KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — Don't write off the once prestigious Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) just yet.

AIM committee members at the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) are currently hard at work planning for the upcoming 24th edition of AIM, which is expected to return in the first half of 2025.

Introduced in 1993, the awards ceremony based on the model of the Grammy Awards, celebrates local music industry players and awarding recognition for their works.

RIM chairman Rosmin Hashim told Malay Mail that they have managed to collect RM700,000 in grant funds into their prize pool courtesy of the Communication Ministry’s Digital Content Fund (DKD) for the upcoming AIM24.

"We want to put out a good show. People set the benchmark of AIM very high, so we want to maintain that,” he said.

Organising a prestigious awards show however comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it is a voluntary effort by an association that counts its revenue stream only from government funds, corporate sponsors and their own projects.

The AIM committee, made up of RIM members not only needs to source for sponsors, but also secure a TV broadcaster.

This, on top of handling the production, marketing, nominations and finding judges for the awards show.

Rosmin who has been the chairman for AIM for over ten years now said that they need between RM1.5 million to RM2 million to organise AIM, and the changing landscape of sponsorship these days is making it more difficult.

Advertisers, he said, were simply are not spending as much money on TV anymore with new alternatives such as the many social media platforms and content creators.

AIM has always been under RIM, but from 1996 until 2010, it was organised by the Persatuan Akademi Industri Muzik Malaysia (PAIMM) which was hired by RIM.

From 2011 onwards, RIM decided to take the reins on AIM and organise it fully on their own.

"Sometimes, if it’s (AIM) given to a third party, RIM is not able to control everything that happens involving the award show.

"When this is done in-house, we are able to have full control over the content and how the brand is being promoted or highlighted.

"That’s the reason why RIM made the decision to do it in-house — to organise AIM how RIM envisioned it to be,” he said.

However, he admitted that organising AIM on their own has indeed become an added challenge.

Moving Forward

Rosmin said TV in Malaysia still holds a significant viewership from the mass audiences and it is why they are still keen on having AIM broadcasted live.

For AIM 24 next year, the organisation are looking at live-streaming the awards show online simultaneously in an effort to appeal to younger audiences as well.

Rosmin admitted though that there have also been discussions on taking out the broadcast aspect for future AIM.

"It's also something we might implement in the future.”

He admitted that the plan to take out the broadcast element of AIM means taking away the red carpet spotlight on artists, but said at least the acts still get recognition for their achievements with the peer-judged awards.