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 the quarter-final, 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 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 21 February 2023, Montserratian head of delegation announced that the country will be away for one edition, due to the lack of good music options to compete against the other competitors and due to the poor performance last season (47th place), and having to compete in the quarter-final. If eventually, there will be no quarter-final, the participation might still be reconsidered.
 * On 21 February 2023, American Virgin Islander broadcaster VITV announced that the country would be withdrawing.