Mongolia is set to make its debut at the Eurovision Asia Contest in 2026, with singer-songwriter Beck representing the nation in Bangkok, Thailand. The announcement came as the country gears up for the inaugural contest taking place on November 14, 2026.
Beck, whose full name is Ganbatyn Munkhbayar, has a diverse background that spans music, television, and economics. He began his music career in the early 2000s as a member of the hip-hop and R&B group Funk Beats. In 2008, he released his debut album titled *B21*. After a brief hiatus starting in 2012, during which he studied economics, he became the executive director of Mongolia’s Fashion Channel.
Currently, Beck also serves as an economic and political advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia. His experience in the arts includes working as the general secretary for the 2019 film festival, Hollywood in Mongolia, and returning to the music scene in 2020, when he auditioned for *The Voice of Mongolia*, though he was eliminated in the knockouts stage.
In collaboration with his wife, Khurelbaatar Badamgerel, a former Miss Mongolia and noted model, he co-founded Andra Academy, a modeling agency. In 2025, Beck ventured into theater with the production of his first play, *Gaijin: Mongol Samurai*.
For Eurovision Asia 2026, Beck will perform the song *Chamguigeer (Without You)*, a mid-tempo ballad co-written with B. Gankhurel and Dambyn Otgonbayar. Otgonbayar, who is the lead guitarist for the Mongolian heavy metal band Hurd, was also Beck’s coach on *The Voice of Mongolia*. The song, sung entirely in Mongolian, explores the emotional struggles of a man coming to terms with the end of a long-term relationship.
Beck was selected through an internal process by CNBC Mongolia, differing from the national finals method used by many Eurovision participants. The selection was announced on October 1, 2023, following a four-song contest called “Mongolia’s Chosen One,” which took place on October 10. The winner was determined by a combination of jury votes, public votes, and international views. Although *Light* initially won the contest, it was disqualified for being released prior to the cutoff date, leading to *Chamguigeer (Without You)* becoming Mongolia’s official entry.
As the stage is set for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest Asia, excitement builds as Beck prepares to bring Mongolia’s unique musical voice to a wider audience at the One Bangkok Forum starting at 8:30 p.m. local time.
