ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Move over sequins, disco beats and power ballads. A four-piece band of Italian rockers won the Eurovision Song Contest in …
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Move over sequins, disco beats and power ballads. A four-piece band of Italian rockers won the Eurovision Song Contest in the early hours of Sunday. The music festival was cancelled last year amid the global pandemic but the event in Rotterdam’s Ahoy arena with its regime of testing and strict hygiene protocols was seen as a step toward a post-COVID-19 return to live entertainment. Maneskin’s win was only Italy’s third victory in the immensely popular contest and the first since Toto Cutugno took the honor in 1990. Italy, the bookmakers’ favorite, trailed Switzerland, France and Malta after the national juries delivered their votes but were propelled to victory by votes from the viewing public. A crowd of 3,500 fans, who all tested negative for the coronavirus, watched the finalists perform live. Maneskin is Danish for moonlight, a tribute to the home country of bassist Victoria. The band won with a total of 529 points from second-placed France. Switzerland, which led after national juries had voted, finished third. United Kingdom singer James Newman’s song, “Embers,” failed to ignite any love at all and did not score a single point, finishing last, just as the U.
