Netta from Israel has won the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest with her song ‘TOY’, securing 529 points in a tense and showstopping Grand Final. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and hosted by Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP), the 63rd edition of the annual competition has its fourth winner from Israel. Second place was awarded to Eleni Foureira from Cyprus with her song ‘Fuego’ and a total of 436 points, with the top three rounded off by Austria’s Cesár Sampson and the song ‘Nobody But You’ with 342 points.
“The EBU has been delighted with this year’s competition. In what has been a landmark year, with it being our first in Portugal and a record equaling number of participants, there couldn’t have been a better time for Lisbon to be the host city for Eurovision. The Contest’s ability to unite and entertain people around the world, a hallmark of public service media, has never been more important and the performance tonight from Netta showed this by captivating both the audience in the arena and at home.” Jon Ola Sand, the EBU’s Head of Live Events and Executive Supervisor of the ESC commented “As with every year, we now look to the future and to 2019. With our broadcast partners KAN we will work to produce another stand out show that will continue to highlight the importance of the Eurovision Song Contest”.
Ola Sand also said that the 26 participating acts, each representing public service broadcasters in European nations and Australia, took to the stage in a stunning show in the Portuguese capital Lisbon. A sold-out audience of 11,300 enjoyed world class performances from an eclectic mix of artists. Netta was presented with the iconic trophy by last year’s winner Salvador Sobral and offers Israel the opportunity to host the Contest in 2019.