Art awards programs still required
<p>Art awards programs still required</p><p>By Endi Aras</p><p> JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Film Festival was once the
objective of Indonesian film makers. It bestowed hundreds of
Citra Awards in a number of years. When the Indonesian film world
experienced a decline in the 1980s, the achievements of
Indonesian film makers dwindled and collapsed not to emerge
again. The festival is now just a memory.</p><p>Television in Indonesia gradually attracted the Indonesian
public and became a need. TV programs (Sinetron), including the
films, suddenly became the craze and replaced the widescreen
cinematic Indonesian films. The Indonesian Sinetron Festival was
introduced to replace the platform for the achievements of film
makers. The exodus of film makers to television could not be
stopped anymore. Apart from film artists and workers, producers
have also jumped on the bandwagon.</p><p>In music, the BASF Awards and the HDX Awards made their
appearance. The awards have been conferred ten times in
appreciation of musicians who had visibly been using BASF
cassettes. The HDX cassette manufacturers also extended awards to
Indonesian musicians with the same purpose but only for a few
years. Indonesian Education Television (TPI) also started to
issue Dangdut Awards to dangdut musicians.</p><p>With the progress of both the music industry and television
industries, the awards developed, although with some ups and
downs. The BASF and HDX Awards, organized for the benefit of the
respective companies, were not able to hold their own. The
community thought there was unhealthy competition between them.
It had a negative impact because the artists became divided into
two blocks. The situation returned to normal when BASF stopped
the activity after the 10th program. The HDX awards followed suit
and silently vanished.</p><p>The bestowal of awards has certainly a good and noble
objective. After the demise of a number of such programs, other
sides appeared and held their own. The Indonesian Music Awards
(AMI), an organization of musicians and managers of music
institutes in Indonesia, conveyed their appreciation on musicians
and singers who have shown achievement. The "best" category is
applicable at AMI, the best album, the best recorded singer and
so forth.</p><p>In 1999 AMI bestowed awards in 57 categories. AMI is deemed to
still have independency because the organization is a foundation
that gives its full attention to the development of music in
Indonesia. AMI is not connected with any product and has no
special business interest.</p><p>This year the Panasonic Awards enters its third year and will
be held on Nov. 30. The awards are especially designed for
national television. What distinguishes them from AMI is they
focus on national television. Its evaluation is not on "the best"
but the "favorite" or "most popular". If AMI decides its
nominations on the evaluation of the council of adjudicators, the
Panasonic Awards have a different criteria.</p><p>The "favorite" is the right choice for the Panasonic Awards
because there is no evaluation that yields a winner, there is
only an evaluation based on a polling of television viewers. The
result is the "most popular", for instance, the favorite
television program and the favorite female comedy artist.</p><p>Like AMI, the Panasonic Awards have independency. The
organization has no connection with any of the television
stations. Panasonic's interest in the awards is the promotion of
its products, one of its public relations activities. In the
evaluation, Panasonic has no interest at all because there are
other organizations for that.</p><p>Through Citra magazine, the Gramedia group provides the back-
up for the Panasonic Awards program in conducting the polling
activities. This system of evaluation by polling, conducted by
the Panasonic Awards, is viewed as having a lot of credibility.</p><p>Different from the awarding already in existence, many sides
and community groups are involved in the Panasonic Awards. In the
matter of giving an evaluation, for example. The system of
polling among television viewers is a plus point for the
Panasonic Awards. There are also more artists involved in the
process. It is a combination of the existing awards. Sinetron and
music artists are evaluated in 34 categories.</p><p>This fusion involves many people connected with television,
Sinetron artists, presenters and television programs take part in
the Panasonic Awards. This year sees an additional category, the
Video Clip Favorite, which is also based on the choice of
viewers.</p><p>The Panasonic Awards include a variety of categories, from
Favorite Television Star and Favorite Television Program to
Favorite Music Video Clip and Favorite News Reader. It shows the
varied categories that are the viewers' choice.</p><p>Community members, especially the people participating in the
polls, will be proud if their choice obtains an award. Artists
whose work is appreciated by the Panasonic Awards will feel it is
a significant achievement because the victory is not only decided
by a small number of jury members but by the general public.</p><p>With this polling system, the possibility for cheating and
subjective impressions is minuscule. The organizers, in this case
Panasonic, have no interest in the winners. Everything is left to
the public. If there is an artist or a program that has been
conferred the award continuously from year to year, it is the
public's choice. It means the artist or the program is indeed
popular.</p><p>Is Panasonic capable of organizing the conferral of awards? It
gets no direct profit from the activity. Organizations like this
are needed. There is also a need for synergy from various sides
that have the same vision and objective.</p><p>The ups and downs of organizing awards programs must perhaps
be studied further. Involvement by the government that so far
appears to be half-hearted is to be questioned. Now, institutes
that may have ample funds can organize awards programs. The
distribution of awards needs considerable financing.</p><p>If there is willingness on the part of the government, it can
certainly do it. It can confer awards to artists in all fields
nationwide without political or commercial interest. This
institute would be in a position to adopt a format from various
existing awards programs by combining them in accordance with
existing needs. So far, appreciation for artists is still based
on the interests of certain sides, not on real appreciation.</p><p>The many existing awards programs are still needed and they
need to be maintained. Apart from encouraging achievement in the
field of art, they offer more possibilities to artists to gain
further achievements. If necessary, the Indonesian Film Festival
which was the objective of the film makers, can be given a new
lease of life.</p>
objective of Indonesian film makers. It bestowed hundreds of
Citra Awards in a number of years. When the Indonesian film world
experienced a decline in the 1980s, the achievements of
Indonesian film makers dwindled and collapsed not to emerge
again. The festival is now just a memory.</p><p>Television in Indonesia gradually attracted the Indonesian
public and became a need. TV programs (Sinetron), including the
films, suddenly became the craze and replaced the widescreen
cinematic Indonesian films. The Indonesian Sinetron Festival was
introduced to replace the platform for the achievements of film
makers. The exodus of film makers to television could not be
stopped anymore. Apart from film artists and workers, producers
have also jumped on the bandwagon.</p><p>In music, the BASF Awards and the HDX Awards made their
appearance. The awards have been conferred ten times in
appreciation of musicians who had visibly been using BASF
cassettes. The HDX cassette manufacturers also extended awards to
Indonesian musicians with the same purpose but only for a few
years. Indonesian Education Television (TPI) also started to
issue Dangdut Awards to dangdut musicians.</p><p>With the progress of both the music industry and television
industries, the awards developed, although with some ups and
downs. The BASF and HDX Awards, organized for the benefit of the
respective companies, were not able to hold their own. The
community thought there was unhealthy competition between them.
