#SHOWBIZ: 'Anugerah Melodi Terhangat' to be held on Oct 18

KUALA LUMPUR: The fan-voted entertainment awards Anugerah Melodi Terhangat (AMT) are set to return on October 18. The three-hour event, airing live on TV3 and streamed online via Tonton, will take place at an unspecified location. This year's competition features 16 award categories, seven of which are new additions. Viewers can vote for their favorite artists between September 3 and October 8 on Tonton, with categories including Hottest Newcomer and Hottest Mandarin Celebrity.

Zairi Aziz, a frontrunner for the Hottest Newcomer award, expressed his excitement at being nominated. He cited his admiration for Datuk Rosyam Nor and his sister, actress Nasha Aziz, as inspirations for his acting career. Zairi stated that winning the award would motivate him to improve his skills as an actor, even if he does not ultimately win the prize.

Layla Sania, a Chinese-language singer and member of the band Small Town Heroes, was nominated for Hottest Mandarin Celebrity. She expressed delight at her nomination, calling it "a great incentive to better myself as an actor." Layla, who has been singing for eight years, is currently studying early childhood education and aspires to a career in both singing and acting.

She acknowledged the fierce competition for Hottest Mandarin Celebrity, noting she will be up against Shila Amzah and Firdhaus Farmizi, both renowned Malay artists.