ORF confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest on 6 September 2013 . On 10 September 2013 , the broadcaster announced that they had internally selected Conchita Wurst to represent Austria in Copenhagen . Wurst is the drag stage persona of Tom Neuwirth , who in 2007 finished second in the third season of Austrian talent show '' Starmania '' , behind the 2011 Austrian entry Nadine Beiler . Neuwirth went on to join the boy band Jetzt Anders ! along with other contestants from '' Starmania '' in 2007 , which disbanded later that year . Following this , Neuwirth , who uses masculine pronouns when referring to himself but feminine pronouns to describe Wurst , developed his new drag persona and appeared on ORF 's talent show '' Die große Chance '' ( '' The Big Opportunity '' ) as Wurst in 2011 , achieving sixth place . Wurst went on to compete in the Austrian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with the song " That 's What I Am " , qualifying for the '' super final '' and finishing second with 49 percent of the public vote
Eurovision Song Contest 2012
Eurovision Song Contest 2012
Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014