ASC 2022

• The American Song Contest 2022 → 2023

American Song Contest logo.png

Dates: • Qualifiers round: 21 marzo 2022, 28 marzo 2022, 7 aprile 2022 at 8pm Eastern / 7pm Central (In Europe it’s on Tuesdays at 02:00 CEST) • Semi-finals: 14 aprile 2022, 28 aprile 2022, 4 maggio 2022 at 8pm Eastern / 7pm Central (In Europe it’s on Tuesdays at 02:00 CEST) • Final: 9 maggio 2022 at 8pm Eastern / 7pm Central (In Europe it’s on Tuesdays at 02:00 CEST)
Host: • Production locations: Universal Studios Lot, Universal City, California, Stati Uniti • Presenter(s): Kelly Clarkson, Snoop Dogg • Executive Producers: Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, Audrey Morrissey, Anders Lenhoff, Christer Björkman, Peter Settman, Ola Melzig, Gregory Lipstone, Snoop Dogg, Kelly Clarkson • Running time: 120 minutes • Host broadcaster: NBC • Production companies: Propagate Content, Universal Television Alternative Studio
Participants: 56 artists • Quarti di finale: 56 artists (1 jury vote + 3 public vote) • Semifinali: 22 artists • Finale: 10 artists
Vote: Voting system: Jury Voting: 1 qualifier; Jury Voting & Public Voting (The NBC App Voting, Online Voting via NBC.com/ASCVote & TikTok Voting): 3 qualifiers. At the end of Heat 1, the jury chose one artist to qualify for the Semi-finals. Three more Semi-finalists will be chosen by a combination of Jury and online votes and revealed during Heat 2

The American Song Contest is an upcoming American music reality competition television series based on the Eurovision Song Contest. It will see all 50 U.S. states, five territories, and Washington, D.C. compete for the title of Best Original Song. The contest is set to take place in the period between March 21 and May 9, 2022, and will air on NBC. The show will be hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson.

Format. Variety reported in 2020 that the competition would feature professional musical artists such as solo singers, duos, or groups of up to six members from each of the 50 U.S. states. The format will put artists head-to-head against other representatives in a series of qualifier competitions, leading to the semi-finals and the primetime final in “March Madness” style.

Deadline Hollywood reported in 2021 that the format had been expanded to include all 50 U.S. states, all five populated U.S. territories, and Washington, D.C., the national capital and a federal district of the U.S. The participating territories are American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each representative will perform an original song in a live television program broadcast across the country. Acts can consist of solo artists, duos, bands or a DJ.

The competition will involve five episodes of qualifying rounds, followed by two episodes of semi-finals and one final. In each qualifying round, a 56-member jury of music industry professionals (one for each state and territory) selects one song to advance to the semi-finals, while three songs will also advance after a three-day viewer voting. After the qualifying rounds, the jury will then select two “redemption songs” to join in the semi-finals, thus a total of 22 acts will remain in the competition. The same selection process will be facilitated in the semi-finals to determine the 10 acts that will compete in the final. The final results will be presented in Eurovision style, with each jury member awarding their 12 points then adding in the viewers’ points. The viewer votes will be weighted, with each state and territory be worth 12 points much like in Eurovision, thus giving all regions equal voting power while preventing populous states like California and Texas from dominating the voting process. The winning act will earn the title of Best Original Song.

Background. The Eurovision Song Contest is an international song competition organized annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) since 1956, which features participants representing primarily European countries. It ranks among the world’s most-watched non-sporting events every year, with hundreds of millions of viewers globally.

The earliest known telecast of Eurovision in the continental U.S. was in 1971. Two years earlier, the contest was telecast in Puerto Rico for the first time. The contest was broadcast in both countries in 2003 and 2004.

U.S. cable network Logo TV broadcast the finals from 2016 to 2018, featuring commentary from Carson Kressley and Michelle Collins (2016); Michelle Visage and Ross Mathews (2017); and Mathews and Shangela (2018). Viewing figures were low, ranging from 52,000 viewers in 2016 to 74,000 viewers in 2018. WJFD-FM, a commercial radio station in New Bedford, Massachusetts, broadcast the 2018 and 2019 finals with English and Portuguese commentary.

Netflix licensed the video-on-demand rights for the 2019 and 2020 contests. The OTT platform planned to release the musical comedy film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga together with the 2020 contest. However, because of the contest’s cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was released a month later, on June 26. The film became the most-streamed content on Netflix in the U.S. on its first weekend. The Story of Fire Saga also introduced viewers to the Eurovision format and its popularity in Europe. A song from the film, “Husavik”, was nominated for Best Original Song at the 93rd Academy Awards.

There were plans to develop an US version of Eurovision as early as 2006, with Ben Silverman (then chairman of production company Reveille) developing the contest for NBC to challenge American Idol. Silverman (currently co-CEO and chairman of production company Propagate) admitted in 2020 that he had been trying to pursue this project for 20 years, including when he was chairman of NBC.

Participants. NBC revealed the 56 competing artists on March 3, 2022, through an interactive map. Atlantic Records will serve as the exclusive music partner of the American Song Contest, with the original songs in the competition to be released in batches beginning March 21 at midnight Eastern Standard Time (State/Territory – Artist – Song – Songwriters – Language):

Alabama (AL): Ni/Co – “The difference” (Andreas Carlsson, Colton Jones, Danielle Brillhart, Gaby Feldman, Kevin Hutchene) English
Alaska (AK): Jewel – “The story” (Jewel Kilcher, Johan Carlsson, Ross Golan) English
American Samoa (AS): Tenelle – “Full Circle”
Arizona (AZ): Las Marías – “La Finikera”
Arkansas (AR): Kelsey Lamb – “Never like this” (Carly Pearce, Casey Brown, Parker Welling) English
California (CA): Sweet Taboo – “Keys to the Kingdom”
Colorado (CO): Riker Lynch – “Feel the love” (Andreas Carlsson, Desmond Child, Jimmy Johnson, Vera Hotsauce) English
Connecticut (CT): Michael Bolton – “Beautiful world” (Justin Jesso, Michael Bolton) English
Delaware (DE): Nitro Nitra – “Train” (Ali Dee Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, Auanitra Aiken, Bianca Sperduti, James A. Pollard Jr.) English
Florida (FL): Ale Zabala – “Flirt” (Alexa Zabala, Andreas Carlsson, Melanie Joy Fontana, Michel Schulz) English, Spanish
Georgia (GA): Stela Cole – “DIY”
Guam (GU): Jason J. – “Midnight”
Hawaii (HI): Bronson Varde – “4 You”
Idaho (ID): Andrew Sheppard – “Steady Machine”
Illinois (IL): Justin Jesso – “Lifeline”
Indiana (IN): UG skywalkin feat. Maxie – “Love in my city” (Albert Sprears, Antonio Maxie, Josh Phillip Kimbowa, Theophilus Akai) English
Iowa (IA): Alisabeth Von Presley – “Wonder” (Ali Dee Theodore, Alisabeth Von Presley, Anthony Mirabella III, Timothy James King) English
Kansas (KS): Broderick Jones feat. Calio – “Tell me” (Broderick Jones, Callan Searcy) English
Kentucky (KY): Jordan Smith – “Sparrow” (Andreas Carlsson, Desmond Child, Jordan Smith) English
Louisiana (LA): Brittany Pfantz – “Now you do” (Brittany Pfantz, Ryan Corn) English
Maine (ME): King Kyote – “Get out alive” (Darren Elder, Jonathan King, Jonathan Wyman, Joseph Mahoney) English
Maryland (MD): Sisqó – “It’s Up”
Massachusetts (MA): Jared Lee – “Shameless”
Michigan (MI): Ada LeAnn – “Natalie.”
Minnesota (MN): Yam Haus – “Ready to go” (Lawrence Lane Pruitt, Simon Oscroft, Zachary Kurt Beinlich) English
Mississippi (MS): Keyone Starr – “Fire” (Ali Dee Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, Bianca Sperduti, John Emanuel Morris, Lakreshia Keyone Edwards, Sergio Cabral) English
Missouri (MO): Brett Seper – “Can’t Stay Away”
Montana (MT): Jonah Prill – “Fire it up” (Jared Mullins, Jordan Schmidt, Seth Ennis) English
Nebraska (NE): Jocelyn – “Never alone” (Danelle Joy Leverett Reeves, Jason Bradford Reeves, Jocelyn Anderson) English
Nevada (NV): The Crystal Method – “Watch Me Now”
New Hampshire (NH): MARi – “Fly”
New Jersey (NJ): Brooke Alexx – “I Don’t Take Pictures Anymore” (Autumn Buysse, Brandon Meagher, Brooke Alexandria Greenberg) English
New Mexico (NM): Khalisol – “Drop”
New York (NY): ENISA – “Green light” (Cameron Warren, Enisa Nikaj) English
North Carolina (NC): John Morgan – “Right in the Middle”
North Dakota (ND): Chloe Fredericks – “Can’t make you love me” (Chloe Fredericks, Melissa Carter, Rob Nagelhout) English
Northern Mariana Islands (MP): Sabyu – “Sunsets and seaturtles” (Chris Mena, Gerson Zaragoza, Matthew Sablan, Mike Kohfeld, Skúli Gestsson) English^{[Contains one repeated word in Chamorro]}
Ohio (OH): Macy Gray feat. The California Jet Club and Maino – “Every night” (Alex Kyhn, Billy Wes, Christopher Dotson, Jamal Rashid, Jermaine Coleman, Natalie Hinds, Tamir Barzilay, Thomas Lumpkin) English
Oklahoma (OK): AleXa – “Wonderland” (Albin Nordqvist, Andreas Carlsson, Bekuh Boom, Ellen Berg, Moa Carlebecker) English^{[Contains two lines in Korean]}
Oregon (OR): courtship. – “Million Dollar smoothies” (Eli Rueben Hirsch, Micah Ross Gordon) English
Pennsylvania (PA): Bri Steves – “Plenty Love”
Puerto Rico (PR): Christian Pagán – “LOKO” (Bileidy Hernandez, Christian Pagán, Desmond Child, Emilio Amaya Acosta, Faisal Ben Said, Jodi Marr, Markus Sepehrmanesh, Samuel Kvist, Timothy Caifeldt) English, Spanish
Rhode Island (RI): Hueston – “Held on too long” (Cory Hueston) English
South Carolina (SC): Jesse LeProtti – “Not alone” (Ali Dee Theodore, Andreas Carlsson, Anthony Mirabella III, Bianca Sperduti, Jesse Leprotti) English
South Dakota (SD): Judd Hoos – “Bad girl” (Adam Dennis Agin, Andrew Arthur Young, Denham Issac McDermott) English
Tennessee (TN): Tyler Braden – “Seventeen” (Tyler Braden) English
Texas (TX): Grant Knoche – “Mr. Indepedent” (Grant Christian Knoche, John Arnell Newsome) English
U.S. Virgin Islands (VI): Cruz Rock – “Celebrando” (Ali Dee Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, Bianca Sperduti, Errol Ajani Williams, Frankie Garcia, Sergio Cabral) English, Spanish, Virgin Islands Creole
Utah (UT): Savannah Keyes – “Sad Girl”
Vermont (VT): Josh Panda – “Rollercoaster”
Virginia (VA): Almira Zaky – “Over you” (Almira Zaky) English
Washington (WA): Allen Stone – “A Little Bit of Both”
Washington, D.C. (): NËITHER – “I Like It”
West Virginia (WV): Alexis Cunningham – “Working on a Miracle”
Wisconsin (WI): Jake’O – “Feel your love” (Ali Dee Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, Bianca Sperduti, Jacob Brendan McCluskey) English
Wyoming (WY): Ryan Charles – “New boot goofin’” (Khadi Clamoungou, Ryan Charles Kinzer) English

