Filipino singer Carmelle storms to victory in Eurovision Asia debut in Bangkok

Filipino singer Carmelle won the first Asian edition of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday with a fiery performance of her dance-pop song “Sobra-Sobra.”

The 19-year-old beat 10 other acts in the grand final in Bangkok, with the winner chosen through votes from national juries in participating countries and viewers worldwide.

After her victory, Carmelle said her song celebrated female empowerment and was intended as “a tribute to all Filipino women.”

“I made history, since this was the first time,” she told The Associated Press. “It’s such a big responsibility for me, because this one is a global stage, so thank you everybody who voted for me.”

Thai duo Mang x Daou finished second with an energetic performance of the romantic pop song “Aroma.” Vietnam’s Tóc Tiên placed third with a lively, stylish rendition of “Em Tiên.”

Malaysia’s Aina Abdul took fourth with her powerful ballad “Bluest Sky.” Thinla of Laos finished fifth with “Bae,” a playful dance track that had the audience dancing whenever it was replayed during the show.

Bhutan, South Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Cambodia and Bangladesh also competed.

Contestants made their entrances aboard tuk-tuks, the motorized three-wheeled vehicles common in Bangkok’s tourist districts. They waved national flags as thousands of fans cheered inside the city-center venue.

Bulgarian singer Dara appeared as a special guest, performing “Bangaranga,” the song with which she won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna earlier this year.

The European contest seeks to put music before politics but has repeatedly been caught up in international conflicts. Russia was expelled in 2022 following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has also roiled the competition, prompting protests outside contest venues and leading organizers to restrict political flag-waving.

Five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotted this year’s European competition over Israel’s participation.

Eurovision Asia appeared less overshadowed by politics, said Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic, who attended the show in Bangkok.

He said an analysis of voting patterns might reveal political tendencies among participating countries.

“But for now I can say it was a very beautiful atmosphere inside the venue and it was a great window into the musical cultures of Asia.”