Who won Eurovision 2022? Who is Sam Ryder? Everything you need to know from Eurovision final

There was the usual mix of bizarre hits - ‘Give that wolf a banana’ from Norway - quiet ballads, Euro-pop tunes, with cringey presenter moments and a seemingly unlimited lighting budget bringing the show together.

The 66th edition of the annual song contest was held in Italy, after Måneskin won in 2021.

It was a good night for the UK, which recorded its best performance in the final rankings since 1998 - and far better than the nil points it scored last year.

But who won Eurovision, where did the UK finish, and who is Sam Ryder?

Who won Eurovision 2022?

At the end of the long night, it was members of the Kalush Orchestra who were celebrating with the Eurovision trophy.

The rap-folk band did not get the highest marks from the judges, but phone voters from around the world showed their support to Ukraine and gave the band a huge 439 points - giving them a final total of 631.

The group was given special permission to attend the contest and ended their performance with a plea for support for Ukraine.

Where did the UK rank at Eurovision?

Sam Ryder, the UK entrant, got top marks from the judges for his hit, Space Man, earning 283 points - 91 more than eventual winner Ukraine.

However, while phone voters enjoyed the song, it did not garner as many points as four other entrants. It got 183 points from phone voters, giving it a final total of 466.

Spain finished third, ahead of fourth-placed Sweden and fifth-placed Serbia.

Germany sat at the bottom of the table with just 6 points, 11 behind France.

Who is Sam Ryder?

Ryder is a musician who has amassed a huge following on social media - especially on TikTok. With over 12 million followers, he’s one of the biggest names on the app.

During lockdown, he drew the attention of the likes of Alicia Keys, Sia and Justin Bieber when he started posting his covers of songs.

By the end of 2020, Ryder had become the most followed artist on TikTok, which allowed him the opportunity to sign a contract with record label Parlophone and launch his own solo career.

Ryder has released a number of singles between 2019 and 2021, including Set you Free, Whirlwind, Tiny Riot, July and More, as well as his 2021 EP The Sun’s Gonna Rise.