#Eurovision Song Contest: Ukraine's Jamala wins

Singing 1944, a song about the deportation of Crimean Tatars under Josef Stalin,  Ukraine's Susana Jamaladinova (Jamala) (pictured) has won this year's Eurovision Song Contest, held in Stockholm, Sweden. 

The country scored 534 points with its song, while Australia (which featuring in the 'Eurovision' Song Contest provoked some controversy)  finished second with 511 points, while Russia - which was the favourite going into the competition - was third with 491 points.  Joe and Jake, who represented the UK with their song You're Not Alone, finished in 24th place with 62 points.

Jamala is the first Crimean Tatar to perform at the contest and her song's alleged political overtones caused controversy, in referencing the year when Stalin deported almost all of the Tatar ethnic group from its native region of Crimea in what was then the Soviet Union.  The song has angered Russia.

There have been calls in Russia for a review of her victory after a prankster told Russian TV that Jamala had admitted to him her song had a political subtext while he posed as an aide to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.  A Russian MP, Elena Drapeko, blamed Russia's defeat on what she called an "information war" and "general demonization" of her country. The juries from Russia and Ukraine did not award each other any points.

Jamala had dedicated the song to her great-grandmother, who was forced to leave along with a quarter of a million Tatars, as a collective punishment for those who had collaborated during the Nazi occupation.  It had been expected to finish in the top three but in a surprise result beat favourites Russia, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Collecting her award, an emotional Jamala thanked Europe for their votes, adding: "I really want peace and love to everyone."  Speaking about her win backstage after, the singer said: "It's amazing. I was sure that if you talk about truth it really can touch people."

A new scoring system was introduced this year, providing separate scores for each country's jury and public votes, rather than combining them as in previous years.  At the half-way point after the juries' votes had been counted, Australia - which had been invited back to perform after last year's 60th anniversary celebrations - topped the scoreboard with 320 points and a firm lead over Ukraine's 211 points.  But Dami Im's Sound of Silence failed to strike the same chord with the public and was voted the fourth most popular song overall.

Writing on Twitter, Joe and Jake said: "Regardless of the result, our main aim was to make the UK proud. We hope we did that."

Graham Norton, who provided commentary to viewers watching in the UK, paid tribute to his predecessor Sir Terry Wogan during the contest.  He recalled Sir Terry, who died in January, advising him not to drink anything alcoholic until the ninth song had been performed.  "I would urge you at home to raise a cup, a mug, a glass and give thanks to the man who was, and always will be, the voice of Eurovision," he said as the ninth competitor began.

This year's contest took place at the Ericsson Globe arena in Stockholm and was hosted by last year's winner Mans Zelmerlow and Swedish TV personality Mede.

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