Entertainment: Agnes Monica

Agnes Monica

Agnes Monica (born Agnes Monica Muljoto; 1 July 1986) is an Indonesian recording artist and actress. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, she started her career in the entertainment industry at the age of six as a child singer. She has recorded three children's albums which established her as one of Indonesia's most popular child singers in the 1990s. She also became a presenter of several children's television programs. As a teenager, Agnes expanded her career to include acting. Her role in the soap opera Pernikahan Dini rocketed her name into the industry. Following her rising popularity after starring in few series of soap operas, she became the highest-paid teenage artist in Indonesia.

In 2003,

she released her fourth studio album And the Story Goes, which marked her transition from a child singer to a female artist. On her fifth studio album, Whaddup A.. '?! (2005), she collaborated with American R&B singer Keith Martin. She also appeared in two Taiwanese drama series, The Hospital and Romance In the White House. She participated in the 2008 and 2009 Asia Song Festival in Seoul, South Korea, and received "Best Asian Artist Award" at each event. Agnes took creative control of her sixth studio album, Sacredly Agnezious (2009), for which she served as the producer and songwriter. In 2010, she was appointed as one of the judges on the talent show Indonesian Idol and was also one of the international hosts of the red carpet at the American Music Awards of 2010 in Los Angeles.

In addition to her commercial success, Agnes is the most-awarded Indonesian singer. She has received numerous awards, including ten Anugerah Musik Indonesia awards, sevenPanasonic Awards, and four MTV Indonesia Awards. She was also honored with a Nugraha Bhakti Musik Indonesia (NBMI) from the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Singers, Songwriters, and Music Record Producers Association of Indonesia (PAPPRI) for her contribution and support for the Indonesian music industry.^[1] She was also appointed as an anti-drug ambassador of Asia, and as the ambassador of MTV EXIT to combat human trafficking.

Throughout her career, she has often been controversial in Indonesia. When she was a teenager, her frequent comments about her goal to break into the international market was viewed by some as a pompous proclamation. In 2010, however, she signed with Sony/ATV Music Publishing and began work on a debut English studio album. Consequently, her slogan "Dream, Believe, and Make it Happen" was used in a 2011 cultural conference to inspire young people organized by the US Embassy in Jakarta.


1986–2002: Childhood and early career

Agnes Monica was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 1 July 1986 to a family of Chinese ancestry. She is the youngest child of Jenny Siswono, a former table tennis player, and Ricky Muljoto, a former badminton player. Her older brother, Steve Muljoto, is her manager. She attended Tarakanita elementary school and Pelita Harapan junior high school. Her talent for the performing arts was evident in her childhood, especially in singing; she sang in church and attended vocal courses.

Agnes entered the entertainment industry in 1992, when she was six years old, and released her first children's album, Si Meong. In 1995, she released her second children's album, Yess!, which includes a duet with fellow Indonesian child singer Eza Yayang. The album significantly boosted her popularity and was named "Best Children's Album" in 1999. Her last children's album, Bala-Bala, was released the following year. Agnes also became the host for several children's programs, including Video Anak Anteve (VAN) on Anteve, Tralala-Trililion RCTI, and Diva Romeo on Trans TV. She was awarded "Most Favorite Presenter of Children's Program" at the Panasonic Awards in 1999 and 2000 for Tralala-Trilili.

Agnes began acting as a teenager. Her first two roles were on the soap operas Lupus Millennia and Mr Hologram in 1999. The next year, she starred in the TV series Pernikahan Dini, which served as a turning point in her career by transforming her image from that of a child artist to one of a teenage artist. The production was well received by audiences, and she received the "Favorite Actress" award at the 2001 and 2002 Panasonic Awards, as well as the "Popular Actress" award at the 2002 SCTV Awards. In 2002, Agnes starred in three soap operas, Ciuman Pertama, Kejar Daku Kau Ku Tangkap, and Amanda. Due to her popularity, she became the highest-paid teenage artist in Indonesia.

