Carmelle Wins the First Eurovision Song Contest Asia for the Philippines

The Philippines has won the first-ever Eurovision Song Contest Asia. Carmelle, who sang "Sobra-Sobra" for her country, earned 211 points, according to Variety.

The contest is a televised song competition, modelled on the long-running Eurovision Song Contest in Europe. This first edition was held in Bangkok, Thailand, and hosted by Thai TV stars Woody Milintachinda and Cindy Bishop.

Thailand's act, Mang x Daou, finished second with 179 points. Vietnam's Tóc Tiên took third with 164 points. Malaysia and Laos completed the top five.

Eleven countries took part, including Cambodia, Mongolia and Korea. Each country's points came from a mix of national juries, which are panels of judges, and a public vote. The scoring also included a "rest of the world" vote. That vote counted as much as one participating country, and audiences from 183 countries and territories cast ballots in it.

That mix matters for how the result was built. A jury score reflects a panel's choice, while the public vote reflects what viewers chose to support. The "rest of the world" vote opened the contest to audiences outside the 11 competing countries, giving people far from Asia a say in the final tally.

For the Philippines, the win is the first title in the contest's history. For Thailand and Vietnam, the second and third places mark the strongest finishes in a field that had no earlier edition to measure against. Malaysia and Laos finished fourth and fifth, and the top five stayed close enough to keep the scoreboard moving until the end.

The inaugural contest now has a champion, a host city and a set of results that future editions can be compared against. The next step for the organisers has not yet been announced.