The Eurovision Song Contest has been going strong across the pond for over six decades, and now, America’s about to get a taste of the fun with The American Song Contest.
In a press release posted on Friday (August 7), the Eurovision Song Contest officially announced plans to bring the annual competition series to America.
The American version of the long-running competition series (aptly titled The American Song Contest) is slated to take place during the holiday season of 2021.
Similar to how things work for Eurovision, the contest will find artists going head to head against other states’ representatives. Representatives can either be solo artists, duos, or bands with up to 6 members.
Viewers will be able to follow along in a series of 5 – 10 televised qualifier competitions, which will ultimately lead to a semi-finals, before capping off with a primetime Grand Final.
In a statement announcing plans for the music extravaganza, Martin Österdah (Executive Supervisor, Eurovision Song Contest) said there’s never been a better time for the contest to make its way stateside.
“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,” said Österdahl.
“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.”
Behind the scenes, the American Song Contest is set to be produced by European producers Peter Settman and Ola Melzig, in addition to Christer Bjorkman, who previously peroformed on Eurovision before becoming involved behind the scenes. They’ll be joined by Ben Silverman, whose producing credits include The Biggest Loser, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Ugly Betty, Jane The Virgin, and more.
In addition, the producing team will work together to create The American Song Contest Academy— a group consisting of U.S. based recording artists from all genres of music. The academy will then, along with regional audiences, select the top talent from all 50 states who will go on to compete.