Beard Liberation Front
Press release 28th December
Conchita Wurst tops Eurovision win with Beard of the Year victory
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that in the best supported contest since 1995, the winner of this year’s Eurovision in May Conchita Wurst has also won the 2014 Beard of the Year poll with 33.54% of the vote.
The singer narrowly beat Ipswich Town goal keeper Bartosz Bialkowski who made a late bid for the title with 31.89% and University of Sussex academic Peter Coles who polled consistently well throughout the three weeks of the poll to end on 14.58%.
Other well known beard wearers including cricketer Moeen Ali and author Philip Ardagh also polled well.
BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, The Beard Liberation Front stands for diversity of dress and appearance and the breadth of appeal of this year’s winners underlines that. Let’s face it this is not a result Nigel Farage is likely to easily embrace. It has been a peak Beard of the Year poll but Peak Beard is yet to come.
The criteria for the Shortlist were as follows:
A beard worn consistently throughout the year
A beard that at least meets the standards of the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western style, that is post-stubble
A beard that has been in the public eye during the year and which has had a positive impact
Shortlist (after public poll)
Moeen Ali, cricketer
Philip Ardagh, author
Billy Bragg, musician
Peter Coles, cosmologist
Stephen Crabb, Government Minister
Robert Plant, musician
Fr Alan Williams, Bishop of Brentwood
Philip Wilton, cheesemaker
Conchita Wurst, singer
Robert Wyatt, musician
The Beard Liberation Front marks National No Shaving Day on January 1st 2015
Kmflett's Blog 
Call that a beard? It’s barely an inch long, 90% of his hair is up top! Bart woz robbed!
She’s the one who deserved it. All her fans voted for her.
Agree totally. ❤
Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! ❤ ❤ ❤ Love and peace.Hugs and kisses for all!
This is a well maintained beard! Any male can cease to shave, but this is a beard of beauty, and does not detract from her femininity one iota!
Well said – you put a tear in my eye! ❤
Reblogged this on In the Dark and commented:
Many congratulations to the fabulous Conchita Wurst, who has won the coveted title of Beard of the Year 2014. I finished in 3rd place. Huge thanks to everyone who voted for me. I’m quite chuffed to have finished in the top 5 actually, and am delighted that Conchita Wurst was the winner in the end.
In fact I was in the lead until two days before the end of polling. However, on Saturday 20th December, I checked the voting and found Conchita already was on top of me, pulling away. The resulting surge was extremely impressive and exciting to witness…
I would have happily settled for second place but then on Monday 22nd, the last day of voting, Bartosz Bialkowski, who wasn’t on the shortlist until that point, made an unexpected appearance and quickly romped up the table. I’ve never heard of Bartosz Bialkowski before that day, actually. Apparently he plays in goal for Ipswich Town, in the Midlands.
Anyway, although many will be surprised that 2nd place went to someone who isn’t among the list of official contenders, there’s no doubt he has an impressive beard and enthusiastic support from Ipswich Town supporters who no doubt were responsible both for his late inclusion in the list and in the heavy voting on Monday that relegated me to 3rd place.
Anyway, that’s it for Beard of the Year. My brief venture into the limelight is over, and I’ll now return to my normal state of well-deserved obscurity…