Qualifiers 1 (Draw, State/Territory, Artist, Song, Language(s)): The first qualifier round will be held on Monday, 21 March, 8pm ET / 7pm CT – 22 March, 01:00 CET. The first qualifier round was held on Monday, March 21. Eleven songs competed for four spots in the semi-final with the outcome decided upon by the votes from a jury panel and a public televote. An automatic qualifier was determined by the juries, while the remaining three spots will be decided by the public votes. At the end of the broadcast it was announced that the jury had selected Rhode Island to advance to the semi-final

Minnesota (MN) – Yam Haus – “Ready to go” (Lawrence Lane Pruitt, Simon Oscroft, Zachary Kurt Beinlich) — 7º
Oklahoma (OK) – AleXa – “Wonderland” (Moa Carlebecker, Ellen Berg, Andreas Carlsson, Albin Nordqvist, Bekuh Boom) — 2º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)
Arkansas (AR) – Kelsey Lamb – “Never like this” (Carly Pearce, Casey Brown, Parker Welling) — 3º
Indiana (IN) – UG skywalkin feat. Maxie – “Love in my city” (Albert Sprears, Antonio Maxie, Josh Phillip Kimbowa, Theophilus Akai) — 11º
Porto Rico (PR) – Christian Pagán – “LOKO” (Bileidy Hernandez, Christian Pagán, Desmond Child, Emilio Amaya Acosta, Faisal Ben Said, Jodi Marr, Markus Sepehrmanesh, Samuel Kvist, Timothy Caifeldt) — 4 º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)
Connecticut (CT) – Michael Bolton – “Beautiful world” (Justin Jesso, Michael Bolton) — 5º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)
Iowa (IA) – Alisabeth Von Presley – “Wonder” (Ali Dee Theodore, Alisabeth Von Presley, Anthony Mirabella III, Timothy James King) — 8º
Wisconsin (WI) – Jake’O – “Feel your love” (Ali Dee Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, Bianca Sperduti, Jacob Brendan McCluskey) — 9º
Mississippi (MS) – Keyone Starr – “Fire” (Ali Dee Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, Bianca Sperduti, John Emanuel Morris, Lakreshia Keyone Edwards, Sergio Cabral) — 6º
Wyoming (WY) – Ryan Charles – “New boot goofin’” (Khadi Clamoungou, Ryan Charles Kinzer) — 10º Redemption Pick
Rhode Island (RI) – Hueston – “Held on too long” (Cory Hueston) — 1º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Jury qualifier)

Qualifiers 2 (Draw, State/Territory, Artist, Song, Language(s)): The second qualifier round will be held on Monday, 28 March, 8pm ET / 7pm CT – 29 March, 02:00 CEST. The second qualifier round was held on Monday, March 28. Eleven songs competed for four spots in the semi-final with the outcome decided upon by the votes from a jury panel and a public televote. At the end of Qualifiers round 2, an automatic qualifier for the Semi-finals was determined by the juries, while the remaining three spots will be decided by a combination of Jury and online votes and revealed during Qualifiers round 3. At the end of the broadcast it was announced that the jury had selected Kentucky to advance to the semi-final.

Oregon: courtship. – “Million Dollar Smoothies” (Eli Rueben Hirsch, Micah Ross Gordon) — 11º
Montana: Jonah Prill – “Fire It Up” (Jared Mullins, Jordan Schmidt, Seth Ennis) — 3º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)
New York: ENISA – “Green Light” (Cameron Warren, Enisa Nikaj) — 9º
Nebraska: Jocelyn – “Never Alone” (Danelle Joy Leverett Reeves, Jason Bradford Reeves, Jocelyn Anderson) — 7º
U.S. Virgin Islands: Cruz Rock – “Celebrando” (Ali Dee Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, Bianca Sperduti, Errol Ajani Williams, Frankie Garcia, Sergio Cabral) — 10º
Kentucky: Jordan Smith – “Sparrow” (Andreas Carlsson, Desmond Child, Jordan Smith) — 1º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Jury qualifier)
North Dakota: Chloe Fredericks – “Can’t Make You Love Me” (Chloe Fredericks, Melissa Carter, Rob Nagelhout) — 5º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)
Kansas: Broderick Jones – “Tell Me” (Broderick Jones, Callan Searcy) — 2º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)
Virginia: Almira Zaky – “Over You” (Almira Zaky) — 8º
Maine: King Kyote – “Get Out Alive” (Darren Elder, Jonathan King, Jonathan Wyman, Joseph Mahoney) — 4º
Ohio: Macy Gray – “Every Night” (Alex Kyhn, Billy Wes, Christopher Dotson, Jamal Rashid, Jermaine Coleman, Natalie Hinds, Tamir Barzilay, Thomas Lumpkin) — 6º

Qualifiers 3 (Draw, State/Territory, Artist, Song, Language(s)): The third qualifier round will be held on Monday, April 4, 8pm ET / 7pm CT – 5 April, 02:00 CEST. The third qualifier round was held on Monday, April 4. Twelve songs competed for four spots in the semi-final with the outcome decided upon by the votes from a jury panel and a public televote. At the end of Qualifiers round 3, an automatic qualifier for the Semi-finals was determined by the juries, while the remaining three spots will be decided by a combination of Jury and online votes and revealed during Qualifiers round 4. At the end of the broadcast it was announced that the jury had selected Tennessee to advance to the semi-final.

Texas: Grant Knoche – “Mr. Independent” (Grant Christian Knoche, John Arnell Newsome) — 4º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)
Louisiana: Brittany Pfantz – “Now You Do” (Brittany Pfantz, Ryan Corn) — 8º
Tennessee: Tyler Braden – “Seventeen” (Tyler Braden) — 1º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Jury qualifier)
New Jersey: Brooke Alexx – “I Don’t Take Pictures Anymore” (Autumn Buysse, Brandon Meagher, Brooke Alexandria Greenberg) — 5º
Alabama: Ni/Co – “The Difference” (Andreas Carlsson, Colton Jones, Danielle Brillhart, Gaby Feldman, Kevin Hutchene) — 3º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)
Florida: Ale Zabala – “Flirt” (Alexa Zabala, Andreas Carlsson, Melanie Joy Fontana, Michel Schulz) — 2º
Alaska: Jewel – “The Story” (Jewel Kilcher, Johan Carlsson, Ross Golan) — 9º
South Carolina: Jesse LeProtti – “Not Alone” (Ali Dee Theodore, Andreas Carlsson, Anthony Mirabella III, Bianca Sperduti, Jesse Leprotti) — 12º
South Dakota: Judd Hoos – “Bad Girl” (Adam Dennis Agin, Andrew Arthur Young, Denham Issac McDermott) — 11º
Delaware: Nitro Nitra – “Train” (Ali Dee Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, Auanitra Aiken, Bianca Sperduti, James A. Pollard Jr.) — 7º
Northern Mariana Islands: Sabyu – “Sunsets & Seaturtles” (Chris Mena, Gerson Zaragoza, Matthew Sablan, Mike Kohfeld, Skúli Gestsson) — 10º
Colorado: Riker Lynch – “Feel the Love” (Andreas Carlsson, Desmond Child, Jimmy Johnson, Vera Hotsauce) — 6º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)

Qualifiers 4 (Draw, State/Territory, Artist, Song, Language(s)): The four qualifier round will be held on Monday, April 11, 8pm ET / 7pm CT – 2912 April, 02:00 CEST. Eleven/Twelve songs competed for four spots in the semi-final with the outcome decided upon by the votes from a jury panel and a public televote. At the end of Qualifiers round 4, an automatic qualifier for the Semi-finals was determined by the juries, while the remaining three spots will be decided by a combination of Jury and online votes and revealed during Qualifiers round 5. At the end of the broadcast it was announced that the jury had selected Washington to advance to the semi-final.

