OMSC 2

Online Music Song Contest 2, often referred to as OMSC 2, was the second edition of Online Music Song Contest, held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

The Final of OMSC 2 occured on the 25ᵗʰ September 2020. Fourteen countries participated in the second contest, under the slogan “Be Ready To Fight!”.

Aidana Deka from Kyrgyzstan won the contest with the song "Ergüü (Эргүү)" receving a total of 94 points. Ukraine finished in second place, with Algeria finishing in third place. They were followed by Sweden, which reached the fourth place and Morocco which reached the fifth place.

This makes Kyrgyzstan the first country to win the Online Music Song Contest two editions in a row and the first country to win on home soil. Moreover, both Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine placed exactly as in the previous edition, respectively first and second.

Location
The broadcaster KTRK chose to host the contest in the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek. Bishkek is the most populated city in Kyrgyzstan having a population of 1,012,500. It situated at an altitude of about 800 meters, just off the northern fringe of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too range, an extension of the Tian Shan mountain range, which rises to a height of 4,895 meters. North of the city, a fertile and gently undulating steppe extends far north into neighboring Kazakhstan and the Chui River drains most of the area.

In 1825, the Khanate of Kokand established the fortress of "Pishpek" to control local caravan routes and to collect tribute from Kyrgyz tribes. On the 4ᵗʰ September 1860, with the approval of the Kyrgyz, Russian forces led by Colonel Apollon Zimmermann destroyed the fortress. In 1868, a Russian settlement was established on the site of the fortress under its original name, "Pishpek". It lay within the General Governorship of Russian Turkestan and its Semirechye Oblast.

In 1925, the Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast was established in Russian Turkestan, promoting Pishpek to its capital. In 1926, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union renamed the city as Frunze, after the Bolshevik military leader Mikhail Frunze, who was born there. In 1936, the city of Frunze became the capital of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic, during the final stages of the national delimitation in the Soviet Union. In 1991, the Kyrgyz parliament changed the capital's name to "Bishkek".

Nowadays 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.

Participants
Fourteen countries participated in the second edition of the contest: six European countries (Åland Islands, Faroe Islands, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine), three Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan), three American countries (Brazil, Canada, United States of America) and two African countries (Algeria, Morocco). It was the first edition in which not even an Oceanian country participated.

It's the smallest number of participants since the start of the contest, with the Åland Islands, Algeria, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Morocco, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Tajikistan participating for the first time.

Returning Artists
This edition featured one representative who had performed previously as lead vocalists for the same country. Fallulah represented the Faroe Islands in the very first edition of the contest with her song "Give Us A Little Love" sung in English, which placed 5ᵗʰ out of 18 participating countries with 62 points. In this occasion, Fallulah performed her song "Out Of It", again in English, placing 7ᵗʰ.

Withdrawing Countries
These countries confirmed their non-participation in the second edition of the contest:

• Australia – When submission period started, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) stated that they had yet to make a decision on their participation. Australia did not appear on the list of participants published on the 20ᵗʰ September 2020.

• Belgium – Belgian broadcasters VRT and RTBF confirmed on the 15ᵗʰ September 2020 that it would not take part in the second edition of the contest.

• Chad – Chad did not appear on the list of participants published on the 20ᵗʰ September 2020.

• Crimea – Crimea announced on the 18ᵗʰ September 2020 that its participation in the second edition of the contest would not be possible.

• Denmark – Danish broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR) announced the country's withdrawal immediately after the submission period started, on the 12ᵗʰ September 2020, for unknown reasons.

• France – On the 12ᵗʰ September 2020, GRF announced that France would not participate in the second edition of OMSC.

• Japan – Japanese broadcaster NHK announced the country's withdrawal immediately after the submission period started, on the 12ᵗʰ September 2020, probably because of the poor results in the first edition of OMSC.

• Luxembourg – Luxembourgish broadcaster RTL confirmed on the 18ᵗʰ September 2020 that it would not take part in the second edition of the contest.

• Poland – While Telewizja Polska (TVP) had provisionally confirmed their participation in the contest on the 16ᵗʰ September 2020, Poland did not appear on the list of participants published on the 20ᵗʰ September 2020.

• Slovenia – Slovenia announced on the 14ᵗʰ September 2020 that its participation in the second edition of the contest would not be possible.

• South Korea – South Korea announced the country's withdrawal immediately after the submission period started, on the 12ᵗʰ September 2020, for unknown reasons.

• United States' Virgin Islands did not appear on the list of participants published on the 20ᵗʰ September 2020.

• Uruguay – When submission period started, Televisión Nacional Uruguay (TNU) stated that they had yet to make a decision on their participation. Uruguay later confirmed its withdrawal on the 13ᵗʰ September 2020.

Other Countries
• Argentina – Televisión Pública Argentina was set to debut in this edition after they originally confirmed their participation on the 15ᵗʰ September 2020. However, their withdrawal from the contest was announced as they missed the submission deadline.

• Russia – Russia confirmed their debut on the 18ᵗʰ September 2020 but they missed the submission deadline and therefore could not take part.