Own USAvision Song Contest 6

Own USAvision Song Contest 6, often referred to as OUSC #6, is the 6th edition of Own USAvision Song Contest. It took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following the state's victory in the 5th edition with the song "Tonight I Run" by Astræa. It was the first time that Minnesota had hosted the contest. Organised by the Own Public Broadcasting Service and host broadcaster MPTA, the contest was held at Target Center, and consisted of two semi-finals and the final. The three live shows were hosted by The Girl and the Dreamcatcher.

Thirty-nine states participated in the contest. Arkansas, Georgia, Nevada, Oklahoma, Vermont and Wyoming returned to the competition, while Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island and Virginia withdrew for various reasons.

Location
Further information on the host state: Minnesota

Host city
Minneapolis is a city and the county seat of Hennepin County in Minnesota, United States. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins in timber and as the flour milling capital of the world. It occupies both banks of the Mississippi River and adjoins Saint Paul, the state capital of Minnesota.

Prior to European settlement, the site of Minneapolis was inhabited by Dakota people. The settlement was founded along Saint Anthony Falls on a section of land north of Fort Snelling; its growth is attributed to its proximity to the fort and the falls providing power for industrial activity. As of 2021, the city has an estimated 425,336 inhabitants. It is the most populous city in the state and the 46th-most-populous city in the United States. Minneapolis, Saint Paul and the surrounding area are collectively known as the Twin Cities.

Minneapolis has one of the most extensive public park systems in the US; many of these parks are connected by the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway. Biking and walking trails, some of which follow abandoned railroad lines, run through many parts of the city; such as the Mill District in the Saint Anthony Falls Historic District, around the banks of Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska, and Lake Harriet, and by Minnehaha Falls. Minneapolis has cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers. Minneapolis is the birthplace of General Mills, Pillsbury Company, and the Target Corporation. The city's cultural offerings include the Guthrie Theater, the First Avenue nightclub, and four professional sports teams.

Most of the University of Minnesota's main campus, and several other post-secondary educational institutions are in Minneapolis. Part of the city is served by a light rail system. Minneapolis has two highly-rated hospitals.

Minneapolis has a mayor-council-government system. The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) has held a majority of council seats there for 50 years and Jacob Frey (DFL) has been mayor since 2018. In May 2020, Derek Chauvin, a White officer of the Minneapolis Police Department, murdered George Floyd, a Black man, and the resulting global protests put Minneapolis and racism at the center of national and international attention.

Venue
Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, has held the naming rights to the arena since its opening.

The arena has been the home to the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA) since its opening and is currently also the home of the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Semi-final allocation draw
The draw to determine the allocation of the participating states into their respective semi-finals took place on 28 July 2022. The draw decided in which half of the respective semi-finals each country would perform, with the exact running order determined by the producers of the show at a later date. From each semi-final, 10 states joined the automatic qualifiers in the final, where a total of 26 states participated.

The semi-finalists were allocated into six pots, based on their geographical place and cultural similarities. Drawing from different pots helps in reducing the chance of so-called neighbour voting and increasing suspense in the semi-finals. Each time a state was drawn from the pot, its semi-final and half of the semi-final was determined.

The six pots were the following:

Semi-final 1
Sixteen states participated in the first semi-final. Hawaii, Minnesota and Pennsylvania also voted in this semi-final.

Semi-final 2
Seventeen states participated in the second semi-final. Alaska, Louisiana and Maine also voted in this semi-final.

Final
Twenty-six states participated in the final, with all 39 participating states eligible to vote.

Other states
Eligibility for potential participation in the Own USAvision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with active OPBS membership that would be able to broadcast the contest. As in every edition, an invitation to all the members has been sent to confirm whether they will participate or not.
 * The head of delegation resigned from their position, forcing the state to step away.
 * The head of delegation announced a break of one edition.
 * The state didn't respond to the invitation sent by the OPBS, thus not being present in the final list.
 * The head of delegation confirmed the withdrawal of the state due to the lack of an entry.
 * The state didn't respond to the invitation sent by the OPBS, thus not being present in the final list.
 * The head of delegation announced a break of one edition.
 * The Nebraskan head of delegation has announced that the state would be withdrawing.
 * Due to broadcaster inactivity, the head of delegation was removed by the OPBS.
 * The state didn't respond to the invitation sent by the OPBS, thus not being present in the final list.
 * The state announced that the country will be taking a one-edition break.
 * The state didn't respond to the invitation sent by the OPBS, thus not being present in the final list.
 * Due to the last place in the last edition, the broadcaster has decided to withdraw for an edition.