Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst cuts ties with contest

Conchita Wurst, the Austrian singer who won the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, has announced that she is withdrawing from all things Eurovision.

Conchita Wurst is one of the most celebrated and iconic Eurovision winners of the 21st century, amassing fans worldwide thanks to her Eurovision song ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’.

In her statement, which she signs as ‘Tom’, she says: “The Eurovision Song Contest has shaped my life. It was my stage, my home and my springboard and a chapter for which I am deeply grateful.”

“As an artist, change is my greatest constant. From now on, I am withdrawing from the Eurovision context. I am moving to focus more on other professional projects and to let new things evolve.”

Concluding, she writes: “My connection to the ESC remains as part of my history, not as the place for my next steps. My decision is personal and I will not coment on it further.”

Responding to the statement, Michael Kron, Eurovision 2026 Executive Producer, says: “We acknowledge and respect Conchita Wurst’s decision to withdraw from the Eurovision context. Her contribution is an important part of Austrian Song Contest history. We wish Tom Neuwirth all the best for his future projects.”

The decision to distance herself from the contest has come as a surprise, as Conchita Wurst has continued to be involved with Eurovision in recent years, both performing at contests and hosting events, and was expected to play a key role at the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna next May.

While she has said that her decision is personal and does not wish to elaborate further, the timing of the statement goes beyond a decision rooted in personal and creative evolution. Indeed, Conchita Wurst doesn’t reference the growing controversy engulfing the 2026 contest, which is set to be the most contentious year in Eurovision’s history, the decision comes amid a growing boycott.

At the end of last year, five countries - Ireland, Spain, Iceland, Slovenia and Netherlands - announced that they would not be taking part in the 2026 competition, in protest against the European Broadcasting Union’s decision to allow Israel to remain in the contest.

“Eurovision says it stands for unity, inclusion, and dignity for all. Those values made this contest meaningful to me,” Nemo wrote on Instagram. “But Israel’s continued participation, during what the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded to be a genocide, shows a clear conflict between those ideals and the decisions made by the EBU.”

Eurovision strives to remain non-political. However, many have called out the EBU as hypocrites with regards to the Israeli situation, as Russia was excluded following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, while Belarus was excluded a year earlier after the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko.

Nemo’s move was followed by 1994’s Eurovision winner, Charlie McGettigan, who also stated he would return his trophy.

Austrian public broadcaster ORF, host of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, confirmed it will not prohibit the Palestinian flag in the audience nor censor any booing directed at Israel's performance.

Next year’s Eurovision will take place in Vienna after JJ won the 2025 event, beating Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael. Raphael triumphed in the televote, and Israel was criticised for allegedly conducting an advertising campaign in support of Raphael, with the scandal leading to the EBU introducing stricter rules for the 2026 contest.

The 70th edition of Eurovision will take place in Vienna on 16 May 2026.