The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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By Jessica Davies, News Editor

May 11, 2014 | 3 min read

Last night the 2014 Eurovision song contest dominated Twitter generating more than 5.3 million tweets, peaking at the victory of the crowned winner – Austrian, bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst. Wurst's performance of the song 'Rise like a Phoenix' triggered a storm of enthusiasm from viewers who flocked to Twitter to show their support, clocking up an average 47,136 tweets per minute, according to the micro-blogging site. In total there were a 5,384, 678 tweets sent - smashing last year's total of 3.76 million across Europe - which at the time made it the most tweeted-about TV show of 2013, excluding sport, according to Twitter.

Wurst had been subject to vicious criticism in the run-up to the show, from homophobic and transphobic attacks from within her own country and others including Russia, who branded the contest a 'hotbed of sodomy', according to the BBC.However, most viewers and brands including Paddy Power, thought Wurst a deserved winner, with more than a few well-known names - including comedian Russel Brand - joining the Twitter action (see below).
Eurovision Song Contest Conchita Wurst

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Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest is the longest-running annual international TV song competition, held, primarily, among the member countries of the European Broadcasting...

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