The eighth season of Akademi Fantasia premiered on 13 March 2010 and continued until 22 May 2010 on the Astro Ria television channel. The show underwent a number of changes from the seventh season, including the return Adlin Aman Ramlie as judge while Aznil Nawawi joined the judging panel following the departures of Dato' Khadijah Ibrahim and Edry Hashim.
The professional trainers for this season were announced in a press conference for media which took place in Hilton Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on 8 February 2010. In the ceremony, Norman Abdul Halim was revealed to be the Principal for this season, while Sarimah Ibrahim and Jimmy Shanley were selected as the new hosts replacing AC Mizal.
The eighth season saw a new change to the format of the show. Instead of eliminating a student at the end of each concert, the elimination process was conducted in a new 30-minute segment called Debaran Akademi Fantasia, which was conducted by Sarimah Ibrahim.
The final concert was broadcast live in high definition technology, an Akademi Fantasia first, which was accessible for Astro B.yond subscribers in Channel 124 through Astro.
On 22 May 2010, Ahmad Shahir Zawawi from Kampar, Perak was announced the winner of the eighth season of Akademi Fantasia, defeating Siti Adira Suhaimi. He made history for being the first student to win the title after being re-entered into the competition through AFMASUK following his elimination in Week 7.
As many as 3.75 million votes were cast the entire season.
Auditions
Auditions were held in the following cities:
National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur - 9 & 10 January The Zon, Johor Bahru, Johor - 16 & 17 January Redbox Gurney, Plaza Gurney, Penang - 16 & 17 January Promenade Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah - 22, 23 & 24 January Merdeka Palace Hotel, Kuching, Sarawak - 23 & 24 January National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur - 30 & 31 January
List of songs during auditions
Songs for female "Gagap" – Stacy "Jika Kau Ubah Fikiran" - Mila "Tak Mungkin Kerna Sayang" - Alyah "Dan Sebenarnya" - Yuna "Di Taman Teman" - Datuk Siti Nurhaliza "When You're Gone" - Avril Lavigne
Songs for male "Situasi" – Bunkface "Hujan" – Sudirman Arshad "Ada Untukmu" – Nubhan "Berdendang Dalam Tangisan" – Jamal Abdillah "Fikirlah" – Aizat "I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
Contestants were required to be between the ages of 18 and 45, and are Malaysian and Singaporean citizens who are not embedded with recording or management contracts.
Concert summaries
Tirai Concert Original Airdate: 13 March 2010
StudentSong Adira "Gagap" (Stacy) Ain "The Climb" (Miley Cyrus) Alif "Live Like We're Dying" (Kris Allen) Anum "Pelesit Kota" (Search) Daus "Bye Bye Bye" (N Sync) Ema "Tiada Lagi Tangisan" (Misha Omar / Aishah) Farina "Tiada Lagi" (Mayang Sari) Iwan "Coba" (Faizal Tahir) Maulana "Tekad" (Hazami) Nad "Gantung" (Melly Goeslaw) Shah "Drama King" (Meet Uncle Hussein) Shahir "Andalusia" (M. Nasir)
Week 1 Original Airdate: 20 March 2010
StudentSongResult Adira "Bertamu Di Kalbu" (Jaclyn Victor) Safe Ain "Hey Ladies" (Rossa) Safe Alif "Kau Aku" (Aizat) Bottom 3 Anum "Aku Tak Percaya Cinta" (Liyana Jasmay) Safe Daus "Cari Jodoh" (Wali Band) Safe Ema "Yang Terbaik" (Marsha) Safe Farina "Paparazzi" (Lady Gaga) Safe Iwan "Haven't Met You Yet" (Michael Bublé) Safe Maulana "Extravaganza" (Bunkface) Bottom 3 Nad "ERT" (Farah Asyikin) Safe Shah "Bengang" (Akim) Eliminated Shahir "Khatimah Cinta" (6ixth Sense) Safe
