Philippines Wins First Eurovision Asia Grand Final in Bangkok

Nineteen-year-old singer Carmelle representing the Philippines won the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia on Saturday in Bangkok, Thailand, beating entries from 10 other countries in the final.

The host country finished in second place, while Vietnam took third and Malaysia secured fourth place with singer Aina Abdul.

The expansion marks a major milestone for the international song contest as it celebrates its 70th birthday and attempts to establish a presence in Asia.

Fans gathered in the Thai capital for the event, which featured performances ranging from Bangladeshi beatboxing to a love song by a Mongolian economist.

"I'm very pleased it's come to Asia. We've been waiting so long!" said Fauzan, a 37-year-old Malaysian fan attending the concert hall.

Fauzan, who declined to give his family name for privacy reasons, praised the contest for its advocacy of LGBTQ+ rights.

Transferring the television format to Asia presented challenges, as the contest relies heavily on songs rather than the artist popularity typical of regional music shows.

Asian giants including India, China, Japan and Indonesia were absent from the lineup, while organizers faced budget cuts and staff resignations weeks before the final.

Voting followed the traditional European format, with a 50/50 mix of public votes and national juries from the participating countries, alongside a rest of the world category.

"It's very important for me to show up, to show respect to our ancestors on this big stage," said Beck, the Mongolian contestant who works as an economist.

Executive producer Assaf Blecher described the regional edition as being slightly more innocent than its European counterpart.

European Broadcasting Union director Martin Green said it could take several years to fully establish the brand in the region.