The most politically controversial moments at Eurovision - Austrian drag act Conchita Wurst caused quite a stir in 2014 when she won the Eurovision Song Contest after being heavily criticized by many, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Political statements are strictly forbidden at the event, but that hasn't stopped certain performers from shocking audience and juries alike.
Click through to learn why Eurovision may just be the most politically controversial singing competition in the world.

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Switzerland, 2018 - One of China's biggest TV channels has recently been barred from airing the contest's final after it censored LGBT references during Swiss duo ZiBBZ's performance in the first semifinal.

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Switzerland, 2018 - The European Broadcasting Union has cut ties with Mango TV after the Chinese channel blurred rainbow flags and censored tattoos, claiming the decision "was not in line with its values of diversity," according to BBC.

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Russia, 2017 - Russian's shocking defeat in this year's second semifinal marks the first time the country hasn't qualified since 1998.

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Russia, 2017 - However, Russia was engulfed in scandal last year after contestant Julia Samoylova was denied entry in host country Ukraine. The wheelchair-bound singer was banned from entering the country for three years after an "illegal visit" to Russian-annexed Crimea back in 2015.

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Austria, 2014 - Austrian singer Tom Neuworth rocked the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014 with his bearded drag queen alter ego Conchita Wurst, who ended up winning the competition with power song 'Rise Like a Phoenix.'

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Austria, 2014 - Conchita rose above all the homophobes who had been criticizing her leading up to the contest—including Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church, who described her as an "abomination."

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Israel, 2000 - Israeli group Ping Pong caused a lot of commotion when its members finished their 2000 performance by waving Syrian and Israeli flags in a bid for peace.

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Israel, 2000 - Political statements are strictly forbidden in Eurovision, so it was no surprise when Israel’s broadcasting authority refused to recognize the group's entry for "not representing national values," as reported by The Independent.

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Sweden, 2018 - The Swedish entry for this year's Eurovision, reality TV star and singer Benjamin Ingrosso, has gotten in trouble for releasing a video on YouTube in which he's seen mocking other contestants.

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Sweden, 2018 - However, it's not the first time Sweden has been hit by criticism. According to Politico, the country, which has won twice and achieved 10 top five results over the last decade, has dominated the song contest for years. Not only have Swedish acts been some of the most popular in the event's history (including pop superstars ABBA, who won Eurovision in 1974), Swedes are often recruited to write or compose songs for other countries.

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Israel, 1998 - Many may think that Conchita Wurst was the first transgender to take Eurovision by storm, but Israeli singer Dana International was in fact the first to break the barrier back in the late 1990s.

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Israel, 1998 - She caused huge outrage among ultra-Orthodox Jews in her home country, with some taking to the streets to protest and others even threatening to kill her. She ended up winning the contest with a powerful rendition of her song 'Diva.'

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Armenia, 2015 - The group that represented Armenia in the 2015 edition, Genealogy, used the opportunity to mark the centennial of the Armenian genocide.

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Armenia, 2015 - The massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire is recognized by many countries in Europe, but not by neighboring Turkey.

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Georgia, 2009 - Stephane and 3G’s disco-themed tune was banned by a jury after agreeing that the song's lyrics "We don’t wanna put in" sounded a lot like "We don’t want Putin."

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Georgia, 2009 - The song contest took place in Moscow, Russia, that year. The Telegraph reported that the group withdrew from the competition, contending they were being pressured by the host nation.

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Finland, 2013 - Singer Krista Siegfrids shocked the audience when she shared an impromptu kiss with one of her back-up dancers as a protest against Finland's same-sex marriage ban.

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Finland, 2013 - According to SBS Australia, many conservative European nations complained to the European Broadcasting Union, but the kiss made it to the show's final cut.

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Estonia, 2001 - After its win in 2001, with Tanel Padar & Dave Benton's '80s-influenced tune 'Everybody,' Estonia became the first post-Soviet nation to take the Eurovision gong home.

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Estonia, 2001 - After the victory, Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar famously said: "We freed ourselves from the Soviet Empire through song."

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Poland, 2014 - Could anybody ever expect Poland's act, comprised of a group of innocent-looking milkmaids, to be as controversial as it was? Probably not. The raunchy performance was voted as the most popular in several countries.

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Poland, 2014 - However, official judges in several countries placed Donatan and Cleo's act last, and English soprano Laura Wright told the Metro: "I’d say it was soft porn. It was two boobs too far for me."

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Ukraine, 2007 - Ukrainian drag queen Verka Serduchka was the country's choice in the 2007 edition. Serduchka ended up coming second in the finals that year.

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Ukraine, 2007 - According to SBS, not everyone in the Eastern European nation was happy with the choice, with some politicians even calling the act "grotesque and vulgar."

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Luxembourg, 1981 - Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Pascal (photographed in 1961) took to the Eurovision stage in 1981 with his song 'Maybe It Isn’t America (Because America Isn’t the Be-All),' which he interpreted in French.

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Luxembourg, 1981 - At the time, the song was regarded widely as "anti-American." He ended up finishing in 11th place.

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Terry Wogan, 2008 - The late Sir Terry Wogan controversially stepped down as the UK's Eurovision host after he said it was 'no longer a musical contest,' as it was politically influenced.

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Terry Wogan, 2008 - But he wasn't the only Brit to say so. A YouGov poll showed that 75% of British people agreed that the event was politically biased and some countries never stood a chance of winning.

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