New Hampshire: MARi – “Fly” (Ali Dee Theodore, Andreas Carlsson, Anthony Mirabella III, Bianca Sperduti, David Mullen, Ian Anthony Osborne, Mari Burelle-Valencia, Scott Callaway) — 8º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)
Nevada: The Crystal Method feat. Koda and VAAAL – “Watch me now” (David Mårtensson, Jordan David Sudak, Scott Kirkland) — 3º
Utah: Savannah Keyes – “Sad girl” (Blair Daly, Heather Morgan, Savannah Keyes) — 7º
Washington, D.C.: NËITHER – “I like it” (Marcus R. Neither) — 11º
Massachusetts: Jared Lee – “Shameless” (Carly Paige, Dan Whittemore, Diamond Karruen White Long, Jared Lee) — 2º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)
Georgia: Stela Cole – “DIY” (Hollyn Shadinger, Mark Evans, Stephen Harry Dunkley, Steven Cheung) — 6º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Public vote qualifier)
Hawaii: Bronson Varde – “4 you” (Ali Dee Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, Bianca Sperduti, Bronson Varde, Nikki Sorentino, Sergio Cabral, Susan Paroff) — 9º
West Virginia: Alexis Cunningham – “Working on a miracle” (Alexis Paige Cunningham, Eric Bazilian) — 5º
Arizona: Las Marías – “De la finikera” (Eduardo Meza) — 10º
Pennsylvania: Bri Steves – “Plenty love” (Avery Earls, Brandon Hodge, Brianna Ashleigh Stevenson, Darryl Pearson, Donnie Meadows, Kristal Oliver, Larrance Dopson, Quintin Gulledge) — 4º
Washington: Allen Stone – “A bit of both” (Allen Stone, Tyler Acord) — 1º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Jury qualifier)

Qualifiers 5 (Draw, State/Territory, Artist, Song, Language(s)): The five qualifier round will be held on Monday, April 18, 8pm ET / 7pm CT – 19 April, 02:00 CEST. Eleven/Twelve songs competed for four spots in the semi-final with the outcome decided upon by the votes from a jury panel and a public televote. At the end of Qualifiers round 5, an automatic qualifier for the Semi-finals was determined by the juries, while the remaining three spots will be decided by a combination of Jury and online votes and revealed during Qualifiers round 5. At the end of the broadcast it was announced that the jury had selected Michigan to advance to the semi-final.

Illinois: Justin Jesso – “Lifeline” (Devin Kennedy, Justin Jesso, Lukas Kostas) — 5º
California: Sweet Taboo – “Keys to the kingdom” (Breanne Santana, Gian Stone, Jennifer Torrejon, Madison Love, Richard Vission, Samantha Ramos, Sean Douglas) — 2º
Idaho: Andrew Sheppard – “Steady machine” (Andrew Sheppard) — 6º
New Mexico: Khalisol – “Drop” (Geoffrey McCray, Kaelin Ellis, Zachary Chicoine) — 7º
Missouri: ~~Brett Seper – “Can’t Stay Away”~~ HALIE Wooldridge – “Better things” (Alex Angelo, Blake Densmore, Halie Wooldridge) — 10º
American Samoa: Tenelle – “Full circle” (Ali Dee Theodore, Anthony Mirabella III, Benjamin Briggs, Bianca Sperduti, Kerry Clisby, Nikki Sorentino, Sergio Cabral, Susan Paroff, Tenelle Luafalemana, Trent Foisia) — 4º
North Carolina: John Morgan – “Right in the middle” (John Morgan, Justin Wilson, Rodney Clawson, Will Bundy) — 3º
Vermont: Josh Panda – “Rollercoaster” (Clinton Lewis Bierman, Joshua Pender, Peter Whitfield Day) — 8º
Guam: Jason J. – “Midnight” (Chaz Mark Toney, Jason Niel Jabinigay) — 11º
Michigan: Ada LeAnn – “Natalie.” (Ada LeAnn Compton, Carter Jon Frodge) — 1º Advanced to Semi-Finals (Jury qualifier)
Maryland: Sisqó – “It’s up” (Mark Althavan Andrews, Nathan L. Mooring) — 9º

Semi-final 1 (Draw, State/Territory, Artist, Song, Language(s)): The first Semi-final round will be held on Monday, April 25, 8pm ET / 7pm CT – 26 April, 02:00 CEST. There will be two Semi-finals. 11 songs will compete in each of the Semi-finals (10 qualifiers and 1 wildcard).

Alabama: Ni/Co – “The Difference” ()
Colorado: Riker Lynch – “Feel the Love” ()
Kentucky: Jordan Smith – “Sparrow” ()
Massachusetts: Jared Lee – “Shameless” ()
Michigan: Ada LeAnn – “Natalie” ()
Montana: Jonah Prill – “Fire It Up” ()
New Hampshire: MARi – “Fly” ()
Oklahoma: AleXa – “Wonderland” ()
Rhode Island: Hueston – “Held On Too Long” ()
Washington: Allen Stone – “A Bit of Both” ()
Wyoming: Ryan Charles – “New Boot Goofin'” ()

Semi-final 2 (Draw, State/Territory, Artist, Song, Language(s)): The second Semi-final round will be held on Monday, May 2, 8pm ET / 7pm CT – 3 May, 02:00 CEST. There will be two Semi-finals. 11 songs will compete in each of the Semi-finals (10 qualifiers and 1 wildcard).

Connecticut: Michael Bolton – “Beautiful World” ()
Georgia: Stela Cole – “DIY” ()
Kansas: Broderick Jones – “Tell Me” ()
North Dakota: Chloe Fredericks – “Can’t Make You Love Me” ()
Puerto Rico: Christian Pagán – “LOKO” ()
Tennesse: Tyler Braden – “Seventeen” ()
Texas: Grant Knoche – “Mr. Independent” ()

Final (Draw, State/Territory, Artist, Song, Language(s)): The Final round will be held on Monday, May 9, 8pm ET / 7pm CT – 10 May, 02:00 CEST. 10 songs will compete in the Final.

Episodes (No., Title, Original air date, U.S. viewers (millions), Rating
(18–49):

“The Qualifiers Premiere”. March 21, 2022. 2.90 – 0.5
“The Live Qualifiers Part 2”. March 28, 2022. 1.88 – 0.3
“The Live Qualifiers Part 3”. April 4, 2022. 1.65 – 0.3
“The Live Qualifiers Part 4”. April 11, 2022. 1.44 – 0.3
“The Live Qualifiers Part 5”. April 18, 2022. 1.53 – 0.3
“The Live Semi-Finals Premiere” April 25, 2022.
“The Live Semi-Finals Part 2” May 2, 2022.

Voting: (Please note that the official voting rules are subject to change at the sole discretion of NBCUniversal Media, LLC and Prospect Productions, LLC.)

There are three voting methods available to viewers: The NBC App Voting, Online Voting and TikTok Voting.

The voting methods are open to viewers located in the 50 United States, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, US Virgin Islands and Northern Mariana Islands (collectively ‘Geographic Area’) who are thirteen years of age or older.

Viewers may vote using the above voting methods in the following voting rounds:

Qualifiers voting: During the March 21, March 28, April 4, April 11, April 18 qualifiers voting windows, viewers can vote using The NBC App voting, Online voting and TikTok voting.
Semifinals voting: During the April 25 and May 2, 2022 semifinals voting windows, viewers can vote using The NBC App voting, Online voting and TikTok voting.
Grand Final voting: During the May 9 Grand Final voting window, viewers can vote for Grand Final eligibile artists via The NBC App voting, online voting and TikTok voting.

Voting windows.

• Qualifiers voting window: Voting via The NBC App, online (via NBC.com/ASCVote) and TikTok will be available during and following performance shows in the Qualifier round airing March 21, March 28, April 4, April 11, April 18 (subject to change without notice). A ‘Qualifiers voting windows’ is a voting window as listed below (Time Zone/State or Territory – Qualifiers voting window (open day the performance episode airs in the ET time zone)):

Puerto Rico (Atlantic Time) – 9:00 pm at Mon – 8:00 am at weds
Eastern – 8:00 pm et mon – 7:00 am et weds
Central – 7:00 pm ct mon – 6:00 am ct weds
Mountain – 6:00 pm mt mon – 5:00 mt weds
Arizon (Pacific Time) – 6:00 pm mt mon – 5:00 am mt weds
Pacific – 5:00 pm pt mon – 4:00 am pt weds
Alaska – 4:00 pm akt mon – 3:00 am akt weds
Hawaii – 3:00 pm ht mon – 2:00 am ht weds
American Samoa – 2:00 pm st mon – 1:00 am st weds
US VIrgin Islands – 9:00 pm at mon – 8:00 am at weds
Northern Mariana Islands and Guam – 11:00 am cht tues – 10:00 pm thurs

Additional voting windows and/or methods of voting may be added as determined and announced by Producer and NBC in their sole discretion. All times for voting windows as indicated above are local to the time zone where the voter resides. If you attempt to vote through any method outside of the defined voting window, your vote will not count.

