15 Highlights From The 2023 Asia Artist Awards — SB19, NewJeans, Stray Kids, HORI7ON, And More

The prestigious Asia Artist Awards 2023 just happened, yet everyone is still reeling from the incomparable high that yesterday’s festivities left us all in.

In a dazzling spectacle that left the thousands in attendance at the iconic Philippine Arena breathless, the program of this year’s Asia Artist Awards unfolded with an undeniable aura of glamour and immeasurable talent from a variety of Asian performers –– including some of our own homegrown talents. As the curtain rose on this year’s ceremony, the audience was not merely treated to an award show. Still, they witnessed a fusion of cultural richness and artistic prowess that resonated across the vibrant tapestry of the entirety of Asia’s entertainment scene.

The 2023 edition of the Asia Artist Awards at the Philippine Arena celebrated outstanding achievements in music, film, and television and became a platform for artists to transcend boundaries and forge connections that defy geographical constraints. As we delve into the highlights of this spectacular night, Billboard Philippines unravels the event’s key moments that fully showcase the talent, style, and celebration of the dynamic spirit that defines Asia’s cultural renaissance.

SB19 Performing Their Medley of Hits – Featuring &TEAM Performing “GENTO”

There’s no doubt about SB19‘s impressive appeal when listening to them on digital platforms, but experiencing their live performance from the stage always elevates their talents to a whole other level. At the Asia Artist Awards, it’s obvious that Pablo, Stell, Ken, Justin, and Josh truly gave it their all –– performing an inspired medley of their hits, which included “Mana,” “Bazinga,” “Crimzone” alongside the widely popular “Gento.” At their performance of the explosive “Gento”, the Kings of P-Pop set the AAA stage on fire and were shortly joined by Japanese and South Korean boyband &TEAM on stage –– who were more than able to keep up with SB19’s phenomenal lead.

Filipino K-Pop act HORI7ON Wins The AAA Focus Award

Following the group’s win of the AAA Focus Award, members of the Filipino K-Pop group HORI7ON expressed their gratitude to the audience with an inspired acceptance speech that said the following: “Filipinos and Koreans have had a beautiful relationship for the longest time, and HORI7ON is glad to be a part of that beautiful bridge. Last year, pangarap lang namin na baka mapanood ng live [ang] mga iniidolo namin, pero ngayon nabigyan kami ng opportunity na makisali sa prestihiyoso na award na ito.” [it was just our dream last year that maybe we could watch our idols live, but now we’ve been given an opportunity to be part of such a prestigious award like this.]

Stray Kids’ 1st Subunit ‘3RACHA’ Wins Best Creator

One of the most humorous (and unscripted) events of the night just may have been 3RACHA‘s reaction to winning the Best Creator award –– given that members Han and Seungmin had to hurriedly run back from leaving for the restroom as their names were called. It was an amusing moment that delighted many fans in attendance and even ended up becoming one of the more viral events to come out of the AAA on social media.

Lee Young-Ji’s Electric Rap Performance

Rapper Lee Young-Ji went above and beyond during her performance of the night, spending most of it off-stage as she interacted with the other artists in attendance. Blending sensuality, confidence, and charisma throughout her performance of “Not Sorry”, Young-Ji even got the three SEVENTEEN’s BSS members to dance along with her. Eagle-eyed fans also took special note of the microphone used during Young-Ji’s performance, as they mentioned that it was a special gift from DK –– showcasing just how close the artists are with one another.

STAYC’s Colorful Performance of “Bubble”

With their signature cute and bubbly style, High Up Entertainment’s STAYC delivered one of the best performances of the night with their viral hit ‘Bubble.” The candy-colored visuals on stage paired together with the group’s rhythmic and synchronized choreography made great use of the larger space in the arena –– while still highlighting each member’s talents on full display. Even teasing a future return to the Philippines, STAYC and their performance melted the hearts of the crowd.

Melai Cantiveros’ Speech Following Her Win of ‘Best Actor’ – With The Support of SB19

There’s no doubt about Melai Cantiveros’ ability to make people laugh (even exemplified earlier on in her interview with host Jan Won-young), but her acceptance speech that followed her win of ‘Best Actor’ for Ma’am Chief: Shakedown in Seoul further solidified how her humor can reach a universal audience. Aside from making Kim Seon-ho laugh, Cantiveros’ hilarious speech rallied the support of numerous notable people at the show, including that of SB19 who made sure to stand up and proudly cheer for her.

Kathryn Bernardo’s Speech Following ‘Fabulous Award’ Win 

It’s been quite the last few months for Filipina actress Kathryn Bernardo, but her appearance at the Asia Artist Awards made for one of the buzziest moments of the show. Winning the ‘Fabulous Award’ together with NewJeans, Stray Kids, Lim Young Woong, and Daniel Padilla, Bernardo garnered some of the loudest and most amounts of cheers throughout the program. In her acceptance speech, she expressed her pride for the Philippines to be the host for such an impressive show stating; “It’s my first time attending this and nakaka-proud na bilang Pilipino, tayo yung nagho-host sa ganitong event.” [“it makes me so proud that as a Filipino, we’re the ones hosting this sort of event.”]

