We’re up for anything that gives us more Eurovision.
Eurovision has announced that the contest will be crossing the pond for the first-ever time next year, as it launches The American Song Contest (catchy, right?).
The competition will follow the same format to Eurovision, with there being five to ten televised qualifier competitions, before the semi-finals and final.
However, before the artists are selected, there will be The Academy, a group comprised of music professionals from across the United States from different genres and backgrounds. These groups will form juries across all 50 states, and alongside regional audiences, will select each act to represent the state in the competition.
The American Song Contest has a series of high-profile figures working on it to make it a success, including Anders Lenhoff, one of Europe’s top creative producers; Peter Settman, a leading television entrepreneur and producer; Ola Melzig, a renowned television and producer; and Christer Bjorkman, a former Eurovision contestant, who later became one of its longest-running producers.
On the competition, Lenhoff said: “Imagine if music was an Olympic sport and artists from all over the world came together to compete for the gold. That’s the Eurovision Song Contest.
“The American version will be different than anything seen before on U.S. television, marrying the fanfare and excitement of March Madness and the NFL playoffs with the artistry and beauty of world-class performances.
“The American Song Contest is a competition that happens to be televised, rather than a contest created to make a television show. And it’s open to all singers with a song, whether they are amateur artists or already signed to a major record label. No one is excluded from the competition.”
BBC / Andres Putting
Martin Österdahl, the Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, said: “The Eurovision Song Contest’s unique legacy dates back 65 years and its worldwide popularity is still rising.
“It’s time for America to experience this spectacle, through its sister competition, the American Song Contest. Love of music is universal and celebration of music in different genres and styles can transcend boundaries and unite people.
“We are excited to have found the right partners to offer another series that our fans across the globe can fall in love with and to share this unique competition with the American people.”
Sadly, we were robbed of Eurovision magic this year, as the competition was cancelled for the first time in its history due to the coronavirus pandemic. On the eve of when the competition was supposed to air, the BBC ran several Eurovision-related programmes, including one from Rotterdam where this year’s contestants reflected on the pandemic.
But if you did miss the madness of the competition, Will Ferrell perfectly captured the mood of the competition in Netflix’s Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, which is available to stream now.
The American Song Contest is expected to air several months after the 65th Eurovison Song Contest.
Latest
