The participation of the Netherlands Antilles in the OTI Festival began at the third OTI Festival in 1974. The Netherlands Antillean participating broadcaster was (ATM), which was member of the (OTI). ATM participated in nineteen of the twenty-eight editions. Its best placing was a top-5 placing in 1983.
History (ATM), whose television stations were TeleAruba and TeleCuraçao, first entered in the OTI Festival in its 3rd edition in 1974, and participated in nineteen of the twenty-eight editions. ATM selected its entry both internally and through a national final.
Although the common official language of the Netherlands Antilles was Dutch, and Papiamento, a Portuguese-based creole language influenced by Dutch and Spanish, was the most widely spoken and also official in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, all entries in the festival were presented in Spanish.
Efrem Benita, who represented the Netherlands Antilles in 1981 with "", won the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 for as Dave Benton, with "Everybody" along Tanel Padar and 2XL, making him the only Eurovision Song Contest winner who has previously participated in the OTI Festival.
In 1986, when Aruba gained its separate status from the Netherlands Antilles, TeleAruba became independent from ATM, and participated in the festival representing Aruba in 1989 and in 1991, with the Netherlands Antilles absent those editions.
Participation overview + Table key SF Semi-finalist ◇ Contest cancelled Year Song Artist Songwriter(s) Conductor Place Points 1972 colspan="6" rowspan="2" 1973 1974 "" Humberto Nivi Humberto Nivi Aníbal Abreu 10 3 1975 "" George Willems Lito Peña 10 3 1976 "" Jossy Brokke 13 2 1977 "Gente eres tú" Ced Ride Rafael Ibarbia 14 1 1978 "" Trío Huazteca Roberto Montiel 10 9 1979 "" Don Ramon Roberto Montiel 9 16 1980 "" Lidwina Booi Roberto Montiel 22 0 1981 "" Efrem Benita Efrem Benita 20 2 1982 "" Sharon Rose Roberto Montiel Roberto Montiel 16 7 1983 "" Franklin Granadillo Top-5 1984 "" Gabriel Flores Gabriel Flores Rubén Germán colspan="2" 1985 "" Melania van der Veen Erroll Colina Erroll Colina colspan="2" 1986 colspan="6" 1987 "" Rose Heige and Romeo Heige Erroll Colina colspan="2" 1988 "" Ced Ride Ced Ride Erroll Colina 14 0 1989 colspan="6" 1990 "" Nathaly Mardenborough Shannon R.R. Martha Clark Elisabeth colspan="2" 1991 colspan="6" 1992 "" Humberto Nivi colspan="2" 1993 "" Melania Arroyo José Gregorio colspan="2" 1994 "" Boy Thode 1995 colspan="6" rowspan="3" 1996 1997 1998 "" Fusión Consonante Errol Colina 1999 Contest cancelled ◇ 2000 colspan="6"
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