• Semifinals voting: Voting via The NBC App, online (via NBC.com/ASCVote) and TikTok will be available during and following performance shows in the Qualifier round airing April 25 and May 2 (subject to change without notice). A ‘Semifinals voting windows’ is a voting window as listed below (Time Zone/State or Territory – Semifinals voting window (open day the performance episode airs in the ET time zone)):

Puerto Rico (Atlantic Time) – 9:00 pm at Mon – 9:00 am at tues
Eastern – 8:00 pm et mon – 8:00 am et tues
Central – 7:00 pm ct mon – 6:00 am ct tues
Mountain – 6:00 pm mt mon – 5:00 mt tues
Arizon (Pacific Time) – 6:00 pm mt mon – 5:00 am mt tues
Pacific – 5:00 pm pt mon – 5:00 am pt tues
Alaska – 4:00 pm akt mon – 4:00 am akt tues
Hawaii – 3:00 pm ht mon – 3:00 am ht tues
American Samoa – 2:00 pm st mon – 2:00 am st tues
US VIrgin Islands – 9:00 pm at mon – 9:00 am at tues
Northern Mariana Islands and Guam – 11:00 am cht tues – 11:00 pm tues

• Grand Final voting: Voting via The NBC App, online (via NBC.com/ASCVote) and TikTok will be available during the Grand Final performance show airing May 9 (subject to change without notice). A ‘Qualifiers voting windows’ is a voting window as listed below (Time Zone/State or Territory – Finale voting window (opens and ends Monday, May 9, 2022 or Tuesday, May 10, 2022 depending on time zone)):

Puerto Rico (Atlantic Time) – 8:00 pm at Mon – approx 9:35 am at mon
Eastern – 8:00 pm et mon – approx 9:35 am et mon
Central – 7:00 pm ct mon – approx 8:35 am ct mon
Mountain – 6:00 pm mt mon – approx 7:35 mt mon
Arizon (Pacific Time) – 5:00 pm mt mon – approx 6:35 pm pt mon
Pacific – 5:00 pm pt mon – approx 6:35 pm pt mon
Alaska – 4:00 pm akt mon – approx 5:35 am akt mon
Hawaii – 2:00 pm ht mon – approx 3:35 am ht mon
American Samoa – 2:00 pm st mon – approx 3:35 pm st mon
US VIrgin Islands – 9:00 pm at mon – approx 10:35 pm at mon
Northern Mariana Islands and Guam – 11:00 am cht tues – approx 12:35 pm cht tues

National Jury: All the Artists will be singing their own music, and viewers at home—plus a Jury of music-industry experts—help crown the winner.

It’s a stacked lineup of music industry executives, songwriters, radio programmers, A-list managers, and members of the Recording Academy. They’ll be evaluating the Artists on their performances, artistic expression, originality, and the hit potential of their songs.

The winner of the American Song Contest is partly determined by a 56-member “national jury,” with one member representing each state and territory. Their duty is to evaluate each entry based on the live performance, together with its “artistic expression, hit potential, originality, and visual impression.” Jurors include: Quinn Christopherson (singer-songwriter and winner of 2019 NPR Tiny Desk Contest, Alaska); Dan McCarroll (former president of Capitol Records and WB Records, California); Isaac Slade (co-founder of The Fray, Colorado); Mike Knobloch (NBCUniversal President for Music and Publishing, Illinois); Stephanie Davis (singer-songwriter, Montana); Tom Poleman (iHeartMedia Chief Programming Officer and President, New York); and Ester Dean (songwriter for numerous Top 10 hits, Oklahoma).

See the full list of Jurors, below.

Alabama – Amber Parker, Program Director, WTXT Tuscaloosa, iHeartMedia
Alaska – Quinn Christopherson, Artist
American Samoa – Joseph Fa’avae, Founder, Island Block Network
Arizona – Double-L, Music Director / On-Air Personality, KNIX Phoenix, iHeartMedia
Arkansas – Kevin Mercer, Program Director, KHKN Little Rock, iHeartMedia
California – Dan McCarroll, Former President of Capitol Records and WB Records
Colorado – Isaac Slade, Former Member of The Fray
Connecticut – Jaime Levine, CEO, Seven Mantels, Artist Manager
Delaware – Christa Cooper, On-Air Personality / Assistant Program Director, WDSD Wilmington, iHeartMedia
Florida – Jose Tillan, Director/Producer – The POPGarage
Georgia – Jennifer Goicoechea, SVP A&R Sony Music, EPIC
Guam – Heidi Chargualaf Quenga, Executive Director, CHamorro Cultural Advisor
Hawaii – Eric Daniels, Keyboardist/Arranger, “The Voice”
Idaho – Shari Short, Singer/Songwriter/Producer
Illinois – Mike Knobloch, President, Music and Publishing, NBCUniversal
Indiana – Nancy Yearing, Talent Development
Iowa – Taylor J., Program Director / On-Air Personality KKDM Des Moines, iHeartMedia
Kansas – Michelle Buckles, Program Director, KZCH Wichita, iHeartMedia
Kentucky – Ashley Wilson, Director of Country Programming, Kentucky/Indiana, iHeartMedia
Louisiana – Uptown Angela, Executive Vice President of Programming, Format Lead Custom R&B/Gospel, iHeartMedia
Maine – Lauren Wayne, General Manger / Talent Buyer, State Theater
Maryland – Caron Veazey, Founder & CEO, Something In Common
Massachusetts – Jamie Cerreta, EVP Hipgnosis Songs Group
Michigan – Shahida Mausi, CEO The Right Productions, Inc./Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre
Minnesota – Barry Lather, Creative Director / Choreographer / Producer
Mississippi – Joe King the Big Daddy, Program Director, WZLD Hattiesburg, iHeartMedia
Missouri – Tommy Austin, SVP Programming, iHeartMedia
Montana – Stephanie Davis, Singer-Songwriter
Nebraska – Hoss Michaels, Program Director, KXKT Omaha, iHeartMedia
Nevada – Jim Vellutato, CEO, Arrival Music
New Hampshire – Charlie Singer, Music Television Producer / Executive Producer
New Jersey – Matt Pinfield, Nationally Syndicated Radio Host / A&R Consultant
New Mexico – Tony Manero, SVP Programming Southwest, iHeartMedia
New York – Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer & President, iHeartMedia
North Carolina – Paul Schadt, On-Air Personality, WKKT Charlotte, iHeartMedia
North Dakota – Allison Bostow, Program Director / On-Air Personality, KIZZ Minot, iHeartMedia
Northern Mariana Islands – Galvin Deleon Guerrero, President Northern Marianas College / Radio DJ
Ohio – Khirye Tyler, Songwriter / Producer / Musical Director
Oklahoma – Ester Dean, “The Song Machine”
Oregon – Mark Hamilton, Program Director / On-Air Personality, Portland Audacy
Pennsylvania – Ty Stiklorius, Founder & CEO of Friends at Work
Puerto Rico – Carlos Perez, Creative Director
Rhode Island – Kristin Lessard, On-Air Personality, WSNE Providence, iHeartMedia
South Carolina – Miss Monique, On-Air Personality / Program Director, WXBT Columbia, iHeartMedia
South Dakota – Jered Johnson, President / CEO, Pepper Entertainment
Tennessee – Brian Phillips, Executive VP, Content and Audience, Cumulus Media
Texas – Natural, Music Producer
U.S. Virgin Islands – Ajanie Williams, Music Producer & Author
Utah – Jeff McCartney, SVP Programming, Salt Lake City, iHeartMedia
Vermont – Lee Chesnut, A&R Consultant
Virginia – Justin Derrico, Musician
Washington – Zann Fredlund, On-Air Personality / Music Director & Assistant Program Director, KBKS Seattle, iHeartMedia
Washington, D.C. – Dustin Matthews, Director of Rock Programing, Washington, DC, iHeartMedia
West Virginia – Judy Eaton, Program Director, WTCR Huntington, iHeartMedia
Wisconsin – Shanna “Quinn” Cudeck, Program Director / On-Air Personality, WMIL Milwaukee, iHeartMedia
Wyoming – Ian Munsick, Warner Music Recording Artist

International broadcasting: The show is also set to be broadcast in multiple European countries, as well as in Canada:

Austria and Germany – ServusTV; Canada ( Hamilton) – CHCH-DT^; Finland – Yle TV2; Greece – ERT; Iceland – RÚV; Norway – NRK; Portugal – RTP; Serbia – RTS; Slovenia – RTVSLO 2; Spain – RTVE Play; Sweden – SVT

‘American Song Contest’ 2022: Meet the 56 participants for Season 1

After being in development for several years, “American Song Contest” finally premiered on NBC on March 21, 2022. The reality TV show is based on the worldwide phenomenon “Eurovision Song Contest,” which has been a mega hit overseas for the past six decades. The American version of the musical competition series features live original performances from 56 acts representing all 50 states, five U.S. territories and the nation’s capital. Each act vies for the votes of the audience and jury members in the hopes of earning the title of Best Original Song. The Season 1 contestants are a mix of solo artists, duos, DJs and bands and explore all different music genres. The show is set up in three different stages: Qualifying Rounds, Semi Finals and Grand Final. Meet all 56 “American Song Contest” 2022 participants in our photo gallery below.

Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson: Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to your hosts and executive producers of “American Song Contest,” Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson. Snoop is a multi-platinum artist, actor and entertainment icon with three decades of experience in the music industry under his belt. Kelly, a talk show host and the first-ever winner of “American Idol,” officially joined the NBC family in 2018 as a coach on “The Voice,” winning the competition in Seasons 14, 15, 17 and 21.

• Alabama: Ni/Co — Semi-Finals (Public/Jury Vote). Original Song: “The Difference”. Hometown: Montgomery, AL. Resident: Los Angeles, CA. Ni/Co is a duo made up of Dani Brillhart and Colton Jones. They began gaining popularity in 2019 from their YouTube videos, which have accumulated more than 40 million views. The pop duo has had their music featured on various networks, including the CW, VH1, NBC, BET, TNT, Starz and Freeform. Their growing audience has granted them attention and opportunities to work with brands such as Google, Adobe, Volkswagen, Reese’s, Dell, Chips Ahoy, Fender and more. They have an insatiable passion to perform and pull inspiration from wanting to touch the lives of everyone who hears their music. Ni/Co is so excited to represent Alabama as that is where the duo discovered their love for music and one another.

