16-time Grammy winning music producer David Foster, together with pop icon Melanie C. were in town today to share their experiences as celebrity judges on AXN’s hit series, “Asia’s Got Talent”.
With the Grand Final Results episode airing this Thursday, 14 May at 8.05pm, both judges are gearing up for a thrilling, historic conclusion as the first winner of “Asia’s Got Talent” will be crowned at the end of this week.
“Asia’s Got Talent” is the biggest talent competition in the world featuring some of the region’s most breathtaking, jaw-dropping and mind-blowing performing artists competing for the coveted title. The series has topped ratings in its timeslot among English general entertainment channels in Southeast Asia including Malaysia, among pay-TV audiences.
David said, “There is such a wealth of talent in this region waiting to be discovered. I firmly believe that the next superstar will emerge from Asia and we are already off to an exciting start in this incredible endeavor. We believe ‘Asia’s Got Talent’ can be the platform for this discovery and I am really proud to be a part of this wonderful journey.”
Melanie C. said, “It’s really exciting to be here in Asia. Culturally speaking, people in this region work very hard and are incredibly determined to succeed, so I feel that the standards of performers are really high. Also, there is great diversity of talent and the involvement of so many countries makes ‘Asia’s Got Talent’ all the more amazing,”
David Foster launched some of the greatest music careers including Michael Bublé, Josh Groban and Celine Dion. He created hit songs and award-winning platinum and gold albums for Earth, Wind & Fire, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Seal, Chaka Khan, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Brandy, ‘N Sync, Boz Scaggs, and Gloria Estefan; propelled classical singers like Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban into mainstream popularity, as well as created soundtracks for hit films like ‘The Bodyguard’, ‘Urban Cowboy’ and ‘St Elmo’s Fire’.
Melanie C. was part of the iconic five-member Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed ‘Sporty Spice’. Following that, as a solo artist, Melanie sold more than 12 million records from six albums. She has the second most No.1 singles in the United Kingdom and is the only female to top the charts as part of a quintet, a quartet, a duo and a solo artist. Melanie also performed in the West End musical ‘Blood Brothers’ and co-starred in the musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’.
David and Melanie are joined on the “Asia’s Got Talent” celebrity judging panel by Taiwanese-American pop idol and actor Van Ness Wu and Indonesian rock icon and international recording artist, Anggun.
From thousands of hopefuls that auditioned last September, Malaysia saw 17 acts make it to the five “Asia’s Got Talent” auditions episodes. Among the four acts that received three or more ‘yeses’, Sarawak-based five-piece band ‘Sada Borneo’ featured in the third semi-final episode aired on 30 April.
During the auditions in the first five episodes of “Asia’s Got Talent”, each act had to receive at least three “Yeses” from the judging panel to stand a chance of advancing to the semi-finals. A highlight of that stage was the glittering “Golden Buzzer moments”, where each judge had one opportunity to send a brilliant act straight into the next round. In addition to the four golden buzzer acts, the judges picked 20 more acts were for the semi-finals.
From the three semi-final episodes, AXN viewers voted to select six acts, while the judges picked three acts for the Grand Final of “Asia’s Got Talent”. Aired on 7 May, the Grand Final saw the nine finalists perform and voting has since started and will close tonight at 11.59pm. The winner will be announced in the Grand Final Results episode airing on 14 May.
David said, “It was amazing to see so many wonderful performers showcase their skills and dedication to their art. I feel sad that we are coming to the end of this great series, yet I am looking forward to finding out which act viewers will pick as their winner. It promises to be a fantastic conclusion to a great competition.”
Melanie said, “Asia is set to welcome its first ever ‘Got Talent’ star and I hope everyone will join us in making history in the Grand Final Results show on 14 May. I had an incredible time and will return home with even greater admiration for the talents in Asia.”
