AwlaVision Song Contest 54

AwlaVision Song Contest 54, often referred to as ASC#54, was the fifty-fourth edition of AwlaVision Song Contest, held in Sofia, Bulgaria. The edition started the 04th December 2020, and ended the 26th December 2020.

43 countries took part in this edition. No one debuted in this edition. Kazakhstan withdrew from ASC. No one returned to the competition. Filip Baloš from Serbia won the contest with the song "Idemo do mene" receiving a total of 347 points, 41 points ahead the runner-up, Greece. Romania finished in third place with 288 points. The last winning country, Ukraine achieved a 11th place with 78 points. The last place was for Malta, that got 3 points.

Organisation
After Ukraine's victory in AwlaVision Song Contest 53, the NTU and 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 Sofia as the host city of ASC54.

The BNT decided to use popular and professionals people as presenters. Finally Nikol Stankulova and Niki Iliev were selected.

Armeets Arena
The Armeets Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Sofia, Bulgaria. It has a seating capacity of 12,373. For concerts it can grow to 17,906. It was originally called Arena Sofia before the Bulgarian insurance company Armeec purchased the naming rights. There are 887 parking lots, 614 of them placed in a central exterior parking, 231 placed in near streets and 42 designated for disabled people. Designed as a universal hall for cultural events and sports, the arena could host up to 30 types of sports, including basketball, volleyball, handball, futsal, boxing, tennis, weightlifting, fencing and gymnastics competitions as well as concerts.

The first major concert in the arena was held by Jean Michel Jarre, followed by artists Sade and Amorphis. The arena has hosted the 2012 European Taekwon-do ITF championship in May, followed by the 2012 Aerobic Gymnastics World Championships in the first three days of June. The city was previously awarded the 2004 edition of the event. During three days in February 2012 the arena hosted the Cirque du Soleil show Saltimbanco for the first time in Bulgaria. Between 9 and 11 November 2012 it also hosted the travelling ice show Disney on Ice, another debut for the country. The arena recorded its first sold-out game on 9 June 2012, when 12,501 fans (128 more than the official capacity) came to see the Olympic qualification volleyball match between France and Bulgaria. It will be used for the 2020 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. Bulgaria's ruling GERB party is a consistent user of the arena, having held its rallies and conferences within it for years. This trend was bucked during late 2019 Bulgarian local elections, as the party wanted to undertake a "humble" campaign.

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

Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the eponymous valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and has many mineral springs, such as the Sofia Central Mineral Baths. It has a humid continental climate. Being in the centre of the Balkans, it is midway between the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea, and closest to the Aegean Sea.

Known as Serdica in Antiquity and Sredets in the Middle Ages, Sofia has been an area of human habitation since at least 7000 BC. The recorded history of the city begins with the attestation of the conquest of Serdica by the Roman Republic in 29 BC from the Celtic tribe Serdi. During the decline of the Roman Empire, the city was raided by Huns, Visigoths, Avars and Slavs. In 809 Serdica was incorporated into the Bulgarian Empire by Khan Krum and became known as Sredets. In 1018, the Byzantines ended Bulgarian rule until 1194, when it was reincorporated by the reborn Bulgarian Empire. Sredets became a major administrative, economic, cultural and literary hub until its conquest by the Ottomans in 1382. From 1530 to 1826, Sofia was the regional capital of Rumelia Eyalet, the Ottoman Empire's key province in Europe. Bulgarian rule was restored in 1878. Sofia was selected as the capital of the Third Bulgarian State in the next year, ushering a period of intense demographic and economic growth.

Winters are relatively cold and snowy. In the coldest days temperatures can drop below −15 °C, most notably in January. Fog is not unusual, especially in the beginning of the season. On average, Sofia receives a total snowfall of 96 cm and 58 days with snow cover. The coldest recorded month was January 1942 with an average temperature of −9.3 °C, while the coldest year on record was 1940 with an annual temperature of 8.3 °C. Summers are quite warm and sunny. In summer, the city generally remains slightly cooler than other parts of Bulgaria, due to its higher altitude. However, the city is also subjected to heat waves with high temperatures reaching or exceeding 35 °C in the hottest days, particularly in July and August. The highest recorded temperature is 41 °C. The hottest recorded month was July 2012 with an average temperature of 25 °C. The warmest year on record was 2019 with an annual temperature of 11.9 °C. Springs and autumns in Sofia are usually short with variable and dynamic weather.

This is the second time in the contest that AwlaVision Song Contest is held in Bulgaria, but the first time that it is held in Sofia. The country was chosen since the ABU wanted a country that won recently but could not host due to the COVID19 regulations.

Participants
43 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)