Week 2 Original Airdate: 27 March 2010
StudentSongResult Adira "Ku Percaya Ada Cinta" (Datuk Siti Nurhaliza) Safe Ain "Happy" (Amy Mastura) Bottom 3 Alif "Dance with My Father" (Luther Vandross) Safe Anum "Sekadar Di Pinggiran" (Francissca Peter) Safe Daus "Menatap Matamu" (Aril AF7) Safe Ema "Pakai Buang" (Stacy) Eliminated Farina "Ketentuan" (Ramlah Ram) Safe Iwan "Mencari Konklusi" (Hujan) Safe Maulana "Hasrat Hati" (S. Mariam) Bottom 3 Nad "Aku Wanita Biasa" (Krisdayanti) Safe Shahir "Jangan Nakal" (Aliff Satar) Safe
Week 3 Original Airdate: 3 April 2010
StudentSongResult Adira "Kini" (Feminin) Safe Ain "Cinta Antara Benua" (Arni Nazira) Safe Alif "Sesuatu Janji" (Taufik Batisah) Safe Anum "Kau Atau Aku" (Elyana) Eliminated Daus "Separuh Jiwaku Pergi" (Anang) Bottom 3 Farina "Cantik" (Nikki) Bottom 3 Iwan "Permaisuriku" (Jay Jay) Safe Maulana "So Sick" (Ne-Yo) Safe Nad "Bulan Cinta" (Eva) Safe Shahir "Derita Cinta" (Jamal Abdillah) Safe
Week 4 Original Airdate: 10 April 2010
StudentSongResult Adira "Biarlah" (Nidji) Safe Ain "Kawan" (Ruhil Amani) Safe Alif "Hanya Di Radio" (Headwind) Eliminated Daus "Mirage" (Pesawat) Safe Farina "Teruskanlah" (Agnes Monica) Bottom 3 Iwan "Kekasih Gelapku" (Ungu) Bottom 3 Maulana "Biarkan" (Vince) Safe Nad "Realiti Dewi" (Alyah) Safe Shahir "Always Be My Baby" (David Cook) Safe
Week 5 Original Airdate: 17 April 2010
StudentSongResult Adira "Seri Mersing" (Sharifah Aini) Safe Ain "Halo" (Beyoncé Knowles) Bottom 3 Daus "Benar-Benar" (Adam) Safe Farina "Mana Mungkin" (Dayang Nurfaizah) Saved Iwan "Oh Juwita" (Nubhan) Safe Maulana "Ku Bukan Aku" (Tilu) Safe Nad "My Happy Ending" (Avril Lavigne) Bottom 3 Shahir "Anggapan Mu" (Ziana Zain) Safe
Week 6 Original Airdate: 24 April 2010
StudentSongResult Adira "My All" (Mariah Carey) Safe Ain "Jujur Takkan Melupakanmu" (Ella) Bottom 3 Daus "Selamat Malam" (Faizal Tahir) Safe Farina "Teruskanlah" (Agnes Monica) Bottom 3 Iwan "Aku Cinta Kau Dan Dia" (Dewa) Safe Maulana "Bila Rindu" (Ruffedge) Safe Nad "Jikalau Aku" (Ezlynn) Eliminated Shahir "Kau Yang Satu" (Ramli Sarip) Safe
Week 7 Original Airdate: 1 May 2010
StudentSongResult Adira "Ayat-Ayat Cinta" (Rossa) Safe Ain "Seindah Biasa" (Datuk Siti Nurhaliza) Safe Daus "New Divide" (Linkin Park) Safe Farina "Jika Kau Ubah Fikiran" (Mila) Bottom 3 Iwan "Warisan Wanita Terakhir" (Teacher's Pet) Safe Maulana "Semalam" (Sean Ghazi) Bottom 3 Shahir "Tiara" (Kris) Eliminated
Week 8 Original Airdate: 8 May 2010
StudentSongResult Adira "Kitalah Bintang" (Ella) Safe Ain "Suci Dalam Debu" (Iklim) Bottom 3 Daus "Puspa" (ST12) safe Farina "Selanjur Bercinta" (Aishah) Eliminated Iwan "Lihat Cara Dia Memandangku" (Bre) Bottom 3 Maulana "Dalam Gerimis" (Visa) Safe
Week 9 Original Airdate: 15 May 2010
StudentSongResult Adira "Mercy" (Duffy) "Dua" (KRU) Safe Ain "Luka Dilukai" (Shima) "Fallin' for You" (Colbie Caillat) Eliminated Daus "Masa" (Estranged) "Take a Look Around" (Limp Bizkit) Safe Iwan "21 Guns" (Green Day) "Berlari" (Tomok) Bottom 3 Maulana "Better Man" (Robbie Williams) "Inilah Cinta" (Akim) Bottom 3 Shahir "Tak Mungkin Berpaling" (Mawi) "Tamally Maak" (Amr Diab) Safe
Week 10 Original Airdate: 22 May 2010
