Pop songs face toughest AIM25 field

KUCHING: Best Pop Song drew the most entries at the 25th Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM25), making it the toughest category to break into, said Chairman of the AIM25 Organising Committee Rosmin Hashim.

“Getting into the top five was already a challenge, so a song that wins this category has to be something special,” he told reporters after the awards ceremony at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on Saturday (Sept 26).

AIM25 chief judge Mohd Faisal Maas, better known as Ajai, said the judging panel examined each entry in detail, looking beyond a singer’s vocals or a song’s immediate appeal.

For Album of the Year, which went to Aisha Retno’s RE.HAB, the assessment covered the album as a whole, including its songs, recording, mixing and mastering.

Ajai said reaching the final five was itself an achievement given the number of entries competing for a place.

Rosmin said an independent auditor calculated the scores, while the margins between finalists remained confidential.

The ceremony marked AIM’s 25th edition and its first staging in Kuching, with Best Borneo Song and Best Festive Song among the new categories.

Rosmin said he was pleased with the Sarawak edition despite its lengthy programme, which he believed was the longest awards ceremony in AIM’s history.

Ajai (2nd left) and Rosmin (3rd left) with other guests at the AIM25 red carpet. Photo: Official event photographer

Meanwhile, he did not rule out taking a future edition to Sabah, saying the decision would depend on the support available to stage an event of AIM’s scale.

“Organising a major awards ceremony like AIM costs a great deal, so if we receive support from the Sabah government, perhaps we can hold it there,” he said.