AwlaVision Song Contest 59

AwlaVision Song Contest 59, often referred to as ASC#59, was the fifty-ninth edition of AwlaVision Song Contest, held in Prague, Czech Republic. The edition started the 03rd September 2021 and ended the 26th September 2021.

41 countries took part in this edition. No one debuted in this edition. Georgia withdrew from ASC. No one returned to the competition. Keezyporta from Spain won the contest with the song "Por ti" receiving a total of 295 points, 4 points ahead the runner-up, Sweden. Italy finished in third place with 280 points. The last winning country, Denmark achieved a 14th place with 51 points. The last place was for Latvia, that got 7 points.

Organisation
After Denmark's victory in AwlaVision Song Contest 56, the ABU had to decide where to organise the contest this time. Due to the COVID19 regulations, the ABU decided to organise the contest in a pre-selected venue before the last winning country was selected and again, having it with audience limitations. Finally, the ABU chose Prague as the host city of ASC59.

The ČT decided to use popular and professionals people as presenters. Finally Albert Černý and Monika Leová were selected.

O2 Arena
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Prague, Czech Republic. It is home to HC Sparta Prague of the Czech Extraliga and is the second-largest ice hockey arena in Europe. It has hosted important sporting events such as the two Ice Hockey World Championships (2004 and 2015), first edition of prestigious tennis Laver Cup, the European Athletics Indoor Championships, the Euroleague Final Four 2006, the World Floorball Championship, the Davis Cup finals, as well as a handful of NHL and KHL games, including a 2014 Gagarin Cup final. It can also host stage shows, such as concerts, and other large-scale events.

The idea of building a new arena in Prague came on the heels of the "golden era" of Czech ice hockey: winning the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and three gold medals in a row at the Ice Hockey World Championships. The arena was proposed to be built in time to host the 2003 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships, but due to unforeseen complications with the investors, the ice hockey governing body had to switch that tournament to Finland. The arena's main backer then became Sazka a.s., a Czech betting company. The construction of the arena (which began in September 2002) was not without problems, but it was finally finished in time to host the 2004 tournament, the 2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships.

In March 2008, the building was renamed O2 Arena. In March 2011, Sazka filed for insolvency due to debts from building the arena. From its opening until 2015, it was home to HC Slavia Prague of the Czech Extraliga. Slavia won the national championship on home ice in Game 7 of the 2008 Extraliga finals against HC Karlovy Vary 4-0 in front of a then-league-record crowd of 17,117. In 2015, Slavia was relegated to the 1.liga, and the club chose to move back to the smaller Zimní stadion Eden, the team's former home and current training centre. In its place, O2 Arena reached an agreement with cross-town rivals Sparta Prague on 24 June 2015. Sparta ownership cited the need for significant renovations at Tipsport Arena as the main reason for the move. For two seasons, 2012–13 and 2013–14, O2 Arena also hosted occasional home games of HC Lev Prague of the Kontinental Hockey League. The club played its home games of the 2014 Gagarin Cup Finals at O2 Arena, attracting the three largest crowds in league history. In 2015, O2 Arena co-hosted the IIHF World Championship with ČEZ Aréna in Ostrava for the second time. This time, the tournament re-established the record for World Championship attendance. In 2017, it hosted the 1st edition of Laver Cup international indoor hard court men's tennis tournament between Europe and Team World.

Due to the world COVID19 situation and its regulations in the European Union and Czech Republic, this was the ninth edition that was held with public attendance limitations to all of the shows and without present press and media.

Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, the 13th largest city in the European Union and the historical capital of Bohemia. Situated on the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 2.7 million. The city has a temperate oceanic climate, with relatively warm summers and chilly winters.

Prague is a political, cultural, and economic centre of central Europe complete with a rich history. Founded during the Romanesque and flourishing by the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque eras, Prague was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia and the main residence of several Holy Roman Emperors, most notably of Charles IV (r. 1346–1378). It was an important city to the Habsburg Monarchy and its Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city played major roles in the Bohemian and the Protestant Reformations, the Thirty Years' War and in 20th-century history as the capital of Czechoslovakia between the World Wars and the post-war Communist era.

Prague is home to a number of well-known cultural attractions, many of which survived the violence and destruction of 20th-century Europe. Main attractions include Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square with the Prague astronomical clock, the Jewish Quarter, Petřín hill and Vyšehrad. Since 1992, the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The city has more than ten major museums, along with numerous theatres, galleries, cinemas, and other historical exhibits. An extensive modern public transportation system connects the city. It is home to a wide range of public and private schools, including Charles University in Prague, the oldest university in Central Europe.

Prague has an oceanic climate with humid continental influences, defined as such by the 0 °C isotherm. The winters are relatively cold with average temperatures at about freezing point, and with very little sunshine. Snow cover can be common between mid-November and late March although snow accumulations of more than 20 cm are infrequent. There are also a few periods of mild temperatures in winter. Summers usually bring plenty of sunshine and the average high temperature of 24 °C. Nights can be quite cool even in summer, though. Precipitation in Prague (and most of the Bohemian lowland) is rather low since it is located in the rain shadow of the Sudetes and other mountain ranges. The driest season is usually winter while late spring and summer can bring quite heavy rain, especially in form of thundershowers. Prague is also a windy city with common sustained western winds and an average wind speed of 16 km/h that often help break temperature inversions and clear the air in cold months.

This is the second time in the contest that AwlaVision Song Contest is held in Czech Republic. The country was chosen since the ABU wanted a territory with low COVID19 incidence to host the competition.

Participants
41 countries took part in the edition.

Withdrawing countries
Bellow a list of all withdrawing countries:

First Semifinal
Jury
 * (Last winner)
 * (Finalist)
 * (Finalist)

Second Semifinal
Jury
 * (Finalist)
 * (Finalist)
 * (Finalist)