Alexander Rybak represented Norway when he won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 with “Fairytale.”
Rybak performed the folk-inspired song in Moscow, accompanied by violin playing and dancers from the Frikar dance company. His energetic presentation and memorable melody made “Fairytale” one of the contest’s most recognizable winning performances.
Norway won with 387 points under the scoring system used at the time. Iceland finished second, while Azerbaijan came third. Rybak also received the maximum 12 points from many voting countries.
The victory was Norway’s third Eurovision win, following victories in 1985 and 1995. Rybak was born in Belarus but competed for Norway, where he grew up and developed his musical career.