Eurovision Song Contest Asia crowns its first-ever winner

Detailed summary

Carmelle, 19, was crowned queen of the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok for her performance of Sobra-Sobra (Too Much), a shoutout to strong women. Hosts Thailand…

A teenage pop star from the Philippines won the first Asia edition of Eurovision overnight after a night of power ballads, pop-dance hits and pyrotechnics from the makers of the cult European kitsch fest.

Carmelle, 19, was crowned queen of the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok for her performance of Sobra-Sobra (Too Much), a shoutout to strong women.

Hosts Thailand finished a close second, followed by Vietnam, Malaysia and Laos, with Nepal, Cambodia and Bangladesh at the bottom of the points table.

Eleven countries joined the competition that organisers hope will start a new chapter for Eurovision, a cultural phenomenon in Europe for its lavish outfits, soaring vocals — and sometimes tricky geopolitics.

An Asian version has been in the works since about 2009 and SBS had a hand in trying to launch it around 2017 before shelving it in 2025. The European Broadcasting Union, which organises Eurovision, later announced the contest in March.

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

The grand final was streamed live on SBS On Demand, and a replay will be aired on SBS2 on Sunday 15 November at 7.30pm.

"I'm genuinely impressed with what they've done, the vibe and the music," said Alex Cobham, 33, a British Eurovision fan who lives in Thailand and could not believe her luck when it was staged in Bangkok.

"It's embodying the spirit for sure — camp, fun, gorgeous, good songs."

Opening of the article, excerpted from SBS News. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.