OMSC 11

Online Music Song Contest 11, often referred to as OMSC 11, was the eleventh edition of Online Music Song Contest, held in Stockholm, after Sweden won the previous edition of the contest.

The Semi-Finals of OMSC 11 occured on the 28ᵗʰ March 2021 while the Final occured on the 4ᵗʰ April 2021. Forty-one* countries participated in the eleventh contest, under the slogan “Light Up, Shoot Up!”.

Location


After it's victory in the previous edition, the broadcaster SVT chose to host the contest in the capital of Sweden, Stockholm. Stockholm is the most populous urban area in Sweden as well as in Scandinavia. It has a population of around 1,000,000 inhabitants and it's located on Sweden's east coast, where the freshwater Lake Mälaren, Sweden's third largest lake, flows out into the Baltic Sea. The central parts of the city consist of fourteen islands that are continuous with the Stockholm archipelago.

After the Ice Age, there were already many people living in what is today the Stockholm area, but as temperatures dropped, inhabitants moved south. Thousands of years later, as the climate became tolerable and the lands became fertile, people began to migrate back to the North. At the intersection of the Baltic Sea and lake Mälaren is an archipelago site where the Old Town of Stockholm was first built from about 1000 CE by Vikings. They had a positive trade impact on the area because of the trade routes they created.

The city originally rose to prominence as a result of the Baltic trade of the Hanseatic League. Stockholm developed strong economic and cultural linkages with Lübeck, Hamburg, Gdańsk, Visby, Reval, and Riga during this time. Between 1296 and 1478 Stockholm's City Council was made up of 24 members, half of whom were selected from the town's German-speaking burghers. The strategic and economic importance of the city made Stockholm an important factor in relations between the Danish Kings of the Kalmar Union and the national independence movement in the 15ᵗʰ century. The Danish King Christian II was able to enter the city in 1520. On the 8ᵗʰ November 1520, a massacre of opposition figures called the Stockholm Bloodbath took place and set off further uprisings that eventually led to the breakup of the Kalmar Union. With the accession of Gustav Vasa in 1523 and the establishment of royal power, the population of Stockholm began to grow, reaching 10,000 by 1600.

The 17ᵗʰ century saw Sweden grow into a major European power, reflected in the development of the city of Stockholm. From 1610 to 1680 the population multiplied sixfold. In 1634, Stockholm became the official capital of the Swedish empire. Trading rules were also created that gave Stockholm an essential monopoly over trade between foreign merchants and other Swedish and Scandinavian territories. In 1710, a plague killed about 36% of the population. After the end of the Great Northern War the city stagnated. Population growth halted and economic growth slowed. The city was in shock after having lost its place as the capital of a Great power. However, Stockholm maintained its role as the political centre of Sweden and continued to develop culturally.

By the second half of the 19ᵗʰ century, Stockholm had regained its leading economic role. New industries emerged and Stockholm was transformed into an important trade and service centre as well as a key gateway point within Sweden. The population also grew dramatically during this time, mainly through immigration. At the end of the 19ᵗʰ century, less than 40% of the residents were born in Stockholm.

Nowadays, Stockholm is the cultural, media, political, and economic centre of Sweden. It's also the seat of the Swedish government and most of its agencies, including the highest courts in the judiciary, and the official residencies of the Swedish monarch and the Prime Minister. Stockholm is home to some of Europe's top ranking universities, such as the Stockholm School of Economics, Karolinska Institute and the Royal Institute of Technology. It hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies and banquet at the Stockholm Concert Hall and Stockholm City Hall. One of the city's most prized museums, the Vasa Museum, is the most visited non-art museum in Scandinavia.

Participants
Forty-one* countries participated in the eleventh edition of the contest: fifteen European countries (Åland Islands, Albania, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vatican), nine Asian countries (Armenia, India, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, Vietnam), eleven American countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States of America, United States' Virgin Islands), three Oceanian countries (Australia, Micronesia, Palau) and three African countries (Guinea, Morocco, Namibia).

In this edition Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Guatemala, Guinea, Namibia and Serbia participated for the first time.

Returning Artists
This edition featured two representatives who had performed previously as lead vocalists for a country in the contest.

Annalisa represented Italy at its debut in the fourth edition of the contest with her song "Tsunami" sung in Italian, which placed 7ᵗʰ out of 38 participating countries with 69 points. In this occasion, she represented Vatican with her song "Avocado Toast", sung again in Italian, trying to achieve a better result!

Jax Jones represented the United Kingdom in the previous edition of the contest, together with Madison Beer and Martin Solveig, with the song "All Day And Night" sung in English, which placed 11ᵗʰ out of 46 participating countries with 71 points. In this occasion, he represented debut nation Antigua and Barbuda, together with Au/Ra, with the song "I Miss U", again in English, trying to achieve an even better result!

National Selections
Albania, Germany, Micronesia, the Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico and the United States' Virgin Islands used a National Selection to determine the country's representative for OMSC 11.

Your Voice for Albania (OMSC 11)
Main article: Your Voice for Albania (OMSC 11)

Deutschlands Empfehlung Für Den Online Music Song Contest (OMSC 11)
Main article: Deutschlands Empfehlung Für Den Online Music Song Contest (OMSC 11)

Out In The Sea (OMSC 11)
Main article: Out In The Sea (OMSC 11)

Kanta ng Pilipinas (OMSC 11)
Main article: Kanta ng Pilipinas (OMSC 11)

Krajowe Eliminacje (OMSC 11)
Main article: Krajowe Eliminacje (OMSC 11)

Selección de la Canción Puertorriqueña (OMSC 11)
Main article: Selección de la Canción Puertorriqueña (OMSC 11)

Virgin National Final (OMSC 11)
Main article: Virgin National Final (OMSC 11)

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