Agnes also recorded songs in her early teens, including "Pernikahan Dini" and "Seputih Hati" for the soundtrack of Pernikahan Dini, both of which are featured on the 2001 compilation album Love Theme. The following year, she collaborated with the Indonesian senior singer Yana Julio in the song "Awan dan Ombak" for his studio album Jumpa Lagi.

2003–2004: And The Story Goes

On 8 October 2003, Agnes released her first adult album, And the Story Goes. In this album, she worked with several famed Indonesian producers and songwriters, including Ahmad Dhani, Melly Goeslaw, and Titi DJ. The album production took a year and a half, including the audition process for the dancers.According to her record label, Aquarius Musikindo, the album sold 35,000 copies before its official release. It was later certified double platinum after selling more than 300,000 copies.The album won three awards after receiving ten nominations at the 2004 Anugerah Musik Indonesia Awards—the highest music awards in Indonesia. They were "Best Female Solo Pop Artist" for the song "Jera", "Best Dance/Techno Production" for the song "Bilang Saja", and "Best Duo/Group" for her duet with Ahmad Dhani in "Cinta Mati". She also won "Best Female Newcomer" at the 2004 Anugerah Planet Muzikawards in Singapore. Because of her success at a young age, she was dubbed a "Young Diva" by members of the media. At this point, she started broaching the idea of an international career.

In addition to promoting her debut album, Agnes also starred in several TV series during this time, playing the lead role in three: Cewekku Jutek, Bunga Perawan, and Cantik. She won "Favorite Actress" at the 2003 Panasonic Awards and "Famous Actress" at 2004 SCTV Awards.

In 2004, after graduating from Pelita Harapan senior high school, Agnes enrolled at Pelita Harapan University, where she majored in Business Law.

2005–2007: Whaddup A.. '?!

Agnes launched her second studio album, Whaddup A.. '?!, on 10 December 2005. It featured five singles: "Bukan Milikmu Lagi", "Tanpa Kekasihku", "Tak Ada Logika", "Cinta Di Ujung Jalan", and "Tak Mungkin". In addition to working with Indonesian musicians such as Melly Goeslaw, Andi Rianto, and Erwin Gutawa, she also collaborated with American singer-songwriter Keith Martin. Martin wrote two English songs for the album, including the duet "I'll Light a Candle". To promote the album, Agnes held a concert tour known as Clasnezenzationin four Indonesian cities: Bandar Lampung, Surabaya, Bandung, and Makassar. The album was commercially successful and she won two 2006 Anugerah Musik Indonesia awards for "Best Female Pop Artist" and "Best R&B Production". She also won the "Most Favorite Female" award at the 2006 MTV Indonesia Awards. Selling more than 450,000 copies, the album was one of the top-selling albums of 2006 and was certified triple platinum.

In 2005, Agnes appeared in the Taiwanese drama The Hospital, co-starring with Jerry Yan, a member of the Taiwanese boyband F4. She also appeared with Peter Ho in several episodes of the Taiwanese drama Romance in the White House, and starred in two Indonesian soap operas, Ku Tlah Jatuh Cinta and Pink, both televised on Indosiar. In 2006, she starred in the RCTI soap opera Kawin Muda. She also decided to take a break from her education that year to focus on her entertainment career.

In early 2007, Agnes was appointed by the United States of America's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) Far East Region as an Asian anti-drug ambassador. On 15 May 2007, she was an opening act for American R&B group Boyz II Men at a concert in Istora Senayan, Jakarta, and on 23 June of that year, she held her first concert atStadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She also guest starred in the finale of Asian Idol on 16 December 2007, and performed the song "Get Up".