• Alaska: Jewel — Eliminated in Qualifiers. Original Song: “The Story”. Hometown: Homer, AK. Resident: Rocky Mountains, CO. Jewel went from a girl who grew up with no running water on an Alaskan homestead, to a homeless teenager in San Diego, to an award winning, Multi-Platinum Recording Artist who released one of the best-selling debuts of all time. Through her career Jewel has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, earned 26 Music Award nominations, including The Grammys, American Music Awards, MTV Awards, VH1 Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Country Music Awards, winning 8 times. Jewel has been featured on the cover of TIME Magazine, Rolling Stone, performed on Saturday Night Live, at the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, for Pope John Paul II and The Clinton Inaugural Ball. She is one of the few singer songwriters to top the chart in every genre she wrote for- Folk, Pop, Club, Country, Standards, Children’s and Holiday music.

To escape the Second World War, her family did the hard work of pioneering in Alaska. Her grandmother left behind her dreams of being an opera singer so her kids could be raised in a free country. Her life has been the fruit of her parent’s sacrifice, and my music is the accumulated dream of generations, and she is so proud to sing not only for her grandparents but to represent the amazing lifestyle and spirit of Alaska.

• American Samoa: Tenelle. Original Song: “Full Circle”. Hometown: Carson, CA. Resident: Carson, CA. Tenelle Luafalemana has been described by many as “a breath of fresh air.” Tenelle isn’t exactly sure when her love for singing first started, but suggests that growing up with a big family, where talent shows are more competitive than the “X-Factor” itself, may have well done it. Tenelle describes her home of Samoa as magical and as a child, recalls listening to artists such as Lauryn Hill, Fiji, Whitney Houston, Betty Wright and Aswad. Tenelle is now a Grammy Award-nominated and Billboard-charted artist. She’s honored to represent American Samoa, her family and the entirety of her people. Her music video “Shine” was shot on her grandmother’s property, where her grandmother lives, and where her ancestors are buried. She’s honored to share their story.

• Arizona: Las Marias — Eliminated in Qualifiers. Original Song: “De La Finikera”. Hometown: Phoenix, AZ. Resident: Nogales, AZ:Las Marías are 21-year-old twins Maria Isabel and Maria Teresa, both of whom can sing mariachi, corridos, norteñas, cumbias and sierreño. In 2008 the group’s parents were deported and relocated to Nogales, where they started taking music lessons and got more involved in regional Mexican music and their Mexican culture. Las Marías have collaborated with influential artists in the regional Mexican genre and are currently opening for Paquita la Del Barrio, a legend in this genre. To date they have released five albums and are currently working on their sixth. They’re proud to represent Arizona because throughout their lifetime they have had the opportunity to live and perform regional Mexican music throughout their beautiful state.

• Arkansas: Kelsey Lamb — Eliminated in Qualifiers. Original Song: “Never Like This”. Hometown: Little Rock, AR. Resident: Nashville, TN. Kelsey Lamb is a country music singer/songwriter born known for her strong but pure vocals. She grew up listening to a broad mix of artists – from Avril Lavigne to Blake Shelton to the Fray to Jo Dee Messina – that have heavily influenced her songwriting. Lamb has accumulated over 2 million streams since releasing her first song, “Little By Little” in 2018 and since then has been continuing to write, record and perform her original music across the Southeast. Even though Lamb is currently living in Nashville, she’s still very connected to Arkansas.

• California: Sweet Taboo. Original Song: “Keys to the Kingdom”. Hometown: Jen (Burbank, CA), Sami (Whittier, CA), ICP Bre (San Bernardino, CA). Resident: Jen (Tarzana, CA), Sami (Whittier, CA), ICP Bre (Victorville, CA). Sweet Taboo is a Los Angeles-based Latina group consisting of Jen, Sami and rapper ICP Bre. Their sound is described as a mix of R&B, hip-hop and pop with a Latin flare. Their songs have a little bit of English and a little bit of Spanish, and a whole lot of boss bitch. Sweet Taboo’s song covers have gone viral, garnering millions of views on TikTok and have been reposted by DJ Khaled, Kehlani, Russ, and Bia. All born and raised in California, they are proud to represent their state.

• Colorado: Riker Lynch — Semi-Finals (Public/Jury Vote). Original Song: “Feel the Love”. Hometown: Littleton, CO. Resident: Denver, CO. Riker Lynch, who was born and raised in Colorado, knows a thing or two about being a multi-faceted entertainer. He’s played for a decade in the pop band R5, toured with alt-rock duo the Driver Era and has his own trop-rock artist project, Riker and the Beachcombers. Riker opts to color outside of the lines by blurring genres from rock to reggae to pop, ensuring that everything he touches is as unique as himself. Since touring across the globe and releasing a plethora of albums and songs, he’s garnered praise from the likes of Billboard and NME and accumulated a feverish fanbase. After getting a taste of acting upon joining the cast of “Glee” for three seasons (seasons 2-4), and accumulating over a dozen of credits, Riker has completely immersed himself in every aspect of filmmaking. As a writer, director and producer, he solely created two short films — the comedy “Lyft Me Up” and the sci-fi comedy “Aliens on Halloween.” Riker is so excited to represent the good vibes that Colorado brings to the world with its beautiful nature combined with a great city.

• Connecticut: Michael Bolton — Semi-Finals (Public/Jury Vote). Original Song: “Beautiful World”. Hometown: New Haven, CT. Resident: Westport, CT. Michael Bolton is a multiple Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter who has sold more than 65 million records globally and continues to tour the world. Bolton is strongly committed to humanitarian causes, especially through the Michael Bolton Charities. In recognition of his artistic achievements, Michael won two Grammys for Best Pop Male Vocal Performance (nominated four times), six American Music Awards, three Emmy Award nominations and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a songwriter, he has earned more than 24 BMI & ASCAP Awards, including Songwriter of the Year and the Hitmakers Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His coming-of-age story starts in Connecticut, where he was born and raised and most importantly where he discovered his love of singing and songwriting. He’s proud to represent the state as an artist and as someone who still loves going home to Connecticut.

• Delaware: Nitro Nitra — Eliminated in Qualifiers. Original Song: “Train”. Hometown: Wilmington, DE. Resident: Middletown, DE. Nitro Nitra is a soul-rock singer and has been singing since before she could walk. After moving away, Nitra experienced a spiritual awakening in 2018 that led her to come back to her roots in Delaware. She first performed as Nitro Nitra in 2021 and since then has released an EP, visual album and two singles. Nitra’s goal as a musician is to create a shared experience with her fans where they can open their minds to new levels of existence and awakenings of their own. Nitro Nitra is excited to represent Delaware, where she began her musical journey.

• Florida: Ale Zabala — Eliminated in Qualifiers. Original Song: “Flirt”. Hometown: Miami, FL. Resident: Parkland, FL. Alexa Zabala, known professionally as Ale Zabala, is an American singer, songwriter, musician and dancer. She’s a Latin pop artist as well as a writer for other singers and started writing when she was 13. Ale went to college for music business and met her first producer with whom she began writing all of her songs. She released her first single in 2019 and is constantly in music sessions writing for other artists and working on new musical projects. Ale is ready to represent Florida, where she went to her first concert and to school to study music.

• Georgia: Stela Cole — Semi-Finals (Public/Jury Vote). Original Song: “DIY”. Hometown: Peachtree City, GA. Resident: Los Angeles, CA. Stela Cole is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. Living in the ATL until she was 18, it is where she has spent the bulk of her life, and her reason for loving music. Stela formally announced herself in 2018 with her debut single, “You F O,” which Refinery 29 labeled “addictive” while Pop Dust promised “Stela Cole will absolutely blow your mind.” After 2020’s sophomore EP, “Woman of the Hour,” Stela blazed through 2021 growing her audience exponentially in the process. She enters this year with 1 million monthly listeners, 500,000 followers across her social accounts, and millions of people recognizing her vocal style and lyrics. She’s honored to represent Georgia, a place she still considers home.

• Guam: Jason J.. Hometown: Yona, Guam. Resident: Glendale, CA. Jason J. is an independent artist, songwriter and father of two known for his distinct vocals and blend of island reggae and alternative music. Since Jason first started writing original music in 2004, he has now gone on to play multiple national tours and large reggae festivals. He made the top 10 of the Billboard reggae chart in 2017 with his first solo release, “Luminosity EP.” Jason come from a traditional Filipino family and spent the first 23 years of his life surrounded by Guam culture and its musical influences.

• Hawaii: Bronson Varde. Hometown: Ewa Beach, HI. Resident: Pearl City, HI. Bronson Varde is a singer/songwriter who grew up listening to Hawaiian and island reggae music termed “Jawaiian” by the locals. This style of music heavily influenced him as a songwriter and he still incorporates it in his music today. Varde has gained a local following with original music released under the band name No Pressure. He continues to follow his passion for music and songwriting in hopes that one day his songs will be heard around the world. He feels he’s not only representing himself in this competition, but a whole state and culture.

• Idaho: Andrew Sheppard. Hometown: Hailey, ID. Resident: Boise, ID. Andrew Sheppard is a singer, songwriter, and musician who started making albums in 2009 and has been touring and recording ever since. His last album, “Steady Your Aim,” was released in 2018. Andrew’s music is often described as heartland rock. No matter how his music hits you, it’ll give you a glimpse of where you’ve been and where you’re going.

• Illinois: Justin Jesso. Hometown: Glencoe, IL. Resident: Los Angeles, CA. Justin Jesso grew up in the relatively small village of Glencoe, Illinois – just under 30 minutes from Chicago. His family’s musical roots run deep in the state of Illinois, with his great grandfather being a bandleader in Chicago in the 20’s. As a celebrated artist and songwriter, Justin has over a billion streams for his collaborations with international pop greats such as Ricky Martin, Maluma, the Backstreet Boys and Norwegian producer Kygo (co-writing and featuring on his global smash “Stargazing”). Signed to Sony, Justin released his debut EP, “Let It Be Me,” in 2019, featuring singles “Getting Closer” and “Let It Be Me” (featuring Nina Nesbitt). His most recent DJ collaborations with Alle Farben, “As Far as Feelings Go,” peaked at #3 on the German radio charts, and his follow-up single, “Bigger Than,” with Norwegian producing duo Seeb (Pill In Ibiza) has over 60 million streams.

