Still as popular as ever

Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian is going strong into its 20th year.

ISHAH, Zainal Abidin, Eman Manan, M. Nasir, Ziana Zain, Siti Nurhaliza, Saiful Apek, Rosyam Nor and Mawi are household names in entertainment.

But only one has the honour of being voted the most popular celebrity of the year.

Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian (ABPBH) has grown from strength to strength since it was first organised in 1987. Last year, it was one of the most popular TV shows with 4.2 million viewers.

Though ABPBH started with only a small number of categories, it will have 16 categories for readers to vote this year.

Habib Jewels Sdn Bhd, the main sponsor of the event this year, is contributing RM1.5 million worth of jewellery and cash prizes in conjunction with ABPBH’s 20th anniversary.

Habib Jewels is the biggest sponsor to date.

“We thank Habib Jewels for sponsoring the event.

“It shows that, after 20 years, not only do we get great support from the public, readers and artistes but also from the corporate sector,” said Berita Harian group editor Datuk Manja Ismail.

Habib Jewels sponsorship shows that the entertainment industry is still getting much support and attention, added Manja.

“Back in the ‘80s, there weren’t many award shows to honour local artistes. Award shows then were mainly for filmmakers (the Malaysian Film Festival) and those involved in TV productions (RTM’s Anugerah Sri Angkasa). ABPBH is the first award show to honour local artistes.”

ABPBH is also the first event to give the public a say.

Commenting on Rosyam Nor’s request to withdraw from taking part in the event (Rosyam made the announcement on the rostrum last year when he accepted the Most Popular Film Actor award for the seventh consecutive time!) Manja said: “No matter how popular you are, if you don’t come out with an album or appear in a movie in a particular year, then you can’t be in the running. By the same token, as long as you are actively involved in the business, we have the right to nominate you.”

ABPBH 2006 will be held at the Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands on Feb 4. The first round of nominations has already been published in Berita Harian and Berita Minggu since Nov 2 where 649 nominations have been received.

Fans who wish to vote for their favourite artistes will have until Dec 4 to do so, after which the final nominations featuring the top five in each category will be announced.

ABPBH 2006 will be held in conjunction with Berita Harian’s and the nation’s 50th anniversaries. A host of programmes has been lined up, including a road tour starting on the east coast on Dec 23.