'Eurovision' 2017 results: Portugal wins, Aussie singers Anja Nissen, Isaiah Firebrace make it to finals
"Eurovision" 2017 is special for Australians. This year, two Aussies were competing in the grand finale of this special musical competition. However, it's Portugal singer Salvador Sobral who won the contest.
Israel opened the contest on the finale day on Saturday with France going the last. Australia was placed at number 14, ahead of many other countries like UK, Norway and Spain. On Tuesday, 17-year-old Isaiah Firebrace advanced to the final after performing his song “Don't Come Easy” in the contest's first semi-final.
On Thursday, a total of ten countries qualified for Saturday's finale. The big five -- France, Germany, Spain, Britain and Italy -- plus hosts Ukraine were among those to qualify from Tuesday's first semi-final. Francesco Gabbini from Italy was the most popular contestant with his song “Accidental Karma.”
However, it was Portugal's Sobral who won the "Eurovision" 2017 song contest. The 27-year-old sung Amar Pelos Dois (Love For Both), a beautiful ballad which won the heart of the judges and voters. SBS broadcasted the grand finale of "Eurovision" 2017 live from Sunday at 5 a.m. (AEST). The telecast can be seen here.
Meanwhile, here is a detailed information about the two Aussie finalists. Born to Danish parents in the west of Sydney, 21-year-old Anja Nissen joined fellow Aussie Isaiah Firebrace in the "Eurovision" grand final after she belted out an impressive performance in the song contest's second semi-final.
For her semi-final performance, Nissen wore a flowing red gown as she killed it with “Where I Am” on Thursday alone on stage. Her performance was highlighted with golden lights in the background of the International Exhibition Centre at Kiev. This is the second time that the former reality television star has tried her luck in "Eurovision" contest.
Nissen won “The Voice” in 2014, and after that, her career came to a standstill. She has been raised in the Blue Mountains in west Sydney but has been campaigning to represent Denmark at "Eurovision" for the last two years. She co-wrote her song “Where I Am” with producer Michael D’Arcy and former “ X Factor” finalist Angel Tupai.
After securing a place in the grand finale of the song contest, Nissen got so emotional that she started crying. “It means so much to me. It feels like I have really been accepted by my country having an Australian background and Danish heritage,” Nissen said at the press conference.
She celebrated her victory with her huge extended family, which, other than her parents Betina and Birger, also included her grandparents Egon and Grethe Ostergaard, her cousin Anne Bordersen and her husband Jorgen and her childhood babysitter Megs Gander.
