(Graphics poster courtesy of Mediacorp Malay Broadcast Division)
Anugerah Planet Muzik 2015 was, for the third year running, held at Suntec City Convention Centre this past Friday 9 October 2015. The annual music awards show that celebrates the best in the local Malay and regional Nusantara music industry saw 19 awards up for grabs. As usual, I will kickoff my series of APM entries in bits and pieces, beginning with this entry which honours the winners of this year’s edition, the fourteenth since its inception in 2001. So if you would want to view photographs of the event and some of the snapshots I took which might not have been covered by the other media sources, mine will complement theirs. Without further ado, my heartiest congratulations to all the winners of APM2015…
Taufik Batisah
Ikon Media Sosial / (Social Media Icon)
Artis Singapura Paling Popular / (Most Popular Singapore Artiste)
Lagu Singapura Paling Popular / (Most Popular Singapore Song) – #Awakkatmane
Lagu Paling Popular APM / (APM Most Popular Song) – #Awakkatmane
Assalammualaikum – Faizal Tahir
Lagu Terbaik (Malaysia) / (Best Malaysian Song)
Lagu Terbaik APM / (Best APM Song)
(Composers & Lyricists: Omar K, Ezra Kong, Audi Mok, Mike Chan & Faizal Tahir)
It’s been too long that I have been away. But I am trying to make a concerted effort to be more pro-active, especially since my favourite annual event is around the corner. Which probably explains why you are reading this post after seeing such a long hiatus in this domain of mine. Anyway, to all the SleeQ fans or those who are curious to view photographs of the recent wedding event of Alyph SleeQ and Azzah Fariha, I apologise that you have stumbled into this blog only to be disappointed. Yours truly was not invited to the wedding, hence I am unable to share the joyous moments with you. But am sure you could view them elsewhere, such is the power of social media these days. Anyway my heartiest congratulations go out to the newlyweds. May Allah bless this union till eternity and beyond. 🙂
Simple but lovely set-up of the stage…
Right, back to my favourite event. I was invited to attend the media conference which was held at Grand Mercure Roxy Singapore on 2 September 2014. The last time the organisers (Mediacorp Malay Broadcast Division) did it outside of the Caldecott Broadcast Centre to announce the list of nominees for the upcoming event was two years ago at Rendezvous Hotel. This time they managed to secure a bigger space as compared to the last time they held it outdoors and I loved the place as it was conducive to move around as compared to two years ago. This year, Anugerah Planet Muzik 2014 (APM2014) will once again return to my favourite venue, Suntec Convention Centre on 17 October 2014, exactly a year from the last event. For a start, the official logo has been given a fresh revamp from the ones we’ve seen over the past twelve editions.
The trophies up for grabs on 17 October 2014…
Into its thirteenth year, APM2014 once again will be honouring the best and most popular of today’s hottest talents in the region’s Malay music industry. The two and a half hours show will be telecast live on Mediacorp Suria (Singapore), Astro Ria (Malaysia and Brunei) and Net. (Indonesia) as well as Mediacorp radio stations, RIA 89.7FM and Warna 94.2FM, on 17 October 2014 at 9pm (GMT +8) and 8pm (Western Indonesian Time GMT +7). The event is ably supported by Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS) and Indonesian Music Awards(Anugerah Musik Indonesia – AMI). A total of 19 awards will be presented this year, an increase of one category from last year.
Hosts for the day – Aura Shai and A. B. Shaik…
As is the norm of previous APM media conferences, this year’s event was once again graced by Dr. Edmund Lam, Chief Executive Officer of COMPASS, Ms. Zakiah Halim, Senior Vice-President, Mediacorp Malay Broadcast Division and Mr. Hassan Salleh, Assistant Vice-President of Mediacorp Malay Broadcast Division. Before the event started in earnest, the guests, which mostly made up of our own local acts, were treated to performances by Idi Hakim, of Dinodi fame, and his wife Erma Mauloodwith their current radio hit “Setia Cinta” as well as Haqym Mokhtar with his current single “Semuanya Alright“, which has already risen up the local radio charts. For those not in the know, Haqym is a former member of trio SupaMusiq, which has so far been disbanded due to the group members having different personal commitments. Ironically, the last time I watched them perform as a group, was the media conference back in 2012 at Rendezvous Hotel.
