Conchita Wurst

Thomas Neuwirth (born 6 November 1988) is an Austrian singer and drag queen who is known for his stage persona Conchita Wurst (or simply Conchita). Neuwirth came to international attention after winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 as with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix". Neuwirth has stated that he is not a trans woman. He is gay, and has also described himself as a drag queen. Born in Gmunden, Neuwirth moved to Graz to do his matura exam with a focus on fashion, before embarking on a singing career through the 2007 casting show Starmania. He subsequently became a founding member of the short-lived boy band Jetzt Anders!. In 2011, Neuwirth began appearing as Conchita—a female character noted for her beard—and came second in the Austrian pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. Two years later, Neuwirth was selected to represent Austria as Conchita at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. Conchita's performance received the most points and resulted in her winning the contest. It brought international attention to Conchita and established Neuwirth as a gay icon, resulting in invitations to perform at various pride parades, the European Parliament, and the United Nations Office in Vienna. Early life Thomas Neuwirth was born on 6 November 1988 in Gmunden and raised in the small town of Bad Mitterndorf, in the Styrian countryside in Austria. He has stated that the mountainous area was a wonderful place to grow up, but that he faced prejudice for being gay: "Being a teenager, a gay teenager, in such a small village is not that much fun. I am part of the gay community and most gays have a similar story to mine."