Own Americavision Song Contest 16

Own Americavision Song Contest 16, often referred to as OAmSC #16, is the 16th edition of Own Americavision Song Contest. The contest took place in TBD, Puerto Rico, following the country's victory in the 15th edition with the song "Dying on the Inside" by Nessa Barrett. This was the second time that Puerto Rico had hosted the contest, having previously done so in the tenth edition. Organized by the Own American Broadcasting Association and host broadcaster Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation, the contest was held at the TBD, and consisted of two semi-finals, and the final. The live shows were hosted by TBD.

Location
Further information on the host country: Puerto Rico

The contest was held in TBD, Puerto Rico. It was the second time that Puerto Rico had hosted the contest, having previously done so in tenth edition. The selected venue is the x-seat TBD. In addition to the main venue, the host city will also organise side events in tandem with the contest.

Bidding phase
Simultaneous with the confirmation that Puerto Rico would host the contest, host broadcaster PRPBC launched the bidding process on 5 February 2023. The broadcaster stated that "any potential candidates must meet a set of minimum standards that demonstrate they have the capacity, capability, and experience to host an event of this scale and complexity." The selection criteria for the host city in previous editions have included: a venue capable of accommodating at least 10,000 spectators, a press centre for a maximum of 1,500 journalists, easy reachability to an international airport, and hotel accommodation for at least 2,000 delegates, journalists and spectators.

During the first stage of the bidding process, the broadcaster received expressions of interest from 6 cities and towns, x of which were shortlisted: [insert cities here]. These cities went to the second stage, where they had to develop their bids in detail for evaluation by PRPBC, who also conducted visits to the cities throughout the month. On X, [insert cities here] were announced to have made the final shortlist, and on X, the OABA and the PRPBC announced x as the host city, with the x as the chosen venue for the contest.

Key: Host venue Shortlisted

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.
 * On 26 March 2023, Antiguan and Barbudan broadcaster ABS confirmed that the country would not return this edition after the head of delegation had resigned from his position.
 * On 26 March 2023, British Virgin Islands broadcaster CBN confirmed that the country would not participate in this edition.
 * On 21 February 2023, Dutch Caribbean head of delegation announced that Caribbean Netherlands will not participate in the upcoming edition of the Own Americavision Song Contest, citing the lack of potential entries and the possibility of the country participating in the quarter-final. However, the decision might change if the quarter-final does not occur. The broadcaster will still broadcast the shows nevertheless.
 * On 19 February 2023, Falkland Islander broadcaster FITV announced the country's withdrawal after the head of delegation had resigned from his position.
 * On 26 March 2023, Peruvian broadcaster TNPE confirmed that the country would not participate this edition.
 * On 26 March 2023, Barthélemois broadcaster Carib'inTV confirmed that the country would not return this edition after the head of delegation had resigned from his position.
 * On 26 March 2023, Saint Martiner broadcaster IO TV confirmed that the country would not return this edition.
 * On 26 March 2023, Vincentian and Grenadinian broadcaster SVGBC confirmed that the country would not participate in this edition.
 * On 19 March 2023, Surinamese broadcaster STVS announced that Suriname would skip one edition.
 * On 23 March 2023, Trinidadian and Tobagonian broadcaster TTT announced that the country would take a one-edition of break.
 * On 5 April 2023, American Virgin Islander broadcaster VITV announced the country's withdrawal despite originally being included in the list of participating countries and submitting an entry.