2008–2009: Sacredly Agnezious

In 2008, Agnes began working on her third studio album. She released the first single, "Matahariku", earlier than she had planned. It became her best-selling single, with sales of three million ringback tone downloads within nine months. The song received the "Most Favorite Female" award at the 2008 MTV Indonesia Awards and the "Best Female Solo Pop Artist" award at the 2009 Anugerah Musik Indonesia awards. In September 2008, she released the second single, "Godai Aku Lagi", which she wrote herself. She also released a mini album containing the two singles. That same year she starred in the RCTI soap opera Jelita.

On 4 October 2008, Agnes was invited as the Indonesian representative at the Asia Song Festival. The event was organized by the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange in Seoul, South Korea. She performed with 24 artists from 12 Asian countries. The event was viewed by an audience of 35,000 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium and was broadcast in 30 countries. She performed two of her songs, "Godai Aku Lagi" and "Shake It Off". During the performance, she incorporated elements of Indonesian traditional dance from Bali. Her performance received positive responses from the Korean media and won the committee's "Best Asian Artist Award".The following year, she was invited again and performed three songs: "Shake It Off", "Temperature", and Michael Jackson's "Heal the World". This time, 14 artists from across Asia participated and it was viewed by an audience of 40,000. As was the case with her previous performance, Agnes received good reviews and earned the "Best Asian Artist Award".

Agnes launched her third studio album on 1 April 2009, Sacredly Agnezious. This time, she was involved more in the album production. She worked with the renowned musicians Erwin Gutawa, Dewiq, Pay, and DJ Sumantri. She also acted as producer and songwriter. In addition to the two previous singles, "Matahariku" and "Godai Aku Lagi", she produced two more singles: "Teruskanlah" and "Janji-Janji". At the 2010 Anugerah Musik Indonesia awards, she won three awards: "Best Pop Album", "Best Female Pop Solo Artist", and "Best of the Best Album". On 23 May 2009, she appeared as a guest star at the "Festival of Life" in Bali. The celebration commemorated the 50-year anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Japan.

Having already taken an extended break from the Pelita Harapan University, Agnes withdrew from the school. She then began takingdistance education classes as a Political Science major at Oregon State University.

2010–present: Upcoming international project

In 2010, Agnes served as a judge on Indonesian Idol. Her selection for the panel caused controversy because of her age. That year, she was also appointed as an ambassador of the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) organization, which combats human trafficking for which she performed at benefit concerts in Surabaya and Jakarta.

In late 2010, Agnes experienced a breakthrough into the international market when she was chosen as an international red carpet host for the annual American Music Awards on 21 November 2010 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Several months later, she announced that she had signed to Sony/ATV Music Publishing and was working on her debut English studio album in London and Los Angeles. In early 2011, she also recorded a duet version of "Said I Loved You...But I Lied" with the American singer Michael Bolton for his compilation album, Gems: The Duets Album. The duet was released in the album's international version in Asia. The next year, she was nominated in the Worldwide Acts Asia Pacific Nominees category for the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. Consequently, her slogan "Dream, Believe, and Make it Happen" was used in a 2011 cultural conference to inspire young people organized by the US Embassy in Jakarta.

Agnes released a greatest hits album Agnes Is My Name on 2 February 2011. The album compiled her top hit singles and two new songs, "Karena Ku Sanggup" and "Paralyzed". The album sold one million copies in three months, earning her the "Million Awards" award from Indonesian KFC, which had helped market the album. "Karena Ku Sanggup" won her the "Best Pop Female Singer" award at the 2011 AMI Awards. She also won the "Most Inbox Video Clip" award at the 2011 Inbox Awards. The award, presented by SCTV, was given for the song "Paralyzed", which was made in Indonesia and the United States.

Agnes was selected as a performer for the 26th SEA Games 2011 Opening Ceremony, with KC Concepcion from the Philippines and the Malaysian singer Jaclyn Victor. Their performance of "Together We Will Shine" was the highlight of the event.

