19/03/2025

LYFE WEDNESDAY | MAR 19, 2025

/thesuntelegram FOLLOW / Malaysian Paper

ON TELEGRAM m RAM

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Celebrating local performing arts excellence o Awards announces nominees for 38 categories

2025 Collector’s Edition Canister reveal with (from left) Kakiseni president Low Ngai Yuen, Boh Plantations CEO Jason Foo and Taylor’s

M ALAYSIA’S arts community gathered for the 20th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards (20BCAA) nominees announcement last week, which highlighted nominees across theatre, dance, music and musical theatre. This year, 77 submissions were received across 38 award categories, including Best Actor/Performer in a Leading Role, Best Costume, Styling and Make-up and Production Values. A total of 41 productions have been nominated: 12 in dance, seven in musical theatre, 10 in music and 12 in theatre. A panel, including Sabrina Hassan, Fazleena Hishamuddin, Christopher Ling and Dr Syahrul Musa, evaluated the submissions, recognising achievements in performance, technical execution and creative innovation. To mark its 20th anniversary, 20BCAA has introduced initiatives to promote arts appreciation. The BCAA University Tour will take key creatives to universities across Malaysia, engaging students with insights into the industry. Meanwhile, sharing sessions with 20BCAA nominees will bring interactive discussions and showcases to key locations in the Klang Valley. Sponsored by Boh Plantations and presented by Kakiseni, the awards continue to champion creative excellence in Malaysia’s performing arts scene. This year’s theme “20 Years of Legacy: Igniting Inspiration for Tomorrow” honours past award recipients while challenging creative boundaries for future artistic innovation. Here are some of the categories and the nominees: Best Director 0 Khairunazwan Rodzy, Teater Muzikal Sudirmania 0 Nicole-Ann Thomas, The Working Dead 0 Shafeeq Shajahan, Sang Kancil & The Dragon King

University School of

Liberal Arts & Science head Dr Anindita Dasgupta.

0 Shahrul Mizad, Teater Muzikal Sakti Merong Mahawangsa 0 Vale V Wong & Tomos Nicholls, Life Is... Best Choreographer in a Feature Length Work 0 Boyz Chew & Damien Leow, Orang Orang Drum Theatre (Kaka-Lala) 0 Gowri Chandran & Sumathi Chandra, Temple Of Fine Arts (Pragati 2) 0 Hwa Wei-An, Hwa Wei-An (A Reason For Falling) 0 James Kan & Yeo, Kwang Tung Dance Company (Lyle Laluan Amaryllis – Still) 0 Loh Kok Man, Ming Low & Wong Jyh Shyong, Pentas Project Theatre Production (Double Punctum) Best Featured / Lead Performer 0 Geetha Shankaran-Lam, Geethashankarandance (Samskara – Past Reflections, Present Expressions) 0 Naim Syahrazad, Juxt Studio, Lasalle College Of The Arts & College Of Creative Arts UITM (Trans/Position) 0 Wong Jyh Shyong, Pentas Project Theatre Production (Double Punctum) Best Group Performance 0 ASK Dance Company, The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat ( KonTra: Yueguang) 0 Temple of Fine Arts Dancers, Temple Of

Fine Arts ( Pragati 2) 0 Faculty of Dance, Aswara ( Jamu 2024) Best Music & Sound Design 0 Hariraam Tingyuan Lam, Geethashankarandance (Samskara – Past Reflections, Present Expressions) 0 Kent Lee, JinnD Productions (Beyond Moving with Artisans: Rattan Weaving x Contemporary Dance) 0 Ng Chor Guan, Pentas Project Theatre Production (Double Punctum) 0 Orang Orang Drum Theatre & Gideon Alubakhan Chen, Kwang Tung Dance Company (Laluan Amaryllis – Still) 0 Zyee Leow, Orang Orang Drum Theatre (Kaka-Lala) Best of Nomination List 0 Malaysia Century Chinese – Orchestra East X West : A Musical Journey (Music) 0 Five Arts Centre – Mortal Man: Two Monologues (Theatre) 0 Pusat Seni Pentas Tradisional (PuTRA), Aswara – Randai “ “MacBeth” (Theatre) 0 Music TAS Seni Teater Rakyat and klpac – Spice, Magic and Mystique by The Young KL Singers (Music) 0 Studio Sedar Ruang – Teater Persiapan Seorang Aktor (Theatre) 0 Pentas Project Theatre Production & W Productions – The Bee (Theatre)

English singer drops new single RISING R&B star James Vickery has marked the new chapter of his musical career, releasing his new single Hotel Lobby. The single, which is the first release from an upcoming project, showcases a new side to Vickery as it embodies the newfound confidence he discovered within himself. “I really wanted to go outside of my comfort zone and write over something that I would never normally sing to. Malik 95 and Mosaic (the producers) cooked up this weird and wonderful guitar loop. “Chloe Angelides and I wrote the rest of the song so quickly — it flowed out of us so effortlessly, which in my eyes is usually a sign of a great song,” said the 30-year-old singer. The release comes with a music video that brings its heartfelt lyrics to life. Set in an intimate bedroom scene, the visuals capture the raw emotion and passion woven into the song. Vickery, who is completely deaf in one ear, is ready to bare his soul to the world and share the new side of his musical artistry. At eight years old, he was diagnosed with a non-cancerous growth of skin cells called cholesteatoma, which was in his ear and growing towards his brain. With surgery, Vickery survived the illness and discovered his singing abilities upon working with a vocal coach. This led him to pursue a career in music. He has since released over four EPs and one full-length album, earning him over 200 million streams online. Vickery’s Hotel Lobby is inspired by the likes of Sabrina Carpenter and Daniel Caesar

The 20th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards Collector’s Edition Canister.