With a song for Mom

ORF turns the ESC show into a bland feel-good zone

Cosmó enters the ESC race for Austria in 2026 – Cosmó will represent Austria at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna in May. Pictured: Alice Tumler, JJ, Cosmó, Cesár Sampson.(Bild: Thomas Ramstorfer)

The decision has been made: Cosmó will represent Austria at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna in May! At 19, he was the youngest candidate and entered the competition with his song "Tanzschein" as the last contestant! "I actually wrote the song for my mom. I want to compete for my mom," he explained after his victory. 

Last year's winner JJ then presented him with a golden paper boat, the symbolic ticket to the ESC stage, and added a motivating sentence: "Come on, bring victory to Austria once again. Let's do it."

Combined audience and jury votes
The Viennese singer prevailed against eleven competitors on Friday evening in the ORF show "Vienna Calling." After three hours, it was clear that Cosmó had won the majority of the combined votes from the audience and an expert jury. The jury had placed the singer in second place with 10 points, but the audience saw the future ESC representative in first place, which was enough for the overall victory in the end.

The final result was made up of 50 percent from the experts' votes and 50 percent from the TV viewers' votes.

Confetti rain! Cosmó will sing for Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026!(Bild: APA/ORF/HANS LEITNER)

In the end, 22-year-old Lena Schaur from Tyrol came in second place as the winner of the jury vote, after the audience had awarded her third place. Bamlak Werner from Carinthia, who had received only 4 points from the jury, came in second place with the audience and thus made it onto the podium in the final ranking.

Cosmó confirmed for the final
With "Tanzschein," thematically situated between Rian and Bilderbuch, one of six German-language songs prevailed in the competition. Cosmó will now compete in the final on May 16 at the Wiener Stadthalle – after JJ's victory in Basel in 2025 with "Wasted Love," Austria has a guaranteed place as the host country and will have to compete with 24 other nations for the title.

"I wrote the song for my mom," Cosmó revealed after the results were announced, which ORF program director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz can also be satisfied with. "I want Austria to stand behind this selection," she said, explaining the decision to once again select the Austrian act in a casting show after many years.

Toothless show with a thrilling finale
Whether the format will serve as a template for Song Contest eliminations in the future remains questionable. Visually, the show was convincing, but in terms of content, it remained surprisingly lackluster. It was only during the voting that real excitement unfolded!

Alice Tumler hosted the evening in a blue glittery minidress, charming as usual. At her side: Cesar Sampson, who smiled confidently at the cameras and chatted amiably with the contestants, but did not really convince as a presenter.

The show felt like a mix of "Song Contest," "Starmania," and "Dancing Stars," but in the end, one thing stood out: honest feedback was clearly not part of the plan. This left the audience with little to go on – a competition without any real evaluation.

Each performance was followed by a chorus of praise, as if the feedback providers were a professional petting zoo. ESC winner JJ, former contestant Eric Papilaya, and Caroline Athanasiadis outdid each other in niceties – regardless of whether a performance was confident or shaky. Lots of glitter, lots of goodwill – but not a single sharp comment.

"Great start"
Anna-Sophie from Styria stormed the stage with start number 01, in front of a red flickering wall, wearing a gathered dress and armed with an electric guitar. She immediately made her mark with her powerful track "Superwoman." The expert panel was enthusiastic: Athanasiadis cheered, "An incredibly great start. You are a superwoman!" 

Then it got emotional! Sidrit Vokshi stepped into the spotlight with "Wenn Ich Rauche" (When I Smoke) and delivered a performance full of emotion. Afterwards, he beamed, saying he felt "very happy." JJ was blown away: "I love it. I felt the emotion so strongly." Even as a non-smoker, he could imagine exactly what it was like to stand outside and smoke. 

Contestant number 03 brought power from Tyrol: Kayla Krystin swept across the stage with "I Brenn" – and towered over presenter Tumler by what felt like half a meter! Visually impressive, but vocally not quite on point. However, the expert panel showed compassion: despite a few minor wobbles, Eric Papilaya raved: "With your song, I don't care what you sing. It moves me so much. You're a mixture of Helene Fischer and the new singer from Linkin Park."

