NEW YORK (Top40 Charts) - The Finnish metal band who dress as monsters have won the Eurovision Song Contest tonight (May 20).
Lordi triumphed in this year's contest with song 'Hard Rock Halleljah', breaking with Eurovision's usual diet of conventional pop. The rockers from Finland were clear winners of the show, chosen by a public text and phone vote.
The band wore outlandish monster masks, studded leather and armour costumes and foot-high stack heels while belting out their song about fangs, horns, demons and angels. They have denied promoting Satanism and insist they have no connection with the occult after concerns were raised by the Greek Orthodox Church!!!
The Finnish band thanked viewers for voting for their song, which featured the lead singer hoisting a double-headed axe over his head in a performance inspired by 1970s rock band Kiss.
According to Lordi, 'this is a victory for rock music and for open-mindedness. This is proof that there are rock fans watching Eurovision. Maybe in the future we'll see rock bands, metal and hip hop'.
Lordi's victory means the 52nd Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Helsinki next year (2007).
51st Eurovision 2006 voting results (points):
1 Finland: 292
2 Russia: 248
3 Bosnia Herzegovina: 229
4 Romania: 172
5 Sweden: 170
6 Lithuania: 162
7 Ukraine: 145
8 Armenia: 129
9 Greece: 128
10 Ireland: 93
11 Turkey: 91
12 FYR Macedonia: 56
13 Croatia: 56
14 Norway: 36
15 Germany: 36
16 Latvia: 30
17 Switzerland: 30
18 Denmark: 30
19 United Kingdom: 25
20 Moldova: 22
21 Spain: 18
22 France: 5
23 Israel: 4
24 Malta: 1
