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The 23-year-old singer-songwriter took home the top prize with his song ‘Bittersweet nostalgia’ – and he’ll now automatically qualify for Eurovision.
The 75th edition of the Sanremo Festival crowned singer-songwriter Olly the winner on Sunday with his song ‘Bittersweet nostalgia.'”It sounds absurd, but it really happened,” the young Genoese artist said on the stage of the Ariston Theatre, before singing again at the end of a very long evening.”I didn’t expect this finale,” Olly added after the win, “it was a leap of faith from the first performance. I am in disbelief. But my life will remain the same, every day on the piano, on the guitar, with the guys I’ve been playing with for ten years. I hope to play as much as possible.”As is tradition, Olly will also be invited to Eurovision. The winners of the Sanremo Festival are automatically entitled to participate, although they can theoretically opt out.In second place and winning the Mia Martini Critics’ Prize was Lucio Corsi, with his song ‘Volevo essere un duro.’ Singer-songwriter Brunori Sas came in third with his song ‘L’albero delle noci.’From the point of view of preferences, however, it was a neck-and-neck: the winner Olly was only 0.4% ahead of Corsi: it was 23.8% to 23.4%, taking into account the television vote, press room and radio jury. Brunori Sas took home 20.3%.The contest favourite, Giorgia, reached only sixth place.The special guest on the last evening of the festival was the Roman singer-songwriter Antonello Venditti, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Venditti is a true icon, with his 50-year career and 40 million records sold. He sang two of his old hits to the Ariston audience.After him, another distinguished guest appeared: the young footballer Edoardo Bove, whose career was cut short after a sudden illness. He shared his experience with the crowd.As probably Europe’s biggest music competition after Eurovision, the Sanremo festival has been a launchpad for the success of many Italian musicians – most famously Måneskin, the band from Rome who, after their success on the Ariston stage and their triumph at Eurovision, earned worldwide fame.Video editor • Rory Elliott Armstrong