The show continued with honest sound instead of glitz and glamour or song contest compatibility: Reverend Stomp kicked things off with "Mescalero Ranger" – raw, dirty, handmade! No show effects, no gimmicks, just pure joy of playing on stage. Caroline Athanasiadis was thrilled: "That's real music. It's a treat to see you guys play." 

The first real emotional moment!
Entrant number 05 became the first big emotional moment of the evening! Bamlak Werner touched the audience with "We Are Not Just One Thing" – and after the last note, she herself was in tears. Suddenly, goosebumps replaced glamour in the studio. JJ was deeply moved: "Your yodeling brought tears to my eyes. That was so beautiful! She has an amazing voice. You're really great." The first truly moving moment – and a performance that touched the heart!

Then things got weird, colorful, and absolutely unmissable: Philip Piller lit up the stage with "Das Leben Ist Kunst" (Life Is Art) – a performance like a total work of art. Between attitude, a wink, and a clear message, he left no one cold. Eric Papilaya was thrilled: "Everything about you is unique. It was great – and I think the international press is having a blast with you."

Start number 07 relied on 80s vibes and big attitude: NIKOTIN rocked with "Unsterblich" (Immortal) – and deliberately sounded suspiciously like Falco. Nostalgia alert! But will this really bring back the fans from back then? Questionable. In any case, there was no lack of stage presence. Applause came from the commentator panel: "You're a great guy on stage. A guy you won't forget." And JJ went one better: "The song will definitely be immortal." Big words!

Contestant number 08 brought soft tones—but with impact: David Kurt stood on stage with "Pockets Full Of Snow" and focused entirely on emotion. His distinctive voice immediately captivated the audience. JJ raved: "You have a very unique voice. It was so beautiful how your instrumental accompanied your voice." But for the first time, there was also some cautious criticism: Eric Papilaya said that the performance was "not yet as unique as your voice is" – he needed to go into more depth.

Contestant number 09 rocked the hall: Julia Steen made a real statement with "Julia"! Power, emotion, personality – the whole package was just right. Eric Papilaya was full of praise: "You are one of the powerful voices of this evening." Her song has international quality – and because she shows herself to be so extremely personal, she is clearly one of his favorites. Announcement! 

Entrant number 10 once again caused a storm of enthusiasm: FREVD rocked the stage with "Riddle"! Caroline Athanasiadis was amazed: "Honestly, if you don't see what's going on in Austria right now..." The staging? Absolutely insane! JJ was just as enthusiastic: "I'm just as blown away! The opening pose was already awesome."

Entrant number 11 enchanted the audience: Lena Schaur presented "Painted Reality" – and left everyone amazed. JJ was blown away: "Your voice is a dream. We sat there with our mouths open the whole time." Papilaya predicted a long career for her. 

The last act to perform was the eventual winner,Cosmó, with "Tanzschein" – and they brought the house down! JJ raved: "I can already see the city hall dancing along." The song, the staging, the charisma – everything was just right. He was particularly impressed by the 19-year-old singer himself: "At 19, I wasn't nearly as confident as you are."

Here's Cosmó's winning song for you to listen to:

The competition this year? 
Well, the UK is sending a YouTuber named Look Mum no Computer.

According to the BBC, he is "the inventor of unique music machines and a self-proclaimed Eurovision fan" who restores 1929 cars and composes instrumental tracks for discarded synthesizers. He fits perfectly into the current Eurovision biotope. Greece is betting on 8-bit techno with orange Elmo fur boots.

Denmark is parking a goth in an aquarium, Moldova is prophylactically shouting "Viva, Moldova!"—you never know. So let's forget Abba, glitter, and calculated pop perfection.

The Song Contest has long since become a playground for everything between genius and cultivated fever dreams. And honestly, that's exactly why we tune in.

Vienna at the 70th anniversary ESC metropolis
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in Vienna – more precisely, in the Wiener Stadthalle – to mark its 70th anniversary. The Austrian capital will once again become the ESC metropolis of Europe.

The grand finale will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, with the two semi-finals taking place on Tuesday, May 12, and Thursday, May 14. Three shows, millions of fans – and Vienna at the center of the music world.