# Fairytale (Alexander Rybak song)
**Fairytale** is a song by the Norwegian singer-songwriter, composer, and violinist [Alexander Rybak](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexander-rybak) that won the [Eurovision Song Contest 2009](https://www.edgepedia.org/eurovision-song-contest-2009) in Moscow for Norway. Rybak composed the song and performed it with his violin, blending pop and folk elements in a track that became one of the contest's best-known winners.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artist | Alexander Rybak, Norwegian singer-songwriter, composer, and violinist[1](https://melodicnotes.com/song/alexander-rybak-fairytale-11834/) |
| Contest | Eurovision Song Contest 2009, the 54th edition, held in Moscow[2](https://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2009/05/18/TT-980518-P13-IB.pdf) |
| Result | Winner of the 2009 contest with a record amount of points at that time[3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGQqj6WY4IE) |
| Runners-up | Iceland's Yohanna finished second; Azerbaijan's AySel and Arash finished third[2](https://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2009/05/18/TT-980518-P13-IB.pdf) |
| Style | Pop-folk song with Rybak's violin featured prominently throughout[1](https://melodicnotes.com/song/alexander-rybak-fairytale-11834/) |
| Later recognition | Voted "Best Eurovision Song of All Times" in a TV2.no public vote announced in August 2019[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogM3TRhdWUc) |
## The 2009 contest
At the Eurovision grand final in Moscow, held on the night before Norway's national day, the 23-year-old fiddler won with the most points in the contest's 53-year history to that date[2](https://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2009/05/18/TT-980518-P13-IB.pdf). The result was decided by a combination of telephone voting and official juries from the national broadcasters of the 42 nations that originally took part[2](https://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2009/05/18/TT-980518-P13-IB.pdf).
The winning performance combined the song's folksy melody with an acrobatic dance routine and two female support singers[2](https://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2009/05/18/TT-980518-P13-IB.pdf). Rybak sang the song entirely in English and greeted the audience in both Russian and Norwegian[5](https://www.vg.no/i/QMzoPV). A Swedish report on a later contest notes that Rybak was not permitted to play his violin live on the Eurovision stage that year[6](https://omni.se/unikt-fiol-ja-i-eurovision-forsta-gangen-pa-28-ar/a/3pBLqv).
## The song
Rybak both composed and interpreted the song, which is known for its catchy melody, his energetic performance, and a blend of pop and folk elements with his violin skills prominent throughout the track[1](https://melodicnotes.com/song/alexander-rybak-fairytale-11834/). In a retrospective account, Rybak described the approach behind his 2009 trophy song: he flexed his violin skills and transformed a traditional folk melody into a pop tune[7](https://time.com/5859080/eurovision-song-contest-netflix-real-stars/). Asked about winning, he told the same publication that at Eurovision "You win by being original"[7](https://time.com/5859080/eurovision-song-contest-netflix-real-stars/).
## Reception and legacy
The song's reputation outlasted the contest. In a public voting by TV2.no between 25 Eurovision songs, "Fairytale" won the title of "Best Eurovision Song of All Times"; the winner was announced in the broadcast of "Allsang på Grensen" on 7 August 2019[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogM3TRhdWUc).
**Lasting appeal.** Rybak returned to the Eurovision stage in 2018 with "That's How You Write a Song", which placed 15th in the final[8](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/melodifestivalen/a/lnEj0L/alexander-rybak-i-melodi-grand-prix-2026-siktar-mot-eurovision), and he appeared among the former winners who made cameos in the 2019 Eurovision film produced with [Will Ferrell](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-ferrell) and director David Dobkin[7](https://time.com/5859080/eurovision-song-contest-netflix-real-stars/). In a 2025 academic study that assigned a quality score to entries by average points received, "Fairytale" ranked third among all contest songs with a score of 8.50[9](https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/170954594/Mapping_favouritism_at_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest.pdf).
## References
1. [Fairytale - Alexander Rybak - Melodic Notes](https://melodicnotes.com/song/alexander-rybak-fairytale-11834/)
2. [Taipei Times, 18 May 2009, contest report](https://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2009/05/18/TT-980518-P13-IB.pdf)
3. [Alexander Rybak - Fairytale (LIVE) | Norway | Grand Final | Winner of Eurovision 2009, Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGQqj6WY4IE)
4. [Fairytale - Alexander Rybak wins "Best song in Eurovision History", AlexanderRybakVideo YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogM3TRhdWUc)
5. [Vinneroppskriften: Slik kuppet de Eurovision, VG](https://www.vg.no/i/QMzoPV)
6. [Unikt fiol-ja i Eurovision - första gången på 28 år, Omni/Aftonbladet](https://omni.se/unikt-fiol-ja-i-eurovision-forsta-gangen-pa-28-ar/a/3pBLqv)
7. [The Real Stars of the Eurovision Song Contest, TIME](https://time.com/5859080/eurovision-song-contest-netflix-real-stars/)
8. [Alexander Rybak gör comeback i norska Mello, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/melodifestivalen/a/lnEj0L/alexander-rybak-i-melodi-grand-prix-2026-siktar-mot-eurovision)
9. [Mapping favouritism at the Eurovision Song Contest, University of Groningen](https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/170954594/Mapping_favouritism_at_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Compositions and songs › Song-contest entries*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license