Artistry

Agnes has been noted as a powerful soprano with a range of four octaves. Her use of whistle register in her songs "Karena Ku Sanggup" and "Rindu" has also garnered attention. Her songs can be classified as pop, R&B, or hip-hop, and she has named Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Fantasia, and Beyoncé as her musical influences, though she is often compared to American singers such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. In addition to her singing talent, she is also known as a strong dancer and actress. She is the only Indonesian soloist with a personal dance group, known as Nezindahood. They auditioned during the development of her first album in 2003. She has also written some of her songs and produced her own music videos. She has been described as a perfectionist with a variety of talents by Indonesian commentators.

Award

MTV Europe Music Award

MTV Europe Music Award The MTV Europe Music Awards ("EMAs") were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
2011		Best Asia and Pacific Act	Nominated

 

 

Anugerah Musik Indonesia

Anugerah Musik Indonesia was created in 1997 by ASIRI (Association of Indonesia Recording Industry), PAPPRI (Association of Indonesian Singers, Songwriters and Music Record Producers), and KCI (Copyright Office of Indonesia). It is an annual awards and the highest music awards given to outstanding artists in Indonesia.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
2005	"Bilang Saja"	Best Pop Solo Female	Won
2005	"Bilang Saja"	Best Dance/Techno Art Production	Won
2005	"Cinta Mati" (feat. Ahmad Dhani)	Best Pop Duo/Group	Won
2006	"Tanpa Kekasihku"	Best Pop Female Artist	Won
2006	"Bukan Milikmu Lagi"	Best Rhythm & Blues Production for Solo, Duo or Group	Won
2009	"Matahariku"	Best Female Singer	Won
2010	"Teruskanlah"	Best of the Best Album	Won
2010	"Teruskanlah"	Best Pop Female Singer	Won
2010	"Teruskanlah"	Best Pop Album	Won
2011	"Karena Kusanggup"	Best Pop Female Singer	Won

 

Anugerah Planet Muzik

Anugerah Planet Muzik, also known as Planet Music Awards, is annual awards given to most popular artists from Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
2004	"Bilang Saja"	Best Newcomer Female Singer	Won
2007	"Tak Ada Logika"	Most Popular Song	Nominated
2007		Most Popular Female Solo Singer	Nominated
2007		Best Female Singer	Nominated
2009	"Matahariku"	Most Popular Regional Artist	Nominated
2009	"Matahariku"	Most Popular Indonesian Artist	Nominated
2009	"Matahariku"	Best Song	Nominated
2011		Best Female Artiste	Nominated

 

Asia Song Festival

Asia Song Festival is one of the most famous Asian pop music festival held in South Korea each year featuring Asian top artists from 10 Asian countries. Participating artists will be awarded with the plaque of appreciation by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and ‘Best Asian Artists Award’ by the chairman of Korea Foundation for International Culture and Exchange (KOFICE). This festival is recorded and broadcasted by SBS (Korean freeTV), Fuji TV (Japanese freeTV/BS/CS) and over 30 other major broadcasting station all over the world. Agnes is the first female singer in Indonesia invited to perform at this event.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
2008		Best Asian Artist
2009		Best Asian Artist

 

Dahsyat Awards

Dahsyat awards is an award from an RCTI show, Dahsyat.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
2009	"Teruskanlah"	The Most Awesome Female Singer	Won

 

Indigo Music Awards

Indigo Music Awards are an award given to artists who have their song used most as ringback tones. Agnes has collected 4 Indigo Music Awards. 

