MTV Asia Awards 2008

August 02, 2008

2008 MTV Asia Awards Honors The Best From The East And West

By News Desk

The Arena of Stars in Genting- City of Entertainment was set ablaze with the star-studded line-up of regional and international artists celebrating the 6th annual pan-regional MTV Asia Awards on August 2. Jointly hosted by Jared Leto, front man of 30 Seconds to Mars, and Award-winning actress and singer Karen Mok, the awards show gives recognition to artists for their achievements in the music industry and at the same time provides the platform for music collaborations in the region.

The night started off with an unforgettable opening dance by JabbaWockeeZ, winners of TV show America's Best Dance Crew. With their signature dance style complete with white masks and gloves, the crew got the party started and kept the 3,000 strong crowd going with their performances throughout the show. The crowd went mad with excitement when the Pussycat Dolls took over the stage with their sizzling rendition of "Buttons". The girls also performed their latest hit single "When I Grow Up" for the very first time in Asia, complete with fanfare and fireworks. The first Golden M bar of the night went to Super Junior for being voted Favourite Artist of Korea. The boys received a roaring welcome when they came back on stage for a stellar performance of "Mirror" and "Thirst" later in the evening.

Other regional award winners include Li Yu Chun (Favourite Artist of Mainland China), Leo Ku (Favourite Artist of Hong Kong), Yovie & Nuno (Favourite Artist of Indonesia), Nicholas Teo (Favourite Artist of Malaysia), Chicosci (Favourite Artist of Philippines), Show Lo (Favourite Artist of Taiwan), TOR+ Saksit (Favourite Artist of Thailand). Songbird Stefanie Sun bagged the Favourite Artist of Singapore Award for the 5th time running, keeping her title as Queen of Asian Pop while Linkin Park took home the Favourite International Artist in Asia Award. All Favourite Artist Awards are determined by voters around the region via online and mobile portals.

Presenters at the event included Dave, Jacklyn Victor, Joe Flizzow, Leo Ku, Miguel Chavez, Moots, Pussycat Dolls, Show Lo and Stefanie Sun. Music fans were truly surprised when guest presenters MTV VJ Denise Keller, Zhu Zhu, Mike and Utt announced the first surprise of the night-the Knockout Award- which was given to the artist who has successfully captured the hearts of young music audiences in Asia. The Click Five knocked out the rest of their competition with their easy charm and catchy melodies. The second surprise addition was the Inspiration Award which was bestowed upon the beautiful and talented co-host of MTV Asia Awards, Karen Mok for her achievements in the music and film industry as well as her dedicated efforts in promoting social and humanitarian causes.

The other international honorary music awards were presented to OneRepublic & Timbaland (Best Hook-up), Radiohead (Innovation Award), Leona Lewis (Breakthrough Award), 30 Seconds to Mars (Video Star Award) and Muse (Bring Da House Down). The edc Style Award was presented to Panic At The Disco for their trendsetting style, class and charisma.

In between the award ceremony, an amazing line-up of artists kept the arena buzzing with their astounding performances. OneRepublic roused the crowd with "Stop and Stare" and "Apologize" - which also landed them the Best Hook-up Award for their collaboration with Timberland. New Irish band The Script brought audiences "The Man Who Can't Be Moved." Britain's latest sensation Leona Lewis moved the audience with a stirring performance of "Bleeding Love" and "Better in Time." To show their appreciation to the host country Malaysia, The Click Five worked with traditional Malay Kompang (Malay drums) players to give a unique twist to their medley of hits "Empty" and "Jenny."

Asian music took centre-stage when the Project E.A.R (East Asian Revolution) gave their very first performance as a group at the MTV Asia Awards. Their debut consisted of a medley of songs performed in five different languages from the region (Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu, English, Tagalog and Thai), fusing various genres of music. Made up of members from Ahli Fiqir (Singapore), Pop Shuvit (Malaysia), Saint Loco (Indonesia), Slapshock (Philippines), Silksounds (Thailand) and Thaitanium (Thailand), the super group broke down all geographical boundaries, providing audiences with the best sounds of Asia.

The 2008 MTV Asia Awards was not only a celebration of music. It was a night of love and hope as all artists put their best foot forward in a call for action for the humanitarian relief for disaster victims in Asia. Viewers enjoyed the medley between Singapore's Stefanie Sun and leading indie band Electrico performing "Save Our Souls," a powerful song specially written by Electrico. They also performed "Ni Guang," one of Stefanie's biggest hits.

All proceeds will go to International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support their regional disaster relief programmes. Donations can be pledged by logging on to www.ifrc.org.

The night ended with a big bang with Panic at the Disco and their chart toppers "I Write Sings, Not Tragedies" and "Nine in the Afternoon." The highly visual performance was complete with marching band, acrobats and showgirl dancers. The audience was left wanting for more even as Awards ended. M is back and it was certainly the best comeback ever.

The latest updates including exclusive interviews and photos on the 2008 MTV Asia Awards can be found on the found on the official website at www.mtvasiaawards.com and WAP site at wap.mtvasia.com/maa.
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source:

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