after the country's folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra won the 2022 trophy. Kalush Orchestra were destined for victory amid Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion, which sparked Eurovision organisers to ban Russia from competing this year. Ukraine, which joined the contest in 2003, won by a landslide 631 points as votes from the public came in their droves to show their support for the country.The win is the third time Ukraine have taken home the victory – after previously being crowned Eurovision champions in 2004 and 2016.

K.J. Yossman The unspoken question in the run up to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest was whether Ukraine would be able to host next spring if they won.Before the event, sources close to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the annual music contest, indicated it was not a situation they were looking forward to grappling with.However, when Ukrainian rappers Kalush Orchestra were announced as the winners in Italy on Saturday night, it became an inevitability.The contest is hosted each year in the country which won the previous year.

K.J. Yossman Ukraine won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Italy on Saturday night. The country was represented by hip hop act Kalush Orchestra with the song “Stefania,” a tribute to lead singer Oleh Psiuk’s mother Stefania, which merges Ukrainian folklore with rap.The U.K.

The results are in, and the winner of Eurovision 2022 has been revealed as Ukraine. Sam Ryder represented the United Kingdom, and it was clear from the off that he was going to score big as twelves were awarded continuously to the UK by countries across Europe. An elated Sam could be seen smiling as at the half way point of voting the UK were still leading with 195 points, but after all the votes were cast it was Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra who scooped the top prize.

Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest in the early hours of Sunday in a clear show of support for the war-ravaged nation.

The 66th Eurovision song contest is finally here, with another set of musical hopefuls eager to represent their countries and impress both the judges and the public.

Eurovision traditionally has been a place where politics were frowned upon, at least in the overt songs . But the war in Ukraine is much on the world’s mind, so Eurovision made a statement right at the top of today’s finals.

posted to his social media pages Saturday as the competition got underway.“I believe that, in the end, this word will be ‘Victory!'” he added — urging viewers to cast their votes for Kalush Orchestra, Ukraine’s representative in the 66-year-old international competition.The hybrid folk-rap band is heavily favored to win for “Stefania,” a tribute to frontman Oleh Psiuk’s mother.The long-running musical extravaganza has pitted acts representing the countries of the European Broadcast Union in a head-to-head battle of the bands since 1956.This year’s show, in Turin, Italy, saw 40 nations fighting for the coveted glass microphone.The competition is known for its over-the-top staging — and for launching the careers of superstars like ABBA and Celine Dion.

global singing contest. The group combine hip hop with traditional Ukrainian folk music. Kalush Orchestra will be performing their song Stefania - an emotional song that has taken on new meaning since Russia's horrifying invasion of Ukraine.