The 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest was held tonight in Moscow, Russia. 25 countries performed their songs, and afterwards the televoters and the juries decided to give the victory to Alexander Rybak from Norway with his own song Fairytale which is inspired by Russian and Norwegian folk music.

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Alexander’s victory wasn’t a surprise. He was among the favorites since the Norwegian national finals. But the star boy managed to beat every possible records: he gathered 387 points altogether! This is an absolute record in the Eurovision song contest history.

Alexander Rybak was born in Minsk, BSSR, Soviet Union (now Minsk, Belarus) on 13 May 1986. He and his parents moved to Norway, where he grew up, since the age of four. Rybak has been playing instruments since the age of five, and he now plays both violin and piano. His parents are well-known musicians. He lives in Nesodden outside of the Norwegian capital Oslo.

Rybak was awarded the highly respected Anders Jahres Culture Prize in 2004. He entered the Norway’s version of Idol reaching the semi final and in 2006 he won the talent competition Kjempesjansen with his own song Foolin’. Alexander Rybak has collaborated with artists like A-Ha’s Morten Harket and Arve Tellefsen. As of 2007, Rybak played the fiddler in Oslo Nye Teater’s production Fiddler on the Roof. For this role he won the Heddaprisen. He stars as Levi in the film Yohan directed by Grete Salomonsen, also featuring the noted model and singer Aylar Lie.

Congratulations, Alexander!

The complete results of the Eurovision 2009 Final are as follows:

1. Norway - 387 points
2. Iceland - 218 points
3. Azerbaijan - 207 points
4. Turkey - 177 points
5. United Kingdom - 173 points
6. Estonia - 129 points
7. Greece - 120 points
8. France - 107 points
9. Bosnia & Herzegovina - 106 points
10. Armenia - 92 points
11. Russia - 91 points
12. Ukraine - 76 points
13. Denmark - 74 points
14. Moldova - 69 points
15. Portugal - 57 points
16. Israel - 53 points
17. Albania - 48 points
18. Croatia - 45 points
19. Romania - 40 points
20. Germany - 35 points
21. Sweden - 33 points
22. Malta - 31 points
23. Lithuania - 23 points
24. Spain - 23 points
25. Finland - 22 points