Philippines wins inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok
- Carmelle Collado makes history with her energetic dance track ‘Sobra-Sobra’ (Too Much), an empowering tribute to Filipino women
The Philippines made history by winning the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia, with 19-year-old singer Carmelle Collado claiming the title in Bangkok, Thailand, with her ‘Sobra-Sobra’, an empowering tribute to Filipino women.
Eleven countries competed in the first edition of the regional music contest, held on Saturday at the One Bangkok Forum in the Thai capital. Collado’s winning song, whose title translates as ‘Too Much’, features lyrics in both English and Tagalog and celebrates the strength and identity of Filipino women.
The Philippines secured 211 points, finishing ahead of host country Thailand, which scored 170 points. Vietnam placed third with 164 points, while Malaysia finished fourth with 152 points. The results were determined through votes from national juries in participating countries and the television audience.
The competition brought together performers from 11 countries, including South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam. However, several major Asian nations, including China, Japan and India, were absent from the inaugural event.
Thailand’s representatives, the duo Mang X Daou, finished runners-up with their romantic pop song ‘Aroma’. Vietnam’s Toc Tien secured third place with ‘Em Tien’, delivering a lively performance featuring lotus-inspired imagery, while Malaysia’s Aina Abdul performed the emotional ballad ‘Bluest Sky’.
The event also incorporated elements of Thai culture, with contestants arriving on stage in tuk-tuks and taking part in a parade waving the national flags of their respective countries, highlighting the cultural diversity of the participating nations.
The programme included references to the original European Eurovision competition. Bulgarian singer Dara performed ‘Bangaranga’, the song that won the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna in May.
The launch of Eurovision Song Contest Asia represents an expansion of the internationally recognised music competition into the Asian region. However, its potential to achieve the popularity of the European original remains uncertain.
The original Eurovision Song Contest attracted 131 million viewers this year, demonstrating its significant international following. In contrast, tickets for the inaugural Asian edition in Bangkok were still available just hours before the event began.
The Asian competition also follows an earlier attempt to expand the Eurovision format beyond Europe. The American Song Contest, launched in 2022, featured performers representing all 50 US states and was hosted by rapper Snoop Dogg and American Idol star Kelly Clarkson. However, the competition lasted only one season.
