Meet the contestants of the first-ever Eurovision Song Contest Asia!
Eurovision is the longest-running annual international televised music competition with over 70 iterations as of 2026. Some of the well-known winners include Lys Assia’s “Refrain,” Sandie Shaw’s “Puppet on a String,” ABBA’s “Waterloo,” Alexander Rybak’s “Fairytale,” and 2026 winner, Dara’s “Bangaranga.”
In the last quarter of 2026, the Asian leg of Eurovision is finally happening, with 11 countries participating including Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. While not all participants have been announced there are currently six confirmed members of the lineup. Meet the contestants of Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026.
Nyedra (Bhutan)
Nyendra won the Rhythm of Bhutan competition and the honor of being the first performer to represent Bhutan at Eurovision Song Contest Asia. After moving to Thimphu to pursue his passion for music, Nyedra began independently writing and producing his own songs, building a strong following, with tunes such as “Oh No” and “Tell Me” across the pop, folk-pop, acoustic and R&B genres. Nyendra will represent Bhutan with the song “Lhayi Semo.”
Thinla (Laos)
Laos, make some noise for Thinla! Internally selected by the Lao broadcaster VTE9 to represent Laos in Eurovision, Thinla is best known for her unique blend of traditional Morlum and contemporary genres like R&B and dance. She’s also no newbie to global competitions, as Thinla participated in the Round Festival in Busan, South Korea, bringing Lao music to the international stage. She currently has three songs—”Bae,” “Star,” and “Water“—which fans will have the chance to vote for in Sieng Lao: The One, a nationwide live telecast in Laos that will officially select their song for the competition.
Aina Abdul (Malaysia)
Representing Malaysia is the singer-songwriter Aina Abdul, who was chosen by Malaysian broadcaster TV3 for the competition. She’s best known for songs like “Semalam,” “Sepi,” and “Terus Hidup” which showcase her powerful vocals, emotional depth, and bold style. She won the 37th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL), a prestigious Malaysian song competition that celebrates history and music created in the country, and was revealed as the country’s representative at the 40th edition of AJL.
Carmelle (Philippines)
Carmelle is set to wave the banner for the Philippines after beating out nine other candidates at Pili, Pinas!—a song competition organized by broadcaster ABS-CBN to select its entry for Eurovision. Carmelle first rose to prominence as the first runner-up of The Voice Kids Philippines in 2019 and the grand champion of the Tawag ng Tanghalan talent contest in 2025. Her song “Sobra-Sobra“ is the Philippines’ official entry to the competition, which incorporates traditional Kulintang gong music prominent among the Maguindanao, Tausug, and Maranao people, overlayed with modern beats and pop melodies.
Junhee (South Korea)
South Korea held its first-ever National Selection Show to find its entry for Eurovision. Eight songs competed in Korea’s Next Wave, with Junhee coming out on top. The artist initially debuted as a stage actor, then as a member of the boy band A.C.E., before enlisting for the military in 2022. After the disbandment of his boy band, A.C.E. focused on his solo career as a singer-songwriter of pop, R&B and dance music. His song, “Deep Dive,” will be South Korea’s official entry to the competition.
Tóc Tiên (Vietnam)
V-pop singer Toc Tien is Vietnam’s candidate for Eurovision Asia. She began her career as a child model and singer before eventually moving to the United States. After making her Vietnam comeback in 2015, Toc Tien has been in the limelight as both a musician and an actor, and is now one of the most sought after artists in the country. Toc Tien’s song will be selected in October through the national selection show The Sound of Vietnam.
Stay tuned for the official participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Mongolia, Nepal, and Thailand, and catch the Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 at Bravo BKK in Bangkok, Thailand this November 14 , with live broadcasts on Channel 3 for Thailand, on Media Prima (TV3) for Malaysia, on ABS-CBN for the Philippines, on Vietnam Television (VTV3) for Vietnam, on TV5 Cambodia for Cambodia, and on Vientiane Capital Television (VTE9) for Laos.
Who are you rooting for in this first edition of Eurovision Asia? Tell us in the comments!