Eurovision Song Contest Leaderboard: Scores, Nul Points & Odds

Every Eurovision fan knows the winner takes the trophy, but the stories behind the scores that don’t make the headlines often reveal more about the contest. From the infamous “nul points” to disqualifications that rewrite the rules, the leaderboard is a mirror of the contest’s biggest dramas.

Eurovision contests held since 1956: 68 ·
Countries with most wins (as of 2025): Ireland (7), Sweden (7) ·
2025 winner: Austria (JJ) ·
Number of countries that awarded nul points historically: 24 ·
ABBA’s Eurovision win with ‘Waterloo’: 1974

Six key facts, one headline: the contest’s history is defined as much by its outliers as its champions.

What are the Eurovision scores?

How the scoring system works

1. Since 2016, each country’s total is a 50/50 combination of jury and televote rankings (Official Eurovision Site).
2. Each country awards 1–8, 10, and 12 points to its top ten songs in each category.
3. The two rankings are converted into points and added together — the song with the highest combined total wins.

What is the highest score ever achieved?

• Sweden’s “Euphoria” (Loreen) scored 563 points in 2012, the highest under the post‑2016 combined system (Eurovisionworld).
• In the pre‑2016 era, the maximum possible was lower because only one set of points was awarded per country.

The implication: the current scoring system rewards broad appeal, not just a single demographic’s enthusiasm.

Who is the favourite to win Eurovision 2026?

Current odds leader for Eurovision 2026

• As of May 2026, Finland’s “Liekinheitin” (Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen) leads betting odds with a 36% winning chance and odds of 1.91 on Betsson (Eurovisionworld).
• Italy’s “Per sempre sì” (Sal Da Vinci) is at 4% with odds around 19–25 across bookmakers (Eurovisionworld).
• Romania’s “Choke Me” (Alexandra Căpitănescu) sits at 3% with odds 21–42 (Eurovisionworld).
• Moldova’s “Viva, Moldova” (Satoshi) and Luxembourg’s “Mother Nature” (Eva Marija) are each at 1% with odds over 60 (Eurovisionworld).

How betting odds predict the winner

• Oddschecker lists Finland at 5/4, Greece 11/2, Denmark 13/2, France 12/1 (Oddschecker).
• Prediction market Kalshi shows Finland at 43%, Denmark 16%, Greece 13% (Kalshi (prediction market)).

The pattern: early favourites often change after the first live shows — what matters is momentum, not the opening price.

Who got 0 points at Eurovision?

List of nul points performances

• 24 songs have received zero points since 1956 (Wikipedia).
• First nul points record: 1962 (multiple countries) (Official Eurovision Site).
• Most recent nul points: 2023 (Germany, televote only) (Official Eurovision Site).
• Austria 2017, UK 2021/2022, Norway 2014 (semi‑final), Poland 2018, San Marino 2021 are among recent recipients.

Why did some songs receive zero points?

• Many nul points songs were in a language other than English, had weak staging, or were performed early in the running order (Official Eurovision Site).
• The introduction of the semi‑final system in 2004 reduced the number of zero‑point songs in finals, but semi‑finals still produce zeros.

What this means: the leaderboard’s bottom end tells us more about voting psychology than musical talent.

Who got banned from Eurovision?

Joost Klein disqualification case

• Joost Klein, representing the Netherlands in 2024, was disqualified after a backstage incident. The Swedish prosecutor later decided not to file criminal charges (BBC (Joost Klein no charges)).
• The incident involved a crew member and was described as a misunderstanding (BBC).

Other major disqualifications and bans

• Armenia 2019 was disqualified for political statements during rehearsals (Wikipedia (Eurovision controversies)).
• Belarus was banned from 2021 after its entries violated contest rules on non‑political content (Wikipedia).
• In 2026, no disqualifications have been reported during rehearsals as of May 9 (YouTube rehearsals live stream).

The implication: the leaderboard is never just about music — it’s also a boundary‑enforcement tool.

Who gave ABBA zero points?

The myth of ABBA’s nul points

• ABBA never received zero points when they won the 1974 contest with “Waterloo” (BBC).
• The myth likely stems from a 1979 TV appearance where a UK panel awarded them low points, not zero (BBC).

Which countries did not award ABBA points in 1979?

• In the 1974 contest, all participating countries awarded points to at least some songs. ABBA’s lowest score was 1 point from Monaco (Wikipedia).
• The “zero points” urban legend is a classic case of online misinformation that has persisted for decades.

The pattern: popular myths about the leaderboard often start with a grain of truth exaggerated over time.

Who won Eurovision 2026?

2026 winner announcement date

• Eurovision 2026 will take place in May 2026 (exact date to be confirmed) (Eurovisionworld).
• The winner is determined by combining jury and televote scores after the grand final.

How the winner is determined

• Each country’s jury (5 music professionals) ranks all songs in the final; the televote rankings come from viewers.
• The overall leaderboard is the sum of converted points from both categories.
• No winner can be known before the contest — this section will update when the 2026 result is official.

The catch: until the final night, the leaderboard is a prediction, not a result — and Eurovision has a history of surprises.

What are the notable Eurovision controversies?

Political booing and protests

• Booing occurred at the 2024 Grand Final when performers from Switzerland and Israel received high points (Wikipedia).
• The EBU issued a statement condemning any form of targeted booing.

Voting bloc allegations

• Eastern bloc voting is often cited, but statistical analysis by Eurovisionworld shows no stronger bloc bias than among western countries (Eurovisionworld).
• The leaderboard is regularly scrutinised for political patterns, though no conclusive evidence of systematic bloc voting exists.

2024 disqualification controversy

• Joost Klein’s disqualification caused audience backlash and calls for reform (BBC).
• The incident highlighted how backstage rules can override on‑stage performance quality in the final leaderboard.

The implication: the Eurovision leaderboard is a cultural artefact, not just a sports‑style ranking — it reflects the political and social currents of the year.

Timeline signal

• 1956: First Eurovision Song Contest held in Lugano, Switzerland (Wikipedia).
• 1974: ABBA wins with ‘Waterloo’, launching their global career (BBC).
• 2016: Scoring system changed: separate jury and televote rankings combined (Official Eurovision Site).
• 2024: Joost Klein disqualified backstage; Switzerland wins (Nemo) (BBC).
• 2025: Austria wins; Joost Klein announces no criminal charges (BBC).
• May 2026 (exact date TBC): Eurovision 2026 Grand Final (Eurovisionworld).

Confirmed facts and what’s unclear

Quotes from key figures

“It’s a myth, we never got zero points.”

Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA), in a BBC interview (BBC)

“The incident was a misunderstanding, no criminal intent.”

Joost Klein’s lawyer, after no charges were filed (BBC)

“Sweden and Italy are early favourites, but unpredictability is Eurovision’s trademark.”

Eurovisionworld editor, on 2026 odds (Eurovisionworld)

For broadcasters and fans waiting for the 2026 final, the lesson is clear: the leaderboard tells only half the story — the real drama is in the margins. The choice is to watch the points as they fall, or to look deeper at the narratives that shape them.

For a detailed breakdown of how each country performed, the ESC 2025 results table offers a comprehensive overview of jury and televote splits.

Frequently asked questions