With just two weeks left before the highly-anticipated 26th Asian Television Awards, the ATA is proud to present this year’s Guest of Honor, Assoc. Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development, Republic of Singapore.

With Singapore positioning itself as a platform for the region’s stories, the Minister said in an exclusive interview with Television Asia Plus that events such as the ATA allows industry leaders to synergize and collaborate, further growing the media and entertainment space in Asia. In addition to this, the ATA has been able to adapt and innovate despite the situation brought on by the pandemic.

Speaking about being the Guest of Honor at this year’s Awards ceremony, the Minister expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming show. “The Asian Television Awards has played a seminal role in bringing more attention to diverse, quality content in Asia, and in generating publicity about arts and culture, tourist destinations, and more,” he said.  “This is also a platform where industry leaders synergize and collaborate, further growing the media and entertainment space in Asia. The celebration of Asian content goes beyond recognizing local talents and quality content. It helps us to appreciate the uniqueness of different Asian cultures. Each of these productions showcases the rich ethnic and cultural diversity in Asia, providing us with the opportunity to see society through each other’s eyes.”

The ATA recently announced its official roster of nominees and Singapore has secured a good number of nominations at this year’s awards, some of which include categories such as Best Single Drama or Telemovie, Best Comedy Programme, Best Children’s Programme, and Best Lifestyle Programme, among others. With Singapore garnering many nominations this year, the Minister added, “I am proud to see many of our homegrown talents getting their well-deserved recognition at this Awards.”

The 26th iteration of the Asian Television Awards is mounted despite the ongoing pandemic. To this, the Minister said that Singapore is working towards living with COVID, without the fear. He said, “We are taking a more progressive approach and easing some of the restrictions put in place earlier to slow down COVID-19 community transmission. We have also opened Vaccinated Travel Lanes to selected countries, with the list progressively expanding, allowing vaccinated travellers to enjoy quarantine-free access to Singapore. The launch of vaccination-differentiated safe management measures also allows for the safe resumption of large-scale activities.”

Mr Faishal Ibrahim also praised the ATA for being able to adapt to the times. He added, “The ATA has done an excellent job adapting and innovating; tapping on digital capabilities and developing strategic partnerships to allow millions of fans across the region to participate in the award ceremony and join in the celebration. The Awards expanded its reach further beyond broadcast channels by partnering with Twitter, Facebook and Weibo. This extends its reach and allows for greater levels of interaction between fans and their favourite celebrities.”

The Minister pointed out that Singapore’s digital capabilities and infrastructure supports physical and virtual shows, adding that Singapore is a choice destination to host the 26th ATA. “It gives confidence to the organisers, and the audiences tuning in, that all will enjoy an immersive experience as they come together to recognize and celebrate the achievements of talents in Asia’s media and entertainment industry,” he concluded.

The 26th Asian Television Awards happens on 10 and 11 December at 8:00 p.m. SGT which will be broadcast by JSBC, Formosa TV, PSM, Cignal, TV5, meWatch, IMC, Vidio, O Channel, Citra Entertainment, and The Indonesia Channel. The awards show will also be live-streamed on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Weibo. For more information, please visit the official Asian Television Awards website.