NewJeans’ First Performance in the Philippines

Those present at the Philippine Arena last night were treated to a special event that wasn’t just the awards show, but the premier live musical performance of NewJeans in the entire Philippines. With an extended introduction number that preceded their hit single “OMG”, Hanni, Danielle, Minji, Haerin, and Hyein delivered a spectacularly choreographed performance that led up to a remarkable set of performances to “ETA” and “Super Shy.” As expected, those in the crowd were singing along to every lyric of the three songs –– demonstrating just how wild the demand is from Filipino audiences if ever the group returns for a solo showcase.

LE SSERAFIM’s Musical Debut For Filipino Audiences

Immediately after NewJeans finished their performance, LE SSERAFIM took to the stage to perform a euphoric rendition of their latest single, “Perfect Night.” Delivering the track with the necessary grace and rendition to convey the carefree nature of the track, members Yun-jin, Chae-won, Eun-chae, Kazuha, and Sakura won the crowd in an instant thanks to their spectacular performance. Things didn’t end there though, as they performed an extended dance remix to the electronic and bass-heavy “Eve, Psyche & the Bluebeard’s Wife” –– to which they nailed every bit of the confident and empowering aspects of the track and its choreography.

SB19 Win the Best Artist (Singer) Award

Winning the Best Artist (Singer) award alongside acts like AKMU, ITZY, THE BOYZ, LE SSERAFIM, and IVE, SB19 once again broke history to become the first Filipino musical act to do so. In the group’s acceptance speech, they mentioned their surprise at winning the award and expressed their gratitude to the AAA for recognizing their accomplishments. “Noon, pangarap palang po namin ang makapagreleae ng kanta, pero ngayon nasa harap na po kami at tumatanggap ng award” [Before, it was just a dream of ours to be able to release music, but now, we’re here at the front accepting the awards], said the group.

THE BOYZ Turning The Heat Up With Their Performance of “Watch It”

IST Entertainment’s THE BOYZ turned the heat up inside the Philippine Arena with a (literally) explosive performance of their song “Watch It”. All eyes were on THE BOYZ throughout their performance, given the crimson-red stage lights and use of indoor fireworks highlighted the song’s great sense of dynamics. The occasional spike of aggression and the track’s bombastic nature were impeccably delivered by the group’s expert performance –– making it a real knockout performance that could stand out as one of the best of the night.

Ben&Ben’s Heartfelt Speech Following Their ‘Best Choice’ Win

Along with ten other acts, the nine-piece folk-pop band Ben&Ben was awarded with the win for the ‘Best Choice’ category. Surprised by the sudden award, the group made a heartfelt speech extending their gratitude for the opportunity of being invited to the show, as well as for all the support they have received from their fans over the years. Twins Paolo and Miguel Benjamin led the speech, stating; “We did not expect this honestly, we’re very, very surprised. We just wanna say thank you to each and every one of you for being here. We wanna say thank you to all the artists. It’s such an honor to watch such amazing performances tonight. We are fans.” Dedicating it to their fandom the ‘Liwanags’, Paolo stated “Pipiliin namin kayo araw-araw.” [We will choose you for every day of our lives.]

Stray Kids’ Electrifying Performance of “Lalalala”

Performing “Maniac”, “Get Lit”, “Top Line”, and “Lalalala”, JYP Entertainment’s Stray Kids gave their fans everything and more with their astounding performance on stage. Without a doubt, it was an electrifying spectacle that immersed those present with a sonic and visual journey – commanding everyone’s attention from the first beat onwards. Coupled with the stage work specifically executed in “Lalala”, the group’s seamless synchronization translated into an infectious energy throughout the crowd that made for an epic demonstration of talent on the global stage.

NewJeans Winning Two Grand Prizes Throughout the Night

Throughout the program, NewJeans was awarded a historic amount of six wins throughout the night –– including the highly coveted Singer of the Year and Song of The Year awards. Expressing their gratitude to their fans, lovingly nicknamed their ‘Bunnies’, Minji went on to say thank you for always supporting them in their endeavors –– even teasing what lies ahead in store for them as the year 2024 approaches closer.

Seventeen’s BSS Closing Performance

Following their wins for Best Performance (as subunit BSS) and Album of the Year (“FML” as Seventeen), BooSeokSoon closed off the 2023 Asia Artist Awards with a dazzling performance of “7PM” and “Fighting” –– with the latter including rapper Lee Young-ji! With charisma that went off the charts, BSS involved their fellow artists in a celebratory performance that had everyone up from their seats, dancing and singing along to their music. Both on and off the stage, DK, Hoshi, and Seungkwan delivered all the showmanship you’ve come to love and expect from the K-pop genre as a whole –– reminding audiences that in several ways, this is exactly how you execute a fantastic live musical performance.