It had a negative impact because the artists became divided into
two blocks. The situation returned to normal when BASF stopped
the activity after the 10th program. The HDX awards followed suit
and silently vanished.</p><p>The bestowal of awards has certainly a good and noble
objective. After the demise of a number of such programs, other
sides appeared and held their own. The Indonesian Music Awards
(AMI), an organization of musicians and managers of music
institutes in Indonesia, conveyed their appreciation on musicians
and singers who have shown achievement. The "best" category is
applicable at AMI, the best album, the best recorded singer and
so forth.</p><p>In 1999 AMI bestowed awards in 57 categories. AMI is deemed to
still have independency because the organization is a foundation
that gives its full attention to the development of music in
Indonesia. AMI is not connected with any product and has no
special business interest.</p><p>This year the Panasonic Awards enters its third year and will
be held on Nov. 30. The awards are especially designed for
national television. What distinguishes them from AMI is they
focus on national television. Its evaluation is not on "the best"
but the "favorite" or "most popular". If AMI decides its
nominations on the evaluation of the council of adjudicators, the
Panasonic Awards have a different criteria.</p><p>The "favorite" is the right choice for the Panasonic Awards
because there is no evaluation that yields a winner, there is
only an evaluation based on a polling of television viewers. The
result is the "most popular", for instance, the favorite
television program and the favorite female comedy artist.</p><p>Like AMI, the Panasonic Awards have independency. The
organization has no connection with any of the television
stations. Panasonic's interest in the awards is the promotion of
its products, one of its public relations activities. In the
evaluation, Panasonic has no interest at all because there are
other organizations for that.</p><p>Through Citra magazine, the Gramedia group provides the back-
up for the Panasonic Awards program in conducting the polling
activities. This system of evaluation by polling, conducted by
the Panasonic Awards, is viewed as having a lot of credibility.</p><p>Different from the awarding already in existence, many sides
and community groups are involved in the Panasonic Awards. In the
matter of giving an evaluation, for example. The system of
polling among television viewers is a plus point for the
Panasonic Awards. There are also more artists involved in the
process. It is a combination of the existing awards. Sinetron and
music artists are evaluated in 34 categories.</p><p>This fusion involves many people connected with television,
Sinetron artists, presenters and television programs take part in
the Panasonic Awards. This year sees an additional category, the
Video Clip Favorite, which is also based on the choice of
viewers.</p><p>The Panasonic Awards include a variety of categories, from
Favorite Television Star and Favorite Television Program to
Favorite Music Video Clip and Favorite News Reader. It shows the
varied categories that are the viewers' choice.</p><p>Community members, especially the people participating in the
polls, will be proud if their choice obtains an award. Artists
whose work is appreciated by the Panasonic Awards will feel it is
a significant achievement because the victory is not only decided
by a small number of jury members but by the general public.</p><p>With this polling system, the possibility for cheating and
subjective impressions is minuscule. The organizers, in this case
Panasonic, have no interest in the winners. Everything is left to
the public. If there is an artist or a program that has been
conferred the award continuously from year to year, it is the
public's choice. It means the artist or the program is indeed
popular.</p><p>Is Panasonic capable of organizing the conferral of awards? It
gets no direct profit from the activity. Organizations like this
are needed. There is also a need for synergy from various sides
that have the same vision and objective.</p><p>The ups and downs of organizing awards programs must perhaps
be studied further. Involvement by the government that so far
appears to be half-hearted is to be questioned. Now, institutes
that may have ample funds can organize awards programs. The
distribution of awards needs considerable financing.</p><p>If there is willingness on the part of the government, it can
certainly do it. It can confer awards to artists in all fields
nationwide without political or commercial interest. This
institute would be in a position to adopt a format from various
existing awards programs by combining them in accordance with
existing needs. So far, appreciation for artists is still based
on the interests of certain sides, not on real appreciation.</p><p>The many existing awards programs are still needed and they
need to be maintained. Apart from encouraging achievement in the
field of art, they offer more possibilities to artists to gain
further achievements. If necessary, the Indonesian Film Festival
which was the objective of the film makers, can be given a new
lease of life.</p>