Wednesday April 24, 2024

Portugal's Sobral wins Eurovision Contest

Published : 14 May 2017, 11:24

Updated : 14 May 2017, 11:43

  DF-Xinhua Report
Portuguese singer Salvador Sobral (L) attends a press conference in Kiev, Ukraine, May 14, 2017. Salvador Sobral won the 62nd, annual Eurovision Song Contest here Saturday night with emotional and romantic song "Amar Pelos Dois", or "Love For Both", written by his sister Luisa Sobral.

Portuguese singer Salvador Sobral won the 62nd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest here on Saturday night with an emotional and romantic song Amar Pelos Dois (Love For Both) written by his sister, Luisa Sobral.

During the final held at the International Exhibition Center in Kiev, Sobral gained 758 points, winning the highest possible score from the judges and the second highest score from the public vote.

Bulgaria's Kristian Kostov took the second place with 615 points, followed by Moldova's participant with 374 points.

Before Saturday's victory, Portugal had not won the Eurovision Song Contest. Its best placing was sixth in 1996.

A total of 26 singers participated in this year's Grand Final of the Eurovision. The race was viewed by more than 204 million TV audience in European countries and other countries across the globe.

"The Eurovision is the most famous song contest in the world. Each time millions of people from all over Europe, and recently from Australia as well, freeze in front of their TV screens rooting for their countries," said Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ahead of the contest.

Ukraine was granted the right to host Eurovision 2017 after its singer Susana Jamaladinova, who uses the stage name Jamala, won Eurovision 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2016.