AXN Discovers Mesmerizing Talent During the Casting for Asia’s Got Talent

Head spinning, death-defying, magical and breath-taking: aspiring stars emerged from all corners of Asia in May as AXN’s producers embarked on their search to discover the next generation of super stars for Asia’s Got Talent.


The leading entertainment giant held open auditions in six major cities including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, the Philippines, Bangkok, Taipei and Jakarta. Over 5000 performers attended the auditionsfor their chance to take the spotlight on the world’s biggest talent show and for a shot at the grand prize of USD100,000 in cash.

Talented hopefuls could also apply via an online audition at AXN-Asia.com with some electing to do both to ensure maximum visibility in front of AXN’s producers.

“Asia’s Got Talent is the only series in the world that can unite such a culturally diverse region in a celebration of performing arts. We set out to discover the most inspiring talent of any age and with any dream, and we got all that and so much more.

“We were also struck by the richness of the personal stories that emerged during the auditions. Everyone has a story, and while the journeys may differ, the big dream remains the same,”said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

In the Singapore leg, one troupe of Malaysian acrobats queued from 4am; while in Manila, a father and son travelled overland for eight hours to perform a duet. Performers auditioned in the hope of winning the prize to help with family medical bills; while others, who came along as a support, decided to spontaneously audition on the spot.

“AXN is the home of original productions and Asia’s Got Talent continues our commitment to deliver premium content that engages and captivates our viewers with edge-of-your seat entertainment,”said Virginia.

The record-breaking series returns to AXN later this year, entertaining viewers with 10 episodes comprising five judges’ auditions, three semi-finals, the finale and the results show where the winner will be revealed.

Asia’s Got Talent is presented by official sponsor, Traveloka, the leading travel booking app.

New Ratings Records in Asia

Season one of Asia’s Got Talent set new ratings records for the English general entertainment (GE) genre during its run, taking AXN to the number one spot in its timeslot among all regional pay-TV channels collectively across Southeast Asia and Taiwan.2

In Malaysia, Asia’s Got Talent was the highest rated entertainment series on English language channels on Astro in the past two years. In the Philippines, the Grand Final Results episode of Asia’s Got Talent was the highest rated pay-TV program in the country since 2008, and commanded a 96 percent share among 22 English GE channels. 3

Got Talent Globally

The Got Talent franchise was created by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and is co-produced and owned by Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia. It is entered in the Guinness World Records as the Most Successful Reality Television Format in history with 70 local versions produced across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle-East, Africa and the Americas. Around the world, the Got Talent format airs in a total of 186 countries. 

AXN: A leader in original productions

AXN is a leader of regionally produced original content in Asia, with notable ratings successes including five seasons of the international Emmy-nominated The Amazing Race Asia; the Asian Television Award-winning Cash Cab Asia and Cash Cab Philippines; The Apprentice Asia; Cyril: Rio Magic; Cyril’s Family Vacation: Hawaii Edition; and the Asian Television Award-nominated Cyril: Simply Magic.