GECs
Sheriden, Sufri emerge winners of Dance Singapore contest
MUMBAI: The second season of Dance Singapore Dance on Zee TV APAC comes to an end with a spectacular grand finale. Sheriden Newman, 29, danced her way to victory after emerging as thewinner of Season 2. Sheriden, 29, a dance graduate from Queensland University of Technology outperformed over 200 contestants in the auditions and 11 others during the grueling 10 episode journey to take home the prize money of SGD 15000 (Rs 7.2 lakh). Mohamad Sufri Juwahir and Mumtaz Angullia were the first and the second runners-up and took home cash prizes of S$3000 and S$2000 respectively.
Zee TV APAC senior vice president, international business, Tripta Singh, said, “In the second season of Dance Singapore Dance the expectations were very high from all the stakeholders including the contestants, our partners and viewers and the show surpassed all of them. We believe that Dance Singapore Dance provides a great platform for both budding and seasoned dancers across nationalities and races. We wish Sheriden good luck and hope to be back with Season 3 soon.”
‘Powered by’ sponsor on Season 2 Scoot and Tigerair chief commercial officer Leslie Thng said, “Dance Singapore Dance has proven successful in grooming new, young talent in Singapore. Beyond providing a stage for the participants to present their creativity, it has also encouraged them to follow their artistic dreams and enabled them to experience fun and joy along the way. This strongly resonates with Scoot and Tigerair’s mission to enable the young and young-at-heart to pursue their dreams through enriching travel experiences, and we are delighted to support this meaningful endeavor.”
The runaway success of the first season set the stage for an even bigger canvas for the second season of Dance Singapore Dance. There were many breath-taking moments as the level of performances soared episode after episode. Each contestant left no stone unturned to keep the audiences and judges captivated with their exceptional performances.
The season started with a new panel of judges with Bollywood ace Choreographer Master Mudassar Khan all the way from Mumbai and popular local classical and contemporary dancer Sreedevy Sivarajasingam.Guest judges on different episodes included Najip Ali (Host & Entertainer), Kavitha Krishnan (Artistic Director, Maya Dance Theatre), Daisy Irani (Creative Director & Actor, Hum Theatre), Shantha M Misra (Indian Classical Dancer and Choreographer) and Zaini Tahir, (Artistic Director and Dance Singapore Dance S1 judge) also provided their expert opinion as part of the judging panel.
Sheriden Newman, 29, winner of Dance Singapore Dance Season 2, said “I would like to thank everyone who supported me throughout this journey, especially Sahil, my mentor for constantly pushing my boundaries and helping me excel. With the prize money, I plan to establish my new dance company Soul Signature with my dancing partner, Sufri Juwahir.”
The finale night saw all the five finalists put their best foot forward but Sheriden managed to edge out other contestants with an enthralling contemporary performance.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
