Meet the Nine Grand Finalists of Asia’s Got Talent Season 2 Vote for your Favourite Act Now!

SINGAPORE (December 7, 2017) The Asia’s Got Talent Season 2 Grand Final takes place tonight at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, and it’s promising to be the most thrilling night of the year. Fans have voted and judges have made their picks; so here are the nine grand finalists of this high-octane season:

• Indonesian singer and harpist Angela July (#AGTVote2) impressed the judges so much that she received the first judges’ pick of the season. With her angelic harp and powerful vocals, Angela is this season’s singing sensation.  
  
  “Tonight, you were the very best version of yourself.”
  - David Foster.

• Philippines’ beatboxer Neil Rey Garcia Llanes (#AGTVote6) returned this season determined to make it to the Grand Final. His awe-inspiring vocal percussion ability has made him a social phenomenon on Facebook and YouTube. 
  
  “I was very much impressed by you from the first season, but then you came back and stepped it up…I’m really hoping that you go very, very far.” - Anggun 
  
• It takes a lot of work to sync his dancing with his visual art, but the hosts’ Golden Buzzer pick, Canion Shijirbat(#AGTVote8) from Mongolia delivered a truly unique performance in both of his auditions. Will he be able to take his performance to the next level in the Grand Final?  
  
  “I love unique…I love your brain and what you’ve created. Bravo!” - David Foster. 

• Jay Park’s Golden Buzzer, Kyrgyzstan’s  ADEM Dance Crew’s (#AGTVote9) delivered yet again with a strong ‘Night in the Museum’ inspired performance that received a standing ovation from the audience. But facing strong competitors like DM-X, can ADEM emerge victorious? 
  
  “I got to give you props for how much you’ve sacrificed and go through for your craft, I got to give you props.”
  - Jay Park  

• If there’s one act that truly represented this season of Asia’s Got Talent unpredictability, it would have to be Indonesian viral sensation The Sacred Riana (#AGTVote11). Her Asia’s Got Talent performance clips have been viewed over 70 million times on YouTube and Facebook globally, making her a hot favourite. 
  
  “I think I peed in my pants a little. Very unique. It was scary but was still entertaining at the same time. Great overall.” -Jay Park

• Hailing from The Philippines, DM-X Comvalenoz (#AGTVote16) knows how to put on a show!  In the midst of rocking it out, they pulled a 180 to show us the feminine side of their group, performing a dance that was a perfect blend of sexy, glamour and class.
  
  “As far as the dance performance go, I think you guys have it all. You have the full package, you have everything. So good job!” – Jay Park.

• Taiwanese child prodigy Feng E (#AGTVote19) received David Foster’s Golden Buzzer AND judges’ pick, making him a double threat. His talent is unparalleled in this competition but he faces a tough opponent in another judges’ pick, Angela July. It will be an epic battle for sure!

“If I could push the Golden Buzzer again, I would do it. There might not even be another person that could play the ukulele like you.” - David Foster

• Representing Malaysia, illusionist Sobhi Shaker (#AGTVote23) has been declared the best magician that David Foster has ever seen. This Syrian refugee’s inspiring story and reason to win Asia’s Got Talent makes him one of the most compelling act to watch this season.

“That performance was flawless, that was the best performance of the night. I have never experienced goosebumps during a magic performance. Thank you.” - Anggun

• Flyers from the south, Philippines’ Urban Crew (#AGTVote24) gave 110% of their hearts and souls with an adrenaline pumping ninja-style dance, complete with inhuman jumps, flips and spins, straight out of an anime! The passionate crew is dancing for a cause, to help kids stay off the streets. 

“The stunts and moves are definitely the most difficult I have ever seen. You guys are world-class in my eyes.” - Jay Park

In the Grand Final episode, all nine grand finalists must give a performance of their lifetime without the help of the Golden Buzzer or judges’ pick. All nine acts will be up for public voting and only one act can win Asia’s Got Talent and the grand prize of US$100,000.  Voting opens from tonight until 13 December, 11:59pm, and fans can vote via Facebook Hashtag, Facebook Messenger and Google Search. For more information on voting, visit www.AXN-Asia.com/AGTVote.

Asia’s Got Talent Season 2 will culminate next Thursday, 14 at 8:30pm (7:30pm JKT/BKK) on AXN with the Results Show. To follow the journey of this season’s acts, check out #AXNAsia and #AsiasGotTalent.

Asia’s Got Talent is the 67th adaptation of the Guinness-World-Record-breaking hit “Got Talent” format, which was created by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and is co-produced by FremantleMedia. The “Got Talent” format is officially the most successful reality TV format in history and currently airs in 186 countries.

Asia’s Got Talent is supported by presenting sponsor Traveloka, the leading travel booking app for all flight and hotel needs; sponsoring partner Great Eastern Life, the market leader in the conventional life insurance business and the largest life insurer in Malaysia by asset size; and GoDaddy, the world's largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures.