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
2009	"Teruskanlah"	Best Female Artist	Won
2010	"Karena Kusanggup"	Best Female Artist	Won
2010	"Karena Kusanggup"	Song Of the Year	Won
2010		Artist of Year	Won
2011	"Rindu"	Best Female Artist	Won
2011		Artist of Year	Won

 

Indonesia Kids Choice Awards

Indonesia Kids Choice Awards is the Indonesian version of Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, held since 2008. Agnes won two awards in the first event.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
2008	"Matahariku"	Favourite Female Singer	Won
2008	"Matahariku"	Wannabe Artist	Won
2009		Favorite Actress	Nominated
2009		Favorite Female Singer	Nominated
2009		Indonesian Star Wannabe	Nominated
2010		Favorite Female Singer	Nominated
2010		Indonesian Star Wannabe	Nominated
2010		Slime Star	Won
2011		Favorite Female Singer	Won
2011		Favorite Actress	Nominated
2011		Indonesian Star Wannabe Award	Nominated

 

JPopAsia Music Awards

JPopAsia Music Awards is the largest online Asian music awards with its nominees picked by online community. Agnes won 7 awards out of 8 nominations. Her nomination in this award has caused a dispute because this award was originally created for artists based in Taiwan, Japan and Korea. Her nomination was removed and then listed again after a huge responses came from Agnes' fans stating their confusions and disagreements.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
2010		Favorite artist	Won
2010		Best female solo	Won
2010		Most promising artist/band	Won
2010		Best musical ability (vocal, instrumental, etc.)	Won
2010		Best use of social media (facebook, twitter, etc.)	Won
2010		Sexiest female singer	Won
2010		Most want-to-be girlfriend/boyfriend	Won

 

MTV Indonesia Awards

Agnes has received 4 awards from MTV Indonesia awards.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
2006	"Tak Ada Logika"	Favorite Female Artist	Won
2008	"Matahariku"	Favorite Female Artist	Won
2009	"Teruskanlah"	Most Favorite Female Artist	Won
2009	"Teruskanlah"	Artist Of The Year	Won

 

Panasonic Awards

Panasonic Awards is an award given to the most favorite television programs and performances based on poll results since 1997. The poll itself was originally conducted by Indonesia's Citra tabloid, but was taken over by Nielsen Media Research in 2004.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
1999		Favorite Female Kids Show Presenter	Won
2001	Pernikahan Dini	Favorite TV Drama Star	Won
2002	Pernikahan Dini	Favorite Female TV Drama Star	Won
2003		Favorite Female TV Drama Star	Won
2006		Favorite Female Actress TV Drama	Won
2007		Favorite Female Actress TV Drama	Won

 

SCTV Awards

The SCTV awards is an award given by SCTV, an Indonesian TV station, for the most favorite programs and actresses based on the audience's vote.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
2002		Famous Actress	Won
2004		Famous Actress	Won
2005		Famous Actress	Won

 

SCTV Music Awards

The SCTV Music Awards is an award given by SCTV, an Indonesian TV station, for the most popular songs, albums, and artists based on the audience's vote.

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
2006	"Bukan Milikmu Lagi"	Famous Pop Solo Album	Won

 

Other awards and honors

In 2007 Agnes was appointed by the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States and IDEC Far East Region as an ambassador for Asia Anti Drugs Movement. She was also appointed as the ambassador of MTV EXIT in combating human trafficking in 2010. In the end of 2010, she was selected as one of the international co-hosts of 2010 American Music Awards. She has also earned 2011 Nugraha Bhakti Musik Indonesia (NBMI) from The Minister of Culture and Tourism and Association of Indonesian Singers, Songwriters and Music Record Producers for her contribution and support for the Indonesian music.Other awards she received are as follows:

