OMSC 27

Online Music Song Contest 27, often referred to as OMSC 27, was the twenty-seventh edition of Online Music Song Contest, held in Oulu, after Finland won the previous edition of the contest.

The Pre-Qualification Round of OMSC 27 occured on the 22ⁿᵈ May 2022, the Semi-Finals on the 29ᵗʰ May 2022 while the Final occured on the 5ᵗʰ June 2022. Fifty-five countries participated in the twenty-seventh contest, under the slogan “Be Healthy!”.

Israel won the contest with the song "Holehet It’ha (הולכת איתך)", sung entirely in Hebrew, receving a total of 144 points. Egypt finished in second place with a margin of eighteen points from the winner, while Spain finished in third place. They were followed by American Samoa, which reached the fourth place and Belarus which reached the fifth place.

Location
After it's victory in the previous edition, the broadcaster YLE chose to host the contest in the fifth most populous of Finland, Oulu, which has a population of 210,000 inhabitants. Oulu is located in northern Finland, a considerable distance from the other cities in the country. It is located 607 kilometers north of the capital Helsinki. Mainland Finland's northernmost and southernmost points are roughly equidistant from Oulu. Oulu's coast sits at the Bothnian Bay and the Swedish mainland is about 180 kilometers directly west across it. Due to its large population and cultural-historical location, Oulu has been called the "Capital of Northern Finland".

Oulu is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of river Oulujoki, which is an ancient trading site. The city proper was founded on the 8ᵗʰ of April 1605 by King Charles IX of Sweden, opposite the fort built on the island of Linnansaari. This took place after favourable peace settlements with Russia, which removed the threat of attack via the main east–west waterway, the river Oulu. The surrounding areas were populated much earlier. Oulu was the capital of the Province of Oulu from 1776 to 2009.

In 1822, a major fire destroyed much of the city. The architect Carl Ludvig Engel, chiefly known for the neoclassical buildings around Helsinki Senate Square, was enlisted to provide the plan for its rebuilding. With minor changes, this plan remains the basis for the layout of Oulu's town center. The Oulu Cathedral was built in 1832 to his designs, with the spire being finished in 1844. During the Åland War, part of the Crimean War, Oulu's harbour was raided by the British fleet, who destroyed ships and burned tar houses, leading to international criticism.

Once known for wood tar and salmon, Oulu has evolved into a major high-tech centre, particularly in information technology and wellness technology. Other prominent industries include wood refining, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paper, and steel. Oulu is also considered one of Europe's "living laboratories", where residents experiment with new technology (such as NFC tags and ubi-screens) on a community-wide scale. Oulu's development began when the university was founded in 1958. Oulu has also been very successful in recent urban image surveys; in a study published by the Finnish Economic Survey in 2008, it received the best ranking of large cities in image ratings across the country, including ratings from respondents in all provinces. The city is chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2026.

Participants
Fifty-five countries participated in the twenty-seventh edition of the contest: fifteen European countries (Åland Islands, Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain), fifteen Asian countries (Abkhazia, Armenia, British Indian Ocean Territories, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, North Korea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam), nine American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay), seven Oceanian countries (American Samoa, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, New Zealand) and nine African countries (Benin, Canary Islands, Egypt, eSwatini, Ethiopia, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe).

In this edition Benin, Dominica, eSwatini and Grenada participated for the first time.

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

Alex Cotoi represented Romania at its tenth appearence in the eighteenth edition of the contest, together with Inna and Elvana Gjata. The performed song was "Papa", which placed 22ⁿᵈ out of 50 participating countries with 36 points. In this occasion he was selected to represent Moldova together with Misha Miller, with the song "Touché", sung both in English and French, placing 20ᵗʰ out of 55 participating countries with 55 points.

IVE represented South Korea five editions ago, in the twenty-second edition. With their song "Eleven" they unfortunately didn't make it to the final, placing 35ᵗʰ out of 50 participating countries with 74 points. In this occasion the girl group was selected to represent South Korea again. This time the performed songs was "Love Dive", which placed 13ᵗʰ with 74 points.

AWA represented Senegal in the sixteenth edition of the contest, in Novi Sad. She performed her song "Like I Do" which placed 27ᵗʰ out of 50 participating countries with 91 points, in the semi-final. In this occasion she was selected to represent Senegal again, this time together with the British record producer Jonas Blue, also returning this edition. She performed the song "Something Stupid" which placed 25ᵗʰ out of 55 participanting countries with 45 points.

Parade of Planets represented Belarus at its fourth appearence, in the twenty-second edition of the contest. The group performed the song "Où Est Ton Amour?", sung entirely in French, which placed 3ʳᵈ out of 50 participating countries with 144 points, achieving the best Belarusian result to date. In this occasion they were selected to represent Belarus again. The chosen song was "Toi Et Moi" and was sung again entirely in French. It placed 5ᵗʰ out of 55 participanting countries with 112 points, obtaining almost the same success as in their previous participation.