Marina Bay Sands, Asia’s leading business, leisure and entertainment destination, is the official venue partner of Asia’s Got Talent.

Watch out for Asia's Got Talent Season 2

In the first Season, I was also invited to their press conference. It was a great feeling seeing the international judges. The second season this year look promising too at the press conference. With the new judge, Jay Park, an award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and savvy entrepreneur, CEO and founder of two successful record labels, will take the coveted hot seat alongside the show’s returning judges, the 16-time Grammy Award-winning music producer David Foster and internationally acclaimed singer and World Music Award winner Anggun. 

The three judges, who arrived in Singapore today to start production of Asia’s Got Talent next week, will be tasked with judging hundreds of acts from 17 countries across the region.

 “Asia's Got Talent may reach a lot of people, but mostly it unifies a lot of countries together and that's what I'm most excited to see - the people. I'm looking forward to being amazed, shocked, motivated and inspired,” said Jay who is no stranger to discovering and developing talent. “I’m excited to be a part of the show, and I’m looking forward to joining the incredible David and Anggun to discover the next generation of Asian stars.”

Commenting on his return to Asia’s Got Talent, the world-renowned producer and hit songwriter David Foster said, “Asia really impressed me in the first season. The talent was truly world-class.  However, this season I set my sights even higher and I expect to find the next Asian international superstar.  I’m also excited to team up with the gorgeous Anggun again and to work alongside Jay.”

Anggun, who recently completed over 30 sell-out concerts in France and Belgium and recently received a gold sales award for her latest French-speaking album in France added, “I may live in Paris, but my heart is in Asia. I love seeing emerging talent from this part of the world. I wish every act all the very best for a great performance, and I hope that Asia’s Got Talent can be the launching pad for their dreams to take flight.”

The record-breaking series, which set new ratings records for the English general entertainment genre during its run in 2015, will return to AXN in October. Over the course of 10 captivating episodes – comprising five judges’ auditions, three semi-finals, the finale and the results show – contestants will battle it out for the grand prize of USD100,000.

Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Production, Content and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia, said, “We are thrilled with the judges’ table this season as each judge brings their own style, voice and skillset to the show. Jay has a massive fan base in Asia, so AXN viewers will be excited that he has been selected to join an already powerful judges’ table featuring David Foster and Anggun.

“While the first season of Asia’s Got Talent on AXN rocked the region as the number one show in primetime, the second season promises to up the ante and cement the show’s place as the biggest, most mesmerizing talent contest in the world.”

The series will be hosted by Singapore-based actor/ models Alan Wong and Justin Bratton, whose natural on stage chemistry and witty banter will inject a comedic overtone into the series.

Ganesh Rajaram, General Manager, EVP Sales Asia, FremantleMedia International said, “The first season of Asia’s Got Talent was one of the biggest productions in the world. The series unveiled a host of talent from across the region and fast became a fan favourite with AXN viewers. With Jay Park joining David and Anggun on our judging panel, season two is set to be even bigger and better.”

Asia’s Got Talent is supported by presenting sponsor Traveloka, the leading travel booking app for all flight and hotel needs; and sponsoring partner Great Eastern Life, the market leader in the conventional life insurance business and the largest life insurer in Malaysia by asset size.

Marina Bay Sands, Asia’s leading business, leisure and entertainment destination, is the official venue partner of Asia’s Got Talent.

 www.AXN-Asia.com/AsiasGotTalent

 Check out the video created during the press conference

Notes:

Asia’s Got Talent Season One: New Ratings Records in Asia

Season one of Asia’s Got Talent set new ratings records for the English general entertainment genre during its run, taking AXN to the number one spot in its timeslot among all regional pay-TV channels collectively across Southeast Asia and Taiwan.²

In Malaysia, Asia’s Got Talent was the highest rated entertainment series on English language channels on Astro the past two years. In the Philippines, the Grand Final Results episode of Asia’s Got Talent was the highest rated pay-TV program in the country since 2008 and commanded a 96 percent share among 22 English general entertainment channels.³

Got Talent Globally

The Got Talent franchise was created by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and is co-produced and owned by Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia. It is entered in the Guinness World Records as the Most Successful Reality Television Format in history with 70 local versions produced across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle-East, Africa and the Americas. Around the world, the Got Talent format airs in a total of 186 countries.

About AXN

AXN is Asia’s leading general entertainment channel, featuring exclusive top-rated drama series, blockbuster features, reality programs and groundbreaking original productions. The channel appeals to a discerning audience seeking content that is smart, intriguing and unexpected, all delivered close to US telecasts. From The Blacklist and Quantico to MacGyver and The Amazing Race Asia, AXN is defined not by a genre, but by an attitude that truly redefines action.

Launched first in Asia in 1997, AXN is a global channel brand with a presence in Latin America, Africa and Europe. In Asia, the channel is enjoyed in 126 million households across 19 territories and is available in both SD and HD.

AXN Asia is wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and managed by Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia, which also operates leading channels including Animax, Sony Channel, ONE and GEM.