• Indiana: UG skywalkin. Hometown: Uganda. Resident: Greenwood, IN. Josh Kimbowa, known as UG skywalkin, is a hip-hop pop artist and songwriter. He’s known for his charismatic stage performance and ability to capture the energy and engagement of the crowd. UG skywalkin has toured the world doing shows and musical festivals. Although he is from Uganda, UG skywalkin and his family now call Indiana home.

• Iowa: Alisabeth Von Presley. Hometown: Marion, IA. Resident: Cedar Rapids, IA. Alisabeth Von Presley is a pink-haired pop rock artist raised on a well-balanced diet of Pat Benatar, a plateful of glitter and a touch of Midwestern sass. She has left memorable impacts on stages from Los Angeles to New York with her full-blown and fully choreographed pop-rock production. She’s as edgy as she is authentic and is an advocate for female empowerment through her music, lyrics, public platforms and work in area schools. Alisabeth toured on the heels of her “Diamonds in the Blackout” album and recently played a show for over 16,000 in her home town of Cedar Rapids. With her live shows drawing rave reviews, this girl is a performer to watch.

• Kansas: Broderick Jones. Hometown: Little Rock, AR. Resident: Olathe, KS. Broderick Jones is a singer/songwriter known for his smooth vocals and gravitating stage performances. Broderick raked up over 35 million streams alone with no backing, helping him put a spotlight on the city and move closer towards his dream of becoming the biggest artist ever from Kansas. Broderick is thrilled to represent his state and show America that if he can make it from here, than anyone can.

• Kentucky: Jordan Smith. Hometown: Harlan, KY. Resident: Corbin, KY. Jordan Smith is a singer/songwriter best known for winning season nine of NBC’s hit reality television series “The Voice.” The Kentucky native holds the record as the highest-selling artist in “The Voice” history, dethroning Adele’s “Hello” at #1 on the iTunes charts three times during his run on the show and becoming the first artist ever to replace himself at #1 on the Christian Billboard chart. Jordan has since released four albums and toured extensively around the world, sharing the stage with artists such as Patti LaBelle, Jordin Sparks and Lionel Richie. He also wrote the song “Ashes,” performed by Celine Dion for the movie “Deadpool 2.” Being a Kentuckian is something Jordan has always been proud of and representing the state is an honor.

• Louisiana: Brittany Pfantz. Hometown: DeRidder, LA. Resident: Nashville, TN. Brittany Pfantz’s music is perfumed with the sounds she was raised on: Louisiana swamp, rock, gospel, and down-in-your-gut soul. She parades her roots honestly, like the street bands of New Orleans, where she learned how to stay true to the music and to herself. Brittany just finished recording her debut EP with Grammy Award-winning producer Jacquire King and is currently shopping the project and playing shows around Nashville. She is representing Louisiana because even though she lives in Nashville, it will always be in her roots.

• Maine: King Kyote. Hometown: York, ME. Resident: Portland, ME. King Kyote is a recording artist who has toured extensively in the Northeast as well as around the country. Harken to a night of whiskey drinking in a cabin among the Maine pines, King echoes the yells of rock ‘n’ roll’s forefathers while having a deeply rooted harmony with roots rock, singer-songwriter and folk genres. He has played at iconic venues throughout Maine and local festivals, as well as shows with many local popular acts such as Ghosts of Paul Revere, Rustic Overtones and The Mallet Brothers Band.

• Maryland: Sisqo. Hometown: Baltimore, MD. Resident: Minnesota. Sisqó, longtime frontman of the multi-platinum group Dru Hill and a Grammy Award-nominated solo artist, is a 25-year music veteran whose hits include “Tell Me,” “Incomplete,” “In My Bed,” “5 Steps,” “How Deep Is Your Love,” “We’re Not Making Love No More” and the smash single “The Thong Song.” In 2000, he won six Billboard Music Awards, including Male Artist of the Year. He was born Mark Althavean Andrews in Baltimore, a city synonymous with drugs and extreme violence, and it served as the rearing site for an artist who has exceeded expectations throughout his life. At a time when charismatic singers who can really sing and dance is a rarity, Sisqó shines as the consummate showman fearless in his pursuit to push the limits of creativity.

• Massachusetts: Jared Lee. Hometown: Boston, MA. Resident: Los Angeles, CA. Jared Lee is a singer, songwriter and platinum-selling producer who has amassed well over 80 million streams online writing and producing for a diverse group of globally renowned artists, including Jason Derulo, Jordin Sparks, TIESTO and Michael Bolton. He has been enlisted by some of the world’s top DJ’s, including Nicky Romero, Markus Schulz and Fedde Le Grand, to write and feature as a lead vocalist on their original music. Jared wrote, produced and performed the theme song “Don’t Wish Your Life Away” for the film “Fantasy Island.” His most recent collaborations include “Those Were the Days” with Midnight Kids (top 10 song on U.S. dance charts), ”Ain’t Deep Enough” with Autograf and “Afterglow” with Nicky Romero and Gattuso. He is representing his home state of Massachusetts.

• Michigan: Ada LeAnn. Hometown: Battle Creek, MI. Resident: Battle Creek, MI. Ada LeAnn is a 16-year-old singer and songwriter from Michigan and known for her ability to write emotional lyrics about relationships that are real and relatable to her audience. Ada strives to be a voice for teenagers like herself to show them that they are heard, understood and not alone. She has released two EPs and multiple covers with a discography of 18 songs.

• Minnesota: Yam Haus. Hometown: Jacob Felstow (Macomb, MI), Lars Pruitt, Seth William Blum and Zach Beinlich (Hudson, WI). Resident: Jacob Felstow and Zach Beinlich (St. Paul, MN), Lars Pruitt (Stillwater, MN) and Seth William Blum (Hudson, WI). Yam Haus invites everyone into the embrace of their neon-hued, dance floor-tailored alternative pop. The Minneapolis quartet and childhood friends fuse together intimate songcraft with stadium-size ambition. Right out of the gate, their 2018 single “West Coast” caught traction and eventually notched north of 1 million streams. In the wake of their full-length debut album “Stargazer,” they shared bills with the likes of Kacey Musgraves, Tori Kelly, Adam Lambert, Bishop Briggs, Andy Grammar, AWOLNATION, lovelytheband, JOHNNYSWIM and more. Their single “The Thrill” gathered 948,000 Spotify streams and paved the way for “The Band Is Gonna Make It” EP in 2020. After independently amassing nearly 15 million total views and streams, playing to sold out crowds and building a fervent fanbase, they continue to release new music in 2022 with producer Mark Needham.

• Mississippi: Keyone Starr. Hometown: Jackson, MS. Resident: Duluth, GA. Keyoné Starr is a Mississippi preacher’s daughter and a Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, and producer. A powerhouse rock ‘n’ roll soulful-singing flower child, Keyoné humorously refers to herself as the love child of Aretha Franklin and Lenny Kratviz. Keyoné sings in the language of the heart with her clear powerful vocals and captivates her audiences. Her declaration performance of the hit single “I Can’t Lose,” featured on Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Special” album, landed in the Billboard Top 20 chart and has well over 7 million streaming views, affording her opportunities to sing, write and produce music across Australia, Germany, London, Malaysia and Spain.

• Missouri: HALIE. Original Song: “Better Things”. Hometown: Thayer, MO. Resident: Nashville, TN. Singer, songwriter and model HALIE was born and raised in Thayer, Mo., where country music was prevalent. After graduating from high school, HALIE moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music. As a distant relative of country music legend Jimmie Rodgers, music is in her bloodline, inspiring her dream to become a musician. One of her greatest opportunities so far was becoming a winner on NBC’s “Songland” after Martina McBride chose to record her song “Girls Like Me.” HALIE is thrilled to represent her home state of Missouri on “American Song Contest.” Brett Seper. Hometown: Fredericktown, MO. Resident: Fredericktown, MO. Brett Seper believes his work ethic and musicianship reflect a desire to go higher than what his small town has to offer. Brett learned how to play the guitar from his grandfather, who introduced him to music when he was a child. His sound has been influenced by pop artists such as Shawn Mendes and Bazzi, and even rap/hip-hop artists like Jack Harlow and Post Malone as well as the sounds in his home state of Missouri. One notable past performance includes the Azalea Festival, where Brett performed for hundreds of people.

• Montana: Jonah Prill. Hometown: Billings, MT. Resident: Billings, MT. Over a million people across the country and around the world were initially roped in by Jonah Prill’s cowboy charm and simple way of life with his horses, cowboy charm and Montana lifestyle on TikTok. With his account, Jonah gained a loyal following of over a million people by 2020 to see his journey to country music stardom. From rocking school assemblies in 3rd grade, singing in choirs through europe by highschool, and joining every band in college. It wasn’t long before Prill knew he wanted to release his own music and become a household name in country music. This Casanova’s ability to infuse his country music heritage and down-home upbringing into the lyrics and melodies of his music is what might make him one of the genre’s most intriguing new artists. The grandson of country artist Dean Evans, Prill seems poised to lead a new generation into a new chapter, a chapter filled with pages of an authentic life lived by a simple man from Billings, Montana.

• Nebraska: Jocelyn. Hometown: Omaha, NE. Resident: Omaha, NE. Nebraska native Jocelyn combines her observant outlook on life, love and music to write positive songs that both motivate and inspire. She has toured with Darius Rucker, Hootie and the Blowfish and Barenaked Ladies. Jocelyn also had the great privilege to partner with Boys Town National Hotline, a Nebraska nonprofit that is dedicated to providing a safe home for children of all races and religions, and Hope Squad on the Kindness Tour, bringing her positive music and message along with suicide prevention resources to schools across the country. She was featured on “Celebrity Undercover Boss” with Rucker and “Showtime at the Apollo” with Steve Harvey. Jocelyn wants to represent Nebraska to spread the message of Boys Town as well as her love for the state.

