Now, the time has come for the cream of Malaysia’s creative talent to be given their due as the 19th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards (19BCAA) rolls into town once again. The nominees for this annual awards were announced during a ceremony at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre at 1Utama Shopping Centre here today.
Held since 2002, the BCAA aims to recognise, reward and raise the bar of excellence for Malaysian performing arts practitioners. Prizes are presented annually to music, dance, theatre and musical theatre shows which are professionally produced, performed live and staged in the Klang Valley.
The awards are organised by arts organisation Kakiseni and sponsored by BOH Plantations.
In her speech, Kakiseni president Low Ngai Yuen said that the BCAA judges had been impressed by the passion and quality of the 74 arts productions they had judged last year.
“As we unveil the nominations, it’s crucial to recognise the relentless dedication both on and off stage. These nods are not just about talent – they are about recognising the excellence showcased through countless hours of hustle and passion synonymous with Malaysia’s performing arts community,” Low said.
The theme of this year’s ceremony, “Pentas Kehidupan: Meneroka Tanpa Batasan”, pays tribute to the local performing arts community’s boundless expression of creativity.
Boh Plantations CEO Jason Foo said he sees this year’s BCAA as being particularly special as it coincides with the 95th anniversary of his company.
“I am confident the performing arts industry will also continue to nurture the growth of creative expressions and drive excellence in the years ahead. Here’s a ‘tea toast’ to the 19BCAA and all performing artists in Malaysia,” Foo said.
This year’s ceremony will see awards presented across 37 subcategories in Music, Dance, Musical Theatre and Theatre.
For Dance, Kongsi Petak and Cake Project’s “Switchblade Operation: The Longing” has emerged the frontrunner with 12 category nominations for “A World In the City” and “Gui Qu Lai Xi”.
“Anggota 2: Re-Member” follows with five nominations.
In the Music category, Playspace Production’s Malaysian folklore-themed “Dondang Dongeng” leads the pack with nine category nominations, including Best Production Values and Best Musical Direction.
Gangsapura Enterprise’s “Pengembaraan Satu Malam” comes in second with six nominations, while “Ondo!” by Hands Percussion has five.
The Musical Theatre is a spooky category to be in this year, with Cempaka Performing Arts Company’s “Spooks: The Musical” scaring up a hair-raising 13 nominations, and the pontianak-themed “Melur: the Musical” by Liver & Lung Productions with 11.
Floating closely behind is Monday Show Entertainment’s “Once On this Island”, which received seven nods.
Finally, the Theatre category is led by Protagonist Studio’s “Fault Lines”, with eight category nominations including Best Director and Best Script.
Five Arts Centre and Reka Art Space’s “Malam Takdir” comes close with seven nominations, while Revolution Stage’s “Teater Ratna Kadhal” received four.
In addition to their category nominations, six shows are also nominated in the “Best Of” 2023 category, which celebrates productions of the highest calibre last year.
They are KL Shakespeare Players’ “A Hen-Made Tale: The Musical”, Playspace Productions’ “Dondang Dongeng”, Protagonist Studio’s “Fault Lines”, Five Arts Centre and Reka Art Space’s “Malam Takdir”, Asia Ballet Theatre and Kenny Shim Dance Collective’s “Psychosynthesis”, and Kongsi Petak and Cake Project’s “Switchblade Operation: The Longing”.
The 19th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards ceremony will be held at Stage 1, PJPAC on Sunday May 5. For more information and the full list of nominees, visit Kakiseni’s website.