Hari Raya
Chinese New Year
Deepavali
Harvest Festival
Valentine’s Day
Christmas
AFS RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT
We are thrilled to announce the top 10 finalists of our Asia Festive Songwriting Competition 2024! We believe everyone has been eagerly waiting for this moment. We witnessed an incredible array of talent and creativity, and we are immensely proud of all the participants who shared their festive spirit through music.
Watch/Share the showcase on these platforms too:
Congratulations to our Top 3 Winners:
1st Place Winner: Michael Leow Lai Seng – “Kami”
2nd Place Winner: Yvonne Chin & Cindy Leong – “New Year 要 Happy 过”
3rd Place Winner: Shahril Ya’acob – “Seruan Ketupat”
Congratulations to our Outstanding Awards Winners:
(Not in any particular order)
- Jacky Tan Yong – “回家过年”
- AQSA – “Musuhnya Habis Binasa”
- Liaw Yee Siong – “活力四射”
- Mohd Yusoff Bin Mohd Razali – “Salam Ramadhan”
- Liaw Yee Siong – “蛇年来到”
- Alvin Lim Wei Jian – “Happy New Year”
Each of these talented songwriters has brought something unique and special to the table, and we can’t wait to share their amazing work with the world.
Don’t forget to listen to these fantastic festive songs on our platform soon! Thank you to everyone who participated and supported the competition. Let’s continue to celebrate the vibrant musical culture of Asia together.
The Asia Festive Songwriting Competition (AFS)
We provide a platform for both emerging and established songwriters to showcase their talents in contemporary pop genres tailored for festive occasions. AFS aims to support commercial-level musical talent while promoting excellence in songwriting across the Asia region. Participants, whether amateur or professional, have the opportunity to share their creativity and gain exposure to influential decision-makers in the music industry through a distinguished panel of judges.
AFS timeline
15 May –
15 JUly
Open Submission
Contestants can join this competition by submitting their songwriting lyrics (PDF) and music (mp3).
08 june
Competition Briefing (Online)
Briefing sessions will be conducted by renowned songwriters and producers at 8pm.
15 july –
03 Aug
Finalist Album Production
Finalist Album production will be guided by top-notch music producers.
12 Aug
Result Announcement (Online)
After compiling and judged by judges, the result will be announced through online.
12 Sept
Showcase
The Showcase will be streamed on prominent media platforms in the region. It will feature an Awards presentation honoring the finalists.
HOW DOES AFS WORK?
The Asia Festive Songwriting Competition (AFS) offers 10 winners the chance to share in cash and prizes! It’s an exceptional opportunity for songwriters, musicians, and performers to not only win rewards but also gaining recognition and exposure in the industry.
In addition to cash and prizes, winners benefit from a comprehensive promotional campaign designed to showcase their songwriting achievements on an international scale.
Submissions are evaluated based on the following criteria, depending on the category:
• Creativity
• Originality
• Lyrics (if applicable)
• Melody
• Vocal performance
• Arrangement
• Overall production quality
• Commercial potential
WHAT ARE THE CATEGORIES?
Categories encompass Festive Songs in Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Indonesia, Mandarin, Tamil, and English languages.
Festive Songs refer to those traditionally played and heard during Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, and Deepavali celebrations.
Prizes
Attractive Prizes
First Place Award
( 1 winner )
-Prizes worth USD 1,000 + Certificate
-Inclusion in Compilation Album Releases
Second Place Award
( 1 winner )
-Prizes worth USD 500 + Certificate
-Inclusion in Compilation Album Releases
Third Place Award
( 1 winner )
-Prizes worth USD 300 + Certificate
-Inclusion in Compilation Album Releases
Outstanding Awards
( 7 winners )
-Prizes worth USD 100 per winner + Certificate
-Inclusion in Compilation Album Releases
judges
Abraham Tee is a multiple award-winning music producer in Malaysia. After completed his tertiary education in Hotel Management, Abraham venture into the music industry. His first big break was co-writing and produced a song for a well-known duo – Michael & Victor (Rock Records) in 1997 and never look back since.
Abraham’s works includes: 513 songs as Composer/ Producer/ Executive Producer 203 episodes of Drama/ Animation Scoring 13 film scoring projects as Music Director/ Producer
Abraham Tee
Music Director of MusixMusix Malaysia & Award-Winning Music Producer
Steven Fock is a Berklee College of Music graduate with over 30 years of experience in music production, publishing, and entertainment.
He has worked with top Chinese artists like Jacky Cheung and Andy Lau, and held various key positions in the music industry, including General Manager at Universal Music Publishing Taiwan, Regional Head at Warner/Chappell Music Asia Pacific, and COO at Orange Sky Entertainment Group in China.
Steven is also involved in projects related to music, international entertainment IP, and digital rights marketing.
Steven Fork
Music Producer & Executive
Irene Savaree, President & CEO of the International College of Music (ICOM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, oversees institutional governance, curriculum development, and research. A former recording artist with EMI Malaysia in the 1980s, she toured internationally with the group “Cenderawasih” and is also a songwriter, arranger, and music entrepreneur. She served as Chief Judge of the inaugural Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) Malaysian Indian Music awards. Savaree holds a Master of Science in Higher Education from Drexel University and a Bachelor of Music in Commercial Arranging from Berklee College of Music.
Irene Savari
President & CEO of ICOM
Helen Yap, a pioneering Malaysian woman who studied modern and jazz music at Berklee College of Music in the early 1980s, has over 35 years of experience in the Malaysian music industry. An international multi-award-winning songwriter, album producer, and musician, she has crafted hits for top Malaysian artists like Dato Siti Nurhaliza, Anuar Zain, and Shila Amzah, as well as Indonesian artists such as Glen Fredly. Helen has also worked as a music director and keyboard player for various artists and Malaysian reality TV music programs.
Helen Yap is also a regular judge on Malaysian reality TV shows like TV3’s Anugerah Juara lagu, TV3’s Mentor, RTM’s Bintang RTM, Anugerah Lagu Johor 2015 & 2016
Helen Yap
Award-Winning Music Producer and Songwriter