Asia's Got Talent (season 1)
The first season of Asia's Got Talent (AGT) started airing on March 12, 2015, across 15 countries in Asia,[1][2] culminating to a grand final airing nine weeks later on May 14, 2015. It featured a grand prize of US$100,000 and an opportunity to perform at the Marina Bay Sands.[3]
Asia's Got Talent | |
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Season 1 | |
Hosted by | Marc Nelson Rovilson Fernandez |
Judges | Anggun David Foster Melanie C Vanness Wu |
Winner | El Gamma Penumbra |
Runner-up | Khusugtun |
Release | |
Original network | AXN Asia |
Original release | March 12 – May 14, 2015 |
Season chronology |
The show is hosted by Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez; while the judges are Anggun, David Foster, Melanie C, and Vanness Wu.[2] This show is also co-hosted by Singaporean YouTuber and Power98FM DJ's Dee Kosh for sneak previews, highlights, recaps, and behind the scenes.
Filipino shadow play group, El Gamma Penumbra was declared as the first season winner. News of their win leaked early through social media even before the broadcast of the results,[4][5] causing dismay among netizens due to the spoiler nature of the leak.[5]
Auditions
The following were the locations for the open ground auditions:
Date | City | Audition location | Ref. |
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September 27, 2014 | Singapore | Basement 1, Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands | [6] |
September 28, 2014 | Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia | Taylor's University Lakeside Campus | [7] |
Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines | SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia | [8] | |
October 5, 2014 | Taipei, Taiwan | Legacy Taipei | [9] |
Auditionees were also allowed to submit their audition videos online via the show's official website.
Auditions in front of the judges (and a live audience) were held on January 13–14, 16–18, 20–22, 2015 at the Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios in Johor, Malaysia.[10][11] They would be screened across five episodes.[12]
The judges' auditions also feature the Golden Buzzer. Each judge would have one chance to use the Golden Buzzer. The so-called Golden Acts, those on whom the Golden Buzzer is used, would automatically advance to the Semi-Finals. Wu was the first to press the Golden Buzzer on Japanese popping act Time Machine, followed by Melanie C on Chinese acrobat-dancer couple Gao Lin and Liu Xin and Anggun on Filipino shadow play group El Gamma Penumbra. Foster was the last judge to push the Golden Buzzer, using it on Filipina singer/soprano Gerphil Flores.
Below are the acts who are confirmed within the show to have received at least three Yes votes and thus had successfully passed their auditions, as well as the Golden Acts. As implied by the addition of acts whose performances were exclusively seen outside AXN Asia's broadcast of the show, the list does not cover everyone who had passed. Due to time constraints, some acts, named or otherwise, are seen with their fates partially known (only one or two known Yes votes) or edited out completely from broadcast and are thus not listed.
Successful auditionees of Asia's Got Talent season 1 |
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NOTE: Please be guided that the successful auditionees are listed according to their order of appearance. Golden acts are italicized. Those labelled "ID" are acts exclusively seen on ANTV (Indonesia), while those with the "YT" label are acts seen only on the show's official YouTube channel. Also note that this list is incomplete. |
Semifinals
The deliberation round was held at the Marina Bay Sands, the venue for the semifinals and finals.[12] It was shown at end of the final auditions episode first aired on April 9, 2015. Wu was not physically present during the deliberation round, his input being relayed through Foster, who along with Anggun and Melanie C chose the 20 remaining acts who would compete in semi-finals. The four Golden Acts and the judges' picks would bring the total number of semifinalists to 24. The first eight semifinalists were announced after the deliberation round, with the others to be revealed gradually as the semifinal rounds progress.
While the voting is similar to other voting processes in the Got Talent franchise, the revelation of results would be slightly different, to be revealed in the following week rather than the next night (as semifinal rounds are only once weekly, barring replays). Also, in another twist, the Golden Buzzer returns wherein each semifinal round, the judges would use it as one unit to send one act straight to the finals. This is similar to the Judges' Choice in the other local franchises, albeit one ahead of the vote rather than after and based on the vote. Aside from the Judges' Choice through the Golden Buzzer, the two acts with the most public votes would also advance to the finals. There would thus be a total of nine finalists emerging from the three semifinal rounds.
