mStar wins Best Viral Page award

Ahead of the pack: Mohd Fuad (second from right) and Tuan Hafis (second from left) receiving the award while KNKV Group creative director Wan Utama (left) and TV Programme RTM assistant director Nasrul Hakim Md Noh stand with them at the award ceremony. — SHAARI CHEMAT/TheStar

PETALING JAYA: The Star’s Malay language portal, mStar, has won the Best National Viral Page/Channel at the KNKV Viral Award ceremony.

The entertainment and lifestyle portal emerged winner after triumphing over four other competitors in the final round.

KNKV Viral Award recognises influencers, content makers, viral platforms and channels in Malaysia.

It has 16 categories, including Best National Influencer, Best National Content Creator and Best National Viral Page/Channel.

mStar’s Bahasa Vertical head Mohd Fuad Mohd Noor, as well as its Social Media and Influencer Marketing team head Tuan Hafis Tuan Ludin, went on stage to receive the trophy, at the award presentation night on Tuesday.

The event was broadcast live on TV2.

Commenting on the win, Mohd Fuad said the award is a testament to mStar’s leading position in Malay entertainment and news.

“We are truly grateful for this victory, which unequivocally showcases mStar’s enduring relevance and excellence in entertainment, viral news and lifestyle.

“mStar remains on its trajectory of steady traffic growth, outpacing all competitors within the Malay lifestyle and entertainment segment,” he said.

He said that mStar has garnered a monthly pageview surpassing 15 million and amassed over 5.4 million followers across various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook.

mStar editor Niezam Abdullah thanked the public for their support and trust in mStar’s engaging and viral content.

“This victory shows that mStar’s content successfully meets the demand of readers who seek authenticity in viral news through our accurate reporting,” he said.

mStar was voted by fans in the initial stages as one of the five gold award finalists for the Best National Viral Page/Channel category on Feb 13.

The portal was then chosen as the winner by a panel of judges. The results were announced during the award ceremony at Zepp Kuala Lumpur.

“Thank you all for your support. We promise to give even better content after this win,” said mStar in a Facebook post.

mStar, which was launched in 2005, initially focused on politics, crime, entertainment and sports news.

Eventually, it was adapted to be more versatile and urban in nature with a highlight on content for the modern generation.