A new American version of ‘The Eurovision Song Contest’ has officially been announced to launch for 2022.
Martin Österdahl, the Executive Supervisor of the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ took to his personal Instagram page to share the news via a post.
Martin Österdahl shared a statement on the show’s official website, expressing his excitement for the show to be shared with the US.
“For 65 years the Eurovision Song Contest has connected people far and wide. As owners of this hugely successful format, we have seen how it has found a place in millions of hearts across Europe and beyond. Now we are excited to have found the perfect partners to share this unique competition and its passionate celebration of music and original songs with the American people.”
The format in which made the competition so loved and famous will remain mainly the same as the original show, the US version will consist of live performances and will feature representatives from all 50 states, 5 US territories and the country’s capital city, Washington D.C. Much like the original European show, all will compete to win the ‘Best Original Song’, determined by a voting system. The show will not just count fan and viewer votes, but the show will also take into account the opinion of a jury full of music industry professionals.
The representative from each state or location, whether they be a solo artist, band, duo or DJ will perform and compete with their original song, the original song must embody and acknowledge different musical practices and genres in which make up America. All representatives will compete in the live musical tournaments, consisting of three rounds which make up the Qualifying Rounds, they will then compete in the Semi-Finals and finally the Ultimate Grand Final, the point in the competition in which the winner will be crowned.
The new version of the contest, entitled ‘The American Song Contest’, will be co-produced by Propagate and Universal Television Alternative Studio. Partnering up with the co-producers are four producers who have over 20 Eurovision Song Contests between them and who obtained the American format rights for the new American contest from the EBU. These producers are Anders Lehnoff, Peter Settman, Christer Björkman and Ola Melzig. Also working on the new show is American media conglomerate, NBC. The network is known for its varied list of shows including such series as ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ and the ‘Real Housewives’ franchise.
Jenny Groom, the Executive Vice President of Unscripted Content at NBC Universal Television and Streaming, also shared a statement of excitement and pride.
“American Song Contest combines the competitive spirit of rooting for your home team along with epic performances that will introduce viewers to the musical cultures that make up America. We are excited to showcase the universal power of music in a spectacular multi-week live musical event.”
No official airing date has been given as of yet, but applicants may be eligible to apply soon.
