MALMO, Sweden: Denmark won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in the Swedish city of Malmoe early yesterday with the song “Only Teardrops” by Emmelie de Forest.

Denmark, widely tipped to win the annual music competition, garnered 281 points at a glittering ceremony watched by millions of viewers, beating runner ups Azerbaijan (234 points) and Ukraine (214 points.)

The Scandinavian country last won the contest in 2000 with “Fly on the wings of love” by Olsen Brothers, also in Sweden.

There was no shortage of Danish support in the Malmoe Arena, located just minutes away from Sweden’s southern neighbor across the eight-kilometer Oeresund bridge.

“I believed in the song, but the exciting thing about Eurovision is that you never know what’s going to happen,” de Forest told reporters after the competition. In the past the contest has produced surprise winners, such as the monster-mask clad Finnish rockers Lordi in 2006.

The 20-year-old Danish singer performed the winning entry barefoot — her trademark since she began performing in her early teens — against a flaming backdrop.

She became the bookmakers’ only odds-on candidate after winning Tuesday’s semi-final.

Although it was never a serious threat to de Forest’s dramatic pop number about the state of the world, Azerbaijan earned top marks from several countries, propelling Farid Mammadov to second place.

Mammadov’s emotional ballad “Hold me” was one of several eye-catching performances during the evening, the singer’s moves mirrored by a dancer inside a glass cage.

Ukrainian entry “Gravity” had drawn media attention after it became clear that singer Zlata Ognevich would be carried on stage by a 2.34-meter tall “giant” meant to symbolize her inner strength.

Crisis-stricken Greece made a strong showing in early voting but soon fell back, ending in sixth place, calming fears it would have to host the costly event next year.

The country had initially ruled out taking part this year because of the costs involved, but reversed its decision after a private broadcaster stepped in to finance the production of the country’s national final.