Conchita Wurst

Thomas Neuwirth was born in Gmunden on 6 November 1988 and moved to Graz to complete his Matura exam with a focus on fashion. He entered the public eye through the 2007 casting show Starmania, then became a founding member of the short-lived boy band Jetzt Anders!. In 2011 he began performing as Conchita, a female character distinguished by a beard, and came second in Austria's Eurovision national final the following year. At Eurovision 2014, representing Austria as Conchita, Neuwirth won with "Rise Like a Phoenix". The victory brought international attention and established him as a gay icon, leading to performances at pride parades, the European Parliament, and the United Nations Office in Vienna.