KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — Stop and stare, that’s what the 10 finalists of “Hunting for New Voices” made the crowd at Berjaya Times Square do last weekend.
Belting out amazing vocals and putting on their best stage persona, 10 hopefuls took to the stage on Saturday evening for the chance to win cash prizes as well as the coveted Rock Zone tickets for the upcoming OneRepublic Live in Malaysia 2018 concert.
Among the songs preferred by the finalists — as these best show off their vocal range — were Apologise (who doesn’t know this song?), Stop and Stare and the much more recent Let’s Hurt Tonight.
Some of the finalists also played their own instruments, showcasing their talents to the fullest as they were judged on four criteria: Vocal Power, Rhythm & Tempo, Vocal Expression and Stage Presence.
After careful deliberation, judges Hendrick Huang, managing director of WGW Entertainment, Kenny Ong, managing director of Universal Music Singapore and Malaysia, and Yi Jun (who’s had experience participating in the World Championship of Performing Arts held at Long Beach, California) picked Ullyseus, Affan and Pitt Sarmon as the top three winners.
Huang stated during the press conference that was held prior to the final round that the “Hunting for New Voices” winners might be seen as opening acts for WGW Entertainment’s upcoming concerts this year.
Sarmon, who made people Stop and Stare with his mesmerising cover, walked away with the grand prize comprised of RM3,000 cash and a pair of Rock Zone tickets worth RM578 each.
Ullyseus, who has no reason to offer an apology for his rendition of Apologise, and Affan, who played the keyboard in accompaniment of his Apologise cover, won the second prize (RM2,000 cash) and third prize (RM1,000), respectively. Both also received a pair of Rock Zone tickets each.
The remaining seven finalists did not walk away empty-handed as they were also each awarded with a pair of Rock Zone tickets.
This was great news to the enthusiastic OneRepublic fans since Ong mentioned during the earlier press conference that fans in the Rock Zone have a higher chance of being picked to perform onstage with OneRepublic (as the band tends to pick a lucky fan from the crowd to perform with them) during the concert.
So hurry and grab your own tickets, OneRepublic fans! Tickets for CAT4 are sold out but the rest are still available — though selling fast.
No money? No problem. Stay tuned to the upcoming contest on TheHIVE.Asia for your chance to win Rock Zone, CAT1 and CAT2 tickets! — TheHive.Asia
