Karaoke World Championships History Genre International singing competition Country of origin Finland Organisation(s) Oy KWC Organisation Ltd Established 2003 Reigning champions Elizabeth Moya (solo) Tanya Ilios & Polina Topalova (duets) The Karaoke World Championships are an international karaoke competition, featuring approximately 30 countries worldwide.Karaoke World Championships Official Webpage First established in 2003, the first edition of the championships consisted of seven participating countries.
Format National trials are conducted every year in most participating countries, with the winners competing in the international finals for the title of Karaoke World Champion. Singers from countries without a Nation Partner may enter through global video heats instead, going to represent countries who would otherwise not have a presence in the Worlds Finals.
From 2003 to 2017, two separate categories for male and female contestants were contested. In 2018, the gendered categories were merged into one solo performer category. In 2016, a duet category was introduced. Extra categories have included KWC Juniors (2017) and Champions Round (2018).
History Finland was the host country for the international finals from 2003 until 2005. In 2006, the finals were held aboard the M/S Galaxy whilst cruising the Baltic Sea from Helsinki to Estonia return. Thailand was the first country to host the finals outside of Finland in September 2007. In 2008, the event returned to Finland, and was twice consecutively in Lahti Hall.
In December 2005, the top five male and female champions of that year were invited to perform for the Princess of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand during the "KWC Lights Up the Night" tsunami fundraising concert. The black tie concert was televised throughout Thailand and raised money for the 2004 tsunami victims.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 championships, set to be held in Toronto, Canada, were held online.Official Information on KWC 2020 In 2025, the championships, which were expected to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, were cancelled due to the passing of Queen Mother Sirikit.
Statistics The United States holds the record of most first places in the solo category (including male and female) with five, followed by the United Kingdom with four, and Australia, Lebanon, and Panama, all three with three each. In the duets category, no nation has won more than once. The United States also has the most top three placements in the solo category with 16, followed by Finland with 11. In the duets category, Panama has the most top three placements with six, followed by the United States with four.
Editions
N°DateHost cityVenue 1st 2003 Helsinki, Finland Heinola's Summertheatre 2nd 2004 3rd 2005 4th 2006 Helsinki, Finland Tallinn, Estonia M/S Galaxy 5th 2007 Bangkok, Thailand Suan Lum Bangkok Night Bazaar 6th 2008 Lahti, Finland Lahti Hall 7th 2009 8th 2010 Moscow, Russia Forum Center 9th 2011 Killarney, Ireland Gleneagle Hotel & Conference Centre 10th 2012 Lappeenranta, Finland Holiday Club Saimaa 11th 2013 12th 2014 Stockholm, Sweden Solidaritet Arena 13th 2015 Singapore Orchard Plaza 14th 2016 Vancouver, Canada Edgewater Casino 15th 2017 Helsinki, Finland Tapahtumakeskus Telakka 16th 2018 Apollo Live Club 17th 2019 Tokyo, Japan Kanda Myojin Shrine Hall 18th 2020 Event held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic 19th 2021 20th 2022 Årnes, Norway Nes Kulturhus 21st November 6–11, 2023 Panama City, Panama Hotel El Panamá 22nd October 7–12, 2024 Turku, Finland Logomo 23rd 2025 Event cancelled due to Queen Mother Sirikit's passing 24th October 25–29, 2026 Las Vegas, United States Silverton Casino
