The 25th Music Industry Awards (Anugerah Industri Muzik ke-25, AIM25), Malaysia’s most prestigious award show, has entered its next exciting chapter as the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) today announced the Top 5 finalists across all 32 award categories, as well as the distinguished panel of judges who oversaw the judging process for this landmark Silver Jubilee edition.
Celebrating its Silver Jubilee, AIM25 will make history this year as the awards ceremony takes place in Sarawak for the first time, at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on Saturday, 26 September 2026.
The historic edition is supported by the Ministry of Communications through an allocation of RM950,000 in Digital Content Funds (DKK) which will be disbursed to a total of 16 AIM25 award winners via MyCreative Ventures. AIM25 is also supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP) through its Tourism Event Grant of RM1 million. TVS serves as the Official Broadcaster and Co-Organising Partner, while CATS FM and ERA FM serve as the Official Radio Partners of AIM25 alongside Hitz FM, MY FM and Raaga FM.
AIM25 is supported by three Official Partners, namely AirAsia as the Official Airline Partner, Orkid as the Official Hydration Partner, and Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) as the Official Venue Partner.
The awards are further supported by a strong network of Strategic Partners, including AirBorneo, Kuala Cola, Maxim, Grand Margherita Hotel, Riverside Majestic Hotel, Riverside Majestic Astana Wing and Sheraton Kuching, whose contributions help support the successful staging of AIM25’s Silver Jubilee edition.
Following the close of the AIM25 nomination period on 6 August 2026, RIM received a total of 600 nominations covering recordings released between 1 January and 31 December 2025.
A total of 135 finalists have now been shortlisted across the 32 award categories, representing a diverse mix of established names, emerging talents, independent artistes, songwriters, producers and music industry professionals from across Malaysia.
The Top 5 finalists were selected through a comprehensive judging process conducted by a panel of highly qualified music industry practitioners and experts from various disciplines, headed by Chief Judge, Ajai.
The judges’ scores were tallied and independently audited to ensure the integrity, transparency and credibility of the judging process.
RIM Chairman and AIM25 Organising Committee Chairman, Mr. Rosmin Hashim, said:
“AIM25 is a very special edition for all of us as we celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the Malaysian Music Industry Awards. Over the past 25 editions, AIM has continued to evolve alongside Malaysia’s music industry, recognising the creativity, talent and dedication of our music practitioners.
“This year, we are particularly excited to bring AIM to Sarawak for the first time. The announcement of the Top 5 finalists marks another important milestone on our journey towards the awards night, and we are proud to see such a diverse representation of Malaysian music across the categories.
“We congratulate all the finalists and thank every artiste, songwriter, producer, recording company and music industry professionals who participated in AIM25. Their contributions continue to shape the richness and diversity of Malaysia’s music landscape.”
The Top 5 finalists were determined through a comprehensive judging process led by Chief Judge Ajai, together with a panel of experienced music industry practitioners and experts representing various disciplines within the Malaysian music industry.
The panel brings together a wealth of experience and expertise to ensure that the judging process is conducted with the highest level of professionalism, integrity and credibility.
The judges’ scores were tallied and independently audited to ensure the integrity, transparency and credibility of the judging process.
The Silver Jubilee edition of AIM25 features 32 award categories, including two new categories introduced to reflect Malaysia’s diverse cultural identity and evolving musical landscape:
‘Best Borneo Song’ recognises outstanding musical works that celebrate the rich culture, languages, traditions and unique identity of Sabah and Sarawak, while ‘Best Festive Song’ honours musical works that capture the joy, values and traditions of Malaysia’s festive celebrations.
The introduction of these categories reinforces AIM’s commitment to recognising the diversity of Malaysia’s music industry and celebrating the unique cultural identities and musical traditions that contribute to the nation’s creative landscape.
For AIM25, the ‘Best Malay Song Performed by an International Artist’ category will not be contested this year due to the limited number of eligible entries received during the nomination period.
The decision was made following the close of nominations and the assessment of eligible submissions received for the category. While the category has not been contested for AIM25, RIM remains committed to providing opportunities to recognise Malay music and its growing international reach, and will continue to review the category for future editions of AIM.
With this adjustment, AIM25 will feature 32 contested categories in this year’s awards, in addition to the ‘Anugerah Sri Wirama’ Special Award.
