Kicking off the first finals of the Project Aloft Star, Amplified by MTV competition, cutting-edge Aloft® Hotels and global youth entertainment brand MTVcrowned Mr.HeadBox as winner of the Southeast Asia and Australia cluster. Now in its fourth year, the competition identifies the hottest emerging music acts throughout three clusters spanning nine markets – Southeast Asia and Australia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Australia), South Korea, and Greater China (China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan). This year also proved to be the most successful edition, with over 1500 original song entries published, and more than 1.2M online votes cast. These figures represent an increase of 3x the number of submissions, and double the votesfrom 2016.
The competition kicked off on 5 July and culminated in the finals for the Southeast Asia and Australia cluster on 20 October, Friday, at Aloft Perth. Mr.HeadBox performed alongside three other finalists– STAYGOLD, COIN BANKS and Francis Roman – at the hotel’s W XYZ Bar and impressed a panel of judges from Aloft, MTV and the music entertainment industry. Mr.HeadBox will receive mentorship by MTV and Believe Distribution Services, a Believe Distribution Services deal for marketing and distribution, and US$10,000 to fund his music journey.
The winner, Indonesian artist Mr.HeadBox, played his hit ‘YOUNG’. With humble beginnings performing covers shared on Instagram and YouTube in 2016, Mr.HeadBox has propelled to success in the past 12 months.
“I’m feeling so happy! This was so unexpected and we never thought we would have won. How I feel now is beyond words. I want to say thank you to Aloft Hotels and MTV Asia. I am so grateful to be here. Everything about this journey has been amazing!” said Mr.HeadBox.
Mike Fulkerson, Vice President, Brand & Marketing, Asia Pacific, commented: “Aloft is a trailblazer in the industry that celebrates individuality and open possibilities through technology, design and music. And Project Aloft Star, Amplified by MTV is a competition that captures the essence of the brand’s belief in self-expression through music. We are heartened to see fresh emerging talent in the fourth edition of the competition this year, which is undoubtedly bigger and bolder with the addition of Australia and Indonesia. We are committed to cutting-edge music programming, leading the way as a brand that stands out with an abundance of opportunities and a space that is open to support creativity.”
Added Simon Bates, Vice President, Head of MTV Asia Pacific, “As the cultural home of the millennial generation, MTV is proud to partner with Aloft to advocate and support emerging artistes in the region. Thank you to everyone who voted and sent in their song entries. The increase in the number of submissions and high quality of work we have seen this year lend testament to the fresh talent out there. We hope that this competition has given passionate young performers a platform to shine and inspire them to keep creating new music.”
Project Aloft Star promotes the brand’s commitment to supporting self-expression by identifying the latest emerging music talent around the world. Since 2008, Aloft has been putting the spotlight on rising stars, offering an ongoing music concert series at every one of the brand’s 126 hotels. The response from musicians and fans to Project Aloft Star has been tremendous and the competition is a highly anticipated event that’s become known for showcasing original music from aspiring acts.
The finals for South Korea will take place on 26 October at Aloft Aloft Seoul Myeongdong, and the Greater China cluster will take place on 3 November at Aloft Dongguan Dynamic Town.
For a recap on the finalists’ submissions, please visit projectaloftstar.mtvasia.com