StudentSongResult Adira "Tiru Macam Saya" (Sheila Majid) "Ku Ada Kamu" (Adira) Runner-up Daus "Doktor Pakar Cinta" (Yusry) "Kenapa" (Daus) Third Iwan "Relaku Pujuk" (Spider) "V.I.P." (Iwan) Fifth Maulana "Susun Silang Kata" (Aizat) "RSVP" (Maulana) Fourth Shahir "Biru Mata Hitamku" (Wings) "Kebahagiaan Dalam Perpisahan" (Shahir) Winner
Students (ages stated are at time of contest) Student Age Hometown RankMuhammed Shahril Mohd Saleh Hussein26Klang, Selangor12thErma Suhaimi21Ranau, Sabah11thDayang Nor Anum Arjuna Aharun18Tawau, Sabah10thMuhammad Alif Kadim18Kuala Lumpur9thNadia Emilia Roselan21Klang, Selangor8thZafarina Jamhari28Bintulu, Sarawak7thNadiawati Ainul Basir23Sandakan, Sabah6thEmirza Azwan "Iwan" Zulazrin Chew20Seremban, Negeri Sembilan5thMuhd Firdaus Maulana Mohamed22Johor Bahru, Johor4thMuhd Shahril Firdaus Eli22Kuching, Sarawak3rdSiti Adira Suhaimi19Ranau, SabahRunner-upAhmad Shahir Zawawi21Kampar, PerakWinner
Summaries
Elimination chart
+Voting Result in Rank OrderOrderWeekly Concerts123456789101Anum Iwan Adira Adira Daus Adira Adira Adira Shahir Shahir2Ain Alif Maulana Shahir Maulana Iwan Daus Daus Adira Adira3Shahir Daus Shahir Maulana Shahir DausIwan Maulana Daus Daus4Iwan Adira Alif Daus AdiraShahir Ain Ain Iwan Maulana5Adira Shahir Ain Ain Iwan Maulana Maulana Iwan Maulana Iwan6Ema Nad Nad Nad Nad Ain Farina Farina Ain 7Farina Farina Iwan Iwan AinFarinaShahir Shahir 8Nad Anum Farina Farina FarinaNad9Daus Maulana DausAlif10Maulana Ain Anum11AlifEma12Shah
The student won the competition The student was the runner-up The student was the second runner-up The students were finalists The student was the original eliminee but was saved The student was re-entered into the competition through AFMASUK The student was eliminated
In week 5, there was no elimination. The accumulated votes were forwarded to the following week. In week 8, Shahir was re-entered into the competition after scoring the highest votes through AFMASUK.
Cast members
Hosts Jimmy Shanley - Host of concert of Akademi Fantasia and Diari Akademi Fantasia Sarimah Ibrahim - Host of concert of Akademi Fantasia and Debaran Akademi Fantasia
Professional trainers Norman Abdul Halim - Principal Adnan Abu Hassan - Vocal Technical Siti Hajar Ismail - Vocal Presentation Linda Jasmine - Choreographer Fatimah Abu Bakar - English Language Consultant & Counsellor Que Haidar - Drama & Acting
Judges Adlin Aman Ramlie Aznil Nawawi
Season statistics Total number of students: 12 Oldest student: Zafarina Jamhari, 28 years old Youngest students: Dayang Nor Anum Arjuna Aharun & Muhammad Alif Kadim, both 18 years old Tallest student: Muhd Firdaus Maulana Mohamed, 5'6.7" (173 cm) Shortest student: Siti Adira Suhaimi, 4'9" (152 cm) Heaviest student: Muhammed Shahril Mohd Saleh Hussein, 176 lbs (80 kg) Lightest student: Nadia Emilia Roselan, 94 lb (43 kg) Student with the most collective highest votes: Siti Adira Suhaimi, 5 times Student with the most consecutive highest votes: Siti Adira Suhaimi, 3 times Top 3's vote mean (excluding finale): Ahmad Shahir Zawawi – 3.5, Siti Adira Suhaimi - 2.22, Muhd Shahril Firdaus Eli - 4.0, Top 3's vote median (excluding finale): Ahmad Shahir Zawawi – 3, Siti Adira Suhaimi - 1, Muhd Shahril Firdaus Eli - 3 Student with the most collective bottom two appearances: Zafarina Jamhari, 5 times Student with the most consecutive bottom two appearances: Zafarina Jamhari, 5 times Student with no bottom two appearances: Siti Adira Suhaimi
References
External links Official Site Official Web Portal Akademi Fantasia