Love it or hate it, the noisy annual kitsch-fest known as the Eurovision Song Contest is a rare moment of pan-European comity and that proved to be the case once more with a triumph for Ukraine at Turin, the event’s host city this year, in the early hours of Sunday. Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the contest in a clear show of popular support for the war-ravaged nation that went beyond music.

Kalush Orchestra’s front man, Oleh Psiuk, took advantage of the enormous global audience, last year numbering more than 180 million, to make impassioned plea to free fighters still trapped beneath a sprawling steel plant in Mariupol following their performance.

“Help Azovstal, right now,″ Mr. Psiuk implored from beneath a bright bucket hat that has become the band’s trademark among fans.

Kalush Orchestra’s song, “Stefania,” was the sentimental and bookmakers’ favorite among the 25 competing performers in the grand finale. The public vote from home, via text message or the Eurovision app, proved decisive, lifting them above British Tik Tok star Sam Ryder, who led after the national juries in 40 countries cast their votes.

The 439 fan votes is the highest number of televote points ever received in a Eurovision contest, now in its 66th year. Mr. Psiuk thanked the Ukrainian diaspora and “and everyone around the world who voted for Ukraine. … The victory is very important to Ukraine. Especially this year.”

“Stefania” was penned by Mr. Psiuk as a tribute to his mother, but since Russia’s February 24 invasion it has become an anthem to the Ukrainain motherland, with lyrics that pledge: “I’ll always find my way home, even if all roads are destroyed.” The song shifts from energetic rap to plaintive notes from a flute and unlike many of last night’s entries has a melody that listeners can actually hum.

Kalush Orchestra itself is a cultural project that includes folklore experts and mixes traditional folk melodies and contemporary hip hop in a purposeful defense of Ukrainian culture. That has become an even more salient point as Russia through its invasion has sought falsely to assert that Ukraine’s culture is not unique.

While many of the Eurovision contestants opted for minimal, pared down, or sometimes downright silly aesthetics — Eurovision is one of the most camp events in global pop culture — the Ukrainians went for broke with colorful and highly original costumes that blended traditional folk motifs with resolutely modern accents.

The plea to free the remaining Ukrainian fighters trapped beneath the Azovstal plant by Russians served as a somber reminder that the hugely popular and at times flamboyant Eurovision song contest was being played out against the backdrop of a brutal war on Europe’s eastern flank.

The Azov battalion, which is among the plant’s last 1,000 defenders, sent their thanks from the warren of tunnels beneath the plant, posting on Telegram: “Thank you to Kalush Orchestra for your support! Glory to Ukraine!”

The six-member, all-male band received special permission to leave the country to represent Ukraine and Ukrainian culture at the music contest. One of the original members stayed to fight, and the others will be back in Ukraine in two days, when their temporary exit permit expires.

While the support for Ukraine in the song contest was ultimately overwhelming, the contest remained wide open until the final popular votes were tallied. And war or not, fans from Spain, Britain and elsewhere entering Turin’s PalaOlimpico arena from throughout Europe were rooting for their own country to win.

Russia was excluded this year after its February 24 invasion of Ukraine, a move organizers said was meant to keep politics out of the contest that promotes diversity and friendship among nations.

President Zelensky welcomed the victory, Ukraine’s third since its 2003 Eurovision debut, and said “we will do our best” to host next year’s contest in the hotly contested port city of Mariupol. He underlined “Ukrainian Mariupol,” adding: “free, peaceful, rebuilt!”

By Eurovision tradition, the winning country plays host to the following year’s competition; last year Italy won.

“I am sure our victorious chord in the battle with the enemy is not far off,” Mr. Zelensky said in a post on Telegram messaging app.