The husband and wife pair, Idi Hakim and Erma Maulood performed their hit single, “Setia Cinta“…
The organisers received about 639 song submissions this year, almost doubled from the previous year, but it has to be said that the qualifying period for songs produced to be submitted in this year’s event has been extended by an additional six months, so as to make it more concurrent with the times. As mentioned earlier, there is an additional category for this year’s awards event. The Best Collaboration category has now been segmented into two categories – Best Collaboration (Artiste) and Best Collaboration (Song – Artiste, Lyricist, Composer). As highly expected from my review last year, “Kalau Aku Kaya” has been nominated for the Best Duo / Group and Best Collaboration (Artiste) categories, a testament to what a smart song it is and the equally panache delivery by both Awi Rafael and Altimet.
Haqym Mokhtar didn’t disappoint when he performed “Semuanya Alright“…
But amongst the regional categories, it heartens me to see a number of our local acts making inroads when in the past, we wonder if our artistes or songs would ever make it along with their counterparts from the other two countries. Granted, the Best Maleand Best Female categories still have a long way to go for our acts to challenge and be amongst the best five, but they are definitely bridging the gaps in other categories as seen by the nominations of Tujuhband, Aryan Band, Ryan Sufiyan, Sufie Rashid, Aisyah Aziz and Reyza Hamizan in their respective categories. Am actually pleased with Ryan Sufiyan‘s nomination. Here is an example of a guy who never gives up. I remember him being a serial reality show contestant, Anugerah, Singapore Idol and God knows what else, he has joined them all only to falter in the earlier stages. Even if he doesn’t win, it is a signal that hard work and patience will eventually pay off in due time. So for those wannabes out there, do not lose hope when you do not make it. There will always be other avenues for you to prove your worth.
Dr. Edmund Lam addressing the guests during the media conference. Seated next to him were Mr. Hassan Salleh (left) and Ms. Zakiah Halim (centre)…
Speaking of wannabes, and even established artistes, Ms. Zakiah Halim made a very clear point that day. She urged all local artistes to maintain a degree of professionalism whether it is for rehearsals or during actual shows. Always give off your best, all the time and do not hold back, even if it’s a mere soundcheck or rehearsal. Of course, I would like to add about punctuality and respect as well. Respect for those interviewing you or those watching you. I did mention in my review back in 2011 for artistes to refrain from chewing gum before / during a performance or when accepting awards onstage and I believe the same reminder could be applied after attending the recent media conference event. Maybe those who attended the media conference and reading this will agree with me and understand what I am trying to convey.
Group photo with all the local acts who attended the media conference event…
So who is performing on 17 October 2014??? As of now, I understand the likes of Sufie Rashid, Aisyah Aziz, Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza, Hazama, NOAH, Tulus, Judika, Maria Calista and Cakra Khan have been confirmed and unconfirmed news that Malaysia‘s Raja Lawak second season winner, Nabil, will be one of the hosts for the night. More names will be confirmed in due time but just looking at the amount of star names on display is enough to whet my appetite as all of them are guaranteed to leave you astounded with their vocal capabilities and showmanship. Tickets priced at $28, $48, $68 and $88 (including GST) can be purchased now at all SISTICoutlets and online at www.sistic.com.sg. This year, the $28 tickets have been introduced to entice more students as well as full-time National Servicemen to attend the event. So what are you waiting for??? Grab your tickets now!!!
