Eurovision Asia winner: Carmelle Collado's rise from television to Asian music champion

Filipino singer Carmelle Collado won the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, with her song “Sobra-Sobra.” The 19-year-old secured a total of 211 points, consisting of 93 points from national juries and 118 points from the public vote, defeating 10 other acts.

Representing Malaysia, Aina Abdul finished in fourth place with the ballad “Bluest Sky,” which she co-wrote with Mac Chew. She earned a total of 152 points. According to the New Straits Times, Abdul apologized to Malaysian fans for not securing the title, stating she gave the performance her all. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also congratulated Abdul on her achievement.

The competition featured representatives from 11 Asian countries, including Nepal, South Korea, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, and Bhutan. While The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age noted the event's global expansion, they observed it lacked the campy nature of the original contest.

Brief written by urgent.news from Gulf News, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Malay Mail, New Straits Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.