The 25th Anugerah Industri Muzik introduces Best Borneo Song and Best Festive Song, celebrating Malaysia’s diverse cultural heritage.
KUALA LUMPUR: The 25th Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM25) will introduce two new award categories – Best Borneo Song and Best Festive Song – for its Silver Jubilee edition, reflecting Malaysia’s rich cultural heritage and evolution of musical expression.
Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) chairman Rosmin Hashim said the awards ceremony, which will be held for the first time at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching in Sarawak, is scheduled for Sept 26 and will feature 33 competitive categories.
“The Best Borneo Song category recognises outstanding works that elevate the languages, traditions and musical identity of Sabah and Sarawak.
“The Best Festive Song category, meanwhile, honours songs that unite Malaysia’s diverse festivals while reflecting the values of unity, harmony and cultural diversity,” he said at a press conference on AIM25 here today.
Rosmin said staging the awards in Borneo for the first time underscores RIM’s commitment to broadening recognition of musical talent across the country while reinforcing the important role of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia’s music ecosystem.
“We believe Malaysia’s music industry will continue to flourish when every region is given the opportunity to showcase and elevate its musical heritage. As an awards platform that reflects the industry’s growth, we want AIM to remain relevant to Malaysia’s cultural diversity, creativity and musical expression,” he said.
Among the major award categories at AIM25 are Best New Artiste, Best Male Vocal Performance, Best Female Vocal Performance, Best English-Language Local Song, Best Traditional Song, Best Ethnic Song and Song of the Year. TVS (Television Sarawak) has been named the official broadcaster and co-organiser of the event.
Meanwhile, Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah said the ministry, through the Creative Content Fund (DKK) managed by MyCreative Ventures Sdn Bhd, has increased the AIM25 allocation by RM250,000.
He said the increase brings the total DKK allocation for AIM25 to RM950,000, reflecting the government’s commitment to recognising artistic excellence, encouraging creativity and innovation, and empowering the creative industry as a key contributor to the nation’s economic development.
“The winners of 15 award categories will each receive a RM50,000 DKK grant. These categories include Song of the Year, Best New Artiste, Best Nasyid Song, Best Ethnic Song, Best Unity Song, Best Local Chinese Song and Best Local Indian Song. The winner of the Best Album category will receive a RM200,000 DKK grant,” he said.
AIM25 has also received a RM1 million grant from the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, underscoring the state government’s commitment to strengthening Malaysia’s creative industry and positioning Sarawak as a leading destination for arts, culture and entertainment.
Also present at the press conference was Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who is Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister, as well as Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister.
AIM25 is open to songs and albums in Malay, English, Chinese and Indian languages released in Malaysia between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2025.
As with previous editions, entries will be evaluated by a panel of music industry practitioners and experts from various disciplines, chaired by composer and singer Ajai as jury head.
The five finalists for each category are expected to be announced in September ahead of the awards ceremony, while the recipient of the Sri Wirama Award will be decided by the RIM Council.
Submissions for AIM25 open today and will close on Aug 6. Nomination forms can be completed and submitted via https://aim1.org.my.