Year	Awards
2005	§                    Golden Marketing Celebrity Image Award - The Most Stylish Image Actress §                    Golden Marketing Celebrity Image Award - The Most Boyish Image Actress §                    Golden Marketing Celebrity Image Award - The Most Selling Image Actress §                    Golden Marketing Celebrity Image Award - The Best Ignored Image Actress §                    Golden Marketing Celebrity Image Award - The Most Modern Image Actress §                    Indonesian News Channel - Favorite Female Video
2006	§                    Dewan Pimpinan Pusat Persatuan Artis - Phenomenal New Generation Indonesian Music Artist §                    Jawa Pos Award - Favorite Female Solo Singer Deteksi Jawa Pos
2007	§                    Star Entertainer §                    Go Show Awards - Hottest Show
2009	§                    Class Mild Awards: Class Music Heroes §                    Trax FM Jakarta - The Now Generation is in Action
2010	§                    AMICA Magazine - Adorable Celebrity Hairstyle §                    Be Radio Awards (Be Radio Karawang) - Best Female §                    Cosmopolitan Readers Choice Awards (Cosmopolitan Magazine) - The Most Fashionable Women of The Year §                    (Indonesian) Femina Magazine - One of The Headline Newsmakers as Proud Achievement §                    Gadis Awards (Gadis Magazine Viewers' Choice) - The Most Favorite Local Artist §                    Hai Magazine (Indonesian) - Artist of The Year §                    Hai Readers Choice Awards (Hai Magazine) - Best Female §                    Indonesian Children Newspaper - 100 most influential people in Indonesia §                    Johnny Andrean Awards (Femina Magazine Viewers' Choice) - The Most Stylish Celebrity §                    kapanlagi.com - The Most Revered Artist §                    kapanlagi.com - The Most Kissable Artist §                    Star Musik Indonesian Awards - Most Favorite Pop Female Singer §                    Star Musik Indonesian Awards by vote - Most Favorite Video Clip in 20th Century "Tanpa Kekasihku"
2011	§                    Nugraha Bhakti Musik Indonesia 2011 - Dari Menteri Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata dan Persatuan Artis Penyanyi, Pencipta Lagu dan Penata Musik Rekaman Indonesia (PAPPRI) §                    Intens - selebrity paling menginspirasi 2011. §                    Million Awards - penjualan albumn AGNES IS MY NAME terjual sebanyak 1 juta keping dalam waktu 3 bulan. §                    kapanlagi.com - The Most Shining Stars 2011 urutan 2 §                    kapanlagi.com - ARTIS PALING BANYAK DI PUJA 2011 urutan 2

Fundraising

Agnes has conducted fundraising activities for victims of the 2004 Tsunami in Aceh and the 2006 earthquake in Java. In 2009, Agnes visitedSitu Gintung, where a dam failure had caused flooding. She also donated a sum of money to relief efforts and performed several of her songs for the victims. Agnes also helped raise over Rp 400 million (approx. US$44,000 as of December 2011) for Persis, an association footballteam based in Surakarta, through a benefit concert held at the Diamond Convention Center in Surakarta. In 2011, she participated at The Save Teen Charity Concert in Jakarta, a benefit concert to raise money to help teenagers who have dropped out of school.

Discography

Throughout her career, Agnes has released 6 studio albums (the first three are children's albums), 1 mini album, and 1 greatest hits album.

Studio albums §                    Si Meong (1992) §                    Yess! (1995) §                    Bala-Bala (1996) §                    And the Story Goes (2003) §                    Whaddup A.. '?! (2005) §                    Sacredly Agnezious (2009)

Other albums §                    Nez (2008) §                    Agnes Is My Name (2011)

Television Series

§                    Lupus Milenia (1999) §                    Mr Hologram (1999) §                    Pernikahan Dini (2001) §                    Amanda (2002) §                    Ciuman Pertama (2002) §                    Cinta Selembut Awan (2002)

§                    Cewekku Jutek (2003) §                    Cantik (2004) §                    Bunga Perawan (2004) §                    Ku 'Tlah Jatuh Cinta (2005) §                    Pink (2006) §                    Romance In The White House (2006)

§                    The Hospital (2006) §                    Kawin Muda (2006) §                    Jelita (2008) §                    Kawin Masal (2008) §                    Pejantan Cantik (2010)

Presenter

VAN (Video Anak Anteve) – Anteve

Tralala-Trilili – RCTI

Diva Romeo – Trans TV

American Music Awards of 2010 – ABC Channel