• Nevada: The Crystal Method. Hometown: Las Vegas, NV. Resident: Los Angeles, CA. For nearly three decades, the Crystal Method has remained one of the most influential and well-respected acts in electronic music. Co-founded by Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan in 1993, the Grammy Award-nominated duo defined the sound of a generation — pioneering the big-beat genre, popularizing electronic music with mainstream audiences and establishing America as a force in the European and British music scene. While Kirkland reimagined the Crystal Method as a solo act in 2017 following Jordan’s retirement, the momentum has never slowed — even during a pandemic. Now, after an unprecedented few years, the innovative musician, producer and DJ continues the evolution with the Crystal Method’s seventh studio album and his second solo outing, “The Trip Out.” Growing up in Las Vegas, Scott got to see first-hand how quickly the city and state grew in size and relevance to the broader entertainment world. So for him to be able to come back and represent the great state of Nevada for “ASC” is a thrill.

• New Hampshire: MARi. Hometown: Milford, NH. Resident: New York, NY and Miami, FL. MARi is a singer-songwriter with powerhouse pipes and red carpet-ready fierce fashion that embodies all the makings of a superstar. Her Cuban and Puerto Rican roots play a large factor in her music, as does her hometown in New Hampshire, larger than life personality and fashion (as seen in both New York & London Fashion Week). MARi is a Billboard top 20-charting artist, top 5 in the UK and has participated in mega-parades, and appeared on “Despierta America” (“Good Morning America”) and “La Voz,” the Spanish version of “The Voice.”

• New Jersey: Brooke Alexx. Hometown: Old Tappan, NJ. Resident: Nashville, TN. Pop starlet meets girl next door in Brooke Alexx – an Asian-American New Jerseyan songwriter, singer, performer, director and editor. Brooke wields her creative powers to inspire young women just as Taylor Swift inspired her to start writing songs of vulnerability and empowerment at age 13. Her magnetic melodies, paired with her ever-relatable coming-of-age lyrics, have resonated more in 2021 than any other year through a familial-focused EP. Brooke’s confidence and contagious personality oozed into 2022 on the back of her first festival performance at Lollapalooza, a brand collaboration with IKEA and a sync license in Netflix’s film “Resort to Love.”

• New Mexico: Khalisol. Hometown: Albuquerque, NM. Resident: Albuquerque, NM. Zachary Chicoine, also known as Khalisol, is a 26-year-old from New Mexico who has found success in the music industry through ghost writing for various K-pop groups while also producing and releasing his own music. His music, which can be found on all major platforms, is a breath of fresh air, mixing soul and hip-hop to create a very distinct sound. He delivers lyrics that speak on his life and view of the world around him as well as within his spirit. It has earned him double platinum, platinum and gold certifications in K-pop with groups Super M and NCT Dream. Khalisol has also created a successful streetwear clothing brand and is offering musical workshops.

• New York: ENISA. Hometown: Brooklyn, NY. Resident: Brooklyn, NY. New York local ENISA has spent her whole life preparing for this journey as a first-generation American born to Albanian parents. Following her graduation from Brooklyn’s esteemed Edward R. Murrow High School, she attended Brooklyn College and continued to develop her unique musical vision. A series of distinctive cover versions exploded across social media, earning her millions of views and critical acclaim from the likes of Complex, XXL, ThisSongIsSick and more. ENISA continued to hone her diverse musical approach, infusing contemporary soul pop with Middle Eastern flourishes inspired by her own Muslim heritage. Track releases like Scridge and Genda’s viral smash “Karma (Remix)” and such solo singles as “Burn This Bridge” and “Wait for Love” showcased a spectacular knack for raw soul and endless attitude, earning her close to 16 million views and more than 3 million global streams.

• North Carolina: John Morgan. Hometown: Sylva, NC. Resident: Nashville, TN. With a style that’s defined by melodic grit and a craftsman’s approach to songwriting, John Morgan brings a blue-collar toughness to country that’s pulled straight from the only life he knows. Hailing from a tiny town called Sylva, deep in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, John grew up immersed in bluegrass tradition and even toured the festival circuit each summer in a family band before diving into songwriting, inspired by six-string legends from Tony Rice to John Mayer. More than a year after selling everything he had to follow his dream, an only-in-Nashville story involving an Uber driver named John Edwards and impressive demos led to a writing session with Kurt Allison and Tully Kennedy — two incredible songwriters and longtime bandmates of country superstar Jason Aldean. That session led to Aldean cutting eight songs written by John, including his Grammy Award-nominated #1 smash hit with Carrie Underwood, “If I Didn’t Love You” and Aldean signing John to Night Train Records, his imprint with BBR Music Group. John’s debut track, “Coldest Beer in Town,” was released in 2021 while he toured the nation as part of Aldean’s “Back in the Saddle” tour. John is proud to represent his home state of North Carolina.

• North Dakota: Chloe Fredericks. Hometown: Halliday, ND. Resident: Halliday, ND. Chloe Fredericks grew up listening to some of country music’s great artists, including Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and Emmylou Harris, and often receives comparisons to powerhouse singer-songwriters Adele and Amy Winehouse. Her mom would always call Chloe her “little singing birdy” and some of Chloe’s fondest memories are singing alongside her dad. She was raised on a ranch in North Dakota and learned the cowboy way of living – if you get bucked off of a horse, you get right back on. It’s helped carry Chloe through the more trying times in the ever-changing music business.

• Northern Mariana Islands: Sabyu. Hometown: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Resident: Olympia, WA. Matthew Sablan, known musically as Sabyu, is a Pacific Islander singer, songwriter, producer, engineer, artist mentor and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his eclectic music style combining island roots and Stateside influences alike, blending reggae, rock, soul, hip-hop, funk, jazz and world music. Sabyu mentors young artists with a Seattle-based non-profit, Totem Star, guiding aspiring youth along their own music journeys. He makes music to bring all walks of life together in the name of love, spirit and humanity, and wants to let everyone know that even if you come from a small island, you can make big waves around the world.

• Ohio: Macy Gray. Hometown: Canton, Ohio. Resident: Los Angeles, CA. Macy Gray, the renowned artist, actor and activist from Canton, Ohio, is no stranger to saying what needs to be said and acting on her words. The musical bodies of work she has produced throughout her career are a testament to her exquisite vision and unyielding devotion to her craft. Her sleek, sultry and mature take on R&B draws from decades worth of history. Yet, her ability to still sound forward-thinking and fresh is what reaffirms and reasserts her as a signature rarity in music. Since Macy broke into the music scene in 1999 with the release of her debut triple-platinum album, “On How Life Is,” she has become a powerhouse of R&B and soul, amassed a devoted global fan base and sold more than 25 million total albums globally. A five-time Grammy Award nominee, Gray won for Best Pop Vocal Performance in 2000 for her iconic song “I Try” and has received two BRIT Awards. Macy’s latest album, “The Reset,” will be released later year. The album is primed to create further discussion about what is happening in today’s world and will help redefine what pop music should be while still providing music lovers with good times and a great message. The daughter of a math teacher and a steel factory worker, Gray grew up in a house next to the local farm – a place still near and dear to her heart where she received the encouragement to become the star she is today.

• Oklahoma: AleXa. Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma. Resident: Seoul, South Korea. Proud to represent the state where she was born and raised until the age of 21, Alex Christine, known professionally as AleXa (알렉사), is a K-pop singer, dancer and songwriter who grew up in Tulsa. A lifelong dancer, AleXa was first drawn to K-pop because of its strong performance identity. After nearly a million fan votes determined her the winner of online talent competition Rising Legends, she was one of the 96 chosen to participate in “Produce 48,” the most competitive audition show in Korea. In 2019, AleXa made her multilingual K-pop debut with “Bomb,” which has received nearly 22 million views to date and hit #7 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart. A year later AleXa released extended plays “Do Or Die” and “Decoherence,” garnering wins for two of Korea’s most prestigious awards. In 2021, AleXa released Y2K-inspired “ReviveR” with dance track “Xtra,” performed the national anthem for the Los Angeles Dodgers and became the first K-pop artist to host a fan meeting in the metaverse within the action shooter game Scavengers.

• Oregon: courtship.. Hometown: Portland, OR. Resident: Los Angeles, CA. The best things in life usually happen by accident and the genesis of courtship. is no exception. Micah Gordon and Eli Hirsch were both session musicians in Los Angeles who met at a gig. During their downtime on the first day, they instantly realized they had something special. Micah is a classically trained jazz pianist and was influenced by Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Miles Davis. Eli grew up with the likes of Blink-182, Passion Pit and Weezer and together they’re the Larry David of indie pop. The boys spent the last few years on the road touring with artists such as Dayglow, Passion Pit, the Hunna, Weezer, the Wombats, Magic City Hippies and Night Riots all while garnering millions of streams. The duo’s sophomore album is set to release in 2022 and is a testament to everything that courtship. is – authentic, witty and feel-good. To courtship., Oregon is a magical place where they first started playing in bands and exploring music.

• Pennsylvania: Bri Steves. Hometown: Philadelphia, PA. Resident: Philadelphia, PA. Atlantic Records’ new rapper, singer and songwriter Bri Steves will not fit in any societal boxes. The 25-year-old MC from Philadelphia is as multi-layered as she is multi-talented and was first inspired by greats such as Marvin Gaye and Lauryn Hill. At age 10, she began studying the viola at the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. Some years later, champion lyricists like Biggie, Joey Bad Ass and J Cole inspired her to start rapping. While attending Temple University, she began experimenting with her singing voice and eventually maturated into a double threat on the mic. Before graduating, she signed with Atlantic Records and balanced her final collegiate year alongside studio time in Miami, Atlanta and Los Angeles where she worked with several high-level producers, including Sonny Digital.

