The Armenian sang about an apricot, the Albanian praised Jesus Christ, and the Ukrainian railed against nuclear Holocaust. But in the end, victory at the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest went to Lena Meyer-Landrut, a 19-year old German whose song blurred the line between puppy love and psychotic obsession. "This is so absolutely awesome. I feel that this is not real," she said on stage after being handed a crystal microphone-shaped trophy in Oslo's Telenor Arena. "I'm kind of freaking out."
Given the popularity of Eurovision, it's easy to understand why. Drawing more than 120 million viewers annually, the continent-wide singing competition remains the world's most-watched non-sporting event. It boasts a cult following in many parts of Europe, and is broadcast as far afield as Myanmar and New Zealand. It has the power to turn nobodies into musical icons: past winners include ABBA and Celine Dion; other alumni include Julio Iglesias, Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard.
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