STOCKHOLM—Ukrainian singer Jamala’s melancholic tune about Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars was crowned the winner of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, in an unusual choice for the kitschy pop fest.
Susana Jamaladinova, a 32-year-old trained opera singer who uses the stage name Jamala, received the highest score of 534 points for her song “1944,” after votes from juries and TV viewers across Europe were tallied following performances Saturday night by the 26 finalists at Stockholm’s Globe Arena.
Australia’s Dami Im was second with 511 points, followed by Russia’s Sergey Lazarev in third with 491.
Ukraine's Jamala celebrates with the trophy after winning the Eurovision Song Contest final with the song "1944" in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 15, 2016. AP Photo/Martin Meissner
