The race to crown Singapore's next Malay music star is officially on. Anugerah 2026 has unveiled its Top 14 finalists, with the long-running talent competition set to premiere 25 August. The series will air live every Tuesday at 8:30 PM on Suria, mewatch, and Mediacorp Entertainment on YouTube.
Hosted by Fadli Kamsani of Mediacorp RIA 897 and actress Lydia Asyiqin, this year's finalists earned their spots after surviving The Cut — the competition's decisive final audition round. Selected from a pool of 40 hopefuls, the Top 14 impressed judges with their vocal ability, stage presence, and star potential in one of the most competitive stages of the series.
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The finalists come from diverse backgrounds, ranging from students and educators to engineers, entertainers, music teachers, and content creators. Among them are former competition alumni, experienced performers, self-taught vocalists, and rising artistes looking to make their breakthrough on national television. Notable contestants include former K-Pop World Festival Best Vocalist Akif Halqi, singer-songwriter Izzan Adlan, actor Alfan Ryan, and Chariska Diva Anugrah, daughter of Anugerah 2003 champion Eka Mairina. The competition's youngest finalist is 17-year-old Darwish Sofyan, while several contestants are making their television competition debut.
The Top 14 finalists are:
- Akif Halqi
- Alfan Ryan
- BANIE
- Chariska Diva Anugrah
- Darwish Sofyan
- Falisha Mustafa
- Farras Qushayyi
- Firdaus Senin
- Hirza Haizal
- Izzan Adlan
- Nada Fitri
- Nadhrah Roslan
- Syafiqah Aziz
- Tahniah Shahar
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Before stepping onto the live stage, the finalists underwent a series of masterclasses led by industry veterans including Najip Ali, vocal coach Babes Conde, singer Hady Mirza, content creator Zhin Sadali, and Sujadi Siswo. The sessions covered vocal performance, stagecraft, competition strategy, media literacy, social media presence, and personal branding, preparing contestants for the demands of the competition.
Fans can also get a closer look at the contestants through Anugerah: The Cut, a five-part digital-exclusive series that goes behind the scenes of the final audition process and documents the moments that shaped this year's final lineup.
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Viewers will play an active role throughout the competition, with audience votes contributing 20% of each contestant's overall score, while the judges account for the remaining 80%. Voting opens every Wednesday during the live shows, with registered meconnect users able to cast up to 20 votes per day via Mediacorp's voting platform.
The eventual champion will take home the Anugerah 2026 title and a grand prize of $25,000, while the first runner-up will receive $10,000, sponsored by PropNex. A PropNex Special Award worth $5,000 will also be presented to one finalist.
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