Carmelle Secures Philippines’ First Asian Eurovision Victory

Carmelle Collado has clinched the inaugural Asian edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, securing victory for the Philippines with the song “Sobra‑Sobra” in Bangkok on Saturday night, marking the first time the competition has been held outside Europe.

Eleven nations participated in the One Bangkok Forum held in central Bangkok, and the program lasted two and a half hours, including advertisements.

The winner, performing under the mononym Carmelle, amassed 211 points—41 ahead of Thailand, the host nation, and with Vietnam in third place. She earned the highest scores from both the national juries and the public vote.

Carmelle, aged 19, grew up beside the railway tracks in the Bicol region of southeastern Luzon and began competing in televised talent shows at age 12.

“Sobra‑Sobra” blends pop and rap, incorporates traditional Philippine instruments such as the kubing and kulintang, and is performed in both Tagalog and English.

Following her win, Carmelle said the song celebrates female empowerment and serves as a tribute to Filipino women everywhere.

“I have made history, as this is the first time,” she told the Associated Press. “It’s a huge responsibility for me, given the global nature of this stage, and I thank everyone who voted for me.”

“It reflects how unapologetically independent and strong Filipinas are,” she told the Guardian before the final. “It captures me—not only me, but all Filipinas.”

The ceremony opened with a performance honoring Thailand, featuring Muay Thai fighters sharing the stage with drag artists on street‑food carts. The eleven acts then entered on tuk‑tuks, each bearing their national flag.

Vietnam’s Tóc Tiên, a veteran star with more than two decades of fame, performed first, accompanied by dancers dressed as lotus leaves. Thailand was represented by Mang x Daou, a duo assembled for the contest in the host country, who delivered a duet styled as a musical number.

Nepal’s Pratik Himal Rai delivered one of the most traditionally Eurovision‑styled performances of the evening with “Ananta Maya,” a rock ballad featuring fire imagery and a large heart‑shaped backdrop.

He concluded by appealing for support for his country, which he described as “going through a very hard situation.” The disaster referenced—a rock and ice avalanche near the Chinese border in August—caused more than 1,500 deaths and over 5,000 missing after catastrophic flash floods.

Bangladesh’s Beatmosphere, originally a nine‑member a cappella and beatbox group, performed without any instrumental accompaniment. Three members were excluded from the final because the competition limits each act to six performers on stage.

Nyendra of Bhutan sang wearing the gho, the country’s traditional male attire, against a backdrop of Himalayan peaks. Mongolia’s Beck performed in a reinterpreted deel, the national costume.

Half of the result was determined prior to the show. During a dress rehearsal on Friday night, the eleven national juries ranked the Philippines first with 93 points, ahead of Vietnam and Malaysia.

The remaining half of the score came from international viewers who could vote online but not for their own country, receiving eight free votes each and the option to purchase ten additional votes.

Laos’s entrant, Thinla, was unable to hear her own music during her performance, and her dress rehearsal was broadcast only after all live acts had finished. She placed fifth, earning the night’s third‑highest public score.

Carmelle receives no prize money, but she will be awarded a trophy by Dara, the Bulgarian singer who won this year’s European contest, and she is scheduled to perform at Eurovision 2027 in Burgas.

Organizers have stated that the right to host future editions will not automatically pass to the winner, because smaller countries may lack the necessary infrastructure.

Several of the clearest echoes of Eurovision’s camp traditions were evident in the vote announcers.

South Korea’s jury points were read by Jo Kwon, a veteran pop star who portrayed Adam in the Korean production of *Priscilla, Queen of the Desert* and the title role in *Everybody’s Talking About Jamie*.

The Philippines’ jury points were read by Vice Ganda, a prominent gay comedian and one of the biggest stars on Philippine television.

Meanwhile, the guest performer was Thai singer Jeff Satur, who gained a broader Asian audience through the 2022 series *KinnPorsche*, a male‑same‑sex romance drama with a large following across Asia.

Organizers intend the Bangkok show to be the first of many regional editions, with executive producer Assaf Blecher noting that 16 or 17 territories have expressed interest in competing next year, including China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

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