2023 Stellar Prize Extends its Reach across Malaysia with a Wider Influence

Published on December 28, 2023

The sixth Stellar Prize (TSP) Ceremony took place on 15 December 2023 at Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM), marking a significant milestone with its transformation into a nationwide contest.

2023 Stellar Prize Extends its Reach across Malaysia with a Wider Influence (3)

Representing the first successful attempt to expand the event's scope to the entire Malaysia since its inaugural edition in 2018, the Stellar Prize is an annual award ceremony held by XMUM School of Communication. The event aims to honour the excellence and the achievements of ace students majoring in communication, with the idea that every creation produced by the students should be showcased to spread creative ideas and to inspire others.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wang Changsong, Head of School of Communication at XMUM, expressed his pleasure at receiving submissions from numerous universities and colleges across Malaysia.

“The Stellar Prize hopes to provide a platform for all the students who are majoring in communication and media studies throughout the country to showcase their talents,” he said.

This year, TSP received a total of 267 submissions across four categories, with 61 nominations and 27 winning entries. It also marked the inaugural collaboration with both local and international corporate entities. Participants tailored their submissions to meet specific criteria outlined by these partnered corporations.

Over 500 participants from 13 public and private institutes across Malaysia attended the on-site ceremony. They were joined by 13 external guests, 15 internal lecturers from XMUM, and 18 sponsor representatives.

Before the event, a series of workshop on 3D character modeling, photography, videography, and writing were held to provide a supportive environment for participants to share new and innovative ideas openly.

Renowned Malaysian film director and screenwriter, Prof. Dr. Abdul Razak Haji Mohaideen from Universiti Teknologi MARA, who judged this year’s TSP Best Short Film category, noted the students’ tremendous hard work after reviewing the submissions.

“Some works have even reached industry standards in terms of quality,” he said.

Abdul Razak said the TSP this year would be the beginning of a path for further progress, emphasizing the importance of producing good content to contribute to building a better society.

Dr. Wang Changsong also expressed his hope to receive artworks from more universities in Malaysia, aiming to diversify the submissions and enhance their quality.

"This will make our meaningful event gain global and local recognition," he added.

Below are some of the award-winning works: