Vietnamese performer Duc Phuc won the Intervision Song Contest 2025 in Moscow, while US representative VASSY, of Greek heritage, pulled out at the last moment due to political pressure from the Australian government, according to international news agencies.
Neos Kosmos attempted to contact VASSY without success.
Earlier this year, as previously reported by Neos Kosmos, VASSY was in the running to represent Greece at Eurovision. That did not eventuate, but the Darwin-born singer, of Greek background, had been preparing to represent the US at Intervision, Russia’s alternative to Eurovision.
Reports suggest that the Greek Australian withdrew following pressure from Canberra, though neither she nor the Australian government have confirmed this.
Intervision itself is a revival of a short-lived contest from the 1960s and 1970s, now re-established by Russia as an alternative after its Eurovision expulsion.
VASSY – born Vasiliki Karagiorgos – was born in Darwin to Greek migrant parents from Kozani and Grevena. She later acquired US citizenship during the pandemic and has long lived in the United States, while maintaining close ties with both Greece and Australia.
“I feel very Australian and very Greek, I identify with both equally,” she told Neos Kosmos in a recent interview.
She added that Greek Australians “feel pride, as there is a sense of cultural pride that represents the community and honours the hard work of our migrant parents, who did everything to give us opportunities they didn’t have themselves.”
“Being a Greek woman representing the community, and being a positive role model for other women and the younger generation of Greek Australians who aspire to become artists or pursue their dreams in any field, is very meaningful,” she said.
“I think people recognise and understand that. I’m not just a girl who grew up in a small town like Darwin – I went to the other side of the world to chase my dreams, and I made it,” she told Neos Kosmos.
On her website, VASSY is described as “one of the most recognisable voices” in electronic dance music, with collaborations alongside DJs David Guetta and Tiësto. In 2023, she became the first woman to win the ICON award at the Electronic Dance Music Awards.
