Mr.Headbox Named As Southeast Asia And Australia Winner In “Project Aloft Star, Amplified By Mtv” Music Talent Discovery Competition

Kicking off the first finals of the Project Aloft Star, Amplified by MTV competition, cutting-edge Aloft® Hotels and global youth entertainment brand MTV crowned Mr.HeadBox as winner of the Southeast Asia and Australia cluster. Now in its fourth year, the competition identifies the hottest emerging music acts throughout three clusters spanning nine markets – Southeast Asia and Australia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Australia), South Korea, and Greater China (China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan). This year also proved to be the most successful edition, with over 1500 original song entries published, and more than 1.2M online votes cast. These figures represent an increase of 3x the number of submissions, and double the votes from 2016.

The competition kicked off on 5 July and culminated in the finals for the Southeast Asia and Australia cluster on 20 October, Friday, at Aloft Perth. Mr.HeadBox performed alongside three other finalists – Coin Banks, Staygold and Francis Roman – at the hotel's W XYZ Bar and impressed a panel of judges from Aloft, MTV and the music entertainment industry. Mr.HeadBox will receive mentorship by MTV and Believe Distribution Services, a Believe Distribution Services deal for marketing and distribution, and US$10,000 to fund his music journey.

The winner, Indonesian artist Mr.HeadBox, played his hit 'YOUNG'. With humble beginnings performing covers shared on Instagram and YouTube in 2016, Mr.HeadBox has propelled to success in the past 12 months.

"I'm feeling so happy! This was so unexpected and we never thought we would have won. How I feel now is beyond words. I want to say thank you to Aloft Hotels and MTV Asia. I am so grateful to be here. Everything about this journey has been amazing!" said Mr.HeadBox.

Mike Fulkerson, Vice President, Brand & Marketing, Asia Pacific, commented: "Aloft is a trailblazer in the industry that celebrates individuality and open possibilities through technology, design and music. And Project Aloft Star, Amplified by MTV is a competition that captures the essence of the brand's belief in self-expression through music. We are heartened to see fresh emerging talent in the fourth edition of the competition this year, which is undoubtedly bigger and bolder with the addition of Australia and Indonesia. We are committed to cutting-edge music programming, leading the way as a brand that stands out with an abundance of opportunities and a space that is open to support creativity."

Added Simon Bates, Vice President, Head of MTV Asia Pacific, "As the cultural home of the millennial generation, MTV is proud to partner with Aloft to advocate and support emerging artistes in the region. Thank you to everyone who voted and sent in their song entries. The increase in the number of submissions and high quality of work we have seen this year lend testament to the fresh talent out there. We hope that this competition has given passionate young performers a platform to shine and inspire them to keep creating new music."

Project Aloft Star promotes the brand's commitment to supporting self-expression by identifying the latest emerging music talent around the world. Since 2008, Aloft has been putting the spotlight on rising stars, offering an ongoing music concert series at every one of the brand's 126 hotels. The response from musicians and fans to Project Aloft Star has been tremendous and the competition is a highly anticipated event that's become known for showcasing original music from aspiring acts.

The finals for South Korea will take place on 26 October at Aloft Aloft Seoul Myeongdong, and the Greater China cluster will take place on 3 November at Aloft Dongguan Dynamic Town.

For a recap on the finalists' submissions, please visit projectaloftstar.mtvasia.com

About MTV

MTV is the world's biggest youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of nearly 785 million households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. Outside of the United States, MTV is part of Viacom International Media Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all platforms. For more information about MTV in Asia, visit www.mtvasia.com.

About Believe Distribution Services
Believe offers smart distribution and marketing services for artists & labels worldwide. The company has over 400 employees globally with 32 offices around the world.

Believe empowers artists and labels to maximize the value of their music in the transitioning digital music space by providing them with a full suite of services: digital music and video distribution, digital marketing and promotion services, synchronization and neighbouring rights management, full label services including international physical distribution and campaign management, as well as an in-house record label AllPoints, and DIY distribution platform MondoTunes. The company prides itself on providing personal tailor made services for each label and artist.

Championing innovation and transparency throughout its ten-year history, Believe has developed leading in-house technology as well as a range of analytical and promotional tools to help labels & artists leverage the benefits of digital.

For additional information, please visit http://www.believemusic.com/

About MondoTunes
MondoTunes brings more music to more people, while helping musicians and songwriters increase money-earning opportunities and take charge of their own careers. The company has one of the highest artist revenue-generating music catalogues in the world, earning MondoTunes Artists $920 million from over 75 billion downloads and streams since inception. MondoTunes Music Distribution services help artists, labels and managers sell their music through iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play and other major download and streaming sites while retaining 100 percent of their sales revenue and rights for a low annual flat fee. MondoTunes Music Publishing Administration assists songwriters by administering their compositions through licensing, registration, world-wide royalty collections, and placement opportunities in film, TV, commercials, video games and more. The MondoTunes Artist Services portal offers a suite of tools and services that enable artists to promote their craft, connect with fans, and get their music heard. MondoTunes , part of Believe Digital Services, operates as an independent company and is headquartered in Brooklyn, NY with offices in Burbank, CA, Nashville, TN, New Orleans, LA, Atlanta, GA and Austin, TX, and global expansions in the UK, Australia, Japan, Canada, Germany, France and Italy. For additional information about MondoTunes, please visit www.mondotunes.com or www.youtube.com/mondotunes.

Media Contact

Beverly Cheng

Marriott International [email protected]