ESCXTRA Awards: The winner of the Recognition Award is Lys Assia!

Welcome to the first results article of the inaugural ESCXTRA Awards. In the coming days, we’ll be revealing the winners of all ten categories. The first award we’re going to reveal is the Recognition Award. And the award goes to…

Lys Assia, the first ever winner of the Eurovision Song Contest

The Recognition Award is for those who deserve recognition for their services to the Eurovision Song Contest. After the year 2018, there could only be one person who could receive the inaugural Recognition Award.

The ESCXTRA.com Team have decided to award the first ever Recognition Award to the first ever winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, Lys Assia. With four participations in three years, the Swiss singer was one of the foundations of Eurovision success in its early years. Until her death this year, Lys Assia dedicated her life to the Eurovision Song Contest, attending the event whenever she could and even attempting to once again represent her country late in her life.

Four participations and dedication

Back in 1956, the idea arose to unite Europe with a song contest. Switzerland hosted the first ever edition in Lugano. And they won that very same first edition. Lys Assia, the Grande Dame of Swiss music, represented them with two songs. The winner of the show was “Refrain”, which will forever be in the books for winning the first ever Eurovision Song Contest.

Lys Assia could not get enough of the Eurovision Song Contest, returning in both 1957 and 1958. She performed in a total of three different languages at Eurovision: Italian, French and German. In 2012 and 2013, she tried to come back to the contest again.

The Grande Dame attended the contest whenever she could and performed at the celebratory event in 2005. Lys Assia sadly passed away on 24th March of this year, aged 94.

The Lys Assia Recognition Award

To honour the wonderful services of Lys Assia to the Eurovision Song Contest, we have decided to name the Recognition Award after her. From 2019 onwards, this award will be called the Lys Assia Recognition Award.