From a floating piano to a graceful recovery, here are five unforgettable moments from AJL39

KUALA LUMPUR, February 17 — The 39th edition of the annual Malaysia’s pop song competition, Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL39), ended with a bang last night.

Held at Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil, AJL39 saw Sabahan singer Marsha Milan crowned champion with her song Hening Rindu, followed by Nadeera Zaini in second place with Bukan Lagi Kita, and Akim & The Majistret securing third place with Saksama.

According to Nini Yusof, chief operating officer of Media Prima Television Networks and Primeworks Studios, AJL39 also saw increased fan engagement on social media compared to last year’s AJL.

The hashtags #AJL39, #NADARASA, and #Marsha have been trending locally on X (formerly known as Twitter) since last night, with over 90,000 posts.

For those who missed the excitement of AJL39, fret not. Here’s a recap of the top moments that made this year’s event truly unforgettable:

1. Sissy Imann and her floating gold piano

It was a night of high-calibre entertainment right from the start, as AJL39’s host and musician Sissy Imann, who was part of the opening act, was joined by other artists including Wani Kayrie, Shiha Zikir, Ara Johari, and Noki from K-Clique. Together, they performed a medley of famous songs such as Asmaradana by Tiara Jacquelina and Angkat by Mimi Fly.

Despite the high-energy opening for AJL39, Sissy elevated the excitement by playing a gold piano several feet above the ground, while dancers and singers performed below her.

After gracefully descending, she joined the others on stage to conclude the opening act, before later reuniting with her co-host, Nazrudin Rahman.

Sissy’s stunt captivated many including Nini as well who applaud her bravery.

“I think that the combination of Sissy and Naz is something different and seeing Sissy’s bravery to be up there is just unlike anything that we’ve done before because usually these kinds of stunts are done by the finalists.

“However, because of our spacious stage, we encouraged not just finalists to make the best out of the space but we also gave our host a chance to partake in the opening act as well,” Nini said.

The AJL39 opening act also featured 30 dancers and was accompanied by an orchestra team led by esteemed musician Genervie Kam.

2. Aina Abdul’s big heart

Singer Aina Abdul once again wowed audiences with her avant-garde performance — this time, singing from the heart. Literally.

Aina Abdul’s giant heart centerpiece during AJL39. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

Aina, who claimed the coveted Best Performance award at AJL39, expressed her gratitude to her team, particularly her stage crew, for crafting a stunning heart centrepiece, complete with dangling nerves on either side of the stage.

The 31-year-old singer, dressed in red, began her performance of Puas Sudah from within the heart before stepping out and being joined by her dancers.

Aina, who had previously spent RM400,000 on her AJL38 performance last year, mentioned that this year’s stage setup and outfit were her most expensive yet. However, she declined to share the exact amount, only hinting that it was not over RM500,000.

3. Hael Husaini’s graceful recovery

Oppa-looking singer Hael Husaini impressed the crowd last night with his quick recovery after tripping over the barrier on his stage set while performing his song ‘Diam’.

As he was walking backwards during the song, Hael didn’t notice the small barriers between the set and tripped, falling backward. However, he quickly recovered, crossing his legs, pose and seamlessly continued his performance.

Clips from Hael’s performance have been making rounds online, with social media users impressed by how he maintained his vocals despite the hiccup.

Although the 37-year-old singer didn’t secure a win for his own song Diam, it was still a victory for Hael, as the song he co-wrote for singer Nadeera Zaini, alongside composer Iqie Hugh, titled Bukan Lagi Kita, won second place and earned him a trophy last night.

4. Hafiz Suip’s stay-at-home outfit and cameos

He also prepared a surprise during the end of his show by bringing on a special cameo by legendary singer Herman Tino who previously made a brief appearance during Hafiz’s performance at AJL26 in 2012 where he was crowned champion for his song Awan Nano.

Hafiz wasn’t the only one who brought a special guest as fellow contestant Amir Masdi had also brought local actress Amelia Henderson on stage for his performance of Sengaja during AJL39.

As each finalist of AJL is required to come up with their own stage set design and theme, singer and finalist Hafiz Suip decided to feature a life-size kampung house prop for his performance of Terus Bersinar.

The Awan Nano singer delivered a near-perfect performance last night, starting with him lying on a bed inside the kampung house before making his way outside to the stage.

Staying true to the theme, Hafiz’s outfit for the performance was simple yet fitting — a brown t-shirt paired with black tracksuit pants and a pair of everyday slippers, marking a first on the AJL stage.

He also prepared a surprise for his performance by bringing out legendary singer Herman Tino at the end. The music great had previously made a brief appearance during Hafiz’s performance at AJL26 in 2012, when he was crowned champion for his song Awan Nano.

Hafiz wasn’t the only one to bring a special guest; fellow contestant Amir Masdi also had local actress Amelia Henderson join him on stage for his performance of Sengaja during AJL39.

5. Creative use of stage space

AJL39 finalist Ernie Zakri’s blossoming garden stage setup. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

One of the main takeaways from AJL39 is that all 10 finalists truly made the most of their spacious stage, which, according to Nini, is the size of two futsal courts.

Unlike previous AJLs, where some finalists opted to perform solo without props or even dancers, this year’s maximised use of stage space was well-received by social media users, who shared positive feedback online.

In addition to Aina’s massive heart centerpiece, other AJL39 finalists also made a strong impression with their stage setups, including Ernie Zakri, who presented a blossoming hanging garden for her Aura performance.

Local rappers Benzooloo, Ghidd Isobahtos, Meerfly, Tuju, and MK from K-Clique had a standout stage setup featuring two long dining tables with lamps in the middle, alongside a burning building frame placed slightly behind — offering the audience a unique perspective as each rapper performed their verse from the song Risiko.

Meanwhile, local band Masdo, competing at AJL39 with their song Pujaanku featuring Aisyah Aziz, also made the most of their stage space by incorporating a group of dancers who filled the empty spaces as they moved around the stage.