Big shift in direction
This year’s Cammies sees the removal of categorial barriers.
THE Boh Cameronian Arts Awards, or the Cammies, have always been devoted to recognising excellence in the Malaysian performing arts scene. For more than a decade, it has awarded prizes to the best music, dance, theatre and musical theatre performances that the country can offer.
For its 14th edition this year, however, the awards are headed in a new direction. The major change to this year’s Cammies is the removal of categories. Instead of being divided into music, dance, musical theatre and Theatre, as in previous years, all shows will be vying for the 12 awards.
Each show will compete to be in the year’s “Best Of” list, where the different categories are no longer mutually exclusive.
“We believe that our artists and industry players have the ability to shine and exhibit skills and talent, and create deep impact across a wide audience,” says Low Ngai Yuen, president of performing arts group Kakiseni, which organises the Cammies.
“By awarding outstanding performances without restricting the competition to within individual categories, we are creating a platform for higher standards that will further encourage the growth of the industry,” she adds.
The 14th Boh Cameronian Awards will be presented at the St Regis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on May 7.
Founded in 2002, the Cammies are the only awards that judge live music, dance, theatre and musical theatre in Malaysia. It is endorsed by the National Department for Culture and Arts under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia.
The “Best Of” 2016 list includes dance piece Black and White @Variation Rerun 2016 (choreographed by Anthony Meh and Aman Yap), dance piece From Soho To Shinjuku Half Man Half Myth (choreographed by Loh Pit Fang and Low Ming Yam), musical theatre production Into The Woods (directed by Nell Ng, musical direction by Shensation), theatre play Richard III (directed by Deric Gan), drama with music elements Shakespeare Goes Bollywood (directed by Matthew Koh) and theatre play The Language Archive (directed by Ghafir Akbar).
The nominees for this year’s awards will be taken from these six shows.
However, Low says it is possible for there to be exceptions, where the judges determine there is an outstanding performance by an individual from a show not on the list, thus making him or her eligible for an award.
Additionally, Low says while outstanding technical skills are important, the awards will also be honouring productions that are “game changers”. Two Malaysian-born artistes, and a homegrown collective, have been chosen as the “game changers” for the upcoming Cammies’ social media campaign.
The inspirational artistes are Rani Moorthy, a Manchester, England-based theatre producer/filmmaker and, Rendra Zawawi, a Los Angeles-based music producer/ singer-songwriter. The list is completed with the Muar, Johor-based Kun Seng Keng Lion And Dragon Dance Association, the 11-time title holder of the Genting World Lion Dance Championship.
“It is about daring to be different, to move outside comfort zones, to take leaps of faith, to risk experimenting with different styles to produce something out of this world that has the power to impact and engage with audiences,” says Low.
Right now, the shows on the Cammies list are chosen by a panel of executive judges, comprising local arts professionals from various disciplines of the performing arts.
In 2017, there will be a flagging committee to identify shows of outstanding quality, which all the executive judges will have to attend the assessment for the “Best Of 2017” list.
Low adds that shows on the “Best Of” list would be given top priority by Kakiseni for exclusive meetings (the Backer’s Pitch) with potential investors and sponsors, as well as international festival curators and directors.
“Starting this year, the awards will be reinvented as a platform for producers to meet potential sponsors keen to financially back local performing arts companies,” says Low.
At press time, the Boh Cameronian Technical Awards will not be given out this year, while there are plans to repackage the Junior Cammies.