At the 21st BOH Cameronian Arts Awards (21BCAA), held on 3 May 2026 at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre (PJPAC), much of what unfolded reflected long-standing practices in the scene, now seen more clearly through this year’s focus.
Under the theme “COLLABeyond”, there was a clear emphasis on how works are being made across disciplines, formats, and communities.
CloudJoi is proud to have partnered with the 21st BCAA, joining the broader ecosystem of supporters and practitioners who continue to sustain and grow the performing arts community together.
Scene That Moves Across Boundaries
Looking across the works recognised, the range wasn’t defined by a single direction, but by how fluidly different approaches sit alongside each other.
Fragments of Tuah (Five Arts Centre), awarded Best of 2025 (Theatre), continues an ongoing engagement with reworking familiar narratives through contemporary performance.
Setanggi Tari Melayu 2025 (ASK Dance Company), awarded Best of 2025 (Dance), reflects how traditional forms continue to evolve within current practice.
Meanwhile, Gangsapura stood out across multiple music categories, signalling the growing weight of sound, scale, and production design in live performance.
None of these works point in the same direction, but together, they map the breadth of what is currently being made.
Continuity, Not a Break
The overall landscape presented at the awards did not suggest a shift away from existing practices, but rather a continuation of ongoing developments across the sector.
Traditional forms, experimental approaches, and hybrid works continue to exist side by side, often within the same ecosystem and sometimes within the same production.
Gathering That Reflects the Ecosystem
The 21st BCAA also marked the presentation of the BOH Cameronian Lifetime Achievement Award to Prof. Dr. Mohd Anis Md Nor, recognising his long-standing contributions to Zapin and the broader field of Malay and Southeast Asian performance studies.
Across the ceremony, 39 awards were presented across four disciplines, alongside the Best of 2025 recognitions and other category awards spanning music, dance, theatre, and musical theatre.
Taken together, the evening functioned less as a standalone celebration, and more as a snapshot of an ecosystem that continues to evolve through both established and emerging practices.
See the Full List of Winners
For the complete list of winners and recognised works, you can view it on Kakiseni’s official awards page here.
The 21st BOH Cameronian Arts Awards reflects a scene that continues to grow through shared practice and collective effort. CloudJoi is proud to be part of this ecosystem, supporting the work and the people who keep it moving forward.