Ages listed are as of the time of the auditions. In the case of group acts, the age ranges only accounted for the members present at the auditions. The age(s) of any additional member(s) who only appeared in the semifinal may or may not be within the range designated.
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Name of act | Age(s) | Genre | Act | Hometown | Semifinal Week | Result |
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El Gamma Penumbra | 22–40 | Dance/Novelty | Shadow play group | Philippines | 3 | Winner |
Khusugtun | 25–38 | Music | Musical ensemble group | Mongolia | 2 | Runner-up |
Gerphil Geraldine Flores | 24 | Music | Soprano | Philippines | 2 | Third place |
The Talento | 11–12 | Music | Pop rock band | Thailand | 3 | Fourth place |
Junior New System | 16–23 | Dance | Multi-genre dance group | Philippines | 2 | Middle two |
Triqstar | 23–33 | Dance | Dance troupe | Japan | 1 | Middle two |
Dance Thrilogy | 8–12 | Dance | Tap dance group | Singapore[note 1] (Australia) |
3 | Bottom three |
Gao Lin and Liu Xin | 26 & 22 | Acrobatics | Acrobatic duo | China | 1 | Bottom three |
Gwyneth Dorado | 10 | Music | Singer/acoustic guitarist | Philippines | 1 | Bottom three |
AltType | 26–29 | Novelty | Double Dutch act | Japan | 3 | Eliminated |
Bảo Cường | 23–35[note 2] | Danger | Extreme performance group | Vietnam | 2 | Eliminated |
Bebop | 19–24 | Music | Pop rock band | South Korea | 2 | Eliminated |
Billy Chang | 31 | Dance | Contemporary dancer | Taiwan | 3 | Eliminated |
The Brothers | 30–34 | Music | Tenors | Indonesia | 1 | Eliminated |
Fathin Amira | 22 | Music | Singer | Singapore | 2 | Eliminated |
Gonzo | 29 | Music/Novelty | Tambourine performance artist | Japan | 1 | Eliminated |
Nitish Bharti | 25 | Novelty | Sand artist | India | 1 | Eliminated |
Oscar Chu | 18 | Music | Harmonica player | Taiwan | 1 | Eliminated |
Sada Borneo | 21–23 | Music | New-age band | Malaysia | 3 | Eliminated |
Sydney Uke | 12 | Music | Ukulele player | Thailand | 2 | Eliminated |
Time Machine | 23–32 | Dance | Popping dance group | Japan | 3 | Eliminated |
Toshanbor Singh Nongbet | 23 | Music | Tenor | India | 3 | Eliminated |
The Velasco Brothers | 22–33 | Dance/Acrobatics | Acrobats/breakdancers | Philippines | 1 | Eliminated |
Young Boys | 14–24 | Music/Comedy | Comic piano ensemble | Indonesia | 2 | Eliminated |
- Note
- Some of the newly added members of Dance Thrilogy are from Australia.
- The multiple ages accounted for Bảo Cường's age as well as those of his two assistants present at the time of his audition.
Semifinals summary
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Semifinals 1 (April 16)
(For the Buzzes columns in this section and the next two, Melanie C is referred to by her surname Chisholm.)
