Own Asiavision Song Contest 30

Own Asiavision Song Contest 30, often referred to as OASC #30, is the 30th edition of Own Asiavision Song Contest. The contest took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, following the country's victory in the 29th edition with the song "Ak kara" by Tamga. It was the first time that Kyrgyzstan had hosted the contest. Organised by the Own Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and host broadcaster Public Broadcasting Corporation of the Kyrgyz Republic, the contest was held at the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theatre, and consisted of a quarter-final, two semi-finals and the final. The four live shows were hosted by Lenny Pojarov.

Fifty-one countries participated in the contest. China, Maldives, North Korea and Tajikistan returned to the competition, while French Polynesia, South Korea, Timor-Leste and Yemen withdrew for various reasons.

The winner was Jordan with the song "Balaleen" performed by Zatara. This was country's second victory in the contest after having previously won the third edition. The podium was completed by China and Australia, the latest one equaling their best result. Syria, Bangladesh and Japan rounded up the top 6. The host country Kyrgyzstan managed to finish 10th, while the rest of the automatic qualifiers ended up in the bottom 10. Kiribati and Cook Islands achieved their best result, finishing 14th and 19th respectively in the their semi-final.

Location
Further information on the host country: Kyrgyzstan

The contest took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, following the country's victory at the 29th edition with the song "Ak kara", performed by Tamga. It was the first time that Kyrgyzstan had hosted the contest. The selected venue was Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theatre. Located on Abdrahmanov street, it was opened in 1937 in Frunze (now Bishkek) as a Drama and Music Theatre. Over the 70 years every evening the stage of the theatre is illuminated by the soffit lights, the curtain rises and the performance starts.

Shortly after Kyrgyzstan's victory, officials announced that a new concert venue was to be built, as a potential venue for the event. However, after the announcement of the host city and the official venue, it was decided to extend the Opera and Ballet Theatre specifically for this event. Preparations for construction began in the area shortly after the announcement.

Bidding phase
After Tamga’s victory in the 29th contest in Sapporo, Japan, Kyrgyzstan was officially confirmed as the host country, and on 20 May 2022, KTRK formally opened the bidding process for cities interested in hosting the 30th anniversary contest. Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov stated that he expected few bids compared to other editions since Kyrgyzstan did not have a lot of facilities in cities around the country which could host such a global event.

In the week of 23 May 2022, the executive supervisor and the council of the Own Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union led a handful of delegates around Kyrgyzstan to look at potential venues in Bishkek and Osh and to hear the bid from Karakol. Several of the venues visited would require a vast amount of reconstruction to be able to meet OABU standards for the contest to be held efficiently, including building roofs and sufficient facilities nearby.

Two days later, on the 25 May 2022, the OABU and KTRK released the remaining venues and cities stating: "The OABU and KTRK have revealed the last two cities in the race to be the official host city of the 30th Own Asiavision Song Contest! The final confirmed city along with the venue will be confirmed later in the week." These two cities were Bishkek and Osh, with Karakol being eliminated. The four remaining candidate venues were: Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theatre, Kyrgyz State Circus (Bishkek), Osh State Academic Uzbek Music and Drama Theater named after Babur and Suyumbayev Stadion (Osh).

The delegations of Bahrain and Cook Islands spoke out at the remaining cities, and stated that they were "Hoping for Osh", whilst the Afghan, Australian and Kyrgyz delegations preferred Bishkek.

Finally, on the 29th May 2022, the OABU and KTRK came to a decision and announced that Bishkek was chosen to be the host city of the edition, with the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theatre being the selected venue, accommodating up to 900 people inside the theatre.

Key: Host venue Shortlisted

Host city
Bishkek, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of the region but rather a region-level unit of Kyrgyzstan. It is also near the Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan border. Its population was 1,074,075 in 2021.

Bishkek is situated at an altitude of about 800 metres, just off the northern fringe of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range, an extension of the Tian Shan mountain range. These mountains rise to a height of 4,895 metres. North of the city, a fertile and gently undulating steppe extends far north into neighbouring Kazakhstan. The river Chüy drains most of the area. Bishkek is connected to the Turkestan–Siberia Railway by a spur line.

Bishkek is a city of wide boulevards and marble-faced public buildings combined with numerous Soviet-style apartment blocks surrounding interior courtyards. There are also thousands of smaller, privately built houses, mostly outside the city centre. Streets follow a grid pattern, with most flanked on both sides by narrow irrigation channels, watering innumerable trees to provide shade in the hot summers.

Venue
The Kyrgyz State Opera and Ballet Theater is a prominant fixture in central Bishkek with a nearly century-old history. It is a pride of the city’s artistic and intellectual community and often recommended to SRAS students studying in Bishkek by locals. Below is the history and performances of this great institution as told by American students who have seen productions at the theater.

Kyrgyz State Opera and Ballet Theater was founded in Bishkek (formerly known as "Frunze') on November 7, 1930. It was then Kyrgyzstan's first and only European-style theatrical institution. Under the Soviet Union, opera houses and ballet theaters were constructed in major cities across all fifteen Soviet Republics.

During its Soviet career, the theater produced hundreds of operas and ballets, such as Swan Lake, Eugene Onegin, La Traviata, Don Carlos, Prince Igor, La Boheme, Faust, and the Queen of Spades – just to name a few. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the theater has continued to produce and perform many operas and ballets, with many of the aforementioned productions still running today.

