Tom Neuwirth is an Austrian singer, recording artist, and drag queen who is known for his stage persona Conchita Wurst (also known mononymously as Conchita). Conchita came to international attention after winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 as Austria's entrant with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix". Neuwirth uses masculine pronouns when referring to himself but feminine pronouns to describe Conchita.
Born in Gmunden, Austria, Neuwirth moved to Graz to do his matura exam with a focus on fashion, before embarking on a singing career through the 2007 casting show Starmania. He subsequently became a founding member of the short-lived boy band Jetzt Anders!. In 2011, Neuwirth began appearing as Conchita – a female character noted for her beard – and came second in the Austrian pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012.
Conchita was selected to represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, where her performance received the most points from voting. It brought her international attention and established her as a gay icon, resulting in invitations to perform at various pride parades, the European Parliament and the United Nations Office in Vienna.