NoNonsense Song Contest 8

NoNonsense Song Contest #8, often referred to as NNSC #8, is the eighth edition of NoNonsense Song Contest. The contest took place in Auckland, New Zealand, following the country's victory in the seventh edition with the song "Green Light" by Lorde. It was the first time New Zealand hosted the contest, and the contest was hosted at the Spark Arena, and the live shows were hosted by New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo.

Forty-six countries participated this edition. Japan and Mexico made their debut this edition. Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia returned after previous absences, while Georgia, Iceland, and Turkey withdrew for various reasons.

The winner was Japan with the song "Shanti Shanti Shanti" performed by Babymetal. This was the country's first victory in the contest. Japan also became the first Asian country to win the contest, and the first country to win the contest on their debut. The podium was completed by Switzerland, and Ukraine, with Switzerland equalling their best result. Denmark, Sweden and Netherlands rounded up the top 6, with Denmark achieving their best result in the contest. The host nation New Zealand finished in 13th place. The edition marked the first time that Mexico and Monacofailed to qualify for the final.

Location
Further information on the host country: New Zealand

Host City
Auckland is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country, Auckland has an urban population of about 1,463,000 (June 2021). It is located in the Auckland Region—the area governed by Auckland Council—which includes outlying rural areas and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, and which has a total population of 1,715,600. While Europeans continue to make up the plurality of Auckland's population, the city became multicultural and cosmopolitan in the late-20th century, with Asians accounting for 31% of the city's population in 2018. Auckland is also home to the largest Polynesian population in the world. The Māori-language name for Auckland is ' Tāmaki Makaurau', meaning "Tāmaki desired by many", in reference to the desirability of its natural resources and geography.

Auckland lies between the Hauraki Gulf to the east, the Hunua Ranges to the south-east, the Manukau Harbour to the south-west, and the Waitākere Ranges and smaller ranges to the west and north-west. The surrounding hills are covered in rainforest and the landscape is dotted with 53 volcanic centres that make up the Auckland Volcanic Field. The central part of the urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitematā Harbour on the Pacific Ocean. Auckland is one of the few cities in the world to have a harbour on each of two separate major bodies of water.

Venue
Spark Arena (also known as Auckland City Arena, and formerly as Vector Arena) is a multipurpose arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The venue is located at Quay Park, Parnell, very close to Britomart Transport Centre and The Strand Station. The arena cost approximately $94 million, and of this sum ratepayers contributed $68 million for the facility to be managed by QPAM, the NZ operator, in New Zealand's first big public-private partnership. This runs for 40 years before ownership is transferred to the city.

Semi-final Allocation Draw
The draw to determine the allocation of the participating countries into their respective semi-finals took place on 31 October 2021. The draw decided in which half of the respective semi-finals each country would perform, with the exact running order determined by the producers of the show at a later date. Twenty-one countries participated in each semi-final. From each semi-final, twelve countries joined New Zealand in the final, where a total of twenty-six countries participated.

The forty-five semi-finalists were allocated into six pots, based on their geographical place and cultural similarities. Drawing from different pots helps in reducing the chance of so-called neighbour voting and increasing suspense in the semi-finals. Each time a country was drawn from the pot, its semi-final and half of the semi-final was determined.

The six pots were the following:

Semi-Final 1
Twenty-two countries participated in the first semi-final. Voting was open to all countries and followers of the contest.

Semi-Final 2
Twenty-three countries participated in the second semi-final. Voting was open to all countries and followers of the contest.

Final
Twenty-six countries participated in the final, with all participating countries and followers of the contest eligible to vote.

Other countries
Further information: List of Countries in the NoNonsense Song Contest

Eligibility for potential participation in the contest requires a national broadcaster with active NNBU membership that would be able to broadcast the contest. As in every edition, an invitation to all the members has been sent to confirm whether they will participate or not.

Active Members

 * 256-georgia.png Georgia: Georgia announced they would not participate due to a lack of interested singers. A return in the future was not ruled out.
 * 041-iceland.png Iceland: Despite two consecutive qualifications, Iceland withdrew from the edition in order to discuss the country's future in the contest.
 * 119-turkey.png Turkey: Turkey did not appear on the final list of participating countries.