Own Americavision Song Contest 9

Own Americavision Song Contest 9, often referred to as OAmSC #9, is the 9th edition of Own Americavision Song Contest. It took place in Los Angeles, United States, following Zayde Wølf & Neoni's win in the 8th edition with the song "Oblivion". It was the second time United States had hosted the contest, having previously done so in the third edition. Organised by the Own American Broadcasting Association and host broadcaster American Broadcasting Company, the contest was held at the Staples Center, and consisted of two semi-finals and the final. The three live shows were hosted by Lana Del Rey.

A record of forty-five countries participated in the contest. American Samoa and Montserrat made their debut this edition. Anguilla, Bahamas, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Lucia and Venezuela returned to the competition, while Haiti, Honduras and Saint Kitts and Nevis withdrew for various reasons.

For the first time since their debut, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Ecuador and Montserrat failed to qualify. American Samoa and Belize also achieved their first ever qualification.

Location
Further information on the host country: United States

Host City
Los Angeles and often known by its initials L.A., is the largest city in California. With an estimated population of nearly four million people, it is the second-most populous city in the United States (after New York City) and the third-most populous city in North America (after Mexico City and New York City). Los Angeles is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic diversity, Hollywood entertainment industry, and its sprawling metropolis.

Los Angeles lies in a basin in Southern California, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, with mountains as high as 10,000 feet (3,000 m), and deserts. The city, which covers about 1,210 km2, is the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States. The Los Angeles metropolitan area (MSA) is home to 13.1 million people, making it the second-largest metropolitan area in the nation after New York. Greater Los Angeles includes metro Los Angeles as well as the Inland Empire and Ventura County. It is the second-most populous U.S. combined statistical area, also after New York, with a 2015 estimate of 18.7 million people.

Los Angeles has a diverse economy and hosts businesses in a broad range of professional and cultural fields. It also has the busiest container port in the Americas. A global city, it has been ranked 7th in the Global Cities Index and 9th in the Global Economic Power Index. The Los Angeles metropolitan area also has a gross metropolitan product of $1.0 trillion (as of 2017), making it the third-largest city by GDP in the world, after the Tokyo and New York City metropolitan areas. Los Angeles hosted the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics and will host the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Venue
Staples Center is a multi-purpose arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999. The arena seats up to 19,067 for basketball, 18,340 for ice hockey, and around 20,000 for concerts or other sporting events. Two-thirds of the arena's seating, including 2,500 club seats, are in the lower bowl. There are also 160 luxury suites, including 15 event suites, on three levels between the lower and upper bowls. The arena's attendance record is held by the fight between World WBA Welterweight Champion, Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley with a crowd of 20,820 set on January 25, 2009.

Semi-final Allocation Draw
The draw to determine the allocation of the participating countries into their respective semi-finals took place on 22 June 2020. The first part of the draw determined in which semi-final the Big Six would have to vote. The second part of 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. Twenty countries participated in the first semi-final and nineteen countries in the second semi-final. From each semi-final, ten countries joined the "Big 6" in the final, where a total of twenty-six countries participated.

The thirty-nine 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 country 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
Twenty countries participated in the first semi-final. Argentina, Greenland and United States also voted in this semi-final.

Semi-final 2
Nineteen countries participated in the first semi-final. Costa Rica, Paraguay and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also voted in this semi-final.

Final
Twenty-six countries participated in the final, with all 45 participating countries eligible to vote.

Other countries
Eligibility for potential participation in the Own Americavision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with active OABA membership that would be able to broadcast the contest. As in every edition, an invitation to all the members has been sent in order to confirm whether they will participate or not.
 * : The nation failed to confirm or withdraw from the edition on time and were fined by the council.
 * : The nation failed to confirm or withdraw from the edition on time and were fined by the council.
 * : The nation failed to confirm or withdraw from the edition on time and were fined by the council.
 * : It was announced that the nation will withdraw from this edition due to a lack of artists. A return next edition was not ruled out.
 * : Uruguay had originally confirmed their participation in the contest. However, the OABA announced that the delegation had failed to submit a song before the deadline, thus being forced to withdraw.