JJ Wins Eurovision—But His Story’s Just Beginning
A spectacular win for Austria’s native at the Eurovision makes us think we have a new rising star ready to crush international stages.
Johannes Pietsch, known on stage as JJ, has taken the top spot at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, delivering a performance that left audiences and juries across Europe doing double takes.
His voice—a soaring countertenor that sounds unmistakably like a powerhouse female vocalist—completely upended expectations.
Hearing him without seeing him is one thing. Watching him command the stage with that voice is something else entirely.
At just 24, JJ’s operatic pop track Wasted Love earned Austria its third Eurovision title and the first since 
Conchita Wurst’s 2014 win. It was a reminder that Austria knows how to show up when the stakes are high.
JJ collected 436 points, beating out 25 contenders, including a formidable entry from Israel. The night had no shortage of raw emotion and subtle political tension, but JJ cut through it all with pure vocal precision.
Hailing from Vienna and of Austrian-Filipino descent, JJ brings more than just technical talent to the stage. He blends cultures and genres, shaped by years of classical training and early turns on The Voice UK and Starmania, Austria’s version of a televised talent search. These early chapters in his career laid the groundwork for the level of control and presence he showed at Eurovision.
His unique sound—a blend of operatic technique and pop accessibility—has drawn comparisons to classical greats, but JJ is clearly carving out a space of his own. He’s not just borrowing from the opera world; he’s pushing its boundaries.
Fans have rallied around his multicultural identity, particularly online, where posts celebrating his Filipino roots spread quickly. “The one who rules it all has Filipino blood in his veins!” read one viral tweet—a reflection of how personal his win felt to many.
With only one single officially released, JJ has already racked up 7.9 million Spotify streams for Wasted Love. The momentum is real. Now comes the challenge of sustaining it. Eurovision gave him the platform. What he does next will decide whether he’s a one-hit wonder—or a voice that defines the next wave of pop.