• Puerto Rico: Christian Pagan. Hometown: Yabucoa, PR. Resident: Humacao, PR. Christian Pagán is a singer, songwriter, musician and actor known for winning the first edition of “Idol Puerto Rico,” a feat that showcased his versatility and depth as a vocal performer. His first studio album, “Más de lo Que Soy,” debuted at #6 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart and his single, “Desde que se fue,” also hit the charts. Christian was also cast in the Telemundo telenovela “Guerra de Ídolos” where he had the opportunity to write songs for the soundtrack. Recently, he was featured in the Amazon TV series “The Bay.”

• Rhode Island: Hueston. Hometown: North Kingstown, RI. Resident: Lake Worth, FL. Originally from Rhode Island, artist, songwriter and producer Cory Hueston was previously the frontman of the indie/alternative-duo the Blancos, but has since shifted his sights to his very first solo project. Drawing from past and present experiences, his dark and soulful sonics highlight his innate abilities as both a writer and producer. With a voice and energy of a mystic viking, the only thing overshadowing his vocals is his wild fingerings on the six string. Mysterious and gritty, his new sound represents the hard-working people of his hometown.

• South Carolina: Jesse LeProtti. Hometown: Irmo, SC. Resident: Los Angeles, CA. Jesse Christopher Blocker III, known professionally as Jesse LeProtti, is known for his wide vocal range, crisp live performances and diverse music catalog that includes pop, R&B, soul, electronic and many more styles. Jesse strives to bring back “real music,” making listeners feel a sense of deja vu while keeping it 100% authentic to himself. Being from South Carolina has played a huge role in who he is today – musically and mentally. Two of his biggest musical influences, James Brown and Darius Rucker, are from South Carolina. He is proud to represent his home state as the people of South Carolina have the “go getter” and “never give up” mentality which has led him to where he is today.

• South Dakota: Judd Hoos. Hometown: Spearfish, SD. Resident: Rapid City, SD. Judd Hoos is a rock band from the Black Hills of South Dakota. The band’s line up consists of Tyler Bills, Shane Funk, Chris Hornick, and Andy Young. In the past 12 months, Judd Hoos has released a new EP, “Not Alone,” organized the Nashville Comes to the Black Hills songwriting camp and hosted the first-ever Judd Hoos Charity Jam. They appeared on multiple tour stops with Nashville rockers the Wild Feathers, played close to 100 Midwest clubs, theaters, festivals and fairs and even shared the stage with rock icon Billy Idol. In addition to recording new music, they have renewed a tour sponsorship deal with Remedy Brewing Company for the second straight year and collaborated on their own IPA, Hoos Joos.

• Tennessee: Tyler Braden. Hometown: Montgomery, AL. Resident: Nashville, TN. Tyler Braden was inspired to pursue a musical career from a young age by legend Hank Williams. He moved from his small town in Alabama to Nashville to pursue a career in music, teaching himself guitar and working as a firefighter in the meantime. He’s now a budding star with more than 70 million streams to his name and a growing list of major tour credits. In January, Braden made his Grand Ole Opry debut setting the tone for big things to come this year, including representing Tennessee on “American Song Contest.” Tennessee is where his music career really found its footing and he says he owes it all to the state. Tyler is prepared and excited to represent it in the best way he knows how.

• Texas: Grant Knoche. Hometown: Frisco, TX. Resident: Los Angeles, CA. Grant Knoche, 19, taught himself to write and produce in his childhood bedroom and he hasn’t looked back since. Grant’s synth-driven, deep bass and intimate pop songs have all been written and produced by him. On his way to gathering over 900,000 followers, Grant has spent most of his life on the road performing more than 160 shows across America, including on “Today,” at Radio City Music Hall, Woodstock and many other locales. Grant’s debut EP, “Color Me Blue,” has been featured on multiple top playlists and he was recently called out by Ones to Watch as “One of today’s finest rising pop stars.” Grant’s excited to represent his home state of Texas.

• U.S. Virgin Islands: Cruz Rock. Hometown: Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Resident: Miami, FL. Cruz Rock (born Frankie Garcia) is a Latin Caribbean singer, songwriter and producer whose heritage traces back to Trinidad and Tobago as well as Puerto Rico and Vieques. Born to a Trinidadian mother and a Puerto Rican father, he’s very influenced by these cultures so his music fuses Caribbean, American and Latin styles.

• Utah: Savannah Keyes. Hometown: Sandy, UT. Resident: Nashville, TN. From Utah originally, Savannah Keyes has been writing songs since age 13 after appearing on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Her influences in the pop world and roots in country music allow her to bring a new mix for the country genre. After moving to Nashville, she became a radio host and correspondent for Radio Disney Country’s new show “Let the Girls Play” and released a debut EP, “I’m Not California.”

• Vermont: Josh Panda. Hometown: Charlotte, NC. Resident: Burlington, VT. Josh Panda is known for his passionate stage performances, booming four-octave vocal range and for playing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, Americana, country, soul, blues, disco and rock. Josh has currently released three studio and one live albums, and has toured throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Josh is thrilled to represent Vermont as he feels its people have always embraced him as he is, and he is proud to call the state home.

• Virginia: Almira Zaky. Hometown: Herndon, VA. Resident: Herndon, VA. Almira Zaky’s journey as a vocalist began at a young age when she would perform for thousands all around the Washington, D.C., area at several venues including World Bank, the Embassy of Indonesia, University of District of Columbia, University of Maryland, and events such as the annual Cherry Blossom Festival and the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival. Almira is inspired by artists such as Kehlani, Jhene Aiko, Jojo and Ariana Grande and attributes her rhythmic R&B/pop influence to ’90s-’00s music. Her vibrant presence, outspoken lyrical skill, soulful tone and ability to relate to audiences all over the world has inspired others to become the boss of their own life. Almira, who is Muslim and proud of her Indonesian heritage, is very honored to represent her home state of Virginia, as it is the home to so many hip-hop/R&B musical legends, including Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, Chad Hugo and Missy Elliot.

• Washington: Allen Stone. Hometown: Chewelah, WA. Resident: Spokane, WA. Allen Stone was raised in the small town of Chewelah, Wash., and grew up on gospel music, spending much of his childhood as a pastor’s son watching his parents lead their congregation in song. By the time he was 11, he’d picked up a guitar, wrote his first song and soon began self-recording demo tapes to pass along to classmates. After dropping out of college, he moved to Seattle to kickstart his music career, often driving up and down the West Coast to play any and all gigs he could. He quickly developed a reputation for powerful live shows, playing up to 200 dates a year. In the years since, Allen has built a devoted following on the strength of his ability to channel a weight-of-the-world sensitivity into his songs while still radiating hope and promise. His easy grace in blending everything from edgy soul-pop and earthy folk-rock to throwback R&B and Parliament-inspired funk is reflected in his five full length albums – from his 2010 self-released debut album, “Last to Speak,” to 2021’s “Apart,” an intimate album recorded in a converted cabin during the pandemic. As a performer who has traveled the world, coming back to Washington has always been the only place Allen wants to call home. He is honored to be representing his state in this competition.

• Washington D.C.: NEITHER. Hometown: Washington, D.C.. Resident: Washington, D.C.. NËITHER, is a multi-disciplinary creative who has written songs alongside legends George Clinton (“Parliament”) and Ty$, developed original content for Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions (“The Chi,” “Queen + Slim”), sung background for Childish Gambino and acted in shows produced by Broadway heavyweights Charles Randolph Wright, Kenny Leon and Oprah Winfrey. This magic and mystery is what has colored him in such a dynamic way, with his music leaning into an eclectic sonic blend of R&B, hip-hop, pop and even classical elements. NËITHER wants to contribute to the new voice and history of the D.C. area and redefine what it means to be an artist from there.

• West Virginia: Alexis Cunningham. Hometown: Huntington, WV. Resident: Collegeville, PA. Born and raised in West Virginia, Alexis Cunningham got her start on YouTube writing songs on her acoustic guitar and signed her first development deal at age 19. Two years later she recorded an EP with touring musician and producer Robin DiMaggio. At age 23, she wrote and recorded a folk album with music producer Eric Bazilian and toured Sweden. Together, Alexis and Bazilian have entered into a long-lasting creative partnership, writing and recording a multitude of styles. It was with Slovenian producer Martin Stibernik that they found their right sound in a new album with the first single, “The Medicine,” released early this year. Alexis is thrilled to represent her home state on “American Song Contest.”

• Wisconsin: Jake’O. Hometown: Loreto Ridge, WI. Resident: Plain, WI. Jake’O is an American vocalist, guitarist, performer, and entertainer from Plain, Wisconsin. He combines vintage vibes, modern motifs, futuristic flair in every original song by fusing Rock ’n’ Roll, Blues, Pop, and R&B. Jake’O, the originator of the Nuvo-Retro sound —a term he coined to describe his genre and style— combines vintage vibes, modern motifs, and futuristic flair in every original song. He has built a reputation in Wisconsin by using his soulful vibrato voice, reverberating mile-wide guitar tone, electric showmanship, and signature baby blue brand. He is excited to make his family, friends and fans from his home of Wisconsin proud as he takes the national stage.

• Wyoming: Ryan Charles. Hometown: Buffalo, WY. Resident: Nashville, TN. Western rapper Ryan Charles from Wyoming brings a style all his own — meshing the cowboy lifestyle with flow of 2000’s rap. A natural-born entertainer, Charles quickly became one of the most skilled freestyle rappers on the school bus. As an artist, Charles has released a few singles, including the jiggy buckaroo bop “Gettin’ Western” in 2020 and most recently “Old Dirt Fancy” in 2021. Known for his signature fashion sense, light-hearted twang and high-energy live shows, Charles now continues to work on new music in Nashville.

L'Europazzia NEWS – Il blog tutto italiano dedicato alle ultime notizie e anticipazioni sull'Eurovision Song Contest

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