The Eurovision Song Contest has remained a television fixture for seven decades.

With numerous countries worldwide competing for the coveted top position year after year, one might naturally assume the prize would be something extraordinarily lucrative, beyond the fame and recognition that accompanies victory.

However, it appears the winner of this year's eagerly awaited singing competition receives absolutely no prize money whatsoever.

Instead, they are presented with the Crystal Microphone trophy.

The award is handcrafted from glass and has served as the prize since 2008, according to reports.

It was originally created by Swedish artist Kjell Engman of Kosta Boda and takes the form of a 1950s microphone.

It's understood that smaller versions of the trophy are presented to the songwriters and composers behind the winning track.

Nevertheless, the true reward lies in the exposure that winning provides to participants. In 1974, ABBA triumphed for Sweden and transformed into a worldwide pop sensation virtually instantly.

Celine Dion represented Switzerland in 1988 and is now regarded as one of the finest voices of our generation. More recently in 2021, Italian entrants Maneskin went on to headline a festival, reports the Mirror.

Additionally, the victorious nation receives the privilege of staging the contest the subsequent year.

The UK's Look Mum No Computer, whose real name is Sam Battle, is performing at the final on Saturday, in the bid to become the first British entry to win since 1997.

"It could go well or completely wrong - I'm just here for the ride," he previously told the BBC.

He added: "Watching the semi-finals yesterday I thought, maybe we've got something a bit different.

"What we're doing is Marmite – you either love it or hate it - but I think there's a slot open for our sort of thing."

"I always say to expect nothing," he went on. "Because if you expect nothing, you lose nothing.

"And anyway, after Saturday night's over, I'm getting straight on the plane and going back to nappy changing duties."

Eurovision 2026 final airs on Saturday 16 May at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.