Conchita Wurst
The world was spellbound, and searches for her Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages all spiked after she won Eurovision.
Eurovision Song Contest 2014
Winning the hearts and votes of Europe
Held in Copenhagen in May, the 59th Eurovision Song Contest drew a record 195 million television viewers and over 120 million searches. 37 countries across Europe participated, but Austria was crowned the winner after Conchita Wurst stole the show with her song Rise Like a Phoenix.
Hitting the high notes
Conchita became a global superstar almost overnight. In fact, search shows she even upstaged her inspirations Beyoncé and Lady Gaga.
The Eurovision Song Contest is held annually by the countries of the European Broadcasting Union. Previous winners include ABBA and Céline Dion, who both spiked in search during the 2014 event.
Copenhagen hosted the event after Danish singer Emmelie de Forest won last year’s competition. As she performed her new single at this year’s final, searches for a 'nightcore' version spiked 17x.
The Portuguese didn’t fancy their chances
In spite of 47 appearances, Portugal has yet to win the contest. This year, the country searched for the EuroMillions lottery results 9x more than for Eurovision.
We found her alter ego
During Eurovision, searches for Wurst's real name, biography and background all soared. We learned that she is the stage persona of Tom Neuwirth, a man who developed the character in 2011.
A statement on the world's stage
International attention duly followed, and she became a prominent LGBT icon, performing at European Parliament and the UN headquarters. Searches for 'LGBT rights' then spiked across the world.
The world wanted more
After Wurst took home the Eurovision trophy, searches for her tickets, album, tour and concerts all peaked throughout 2014.
"The beard is a statement to say that you can achieve anything, no matter who you are or how you look."
Inspirational words from Conchita Wurst, one of 2014's biggest names and most searched stars across the world.