The winner takes home the grand prize USD$100,000, complemented by the opportunity to return to Singapore and perform at the iconic Marina Bay Sands, Asia’s leading entertainment destination – where the semi-finals, Grand Final and Grand Final Results shows are held.
“Asia’s Got Talent” spans 10 weekly episodes, including five audition episodes, three semi-finals, a Grand Final episode and the upcoming Grand Final Results episode. In addition to enjoying the fantastic performances, audiences got to know their favourite acts as “Asia Got Talent” told the life stories behind some of the most colourful individuals and groups in the competition.
“Asia’s Got Talent” is the 63rd adaptation of the Guinness World Record-breaking hit “Got Talent” format, which was created by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and is co-produced by FremantleMedia. The “Got Talent” format is officially the most successful reality TV format in history and currently airs in 186 countries.
“Asia’s Got Talent” is proudly presented by Marina Bay Sands, Big Cola, Pantene, Caltex, Jetstar, and MyTeksi. In Malaysia, Asia’s Got Talent is also presented by Great Eastern.
Marina Bay Sands is a premier partner of “Asia’s Got Talent”. As Asia’s leading entertainment destination and crossroads for global celebrities, Marina Bay Sands provides opportunities for local talent to shine on the world’s stage.
BIG is the exclusive beverage partner of “Asia’s Got Talent”. With BIG Cola, ‘if you can dream it, you can do it’. Contestants and fans across Asia will be encouraged to ‘Think Big’ and ‘Dream Bigger’ in pursuit of their dreams.
Pantene, the World’s #1 Conditioner Brand* and exclusive haircare partner of “Asia’s Got Talent”, makes hair stronger inside and shinier outside, giving contestants their time to shine and be the world’s number one talent.
Caltex is the exclusive petroleum partner of “Asia’s Got Talent”. Caltex delivers a hassle-free experience to get people back on their journey quickly, so they can have more time and energy to do whatever matters most to them. By being a part of “Asia’s Got Talent”, Caltex wants to celebrate key moments of the contestants’ journey to stardom, providing viewers the opportunity to enjoy the journey with them.
Jetstar is proud to be the official airline of the very first edition of “Asia’s Got Talent”. With more than 600 weekly flights to 22 destinations across 13 countries in Asia Pacific, Jetstar enables talent to fly further, connect with families and fulfil dreams.
MyTeksi is the official on-demand transit partner for “Asia’s Got Talent”. From humble beginnings, MyTeksi has grown to be the region’s number one on-demand transit app with over 83,000 vehicles in 20 cities across 6 countries. As a local startup that is now on the global stage, MyTeksi supports fellow Asian stars by providing them and their fans with safe and convenient rides to go grab their dreams.
“Asia’s Got Talent” is a good platform for Great Eastern Life Malaysia to reach out to Malaysians to ignite their passion to LIVE GREAT. Great Eastern Life Malaysia hopes the diversity of the talents showcased and the perseverance of the various individuals in striving for their dream will inspire Malaysians to Live Great.
AXN is a leader of regionally produced original content in Asia, with notable ratings successes including four seasons of the International Emmy-nominated “The Amazing Race Asia”; the Asian Television Award-winning “Cash Cab Asia”; “The Apprentice Asia”; “Cyril: Rio Magic”; “Cyril’s Family Vacation: Hawaii Edition”; and the Asian Television Award-nominated “Cyril: Simply Magic”.
“Asia’s Got Talent” Grand Final Results episode premieres on Thursday 14 May at 8.05pm first on AXN (Astro Ch 701 and in HD on Ch 721)
Learn more about “Asia’s Got Talent” at www.AXNAsia.com/AsiasGotTalent
Viewers can also set a mobile reminder to catch each episode of “Asia’s Got Talent” at http://axn-asia-jkt.calreply.net/asias-got-talent
Connect with the judges, hosts, and your favorite contestants through videos and photos, exclusively on the Asia’s Got Talent’s official Facebook page. Catch behind-the-scenes footage of the auditions only on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/asiasgottalent/
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