Stefan had had to qualify via the semi-finals to make it, as well as come out top in the somewhat exhaustive "Eesti Laul" process for finding Estonia's Eurovision entry, seeing off no fewer than 39 other acts along the way.

Perhaps inevitably, Ukraine was overall winner with 631 points; the winning act, the Kalush Orchestra, a folk-rap affair who performed the song "Stefania", had been favorites since Russia invaded their country almost three months ago.

Europeans have voted, Iooking forward to see the next festival in
Italians, what a great show, grazie!

— Alar Karis (@AlarKaris) May 14, 2022

Russia itself was banned from the competition.

While the U.K. placed highest in the jury vote on the song "Spaceman" by TikTok star Sam Ryder, viewer votes propelled Ukraine into the top spot. Spain was third.

A gallery of the grand final is below.

Europe has voted - this year´s winner is #Ukraine! https://t.co/kkqldF83Ay

— Estonia in the EU (@EEinEU) May 14, 2022

Ukraine's president, Volodomy Zelenskyy, praised the Kalush Orchestra and confirmed that, as winners, Ukraine would be holding the finals next year in spite of the war; this will be the third time Ukraine has hosted the event.

"Our bravery amazes the world, our music has conquered Europe," Zelenskyy noted on his social media account.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Володимир Зеленський (@zelenskiy_official)

Ukraine's original finalist this year, Alina Pash, who had won Ukraine's domestic competition whereby it picks its entry to the main event, was withdrawn after revelations Pash had made a 2015 trip to Crimea, without arriving there via Ukraine, as required by Ukrainian law. The Crimean peninsula has been de facto under Russian rule since it was annexed in 2014.

Ukraine had won the event twice before, in 2004, with singer Ruslana's song "Wild Dances", and again in 2016 with the song "1944" by Jamala, both also following turmoil in the country.

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