During all this this time, many Russian musicians, composers, artists, and directors came to the Kyrgyz Republic to perform at the Kyrgyz State Theater and help develop it into a local European-style institution. Contributing talents included the famous composer, Vladimir Vlasov, conductor, Vasily Tselikovskiy and director, Vladimir Vasiliev. All of these artists greatly influenced the further development of performance in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Semi-final allocation draw
The draw to determine the allocation of the participating countries into their respective semi-finals took place on 26 June 2022. The first part of the draw determined in which semi-final the automatic qualifiers 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 each semi-final. From each semi-final, ten countries joined the automatic qualifiers in the final, where a total of twenty-six countries participated.

The forty 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:

Quarter-final
Nine countries participated in the quarter-final. Every country could vote, with the participants accounting for 50% of the results and the Rest of the World for the other 50% of the results.

Semi-final 1
Twenty countries participated in the first semi-final. Those countries plus Kyrgyzstan, Hong Kong and Indonesia voted in this semi-final.

Semi-final 2
Twenty countries participated in the second semi-final. Philippines, Samoa and Singapore also voted in this semi-final.

Final
Twenty-six countries participated in the final, with all 51 participating countries eligible to vote.

12 points
Below is a summary of the maximum 12 points awarded by each country's vote in the quarter-final:

12 points
Below is a summary of the maximum 12 points awarded by each country's vote in the first semi-final:

12 points
Below is a summary of the maximum 12 points awarded by each country's vote in the second semi-final:

12 points
Below is a summary of the maximum 12 points awarded by each country's vote in the final:

Spokespersons
The spokespersons announced the 12-point score from their respective country in the following order:


 * 1) – Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
 * 2) – Inas X
 * 3) – Kang Nara
 * 4) – Mozhdah
 * 5) – Ziana Zain
 * 6) – Tim Sameke
 * 7) – Bayartsetseg Altangerel
 * 8) – David Mead
 * 9) – Mo Kheir
 * 10) – Jinnam Hopotoa
 * 11) – Shams
 * 12) – Lily
 * 13) – PoomA Asean
 * 14) – Nabilla Benattia
 * 15) – Lisa
 * 16) – Annie Crummer
 * 17) – Levina and Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa
 * 18) – Liana Foai
 * 19) – Tika
 * 20) – Lexie Liu
 * 21) – Janice Vidal
 * 22) – Ylona Garcia
 * 23) – Nirosha Virajini
 * 24) – Laisha Junaid
 * 25) – Helly Luv
 * 26) – Dinah Jane
 * 27) – Win Morisaki
 * 28) – Lehina Faerua
 * 29) – Priyanka Chopra
 * 30) – Charles Enoka Kiata
 * 31) – Alex Memphis
 * 32) – Lorde
 * 33) – Nusraat Faria
 * 34) – Spongebob Squarepants
 * 35) – Rayhon
 * 36) – Paulini
 * 37) – Jasmine Sokko
 * 38) – Phoebe Tonkin
 * 39) – Firuza Hafizova
 * 40) – Dana Salah
 * 41) – Mona Haydar
 * 42) – Chong Kwong
 * 43) – Anggun
 * 44) – None
 * 45) – Adda Angel
 * 46) – Maria
 * 47) – Waed
 * 48) – Shams Al Maslawe (also known as "Ana Iraqia")
 * 49) – Sonam Max Choki
 * 50) – Hoàng Thùy Linh
 * 51) – Aidana Deka
 * 52) Flag of Earth.svg Rest of the World – Maha Caca

Other countries
Eligibility for potential participation in the Own Asiavision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with active OABU 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.

Active members

 * French Polynesia decided to take a break from this edition to reevaluate their position in the contest.
 * Despite speculations surrounding their potential return after appointing a new head of delegation, PBC announced that they will sit out due to being focused on other projects. Pakistan withdrew after last participating in twenty-seventh edition.
 * KBS announced that South Korea would be withdrawing without specifying a reason. It is speculated that it has to do with low rankings due to their most recent weak results and the return of North Korea in the contest.
 * The OABU announced that Yemen was disqualified despite originally being included in the list of participating countries for failing to present their entry in time. Ali Gatie with the song "IDK" was going to represent the nation. OABU also stated that the country will still able to return with the same song in the future.

Associate members

 * A local Qatari news portal reported that the country would be interested to return to the contest, but QMC was not able to get enough financial support from the government, especially after being involved in hosting the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup.
 * After SIBC was demoted to an associate member due to all the spots being filled, they are opening up the possibility of a future participation whenever they will become an active member of the OABU again.
 * At the end of the 29th edition, the head of delegation announced in the press conference that they might consider sitting out for an edition to redeem themselves after bringing Timor-Leste another last place in the semi-final. Ultimately, the head of delegation decided to resign from their position. With the position being free, the country is not longer an active member of the OABU.

South Korean withdrawal
On the 22nd of May 2022, KBS announced that South Korea would be withdrawing from the 30th Own Asiavision Song Contest unexpectedly and without specifying a reason. It was speculated amongst the broadcasters that it has to do with low rankings due to their most recent weak results in the last three editions and the return of North Korea in the contest. This withdrawal was further sealed by the broadcaster announcing on the 24th of May 2022, that the withdrawal was permanent as the head of delegation was stepping down from their position. This then lead to questions as to how South Korea could return, since the country has been the most successful country in Own Asiavision, collecting 4 wins as well as having a huge audience. A huge national selection was rumoured to be constructed for the country, in which potential candidate heads of delegations would send in their proposed entries for the 30th edition, and would vote for the best song, and whichever head of delegation assigned that song would be the permanent head of delegation for South Korea in the foreseeable future.