Thukten Nyendra, performing as Nyendra, won Bhutan’s “Rhythm of Bhutan” song competition Tuesday, Aug. 11, earning the right to represent the country at the first Eurovision Song Contest Asia.
Nyendra won with “Lhayi Semo,” translated as “The Angel.” He will perform the song during the Eurovision Asia Grand Final on Nov. 14 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Sangay Lhaden Band placed second with “Pemi Tshewang Tashi,” or “The Legend.” Baeyul301 finished third with “Drenpa,” translated as “The Memories.”
Karma Drupchu placed fourth with “Pha Yuel,” or “The Homeland,” while Pelden Wangchuk finished fifth with “Jo’Druel,” translated as “The Journey.”
The five finalists performed at the Bhutan Broadcasting Service studios in Thimphu. The program was broadcast on BBS in Bhutan and streamed for international viewers through the Eurovision Song Contest’s YouTube channel.
The results were determined by three sets of votes. A professional jury and viewers in Bhutan each accounted for 40% of the result. Votes from viewers outside Bhutan accounted for the remaining 20%.
Each viewer received eight free votes, which had to be distributed among at least three songs. Viewers could also purchase a package of 10 additional votes.
Nyendra, 24, is a Bhutanese singer-songwriter and producer who works in pop, folk-pop, acoustic music and R&B. He is a graduate of Royal Thimphu College, where he studied mass communication and journalism.
After moving to Thimphu to pursue music, he began writing and producing songs independently in English and Dzongkha. His previous releases include “Oh No” and “Tell Me.” Nyendra wrote “Lhayi Semo” with Lungten Wangchuk.
The Sangay Lhaden Band has performed for more than 10 years in Bhutan, India and the United States. The group combines rock, folk and pop music. Sangay Lhaden performs in English, Dzongkha, Hindi, Nepali and Tibetan.
“Pemi Tshewang Tashi” was written by Sangay Lhaden, Sherab Dorji and Vivak Biswa. The song draws from the story of a 19th-century Bhutanese warrior remembered in the country’s traditional ballads.
Baeyul301 is a Bhutanese collective that combines pop, hip-hop and R&B with elements of the country’s culture. The group has recorded more than 5 million streams across digital platforms, released the album “Baeyul Womda” and toured Australia.
Its members are Jampel Zangpo, known as Ayejamp; Jamyang Yeshey; Mithup Dawa; Kaya Gyeltshen; and Tshering Tobgyel Jamtsho. The members and Vinod Ghalley received songwriting credit for “Drenpa.”
Karma Drupchu performs music combining folk and soft rock. He sings in English, Dzongkha, Hindi and Nepali and has appeared on “Indian Idol” and “Super Multi Talent.” He wrote “Pha Yuel” with Sonam Tenzin, known as Bongs.
Pelden Wangchuk previously finished as first runner-up on the first season of “Bhutan Got Talent.” His earlier releases include “Nge Yapyum,” “Yangchenma” and “Nge Dung Hu Choe.” He wrote “Jo’Druel” with Phurba Rigsel.
Phub Tshering and Kelzang Dolkar hosted the program. Tshering, a BBS anchor and producer with more than 10 years of experience, presented in Dzongkha. Dolkar, who works in entertainment and sports programming, presented in English.
The professional jury consisted of Choeying Jatsho, Pema Samdrup, Sonam Dorji and Ugyen.
Jatsho is the founder of M-Studio, a Thimphu music production company associated with the development of B-pop and rap in Bhutan. Samdrup is a senior instructor at the Royal Academy of Performing Arts who specializes in traditional music and masked dance.
The show also included traditional performances by students from a local secondary school. An official national-selection theme song, “Drukdra, Rhythm of Bhutan,” was written and composed by Karma and Phurba Rigsel.
All five finalists had participated in the 2025 “Druk Dra” selection program. That competition ended before its planned final because Eurovision Asia had not been formally announced at the time.
The Bhutanese Department of Media, Creative Industry and Intellectual Property provided financial support for this year’s selection.
Bhutan became the first country to select a performer for the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia. The competition is the first multinational expansion of the Eurovision Song Contest format.
The Nov. 14 Grand Final will be held at IdeaLive in Bangkok. Thailand’s Channel 3 will serve as host broadcaster, working with the European Broadcasting Union, Voxovation and S2O Productions.
Broadcasters from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam were among the first 10 participants announced for the contest.