APM2014 List of Nominations
List of nominations graphic photos courtesy of Mediacorp Malay Broadcast Division
Snapshots of APM2014 Media Conference
Stage set-up was simple, yet it gave such a cozy feel…
The APM trophies up for grabs…
Idi Hakim and Erma Maulood…
Songwriter Yazri Malik of Merah fame, Ryan Sufiyan and Erza Iskandar, leader of Diorama…
Members of Kraton, known for their originality and showmanship…
Sufie Rashid, with celebrity photographer Anwar Baba and well-respected singer-songwriter Zubir Abdullah…
Irwan Azly from Tujuhband (centre) flanked by (from left): Ryzal (Audionauts), Syaheed (manager of artistes under Bedsty Music Group), Syarif SleeQ and Jamiel Said…
Members of The Sallys (from left): Izwan Khuzair, Zahidah Zayed and Hasyim Rostom with Dynda’s sole representative, Setia Vegawati…
Judah Lyne from The Lion Story and Yaya Hamid…
Syirah Jusni (right) with her supporting team from the new entertainment programme, POP…
SleeQ along with Syaheed and Abu Sufyan, also from Bedsty Music Group…
Aura Shai & A. B. Shaik
Haqym Mokhtar being interviewed by Aura Shai and A. B. Shaik…
Dr. Edmund Lam, CEO of COMPASS…
Mr. Hassan Salleh deep in thought…
Ms. Zakiah Halim relating the esteemed judges’ comments on the song submissions…
Less than 24 hours to go before Anugerah Planet Muzik 2012 commences at Max Pavilion Singapore Expo. I know rehearsals are being done as I am typing this entry and slowly but surely, I am feeling the excitement of watching this annual music awards event. It is something that I look forward to since I ceased travelling across the Causeway to watch awards shows like Anugerah Industri Muzik and Anugerah Juara Lagu on an almost regular basis the past decade or so. And as is customary for me, here is something that I love to come up with a day or so before the event proper. No prizes for me if I get them right and hopefully no flaks either if I were to get them wrong. It is just something fun before the event descends upon us. I will be covering the event tomorrow, but please do not expect video snippets like last year, as my trusted videographer will not be attending this time round. For those in Singapore, the show will be telecast live on Mediacorp Suria at 8:30pm.
Predictions
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN A SONG (NEW MALE ARTISTE) PERSEMBAHAN VOKAL TERBAIK DALAM LAGU (ARTIS BARU LELAKI)
Anji – (Hatiku) Berhenti Di Kamu
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN A SONG (NEW FEMALE ARTISTE) PERSEMBAHAN VOKAL TERBAIK DALAM LAGU (ARTIS BARU WANITA)
Lala Karmela – Kamu, Aku, Cinta
BEST NEW DUO/GROUP DUO/KUMPULAN BARU TERBAIK
Audionauts – Maha Bisa Rahsia
BEST COLLABORATIONKOLABORASI TERBAIK
Rossa & Taufik Batisah, Aku Bersahaja, Komposer: Taufik Batisah, Penulis Lirik: Taufik Batisah
Anugerah Planet Muzik 2012, the prestigious regional music awards show that honours the best in the regional Malay music scene, makes its return once again on our shores!!! Now into its eleventh year, the show promises to inject new elements to the award categories and also up the ante of the show’s entertainment value. If you don’t already know by now, the awards show will be held at the Max Pavilion Singapore Expo hall this coming 15 December 2012 at 8:30pm. Tickets to the show have already gone on sale at all SISTIC outlets, and are priced at $48, $68 and $88. A media conference was held at the Rendezvous Grand Hotel last Monday 29 October 2012, to announce the various nominees in the respective award categories. Before I go on, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mediacorp Radio Pte. Ltd. for the kind invitation to the media conference event.
The media conference kicked off with all the invited artistes from Singapore coming forward to take a group photo at the invitation of the two hosts A B Shaik and Aura Shai. Before the esteemed panel of industry bigwigs took the centrestage, the attendees were treated to two opening performances by up-and-coming acts Amni Musfirah as well as the teenage trio who call themselves SupamusiQ. Both set of artistes, under the astute management of S.Ria Productions, which also has local group Revalina under its wings, have been making their own waves in the scene, especially in the talent-spotting “Opening Act – Go Glam” segment helmed by RIA 89.7FM‘s Hafeez Glamour. Amni Musfirahperformed Agnes Monica‘s haunting hit “Matahari“, whereas the boys from SupamusiQ performed “Cahaya“, their single taken off the recently-concluded “Kelas Detention” drama series.
