RADIN SRI GHAZALI meets two MTV VJs to get their vibes about the upcoming MTV Asia Awards event.

MTV Asia Awards 2008 is around the corner, Aug 2 to be precise. As first-time host, Malaysia will be welcoming the Pussycat Dolls, One Republic and British sensation Leona Lewis, among others, to the event.

30 Seconds to Mars’ lead singer and actor Jared Leto will host the event alongside Hong Kong actress Karen Mok.

The pre-event build-ups are mounting, and the MTV Asia VJs are jumping in to promote the biggest awards show in Asia.

New kid on the block Sahntaya Rogers — or Taya — is over the moon about the star-studded event.
“This is my first time being involved in the show. I am a bit star-struck looking at the list of celebs who will be attending,” said the 23-year-old Thai beauty during an interview in Kuala Lumpur recently.

“I am excited over the prospect of meeting the lead singer of One Republic, Ryan Tedder. He came up with several samples of music years ago while I was still studying in California. He is a brilliant musician,” she added.

No stranger to the awards show, cheeky lad Greg Uttsada Panichkaul, better known as Utt, who is also from Thailand, expressed his excitement at getting to meet the sexy members of the American pop group Pussycat Dolls.

“They are hot! I can’t wait to see them, the opening act for the show. It would be great if I could have an exclusive interview with them,” he said.

The awards show is a platform for Asian talents and opens opportunities for them to broaden their musical reach.

The nominees from the 10 competing countries — including Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and India — are indeed forces to be reckoned with.

“I am impressed with the list of nominees. They are diversified, a unique blend of what the Asian market offers,” said Taya.

“Take Malaysia, for instance. You have Faizal Tahir, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and Pop Shuvit as the nominees,” said Taya, who is a fan of Pop Shuvit.

As for her home country nominees, Taya remains indecisive.

“I love all of them. Body Slam has been around for years and Groove Riders has been producing great songs in Thailand. It is hard for me to choose,” she gushed.

“I thought the event would be in the heart of Kuala Lumpur but then I learnt that it would be at Genting Highlands. This is a big change as in the previous (six) years, the shows were held in the metropolitan cities of Thailand and Singapore,” said Utt.

On their life as MTV VJs, both Utt and Taya are enthusiastic about their future with the music channel.

“The channel itself has always been a pop icon since the 1980s. It literally changed the world’s pop culture, one of the first channels catering to music and youth. I grew up with the channel. Now, I am working for MTV,” said Taya.

The move to the channel is seen as a major leap for the budding actress who was based in Thailand previously.

“Thankfully, I face no problems in adapting in Singapore due to similarities in culture and language with Thailand. Just don’t put me at an MRT station because I will get lost easily,” she said.

“I am a music enthusiast and a DJ. Handling a music show is as not as hard as it seems. I am very thankful that my passion and knowledge for music has helped me tremendously in presenting the show,” said the hip hop turntable DJ.

As for Utt, his name now is synonymous with the music channel. This year marks a decade of his career with MTV.

“I evolved with the channel, viewers saw me grow as a VJ and an individual,” he said.

Utt was also among the golden era of MTV’s VJs who included Jamie Aditya, Nadia Hutagalung, Donita Rose and Mike Kasem.

“I am fortunate to be a part of that era. They were the best of all VJs of music channels and I had the chance to learn from them,” said the 34-year-old.

The actor-cum-model has no plans to leave the channel anytime soon despite being the “most senior” presenter there.

“People come and go but I have grown accustomed to MTV. Furthermore, I am spending most of my time in Singapore now and getting acting and hosting offers. But I still go home to Thailand to take hosting gigs such as Live the Dream (Thailand’s equivalent to Akademi Fantasia),” he said.

Besides hosting and acting, Utt is also currently running an artiste management company that manages his as well as Taya’s career.