The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final takes place tonight at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna.
The Eurovision Song Contest winner won’t receive a cash prize (Image: Christian Bruna, Getty Images)
The Eurovision Song Contest has been a television mainstay for seven decades.
With numerous nations across the globe battling for the coveted top prize year after year, you’d expect the reward to be something extraordinarily tempting, beyond the recognition and celebrity status that accompanies being declared champion.
Yet it appears the victor of this year’s eagerly awaited musical extravaganza doesn’t pocket a single pound in prize money.
Instead, they receive the Crystal Microphone trophy.
The award is handcrafted from glass and has served as the prize since 2008, according to reports.
It was originally created by Swedish artist Kjell Engman of Kosta Boda and takes the form of a 1950s microphone.
It’s understood that smaller versions of the trophy are presented to the songwriters and composers behind the winning track.
Nevertheless, the true reward lies in the exposure that winning provides to participants. In 1974, ABBA triumphed for Sweden and transformed into a worldwide pop sensation virtually instantly.
Celine Dion represented Switzerland in 1988 and is now regarded as one of the finest voices of our generation. More recently in 2021, Italian entrants Maneskin went on to headline a festival, reports the Mirror.
Additionally, the victorious nation receives the privilege of staging the contest the subsequent year.
The UK’s Look Mum No Computer, whose real name is Sam Battle, is performing at the final on Saturday, in the bid to become the first British entry to win since 1997.
“It could go well or completely wrong – I’m just here for the ride,” he previously told the BBC.
He added: “Watching the semi-finals yesterday I thought, maybe we’ve got something a bit different.
“What we’re doing is Marmite – you either love it or hate it – but I think there’s a slot open for our sort of thing.”
“I always say to expect nothing,” he went on. “Because if you expect nothing, you lose nothing.
“And anyway, after Saturday night’s over, I’m getting straight on the plane and going back to nappy changing duties.”
Eurovision 2026 final airs on Saturday 16 May at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
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