President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev

CNN: Azerbaijan wins Eurovision Song Contest

15 May 2011, 15:10

CNN

Sunday, May 15, 2011

 

Azerbaijan took top prize in the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, snagging the country's first-ever win.

Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal, known as Ell/Nikki, won for "Running Scared," a romantic love ballad. They performed it in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Italy and Sweden came in second and third place, respectively.

Since the competition began in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1956, each participating European nation has put forward a singer or group to perform a specially-written song.

Forty-three countries participated this year.

The list of previous winners reflects the eclectic musical tastes of countries from Germany to Estonia and includes British pocket dynamo Lulu, Swedish pop legends ABBA and Lordi, a death metal band from Finland.

The annual showpiece is watched by an estimated 125 million people each year.

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