Austria's Eurovision Song Contest Scores: A Comprehensive Review

Austria has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 56 times since its debut in 1957, winning twice. The country's first win was in 1966 with the song Merci, Chérie performed by Udo Jürgens. Austria's second win came 48 years later in 2014, with Rise Like a Phoenix performed by Conchita Wurst. In this article, we will explore Austria's scores and performances in the Eurovision Song Contest over the years, including their victories, defeats, and everything in between.

Austria's 1966 Eurovision win

Austria has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 56 times since its debut in 1957. The country has won twice, in 1966 and 2014, and holds the record for the longest gap between consecutive wins — 48 years.

Udo Jürgens won the 1966 contest for Austria with the song "Merci, Chérie" on his third attempt, having finished sixth in 1964 and fourth in 1965. This was Austria's only top three result of the 20th century.

The lyrics to "Merci, Chérie" include the lines: "Thank you, thank you, thank you / For the hours, darling, darling, darling / Our love was beautiful, so beautiful / Thank you, darling / Don't be sad, as I have to leave you".

After Austria's victory, host broadcaster ORF staged the 1967 contest in the capital city, Vienna.

Austria's 2014 Eurovision win

Austria has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 56 times since its debut in 1957. The country has won twice—in 1966 and 2014—and holds the record for the longest gap between consecutive wins—48 years.

In 2014, Austria's Conchita Wurst won the 59th annual Eurovision Song Contest held in Copenhagen, Denmark. Wurst, the onstage drag persona of Thomas Neuwirth, performed the ballad "Rise Like a Phoenix", scoring 290 points.

Wurst's presence in the competition was controversial in some countries. Petitions were circulated in Armenia, Belarus, and Russia—where a law against "gay propaganda" was passed the previous year—calling for Neuwirth to be removed from the competition or edited out of the broadcast. However, Wurst's victory was seen as a win for LGBTQ+ rights and tolerance.

Upon being awarded the Eurovision trophy, Wurst held it aloft and proclaimed:

> This night is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom—you know who you are. We are unity and we are unstoppable.

Wurst later confirmed that this was a message meant for politicians who oppose LGBTQ+ rights.

Austria's Eurovision History

Austria's first Eurovision win was in 1966, when Udo Jürgens won with the song "Merci, Chérie". This was Austria's only top-three finish of the 20th century.

Austria has also finished last in the contest final seven times (1957, 1961, 1962, 1979, 1984, 1988, and 1991) and last in the semi-final in 2012.

Austria has opted out of participation in several contests, including 1969, 1970, and from 1973 to 1975. The country was also ineligible to compete in 1998 and 2001 due to low placings in the previous five years.

In 2015, Austria placed 26th and scored nul points, becoming the first host country to receive nul points.

Austria's nul points in 1962, 1988, 1991 and 2015

Austria has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 56 times since its debut in 1957. The country has won twice, in 1966 and 2014, and holds the record for the longest gap between consecutive wins — 48 years.

Austria has finished last in the contest final seven times and has received nul points on four occasions: in 1962, 1988, 1991 and 2015.

1962

Austria made their Eurovision debut in 1957, finishing last with zero points. They also placed last in 1961, and in 1962, they received nul points for a third time.

1988

In 1988, Austria received their second set of nul points. This was the fifth time the country had finished last in the contest.

1991

Austria's third nul points came in 1991, along with their sixth time finishing last.

2015

Austria hosted the contest in 2015, but despite winning the year before, they received nul points for the fourth time. This made them the first host country to receive zero points.

Austria's 2022 Eurovision entry

"Halo" was selected as Austria's entry from a shortlist of four entries. It was presented to the public on 11 March 2022, and Austria was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the contest on 10 May 2022.

Prior to the competition, Pia Maria received criticism for vocal issues in the live performances of "Halo". It was later revealed that she had been suffering from long COVID, and that she was inexperienced with in-ear monitors. The Austrian delegation hired a vocal coach to work with her ahead of the contest, and the song's backing track was transposed into a lower key for future performances.

Austria performed 13th in the first semi-final, following the entry from Denmark and before the entry from Iceland. Unfortunately, "Halo" was not one of the ten entries from the first semi-final that progressed to the final. Austria placed 15th out of the 17 participating countries in the semi-final, receiving a total of 42 points: 36 from the televoting and 6 from the juries.

Austria's 2011 Eurovision return

Austria's return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011 was highly anticipated, as the country had been absent from the competition for three years following its withdrawal in 2008. The Austrian broadcaster, Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), announced its intention to return to the contest on 27 July 2010, and the nation was officially confirmed as a participant by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on 31 December 2010.

ORF organised a national final, "Düsseldorf - wir kommen!", to select the Austrian entry for the 2011 contest. Thirty songs competed in an online voting round, "Guten Morgen Düsseldorf", with ten songs progressing to the national final. The winner was selected over two rounds of public voting, with "The Secret Is Love", performed by Nadine Beiler, ultimately chosen as the Austrian entry.

Austria was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 12 May 2011. "The Secret Is Love" was announced as one of the top 10 entries, qualifying for the final on 14 May. This marked the first time since the introduction of semi-finals in 2004 that Austria had progressed to the final. In the final, Austria performed in position 18 and placed 18th out of 25 participating countries, scoring 64 points.

Austria's return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011 was a significant moment for the country, as it had been absent from the competition for several years. The selection process, coordinated by ORF, generated a lot of interest, with a range of artists submitting their songs for consideration. While Austria's final placement in the contest was not among the top positions, the country's qualification for the final was a notable achievement.

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