KUALA LUMPUR: Singer-songwriter Zee Avi has made Malaysia proud when she was awarded the International Young Artiste Award at Top Asia Corporate Ball in Jakarta, Indonesia yesterday.
The 32-year-old singer who is best known for her hits Bitterheart and Kantoi said: “It is an honour to receive an award that recognises hard work and achievement, but it would not have been possible without the great people in my team who have helped me along the way,” she said in a press statement today.
Upon receiving the award, the US-based petite singer also shared some words of advice for up-and-coming young acts.
“Be inspired, be creative but be prepared to play more than one role.
“Many think that being in the entertainment industry is just about fame, however, in reality, it’s a lot of hard work. You need to learn about the business side as well.
“The rewarding part of being an artiste is sharing your art with the world, and knowing that it can help someone feels less lonely; or even happier,” she added.
The awards event was held to honour outstanding Asian personalities from different fields and industries.
Hosted by Top 10 of Indonesia and Top 10 of Asia Initiative, the organisation honoured Zee Avi for her talent and achievements in the international music arena.
In 2016, the Sarawak-born artiste bagged Best Original Film Song at the 53rd Golden Horse Film Festival Awards in 2016, for her Arena Cahaya tune which became the theme song for the award-winning Ola Bola.
Besides that, her debut self-titled album was listed in the Top 10 Albums of 2009 by the Associated Press. Others in the list included big names like Mariah Carey, Jay Z and Norah Jones.
Zee Avi is currently working on her third album slated for a 2019 release.