BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) - Sweden's Loreen has clinched the top spot at this year's Eurovision Song Contest with her dance hit "Euphoria," pushing aside competition from a sextet of Russian grannies and a Serbian balladeer.
Juries and television viewers from across Europe awarded Loreen a total of 372 points, handing her an easy win in an event that ended in the early hours Sunday in host country Azerbaijan. Sweden will take over hosting duties next year.
Russia's Buranovskiye Babushki, a group of six elderly ladies, garnered much public affection for their cute onstage presence, but couldn't quite match Sweden's more contemporary offering.
Zeljko Joksimovic, a Eurovision regular from Serbia, came in a distant third with his slow and stripped-down "Nije Ljubav Stvar."