The panel of industry bigwigs who then gave their respective speeches, comprised of Mr. Edmund Lam, Chief Executive Officer of Composers & Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS), Ms. Zakiah Halim, Vice-President, Malay / Indian / Expat Radio Programming, Mediacorp Radio Pte. Ltd. and Mr. Hassan Salleh, Assistant Vice-President, RIA 89.7FM & X FM. In his speech, Mr. Edmund Lam raised hopes that with the existence of Anugerah Planet Muzik, more of our local acts will be able to leverage on the latest technology trends and attempt headway into the digital music market in the region. He noted that over the past ten years, the local Malaymusic scene has improved and this is in due part to the local stations providing our local acts the platform and stage to air their songs to the masses.
The mood took a solemn and sombre turn when Ms. Zakiah Halim took over the microphone. Before she spoke about the awards show per se, she paid a glowing and moving tribute to the late Allahyarham Amin Hussen, the former Managing Director of Beyond DDB Events Sdn. Bhd., who was instrumental in helping the two radio stations in seeing the birth of Anugerah Planet Muzik and seeing it come to fruition for ten years. Allahyarham Amin passed away on 26 October 2011 after a long battle with cancer. I have to admit, I felt a lump in my throat during the short tribute as I had met and interacted with the man himself several times and knew him when he was still the manager of my all-time favourite group KRU back in the late 90s. A well-mannered and kind gentleman, he always had positive words even in the face of adversity and I’m sure till today, many others would vouch for his kindness in different measures and capacity.
I will not ramble along on what else was mentioned by Ms. Zakiah Halim nor Mr. Hassan Salleh, as you will be able to view them from the short video highlights I have done up. The decision to drop the “Album Terbaik” (Best Album Category), due to the lack of full albums being produced of late, and advancement of digital music technology was a drastic but well-calculated one, in my opinion at least. And introducing the new categories namely “Media Nova Baru” (New Media Nova) and “Ikon Media Baru” (New Media Icon), aims to acknowledge the influence the social media platforms have on new / up-and-coming artistes who are not contracted to any music labels as well as the ones already established.
Looking at the nominees for the respective categories, I am extremely proud to see more local acts in the mix this year. What you might describe as under-rated acts like Audionauts, Awi Rafael, Hyrul Anuar and Siti Zahidah, have all gotten their justified dues through their nominations. One look at the “Lagu Singapura Terbaik” (Best Singapore Song) category, you will see how much quality and substance each nominee brings to the fore. What’s more, all the songs nominated in that category were composed, written and performed by the artistes themselves!!! It definitely was a tough choice for the judges to pick who should be nominated. I personally thought Diorama‘s “Hipokrasi” also deserved a nomination, but the nominations were made for works produced between 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2011, and the song was only produced this year. Either way, it just goes to show how stringent the selection was, and what you have there are the cream of the crop.
The various nominees for the “Media Nova Baru” (New Media Nova) category acknowledges and honours the up-and-coming, hidden talents who have received more than ten thousand views on their respective Youtube channels / clips of their individual performances. In a rather balanced mix, Malaysia and Singapore have four nominees each and Indonesia has three. For the very first time, one of the nominees, Cassidy Anderson, who is a sensation in her own right after making a cover video singing “Ombak Rindu“, hails from Australia, a country outside the Nusantara region. Who knows, perhaps in future, we would be able to see more participants around the world singing Malay songs. By the way, you can start voting for your favourite artistes in the popular categories beginning 5th November 2012 at midnight and voting closes on 5th December 2012. For more details, do visit http://xinmsn.com/apm.