Act | Order | Performance description | Buzzes | Result | |||
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Foster | Anggun | Wu | Chisholm | ||||
Gonzo | 1 | Performed a superhero-inspired tambourine routine to the tune of "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. | Eliminated | ||||
Gwyneth Dorado | 2 | Sang "Nobody's Perfect" by Jessie J. | Advanced | ||||
Oscar Chu | 3 | Performed "Rondo Alla Turca" from Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11 using a total of eight harmonicas. | Eliminated | ||||
Triqstar | 4 | Performed a popping dance routine centered on cherry blossoms and the folk song "Sakura Sakura." | Advanced | ||||
The Velasco Brothers | 5 | Performed a mob/bar fight-inspired routine. | Eliminated | ||||
Nitish Bharti | 6 | Used multiple sand boards to convey a story of a world seen by a blind girl temporarily given sight. | Eliminated | ||||
Gao Lin and Liu Xin | 7 | Performed a routine based on the tango. | Advanced | ||||
The Brothers | 8 | Sang "All by Myself" by Eric Carmen, as popularized by Celine Dion. | Eliminated | ||||
Semifinals 2 (April 23)
Act | Order | Performance description | Buzzes | Result | |||
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Foster | Anggun | Wu | Chisholm | ||||
Young Boys | 1 | Performed a tropical island-themed routine using a total of seven instruments: a piano, an electronic organ, a pair of kettledrums, a marimba, a pair of bongo drums, a pair of conga drums, and a cajón. | Eliminated | ||||
Gerphil Geraldine Flores | 2 | Sang "(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story" from the movie Love Story. | Advanced | ||||
Bebop | 3 | Sang "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins. | Eliminated | ||||
Khusugtun | 4 | Performed a traditional Mongolian musical piece entitled "Tes Goliin Magtaal" (Cyrillic: Тэс голын магтаал), a song in praise of the Tes River. Initially starting with natural bird chirps sounds and a few instruments before reaching an a cappella climax using traditional Mongolian throat vocals. | Advanced | ||||
Bảo Cường | 5 | Inserted various objects through his nose and mouth and stopped a running motorized electric fan blade with his bare tongue before eventually swallowing a sword weighted down by a pot and several knives. | Eliminated | ||||
Sydney Uke | 6 | Performed "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by Frankie Valli. | Eliminated | ||||
Fathin Amira | 7 | Sang "Chandelier" by Sia. | Eliminated | ||||
Junior New System | 8 | Performed a multitrack dance and stunts performance using a medley composed of "We Will Rock You" by Queen, "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan, "María" by Ricky Martin, "Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez, and "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé. | Advanced | ||||
Semifinals 3 (April 30)
Act | Order | Performance description | Buzzes | Result | |||
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Foster | Anggun | Wu | Chisholm | ||||
El Gamma Penumbra | 1 | Performed a routine based centrally on war, recovery from war, and peace. | Advanced | ||||
Dance Thrilogy | 2 | Performed a sailor-themed dance routine, set to the music of "Anything Goes" from the musical with the same name. | Advanced | ||||
Sada Borneo | 3 | Performed an original composition inspired by the rainforest and nature in general. | Eliminated | ||||
AltType | 4 | Performed a toys-inspired routine. | Eliminated | ||||
The Talento | 5 | Sang "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi. | Advanced | ||||
Time Machine | 6 | Performed a science-fiction/mad scientist's laboratory-inspired routine. | Eliminated | ||||
Toshanbor Singh Nongbet | 7 | Sang an operatic rendition of "The Lord's Prayer" as written by Albert Hay Malotte. | Eliminated | ||||
Billy Chang | 8 | Performed a dance routine based on the four classical elements of earth (represented by sand), wind (from a wind machine), fire (a flaming hoop), and water. | Eliminated | ||||
Finals
The finals, like the semifinals, will be held at the Marina Bay Sands over a span of two episodes, a performance night and a results night.[12] It is presumed that the final two public vote finalists from the third semifinal round would be present together the finalists who already advanced.
Charice and illusionist Cosentino (Australia's Got Talent season 5 runner-up) performed in the results night, Charice singing "Lay Me Down" with Foster on piano and Cosentino performing a metamorphosis/escape act involving a cage and spikes. Anggun also sang "Snow on the Sahara" before joining the rest of the judges in covering their own version of "Let's Groove" by Earth, Wind & Fire. There were no intentional buzzes towards the acts but Wu buzzed after Gao Lin & Liu Xin's proposal aiming it at Foster.
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Act | Order | Performance description | Result |
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The Talento | 1 | Sang "The Final Countdown" by Europe. | Fourth place |
Gao Lin and Liu Xin | 2 | Performed a ballet and acrobatics routine to the tune of "Unconditionally" by Katy Perry. (An actual and unexpected wedding proposal ensued between the two after the performance.) | Bottom three |
Gwyneth Dorado | 3 | Sang "Titanium" by David Guetta featuring Sia. | Bottom three |
Dance Thrilogy | 4 | Performed a dance routine to the tune of "The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)" from the musical 42nd Street. | Bottom three |
Khusugtun | 5 | Performed an original composition, entitled "Mongol" (Cyrillic: Монгол) with the use of traditional Mongolian musical instruments and sung with throat vocals. | Runner-up |
Triqstar | 6 | Performed a dance routine wholly inspired by the traditional Japanese arts, highlighted by dancing while still kneeling, contortionism, and popping routines. | Middle two |
El Gamma Penumbra | 7 | Performed a routine themed centrally on man's destruction of Mother Earth's resources, its effects, and ecological salvation, set to the tune of "Colors of the Wind" by Vanessa Williams. | Winner |
Gerphil Geraldine Flores | 8 | Sang "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)" from the musical Man of La Mancha. | Third place |
Junior New System | 9 | Performed an American football-inspired multitrack dance and stunts performance using a medley which included, among others, "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls, "Run the World (Girls)" by Beyoncé, "Let Me Clear My Throat" by DJ Kool, and "Who Let the Dogs Out?" by Baha Men. | Middle two |
Contestants who appeared on previous shows or seasons
- El Gamma Penumbra, the winner of the first season, placed fourth on the third season of Pilipinas Got Talent.
