Sweden's Loreen has won Eurovision 2023 with the song Tattoo, becoming the first woman to triumph for a second time in the contest.
Finland's Käärijä, a green-bolero-sleeved rapper, came second. He won the viewer vote, but it was not enough to overtake Loreen's lead after the result from the juries in the 37 participating countries. She had 583 points.
"It was crazy," Loreen said in an interview broadcast to reporters after her win in Liverpool, northern England, on Saturday. "I'm thankful."
Loreen is the only person after Ireland's Johnny Logan to win the contest twice, and her victory puts Sweden level with Ireland as the most successful Eurovision countries.
She won in 2012 with her song Euphoria.
The 67th edition of the musical festival was held in the "City of Pop" on behalf of Ukraine, last year's winner, which was unable to host this year because of Russia's invasion.
Organisers had to walk a tightrope between putting Ukraine centre stage and steering clear of any overt political messages, which are not allowed in the contest.
They largely succeeded.
Kalush Orchestra, 2022's winner, mixed video recorded in Ukraine with live performance in Liverpool in an opening sequence that included a cameo appearance from Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, playing the piano.
But as the contest was under way, Russian missiles hit the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, which is home to the electro-pop duo Tvorchi, this year's contestants from Ukraine.
Local authorities, writing on Telegram, said the strike had injured two people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was barred from addressing worldwide viewers - who numbered 160 million last year - by contest organiser the European Broadcasting Union.
It said that granting his request, which was made with "laudable intentions", would be against the non-political nature of the event and its rules prohibiting making political statements.
The 26 competing acts spanned musical styles from ballads to heavy rock to rap. The winner is decided by a combination of points awarded by juries and viewers in each competing country, plus for the first time viewers in other countries, who will carry the weight of one participating country.
Pam Minto, a 37-year-old support worker from Liverpool, said she was proud of her city and hoped it was doing Ukraine proud.
"We've just loved the whole event right across Liverpool from start to finish, it's just been amazing."
Ukrainian Anastasiia Iovova, a 31-year-old teacher who is currently living in Leeds, also in the north, said Liverpool felt like home abroad.
"We're so proud to be here, so proud that people in UK are supporting us in everything and we are so grateful about this."
