Asia's first independent music awards, VIMA (Voice International Music Awards) have recently launched the VIMA Model Awards which describes itself as “a unique and rule-bending platform in the modelling and fashion industry.”
Unlike other typical beauty pageants and modelling awards, the VIMA Model Awards focuses on aspects that go beyond than being just beautiful, to discover the variety of beauty that comes in all shapes and sizes.
Founder of VIMA Model and Music Awards, Siva Zaphod Chandran commented:-
“We realised there were so many beautiful, smart and confident women who just didn’t fit the normal beauty pageant or model platforms just because they were short, or slightly older and some even got turned away because of their skin colour. While we totally understood the need and reasons behind such criteria in the fashion and modelling world, we have decided to open up the platform to a participation criteria that will allow more women to stand out and be elevated. VIMA Model Awards will seek to unveil women with an X-Factor that is not so hung up on looks and body types, but rather on intelligence, attitude and confidence.”
For now, what we know about the awards is that there will be a total of five rounds.
Round 1 took place in early January which required contestants to submit selfies of themselves, or any studio related photographs.
Then, 28 contestants were chosen to go to Round 2 called “The VIMA Face Off” which is a contest that will be jointly decided by a panel of VIMA judges and public votes.
The public voting had just ended yesterday, and only 20 participants will be announced soon to move on to Round 3, “The Presenter” which will be testing the contestants with regards to their communication and presentation skills.
From there on, 12 contestants will be picked for Round 4, “The Thinker” which will test the problem solving skills, quick thinking and intellectual discourse of the contestants.
The final round will be held simultaneously with the VIMA Music Awards night in July 2016, and the Top 3 winners of the VIMA Model Awards will be given cash prizes of RM3,000, RM1,500 and RM500 respectively and one of the models will also be selected to be the face of Su and Ash Collection.
A surprise award for Round 2 also just got announced today, and it is the People’s Choice Awards which was determined by the contestant with the highest number of likes on their Facebook photo during the voting time frame.
The Top 3 winners will receive their crystal awards at the upcoming VIMA Music and Model Awards in Kuala Lumpur this coming July.
The Top 5 winners with the most likes are as follows:-
1.Mary (Philippines), 3.3K likes - 1st place crystal award
2.Tshoki (Bhutan), 2.7K likes - 2nd place crystal award
3.Joanna Joseph (Malaysia), 995 likes - 3rd place crystal award
4.Tamara (Australia), 368 likes – certificate
5.Diyana (Malaysia), 305 likes - certificate
The Round 3 contest will start next month, meanwhile, stay tuned for the photos of the Top 20 finalists who have made it to the third round!
(Photo sources: VIMA Model Awards' Facebook)