Betta Lemme represented Canada in the special twentieth edition of the contest with her song "Bambola", performed in three languages: English, French and Italian. It placed 8ᵗʰ in the final with 95 points. In this occasion she was selected to represent Canada again, with her song "Give It", sung both in English and French, which placed 50ᵗʰ out of 55 participants with 197 points, in the pre-qualification round.

Charli XCX represented Uganda at its last appearence in the contest, in the twenty-second edition of the contest, in Vancouver. She performed her song "Good Ones", sung in English, which placed 23ʳᵈ out of 50 participating countries with 51 points and remains Uganda's best result so far. In this occasion she represented the same country, with her song "Used To Know Me", placing 10ᵗʰ with 89 points.

Alewya represented Ethiopia at its fourth appearence in the twenty-second edition of the contest. She performed her song "Play" which placed 7ᵗʰ out of 50 participating countries with 108 points, achieving the best Ethiopian result to date. In this occasion she represented Ethiopia again with the song "Jagna", sung in English, placing 44ᵗʰ with 54 points, without unfortunately qualifying for the final.

PVRIS represented the Marshall Islands in the sixteenth edition of the contest with their song "Death Of Me". It was punished as a result of a reported voting fraud but managed to place 10ᵗʰ out of 50 participating countries with 89 points anyways. In this occasion the band was selected to represent Guam, this time with the song "Hallucinations", placing 33ʳᵈ with 74 points.

Ami represented Romania five editions ago, in OMSC 22. She performed, together with Tata Vlad, the song "Enigma". It was sung entirely in Romanian and which placed 27ᵗʰ out of 50 participating countries with 107 points, without unfortunately qualifying for the final. In this occasion she represented Romania again, this time as a soloist. She performed her song "Dulce Simfonie", again in Romanian. It placed 8ᵗʰ with 100 points.

Jonas Blue represented Sint Maarten at its debut in the third edition of the contest, together with Tiësto and Rita Ora. He performed the song "Ritual", sung in English, which made it to the final and placed 3ʳᵈ out of 27 participating countries with 71 points. He returned to the contest for Argentina in the twenty-second edition. He performed the song "Wild", sung both in English and Spanish, together with Tini and Chelcee Grimes. The song eventually placed 22ⁿᵈ with 62 points. In this occasion he was selected to represent Senegal, this time together with the Swedish-Senegalese singer AWA, also returning this edition. He performed the song "Something Stupid" which placed 25ᵗʰ out of 55 participanting countries with 45 points.

Alyssa Reid represented Ireland at its fourth appearence in the nineteenth edition of the contest with her song "A Million Voices", which placed 2ⁿᵈ out of 50 participating countries with 129 points, achieving the island nation's best result so far. In this occasion she was re-selected internally to represent Ireland. She competed with her song "Don’t Call Me", which didn't obtain the same success placing 40ᵗʰ out of 55 participating countries with 59 points, without unfortunately qualifying for the final.

Felicia Lu represented Germany back in the sixteenth edition of the contest, with her song "Pay", performed in English. It placed 2ⁿᵈ out of 50 participating countries with 122 points and remains the best German result to date. In this occasion Fürstentum Liechtenstein Television (FLTV) made her the proposal to represent Liechtenstein, returning after four editions of hiatus. She accepted and represented the tiny European nation with her song "Wish You Well", which didn't obtain the same success placing 34ᵗʰ with 72 points, in the semi-finals.

Daria represented Poland at its last appearence in the contest, in the twenty-fifth edition. She participated with her song "Paranoia" which achieved Poland's worst result ever, placing 53ʳᵈ out of 55 participating countries with 102 points, in the pre-qualification round. In this occasion she was chosen to represent Poland again, this time not as soloist. She competed together with the German duo Kush Kush. The performed song was "Never Ending Story", which placed 31ˢᵗ out of 55 participating countries with 82 points, in the semi-finals.

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

• Anguilla – National Broadcasting Corporation of Anguilla (NBCA) announced on the 14ᵗʰ May 2022 that Anguilla would withdraw from the competition, probably because of the poor results achieved since their debut.

• Azerbaijan – İctimai Televiziya və Radio Yayımları Şirkəti (İTV) announced on the 11ᵗʰ May 2022 Azerbaijan's withdrawal from the contest, without further explanation.

• British Virgin Islands – British Virgin Islands did not appear on the list of participants published on the 15ᵗʰ May 2022.

• China – China Central Television (CCTV) announced on the 12ᵗʰ May 2022 that China would withdraw from the contest, probably because of the poor results achieved in the last five participations.

• Colombia – Radio Televisión Nacional de Colombia (RTVC) announced on the 13ᵗʰ May 2022 that its participation in the twenty-seventh edition of the contest would not be possible, without further explanation.

