All roads led to the Philippine Arena in Bulacan last Dec. 14 as some of Asia’s biggest artists and tens of thousands of their fans converged at the much-anticipated 2023 Asia Artist Awards (AAA), powered by mobile services provider Smart Communications and Viu, PCCW’s leading pan-regional OTT video streaming provider.

Gracing the show were NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, ZEROBASEONE, NMIXX, BOYNEXTDOOR, Stray Kids, ITZY, THE BOYZ, Kwon Eunbi, Kep1er, SEVENTEEN BSS, SB19, Kim Seon Ho and Ahn Hyeo Seop and more, making AAA’s debut in the Philippines a truly memorable experience.

K-Pop sensation NewJeans emerged as the big winner at the AAA, securing two grand prizes—Singer of the Year and Song of the Year for ‘Ditto.’ They also received accolades for Hot Trend, Asia Celebrity, Best Choice, and Fabulous Awards.

SEVENTEEN BSS won the Grand Prizes for Album of the Year and Performance of the Year with a jaw-dropping number to wrap up the show, while Korean singer Lim Young-woong achieved a remarkable feat by taking home five awards, including the grand prize for Fandom of the Year.

On the other hand, in the field of acting, Lee Junho clinched the Actor of the Year award for the second consecutive year, this time for his role in the romantic comedy series ‘King the Land.’ Meanwhile, Filipina actress Melai Cantiveros was honored with the AAA Best Actor Award for her portrayal of a policewoman in the movie ‘Mam Chief.’

Top trending topic

Filipino fans didn’t miss the opportunity to share their thoughts on social media during the show, powered by Smart, enabling fans to share their favorite and most memorable moments during world-class event instantly.

TV Host Ryan Bang and Comedienne Melai Cantiveros emerged as the top trending topics on social media, with Ryan receiving praise for his hosting skills during the red-carpet show, and Melai gaining attention for her humorous moments during the awards show. Fans were also abuzz when Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo appeared together on stage after receiving the AAA Fabulous Award.

Smart subscribers shared these iconic moments by seamlessly uploading photos, videos, and stories on their social media accounts in real-time.

“This event was truly memorable. It was fantastic to witness our favorite K-pop groups, K-drama stars, and even our Filipino celebrities all in one major event,” said Smart subscriber Rayver Dela Cerna, 32, from Marikina City.

Exclusive perks and privileges for Smart subscribers

Smart subscribers maximized their AAA experience with exclusive access to exciting perks and awesome activities at the concert.

Weeks before the event, Smart Prepaid gave customers with the chance to score tickets to the awards night through points redemption on the Smart App. Additionally, Smart subscribers were able to redeem tickets by activating a Smart Prepaid eSIM and top up with Magic Data+ offers at select Smart Stores.

During the event, fans enjoyed a red carpet-themed experience at the Smart Live booth which had the Among the Stars photobooth where fans captured their Asia Artist Awards experience. The Smart Live booth also featured an AAA-list filter for posting on Instagram and TikTok and gave Smart subscribers a chance to win exclusive prizes by answering trivia questions. Smart also offered free charging throughout the venue to ensure fans remained concert-ready.

Fans also enjoyed the Smart Live outdoor booth at the fanzone area which had Instagram-ready corners for fans to create their own reels.

World-class acts powered by Smart

Fans also got to avail of the Smart Prepaid eSIM, the country’s first prepaid eSIM, onsite, providing them with an enhanced network experience at the Philippine Arena and easy access to value-packed offers like Power All 99.

The AAA is the latest addition to the stellar line-up of Smart Live, which gives subscribers access to exclusive perks and privileges to world-class live concerts and events. Before AAA, Smart also brought other performers like Harry Styles, K-pop acts SEVENTEEN and TWICE, closer to Filipino fans.

Enjoy the most epic live experiences with Smart, the Philippines’ Best Mobile Network as recognized by Ookla, the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence. To know more about Smart Live’s line-up of epic events, visit smart.com.ph/Pages/smartlive. – Rappler.com

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