German Eurovision win
May 30, 2010
Germany has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the second time in the event's history with an upbeat performance by teenage star Lena Meyer-Landrut.
The 19-year-old from Hanover swept to victory with an impressive 246 points, while the closest contender Turkey scored 170.
Her song "Satellite" was already a huge success inside Germany, where Meyer-Landrut won her spot at Eurovision on the German selection show "Our Star For Oslo."
"I'm so happy and so thankful and so grateful and I never thought that we could do this," she said upon accepting the trophy.
"Thank you. This is so absolutely awesome," she said. "This is not real."
Delighted residents of several German cities set off fireworks after Meyer-Landrut opened up a convincing lead in phone-in votes from across Europe. Viewers in nine out of 39 participating nations gave Germany the maximum points possible.
Shouts of joy from fans
As soon as Germany’s first Eurovision win in 28 years was announced, there were shouts of joy from thousands of spectators watching giant outdoor screens across the country.
Stefan Raab, the well-known television personality who oversaw the song selection process, welcomed the fact the Germany will now play host to next year’s song contest.
"After almost 30 years we've done it, we have brought the Eurovision song contest back to Germany," he said.
There was praise for Meyer-Landrut from Lutz Marmor, director of public broadcaster NDR.
"Lena has, in her own special way, enchanted the whole of Europe," said Marmor. "A fairy tale has come true. I congratulate her warmly for this excellent win.“
School exams ahead of big test
Meyer-Landrut had to cram for final-year high-school exams immediately ahead of her performance. A series of television appearances ahead of the continental music extravaganza made her a national celebrity. She charmed the public with her natural charm and youthful energy.
She already claimed a place in German chart history after winning the domestic contest - with an unprecedented three debut songs placing in the top five of the singles charts on release.
Extravagant costumes and sparkling light displays formed part of the 55th Eurovision spectacle at the Telenor Arena near Oslo, which was packed with 16,000 spectators.
Hotly contested, widely viewed
Performers from 25 countries competed to win this year's Eurovision Song Contest, with some 125 million viewers believed to have tuned into Europe's largest song competition.
Turkey took the second spot, followed by Romania in third place and Denmark in fourth. Azerbaijan, which had been strongly tipped to win, finished in fifth place.
The last time that Germany won the Eurovision Song Contest was in 1982, with the song "A Little Peace" performed by 17-year-old Nicole Seibert.
rc/APE/Reuters
Editor: Catherine Bolsover