Armchair critics in the past (and the present) might pan it as a “shiok sendiri” event, but I think given the circumstances and difficulties faced by the organisers, they should be applauded for making do with what is in front of them, allowing the local acts exposure to the region and honouring the best the Nusantarahas to offer. This show is never about who’s best or popular in their respective countries being given a definitive shoo-in and if the watching audience are wondering who the hell are some of these artistes, then it is high time the couch potatoes start to make full use of technology, do their homework and learn to appreciate what is outside the “coconut shells” they are living in. Me??? I’m just looking forward to the performances of the likes of Alyah, Shila Amzah, Judika, SleeQ, Najwa Latif and more soon-to-be-confirmed acts when the day comes…
Anugerah Planet Muzik 2012 List of Nominees
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN A SONG (NEW MALE ARTISTE) PERSEMBAHAN VOKAL TERBAIK DALAM LAGU (ARTIS BARU LELAKI)
1. Anji – (Hatiku) Berhenti Di Kamu
2. Awi Rafael – Bila Aku Jatuh Cinta
3. Budi – DoReMi
4. Hazama – Cinta Teragung
5. Sandy Canester – Lelaki Dungu
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN A SONG (NEW FEMALE ARTISTE) PERSEMBAHAN VOKAL TERBAIK DALAM LAGU (ARTIS BARU WANITA)
1. Dhisa – Cintaku Kamu
2. Lala Karmela – Kamu, Aku, Cinta
3. Najwa Latif – Cinta Muka Buku
4. Raisa – Serba Salah
5. Zahidah – Malam Ini
BEST NEW DUO/GROUP DUO/KUMPULAN BARU TERBAIK
1. Armada – Mau Dibawa Ke Mana
2. Audionauts – Maha Bisa Rahsia
3. Hazama & Amy Search – Semitri
4. PULSE! – Tetap Berazam
5. Salam Musik & Altimet – Alamak!
BEST COLLABORATIONKOLABORASI TERBAIK
1. Aliff Aziz & Hao Ren – Dilema Cinta, Komposer: Choo Hao Ren, Penulis Lirik: Sha Kalam
2. Dayang Nurfaizah & Tompi, Perlukan Cinta, Komposer: Audi Mok, Penulis Lirik: Ad Samad
3. Hyrul Anuar & Mimi Fly One Nation Emcees, Sudah Mengapa, Komposer: Andi A. Merican & Khairafik Khairudin, Penulis Lirik: Hyrul Anuar
4. Ramlah Ram & SleeQ, Sesaat Kau Datang, Komposer: ID Mifzal, Penulis Lirik: Zie Shafruddin
5. Rossa & Taufik Batisah, Aku Bersahaja, Komposer: Taufik Batisah, Penulis Lirik: Taufik Batisah
BEST MALE ARTISTE ARTIS LELAKI TERBAIK
1. Afgan, Panah Asmara
2. Anuar Zain, Ajari Aku
3. Hafiz, Ku Akui
4. Once Merkel, Hilang Naluri
5. Sammy Simorangkir, Sedang Apa Dan Dimana
BEST FEMALE ARTISTE ARTIS WANITA TERBAIK
1. Agnes Monica, Rindu
2. Alyah, Kisah Hati
3. Astrid, Tentang Rasa
4. Shila Amzah, Patah Seribu
5. Yuna, Terukir Di Bintang
BEST DUO/GROUP DUO/KUMPULAN TERBAIK
1. Geisha, Cinta dan Benci
2. Kesna, Pilihlah Diriku
3. Kotak, Tendangan Dari Langit
4. RAN, Mencuri Hati
5. Rausyanfikir, Rentak Hati
BEST SONG (SINGAPORE) LAGU TERBAIK SINGAPURA
1. Coba, Snowball, Komposer: Sid Isman, Penulis Lirik: Sid Isman
Apologies for the delay in posting this entry. I have been quite busy of late so this entry might be a bit stale to some or most of you. For those of you who are linked to me in Facebook, you might have seen my collection of photos of Anugerah Planet Muzik 2011 which I had uploaded this past Sunday. For the benefit of those not linked to me, this entry will be based on the various performances on the night. Hope you like the photographs I had snapped for your viewing pleasure…
Orkestar Trio
Bloco Singapura
Opening Act – “Senyum”
Sezairi Sezali
Hady Mirza
Taufik Batisah
Sarah Aqilah
Alyph SleeQ
Syarif SleeQ
Rahayu Ridwan
Didie Alias
Amanda Imani – “Selamilah Cinta”
Sezairi Sezali – “Matahari”
Sandhy Sondoro – “Malam Biru”
