For fans of the popular competition show Eurovision Song Contestand the recent Will Ferrell movie, there's good news coming. Started in 1956 and amassing 200 million viewers annually, the European competition has its sights set on an American version.
The history of Eurovision
According to Entertainment Weekly, American Song Contest will operate by similar rules as Eurovision: musicians from across the country and every genre will represent their state (instead of country) and each act can be between 1-6 members. Each will perform original songs during the live television event with musicians first going head-to-head with competing state representatives in the qualifiers. Those will then lead to the semi-finals and the Grand Finale.
Eurovision Alums
Eurovision famously helped launch the career of the international singing sensation ABBA. Last year, the competition's winner was Duncan Laurence of the Netherlands, but this year's event was cancelled due COVID-19. Producers Christer Björkman, Ola Melzig, and Peter Settman shared in a statement:
"Imagine if music was an Olympic sport and artists from all over the world came together to compete for the gold. That's the Eurovision Song Contest. The American version will be different than anything seen before on U.S. television, marrying the fanfare and excitement of March Madness and the NFL playoffs with the artistry and beauty of world-class performances."