• Guatemala – Radio y Televisión de Guatemala (RTG) announced on the 14ᵗʰ May 2022, that Guatemala would not participate in the twenty-seventh edition of the contest, because of financial difficulties.

• Hong Kong – Hong Kong's broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) announced on the 11ᵗʰ May 2022 its withdrawal from the contest, because of the broadcaster's intention to focus on news content instead of music and entertainment.

• Italy – Radio Televisione Italiana (RAI) announced the country's withdrawal immediately after the submission period started, on the 8ᵗʰ May 2022. The broadcaster stated that at the moment all their efforts are dedicated to making a great Eurovision Song Contest in May 2022.

• Jamaica – Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) announced on the 15ᵗʰ May 2022 its withdrawal from the contest, due to a lack of interest from the Jamaican public.

• Jordan – Jordanian broadcaster Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) announced the country's withdrawal right after the final, probably because of the poor results achieved since their debut.

• Lesotho – Lesotho National Broadcasting Service (LNBS) announced on the 15ᵗʰ May 2022 that Lesotho's participation in the twenty-seventh edition of the contest would not be possible, citing debts and the ongoing financial issues.

• Lithuania – Lithuanian broadcaster Lietuvos Nacionalinis Radijas ir Televizija (LRT) announced on the 10ᵗʰ May 2022, that Lithuania would not participate in the twenty-seventh edition of the contest.

• Malaysia – Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) announced on the 12ᵗʰ May 2022, that Malaysia would withdraw from the contest, for unknown reasons.

• Martinique – Martinican broadcaster Martinique La Première (MLP) announced on the 14ᵗʰ May 2022 that Martinique's participation in the twenty-seventh edition of the contest would not be possible, without further explanations.

• Mexico – Mexico's broadcaster Sistema Público de Radiodifusión del Estado Mexicano (SPR) announced on the 13ᵗʰ May 2022 its withdrawal from the contest, despite achieving a good result and their best result to date in the previous edition.

• Micronesia – Federated States of Micronesia Broadcasting Association (FSMBA) announced on the 15ᵗʰ May 2022 its withdrawal from the contest, because of financial crisis.

• Mongolia – Mongolian National Broadcaster (MNB) announced the country's withdrawal on the 11ᵗʰ May 2022.

• Nigeria – Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) announced the country's withdrawal on the 15ᵗʰ May 2022, after the disappointment from the results of their previous attempts in the contest.

• Norway – Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK) announced on the 9ᵗʰ May 2022 that Norway would withdraw from the contest after six consecutive participations.

• Palau – Palau did not appear on the list of participants published on the 15ᵗʰ May 2022.

• Puerto Rico – Corpración de Puerto Rico para la Difusión Pública (CPRDP) announced Puerto Rico's withdrawal from the contest a couple of days after the confirmation period started, due to financial difficulties.

• Saint Pierre and Miquelon – Saint Pierre and Miquelon did not appear on the list of participants published on the 15ᵗʰ May 2022.

• San Marino – San Marino's broadcaster (SMRTV) announced on the 10ᵗʰ May 2022 its withdrawal from the contest for unknown reasons.

• Serbia – While Radio-televizija Srbije (RTS) had provisionally confirmed their participation in the contest on the 8ᵗʰ May 2022 and rumours about a possible representative, Serbia later announced a withdrawal in the following days.

• Sint Maarten – Sint Maarten's broadcaster (TVCARiB) announced on the 13ᵗʰ May 2022 its withdrawal from the contest for unknown reasons.

• South Sudan – South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation Television (SSBC TV) announced on the 15ᵗʰ May 2022 that South Sudan would not take part in the competition in this edition, without further explanations.

• Sweden – Sveriges Television (SVT) announced the withdrawal a few days after the confirmations opened, after five consecutive participations.

• United Kingdom – British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) announced the country's withdrawal on the 10ᵗʰ May 2022.

• Ukraine – Ukrainian broadcaster Nacional'na Suspilʹna Teleradiokompanija Ukraïny (UA:PBC) confirmed that Ukraine was unable to participate also in this edition of the contest, citing martial law imposed on the country as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war.

• United States’ Virgin Islands – United States’ Virgin Islands did not appear on the list of participants published on the 15ᵗʰ May 2022.

• Wallis and Futuna – Wallis-et-Futuna La Première (WFLP) announced on the 15ᵗʰ May 2022 the island nation's withdrawal from the contest, citing debts and the ongoing financial issues.

• Yemen – Yemen's broadcaster (YTV) announced on the 11ᵗʰ May 2022 its withdrawal from the contest, after the disappointment from the results of their debut.

Other Countries
• Niue – On the 9ᵗʰ May 2022, Niue's broadcaster Broadcasting Corporation of Niue (BCN) announced that they were planning a debut again in OMSC 27, after their previous attempts in OMSC 23 and OMSC 26. However, it was later confirmed on the 12ᵗʰ May 2022 that the country would not debut in this edition of the contest either.