The Philippines has won the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok, with 19 year old singer Carmelle beating contestants from 10 other countries to claim the title.
Carmelle secured 211 points for her women’s empowerment anthem Sobra-Sobra, finishing ahead of Thailand’s MANG x DAOU, who took second place with 170 points. Vietnam completed the top three with 164 points.
According to the BBC, Carmelle, the youngest performer in the competition, was a favourite among judges and viewers, despite strong performances from several competing countries.
Her performance featured a rap section alongside the song’s empowerment message, and she received 93 points from the juries and 118 from the public vote.
The competition took place at One Bangkok Arena, where spectators cheered the performances and celebrated the Philippines’ victory.
Thailand’s MANG x DAOU drew a particularly enthusiastic response from the home crowd with their emotional duet Aroma, although they finished 41 points behind Carmelle.
Vietnamese singer Toc Tien claimed third place with 164 points, just six behind the Thai performers.
Several contestants stood out for taking different approaches to their performances.
Bangladesh’s Beatmosphere performed without a conventional backing track, using beatboxing to recreate drum rhythms and basslines entirely through their voices.
Laos was represented by Thinla, who performed Bae while wearing a traditional Lao hilltribe outfit.
Her song was also heard a second time during the broadcast when its music video played following an apparent technical problem. As a result, the Lao entry became the last competing song heard before voting took place.
The Eurovision Asia voting system followed a format similar to the European competition, combining points from national juries and viewers.
The public vote contributed 50% of the result, while juries representing the 11 participating countries accounted for the other 50%. Additional points were also awarded through a rest-of-the-world vote.
The final standings placed the Philippines first with 211 points, followed by Thailand with 170 and Vietnam with 164.
Malaysia finished fourth with 152 points, followed by Laos with 139, Bhutan with 126 and the Republic of Korea with 113.
Mongolia placed eighth with 94 points, Nepal ninth with 69 and Cambodia 10th with 61. Bangladesh finished 11th with 35 points.
The inaugural contest also featured guest appearances from established performers outside the competing line-up.
Bulgarian singer Dara, who won the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, performed her winning entry Bangaranga alongside her newer song Bad Idea.
Thai singer Jeff Satur also took to the stage, performing Black Tie and showcasing his vocal range.
The Bangkok event marked the first staging of an Asian version of Eurovision, following decades of discussions and unsuccessful attempts to launch the competition.
Despite the positive reception among fans, questions remain about the event’s longer-term future.
One Bangkok Arena was busy but did not reach full capacity, and the crowd began to thin shortly after Carmelle received her trophy.
It also remains unclear whether broadcasters across the region will commit to future editions or support expanding the competition beyond its initial 11 participating countries.
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