Winners Male category (2003–2017) YearFirst placeSecond placeThird place 2003 Uche Eke Olli-Pekka Junttila Jan-Mikael Pennanen 2004 Thomas Strübler Robin Berg Bret Harmon 2005 Iyad Sfeir Danny Cummins Ari Koivunen 2006 Mark Wilson David September Badri Ibrahim 2007 Lu Hee Wah Michael Moses Griffin David Naughton 2008 Michael Bates Anthony Garcia Medhanie Mezgebe 2009 Adrian Kenny Sami Muhonen Elie-Georges Hatem 2010 Sam Moudden Fedor Rytikov Georg Duschlbauer 2011 Marc Hatem Joel Cruz Vladimir Pak 2012 Luis Boutin Ville Pyykönen Cornelius Andrews 2013 Teruhisa Tanaka Michael Asovale Roman Leyba 2014 Anthony Montius Magee Mitchell Freeman Kamsani "Sunny Jackson" Jumahat 2015 Muhammad Fairus bin Adam Jeff Edwards Michael Victorero 2016 Ryota Kaizo Gabriel Much Marc Motzer 2017 Pedro Matias Didier Coste Andy Navarrete
Female category (2003–2017) YearFirst placeSecond placeThird place 2003 Danni Cadby Säde Hovisilta Christine Aas-Hals 2004 Samantha Sayegh Shirley Lowther Cathrine Hovland 2005 Rachel Browne Saisunee Sukhakrit Isabel Viana 2006 Tham Hui Chyi Yao Dan Veronica Konnova 2007 Julie Walter-Sgro Vanessa Cooney Gabriella Lukács 2008 Julie Gonnet Elaine O’Halloran Jasmine Kara 2009 Nataliya Pilyutina Dina David Jenni Roth 2010 Maria Saarimaa-Ylitalo Julia Kurileva Tami Marie 2011 Cassandra Jopp Estefania Gralla Jerrica Santos 2012 Raquel Pando Candice Skjonnemand Lilibeth Garcia 2013 Sarah Ramos Jenni Ylätalo Kimberly Evans 2014 Diana Villamonte Miriam Kim Monika Nike Adiba 2015 Elsaida Alerta Paula Danielsen Charo Gimenez Bravo 2016 Astrid Nicole Laura Moreau Bruna Higashi 2017 Chyeé Howell Emely Myles Margarita Dvoynenko
Duets category (2016–present) YearFirst placeSecond placeThird place 2016 Konomi Rivers & Lance Moore Astrid Nicole & Hiram Harris Roger Feng & Heidi Joshua 2017 Ryota Kaizo & Rena Saito Mikko Blaze Bordeaux & Beth Brennan Emely Miles & Ricardo Canto 2018 Tea Repo & Jyri Paavilainen Karol Wilson & Eliezer Berroa Mel Arizpe & Laura Carrizales 2019 Candace Miles & Kate Dion Aline Cunha & Rairo Valerisse Bell & Ishma Cortez Clark 2022 Emely Myles & Eliezer Berroa John Wiest & Mike Smoroden Moose Hurskainen & Sari Maria Kankkonen 2023 Luis Villanueva & Diego Mendoza Martínez Abdiel Josué & Ericka Rodríguez Filipe Anacleto & Sara Braz 2024 Tanya Ilios & Polina Topalova Annabella Iriza & Angel Gabriel Credidio Rhamon & Yasmine Mahfuz
Solo category (2018–present) YearFirst placeSecond placeThird place 2018 Mikko Blaze Bordeaux Karol Wilson Lascel Wood 2019 Jenny Ball Katey Day-Reick Olivia Ruth 2020 Garvaundo Hamilon Max Moraes José de la Vega 2021 Shabrina Leonita Viktoria Seimar Talita Martins 2022 Keke Adiba Sia Chandler Brenda Gaviño 2023 Ellie Butler Rafaella Joy Berso Zarina Kulmukhambetova 2024 Elizabeth Moya Ian García Annabella Iriza
Participating Countries
Editions 2023 Championships
+ Results of the Solo Singers - Karaoke World Championships 2023 Country Artist Round 1+2 Round 3 Round 4 Place 1 Oscar Hanrath Garcia 12733. 2 Alisher 1477222. 3 Anabella Iriza 147851328. 4 Saana-Eveliina Mannerlaakso 13828. 5 Jan Flemming Christensen 12832. 6 Filipe Anacleto 1608414. 7 Kristian Nikou 12037. 8 Paula De Macedo1367721. 9 Isabel Cristina Contreras Tordecilla 13031. 10 Polina Topalova 1487819. 11 Harlem Calleja 13330. 12 Talon Lewis 1648912010. 13 Marian Gel Pesigan 1678116. 14 Steven Kelly 11240. 15 Audiel Moises Cerdas Cordero 1448215. 16 Renee Thompson 150861289. 17 Preye Stephanie Emberru DNP 18 Carl Hanzie Hansson 11738. 19 Eva Hjelm Aanesen 12136. 20 Natalia Marín 14125. 21 Luis Villanueva 158881345. 22 Ellie Butler 169901461. 23 Anabell Del Carmen Avila Medina 1618511. 24 Monica Lofgren 12434. 25 Christian Tapia 14026. 26 Linda Maria Csösz-Erdei14223. 27 Yassuri Martínez 1738116. 28 Kjetil André Johannessen 1548511. 29 Rafaella Joy Berso172851502. 30 Mico Mauleon 163881307. 31 Susan Attard 149861365. 32 Edvin H. Niclasen 13629. 33 Zarina 147931363. 34 Godfrey Kanyua DNP 35 Maëva Bocque 13927. 36 Hannes Þórður Hafstein Þorvaldsson 12435. 37 Hanna Kanasuo 1427820. 38 Denia Mairena Ponces 11738. 39 Diego Mendoza Martínez 173881364. 40 Jairo Quezada 1488018. 41 Felipe De Souza Ferraz 14224. 42 Sara Braz1558511. 43 Kessy Doris Mbonu DNP
References
External links Karaoke World Championships Official Webpage Karaoke World Championships List of Countries