- Gerphil Flores, the third placer of this season, was a semifinalist of the premiere season of Pilipinas Got Talent.
- The Velasco Brothers, a semifinalist, placed third on the first season of Pilipinas Got Talent.
- The Miss Tres was a semifinalist on the fourth season of Pilipinas Got Talent.
- Symmetry was also a semifinalist on the fourth season of Pilipinas Got Talent.
- Angelico "Echo" Claridad joined the first season of The Voice Kids in the Philippines. He turned all three chairs and joined Team Lea, but was eliminated in the Battles.
- Jeremiah Velasco auditioned in all five seasons of Pilipinas Got Talent. In his fifth season audition, he mentioned in front of the judges that he also auditioned on Asia's Got Talent.[13] His audition was not aired.
- The Talento competed in the fourth season of Thailand's Got Talent, reaching the finals.
- Ira Christy Pitaloka, Rachzonja Adhy Kirana Putra, Ni Luh Ayu Leny, The Blessing, Helen Renata Gunawan, Ari Wibowo, and Rifki Ardiansyah all appeared in the second season of Indonesia's Got Talent while Djitron Pah and Young Boys appeared as semifinalists in the first.
- Han Bok Hee auditioned on the second season of Korea's Got Talent, singing "Non, je ne regrette rien" by Edith Piaf, the same audition piece she used in this season.[14]
- Bảo Cường and Nguyễn Thị Huyền Trang were semifinalists on the 2012 season of Vietnam's Got Talent.
- Neil Rey Garcia Llanes won the 2014 edition of the talent show Talentadong Pinoy.
- Roadfill Macasero of Fe and Roadfill is already known in the Philippines as one-half of a comic and song duo Moymoy Palaboy, the other half being his older brother and group namesake Moymoy.
- Indian martial arts group Bir Khalsa placed third in the second season of India's Got Talent. They also appeared in the third season of the joint Czech-Slovak franchise Česko Slovensko má talent; their audition there and their audition in this season both did not result in their favor.
References
- "AXN bringing in 'Asia's Got Talent'". The Philippine Star. September 20, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
- "Marc, Rovilson to host 'Asia's Got Talent'". ABS-CBN News. January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
- "Search for first 'Asia's Got Talent' winner starts March". The Philippine Star. Manila. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- "PH dance troupe El Gamma Penumbra wins 'Asia's Got Talent'". Rappler.com. May 14, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
- Mendoza, Arvin (May 14, 2015). "Netizens express dismay over 'Asia's Got Talent' results leak". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- "Happenings - Arts : Asia's Got Talent auditions, ITE Dance Emblazon and Kitchen Confidante". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
- Dhillon, Rajina (September 28, 2014). "'Asia's Got Talent' kicks off Malaysian audition". The Rakyat Post. Archived from the original on September 29, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
- "'Asia's Got Talent' holds audition in Manila". The Philippine Star. September 26, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
- "Audition key dates". Asia's Got Talent. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
- "Asia's Got Talent at Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios". Iskandar Malaysia Studios website. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- "Iskandar Malaysia". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
- Moon, Pamela (January 30, 2015). "'Asia's Got Talent' kicks off with high expectations". Yahoo! Celebrity Philippines. Yahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- Pilipinas Got Talent (2016-02-13). Pilipinas Got Talent Season 5 Auditions: Jerimiah Velasco - Loyal PGT Auditionee (in Filipino and English).
- Korea's Got Talent (2012-06-29). Non, je ne regretted rien "Bok-hee Han" - Korea's Got Talent 2, 한복희 - 코리아갓탤런트2 (in Korean).