Eurovision star Dana International to receive honorary award at TLVFest 2025 for three decades of cultural impact and LGBTQ+ visibility
Dana International, winner of Eurovision 1998 and one of the most influential figures in Israeli music and LGBTQ+ culture, will receive this year a special honorary award at the 20th edition of the TLVFest LGBTQ+ Film Festival. The festival will open on October 23rd at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and take place across Tel Aviv-Jaffa and Haifa until November 2nd.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +972-50-9441919
Maor Heumann has been writing about the Eurovision Song Contest and following it for over three decades. He has attended five contests and has found something to appreciate in almost every possible musical genre — from the sugary pop entries that finish last in the semi-finals to the quirky avant-garde pieces that even the competition’s juries struggled to connect with. He usually prefers original languages and songs with depth over Swedish-produced English clones — though he doesn’t promise to stick to that rule.
He grew up on the kibbutz of Sara’le Sharon, who instilled in him a love for music and created his first connection to the contest back in 1993 — before most of the current editorial team was even born.
Groundbreaking Career
The festival’s steering committee explained that the award is being presented to Dana for three decades of musical and cultural contributions, as well as for being a pioneering voice for LGBTQ+ visibility in Israel and worldwide.
Dana began her career in the late 1980s performing drag shows at gay clubs, long before this culture was widely recognized. In 1992, she broke through with the single “Sa’ida Sultana”, which led to a successful debut album and her second, “Umpatampa”. Early hits such as “Ani Lo Yechola Bil’adecha” (“I Can’t Live Without You”) “Yeshnan Banot” (“Some Girls”) and “Dana International” helped her win the title of Singer of the Year on Reshet Gimel in 1994.
From the Tel Aviv Underground to the Global Stage
Dana delivered her most memorable performance at Eurovision 1998 in Birmingham, representing Israel with the song “Diva”, written by Yoav Ginai and composed by Svika Pick. Her victory was far from guaranteed, following previous unsuccessful attempts in 1995 and 1996. With the historic win, she became the first transgender woman to win the contest, cementing her status as an international symbol. Time magazine even named her one of the five most influential figures of 1998.
International Career and LGBTQ+ Icon
Following her win, Dana maintained her iconic status on the international stage. She performed at Eurovision 1999 with a special rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Free” on the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City and continued appearing at pride events and music festivals worldwide. Among her biggest hits are “Love Boy”, “Seret Hodi” (“An Indian Movie”) with Idan Yaniv, and “Achla Gever” (“Such A Guy”) with Static & Ben El.
She later contributed as part of the creative team behind “Ke’ilu Kan” (“The Fire In Your Eyes”) the song performed by Boaz Mauda that represented Israel at Eurovision 2008, finishing in 9th place. In 2011, she returned to the Eurovision stage with “Ding Dong” though this time she did not advance to the final.
“A Universal Symbol of Hope, Visibility, and Acceptance”
“The LGBTQ+ festival thanks Dana International for three decades of spreading light and creating culture”, read the official announcement. “Dana’s journey – from the underground clubs of Tel Aviv to the world’s biggest stages – Is a story that transcends music and has become a universal symbol of hope, visibility, and acceptance”.
The TLVFest LGBTQ+ Film Festival celebrates its 20th edition this year. Alongside the honorary award ceremony, dozens of international and Israeli films will be screened at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, Haifa Cinematheque, Meretz2 Club in Tel Aviv, and the Anis Center in Jaffa.
Israel at Eurovision 2025
“New Day Will Rise” is the song performed by Yuval Raphael, who was chosen to represent Israel after winning the 11th season of “HaKokhav HaBa”. Israel advanced to the final after winning the second semi-final with 203 points and finished second overall with 357 points in the grand final. Israel ranked first in the public vote but only 14th with the jury. This marks the third consecutive year that Israel has reached the top five – an unprecedented achievement.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Israel’s 48th participation in Eurovision. Israel joined the contest in 1973 and has won four times. Its most recent victory was at Eurovision 2018 with the song “Toy”, performed by singer Netta Barzilai.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +972-50-9441919
Maor Heumann has been writing about the Eurovision Song Contest and following it for over three decades. He has attended five contests and has found something to appreciate in almost every possible musical genre — from the sugary pop entries that finish last in the semi-finals to the quirky avant-garde pieces that even the competition’s juries struggled to connect with. He usually prefers original languages and songs with depth over Swedish-produced English clones — though he doesn’t promise to stick to that rule.
He grew up on the kibbutz of Sara’le Sharon, who instilled in him a love for music and created his first connection to the contest back in 1993 — before most of the current editorial team was even born.