Ana Raffali – “Tolong Ingatkan Aku”
Sleeq – “Untuk Dia”
Atilia & monoloQue – “Kekanda Adinda”
SleeQ, Ana Raffali, Atilia & monoloQue – “Kalau Berpacaran”
Nope this is not a review of Anugerah Planet Muzik 2011. Not so soon and definitely not my style. Cos I would love to take my time to read what the foreign media and entertainment bloggers would have to say before I come out with my own thoughts and also to agree with them or to defend the organisers and production team as and when I deem fit to do so. But I know most of you entering this domain would want to see photographs or clips I took during the event. Fret not, cos I have planned to split up my entry into several parts so it does not have to come out as too long-winded for you to digest. For starters, I’ll begin with the Red Carpet event as well as several photos I snapped of our local acts already seated amongst the audience, which most of you did not get to see at home. Enjoy viewing the pics and clip!!!
Roze Kasmani (right), with manager Raudha Ismail and Shah Shamshiri, the lyricist to her debut single “Harum“…
Revalina looking spiffy in their outfits…
Mediacorp AMU artistes Komrad and Yanie from the girl group EVE…
Warna 94.2FM‘s AB Shaik and RIA 89.7FM‘s Nity Baizura were the hosts for the Red Carpet segment…
First up on the red carpet were SleeQ and Sezairi Sezali, Singapore‘s 3rd Idol…
Sarah Aqilah making her debut at APM 2011…
Anugerah 2011 winner Rahayu Ridwan also made her debut fresh from her win a fortnight ago…
Surprised to see Hady Mirza in this new style, breaking away from the boy-next-door image we’ve been so used to seeing, but it was fresh nonetheless…
Love this shot of Taufik Batisah and Rossa…
Good looks, soulful voice, no wonder the gals go gaga over Afgan Syah Reza…
Stunning outfit worn by Winnie K that night. I initially thought a bride was on the loose…
Our very own Huda Ali wearing an Ashley Isham creation…
He might be a Dato’, but AC Mizal (with wife Emilia Rosnaida), is still the spunky and sporty fellow that we know…
Dato M. Nasir (with wife Datin Marlia Musa) is still very popular and well respected on these shores judging by the cheers he received…
Prolific composer Ajai, walked the carpet with Aisya Hasnaa, one of the nominees for Vokal Terbaik (Artis Baru Wanita)…
Atilia flanked by MonoLoQue…
Aryan Band, one of our local acts signed by Luncai Emas Sdn Bhd…
Hafiz, Akademi Fantasia 7 winner was a crowd pleaser not only with his voice, but his infectious smile and not forgetting, the hair…
Suria FM‘s Halim Othman with Nora Danish, who was a hot favourite with fans clamouring to take photographs with her…
The gorgeous and tall Amanda Imani. She could easily be a supermodel with the height she has…
An example of a local act who has flown the flag high across the shores, Ady Putra…
Farah Asyikin, winner of Vokal Terbaik (Artis Baru Wanita) back at APM 2008…
The gal with the trademark baju kurung / kebaya, Ana Raffali…
Sandhy Sondoro looked glum throughout, but his voice has made the region take note of his abilities…
Shylla Amzah looked as though she was loving every minute on the red carpet…
One word to describe Ning Baizura: Stunning!!!
Jaclyn Victor, a vocal powerhouse in her own right…
No surprises to see so many people clamouring to take photographs of Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza by the side…
Always a pleasure to see Linda Onn back at the place where she spent her childhood. Am sure she felt the same way too…
(Photo courtesy of budiey.com)
(Photo courtesy of kingkangkung.com)
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