Sheldon Riley will represent Australia at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin after being crowned the winner of at a live final on the Gold Coast.
The 22-year-old saw off competition including songstress Paulini, former Eurovision representative Isaiah Firebrace, and Perth metal quintet Voyager, with their original song, Not The Same.
2022 will be the seventh time Australia competes in the iconic song competition, having first done so in 2015.
Riley said: "I'm speechless, this is everything I have worked for and dreamed of since I can remember. I am so incredibly honoured to represent Australia on the biggest stage in the world.
"I have said this a few times throughout this Aus Decides experience that people will choose different when given the chance to see it. Thank you for giving me my chance to prove that."
Australia is set to keep performing until at least 2023.
Comedian Joel Creasey is one of the hosts for Australia’s Eurovision coverage, alongside Myf Warhurst.
He said this year's competitors in Australia Decides were hungry for the chance to compete overseas.
“We have a lot of respect amongst the other Eurovision countries, so they have really got to bring a little bit of kook, a big voice and a lot of star power,” he said.
“That is what people expect from Australia."
SBS Eurovision hosts Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey Source: SBS News / SBS
Creasey said Australia was known for sending high-quality acts to Eurovision.
"I've seen the artists and they are all bringing their A-game and it's going to be a really fierce competition. It's the Hunger Games of music so bring it on,” he said.
Eurovision was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Australia’s representative Montaigne was forced to sing remotely for her 2021 performance because of border restrictions.
Italian rock band Maneskin won last year’s contest with their song Zitti e Buoni. Their win secured Italy’s gig at hosting this year’s contest.
After two tumultuous COVID-stricken years, Eurovision is now dealing with another crisis.
The European Broadcasting Union announced on Friday, because of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia would be banned from competing this year as it would “bring the competition into disrepute.”
The EBU made the decision after Ukraine and several other European public broadcasters including Sweden, Finland and Denmark had called for Russia to be expelled.
