Philippines' Carmelle wins first Eurovision Song Contest Asia
Nineteen-year-old Carmelle won the first Asian edition of Eurovision in Bangkok with Sobra-Sobra, finishing 41 points ahead of hosts Thailand.
This story was written with AI assistance and reviewed and published by an editor.
The Philippines took the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia, as singer Carmelle Collado, just 19, claimed victory in Bangkok on Saturday night. It was the first time the contest had been staged outside Europe in a regional edition of its own.
Eleven nations took part at the One Bangkok venue in Thailand's capital, in a broadcast that ran for roughly 150 minutes with commercial breaks. Carmelle, who uses one name on stage, ended with 211 points, a margin of 41 over host country Thailand. Vietnam took the bronze position.
How the vote went
Carmelle's total was made up of 93 points from the national juries and 118 from the public vote, and she topped both. Thailand's duo MANG x DAOU came second with 170 points, helped by a loud home crowd that cheered their emotional duet Aroma.
The winning song
Her entry, Sobra-Sobra, blends pop with a rap section and uses traditional Philippine instruments, the kubing and the kulintang. It is sung in Tagalog and English. Carmelle says it is a celebration of female empowerment and a tribute to Filipino women. She grew up next to a railway line in the Bicol area of the southeast of Luzon island, and has entered televised talent shows since the age of 12. After winning, she said she had made history and felt a big responsibility, because the contest was a global stage.
Other memorable moments
Bangladeshi group Beatmosphere skipped a backing track and used their voices to imitate drums and basslines. Laos's Thinla sang in a traditional hill-tribe outfit, and her song unexpectedly got a second airing when its music video was played during the broadcast because of an apparent technical problem [VERIFY].
Will Eurovision work in Asia?
The long-running European contest has tried to grow its audience for years, and this edition tests whether the format travels. Its mix of national pride, big staging and a public vote has clear appeal, and the first night suggests there is an audience. The real test will be whether more countries join and whether viewers stay with it in later years.
What happens next
Organisers have not, in the material we reviewed, announced where the next Asian contest will be held. Fans will be watching to see whether Carmelle's win gives the Philippines the right to host, as the European contest's winners traditionally do [VERIFY].
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Frequently asked questions
Who won Eurovision Song Contest Asia?
Carmelle Collado of the Philippines won with Sobra-Sobra, finishing on 211 points.
Where was the contest held?
At the One Bangkok venue in the Thai capital, Bangkok, on Saturday night.
Who came second?
Thailand's MANG x DAOU were second with 170 points, and Vietnam finished third.
