Shila Amzah facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shila Amzah AMN
Shila in 2016
Born	Nurshahila binti Amir Amzah (1990-08-13) 13 August 1990 (age 34) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Occupation	Singer-songwriter actress businesswoman record producer
Years active	2000–present
Agent	Shila Amzah Entertainment Shilala GME Greyscale
Spouse(s)	Haris Idraki Elias ​ ​ (m. 2018; div. 2022)​ Muhammad Ubaidillah Mohd Zulkefli ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	Seth Uwais
Parents	Amir Amzah Salleh (father) Fauziah Sarman (mother)
Musical career
Genres	Pop mandopop
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano
Labels	EMI Monkey Bone Shanghai Shila Amzah

Nurshahila binti Amir Amzah (born 13 August 1990), known as Shila Amzah, is a singer and songwriter from Malaysia. She was born and grew up in Kuala Lumpur. Shila started visiting recording studios with her father when she was just 4 years old. She recorded her first pop album five years later.

In 2005, with help from a famous Malaysian music producer, Shila released her second pop album, Sha-Hila. Her song "Patah Seribu" (2011) won Pop Song of the Year and Song of the Year at the 19th Malaysian Music Awards.

Shila became famous in Shanghai, China, after winning the Asian Wave singing competition. Because of this, she received the Kembara Award (International Music Breakthrough Award) from the Malaysian Music Awards. This made Shila the youngest person to ever win this award. After that, Shila continued her singing career in the mandopop music scene. In 2015, she moved to Hong Kong, released new songs, and started her own music company called Shilala (HK) Limited. Her success around the world has earned her special titles like Asia's Sweetheart, Princess of Music, and National Treasure of Malaysia.

Shila has achieved many things in singing contests. She was the first runner-up of Bintang Kecil RTM in 2000. She also came in second place on One in a Million (season 2). In 2008, she won the Asia New Singer Competition. She was the second runner-up on I Am a Singer (season 2) in 2014. Shila was also the first runner-up of Anugerah Juara Lagu in 2011 and 2015. Before Asian Wave, she sang a duet with Miley Cyrus called "The Best of Both Worlds". This song helped promote Hannah Montana in Malaysia. In 2013, Shila was the first Malay and Malaysian artist to be nominated at the World Music Awards. She was also the first Malay artist invited to the Global Chinese Music Awards (GCMA).

Shila is the first and only Malay artist to become very successful in Chinese-speaking countries. Her Sina Weibo account has over 2.3 million followers. In 2018, she was listed in Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia list. This list recognizes young leaders and game-changers in Asia.

When she was a child, Shila used the stage name "NurShahila". In 2004, her record company, EMI, wanted a shorter name, so she changed it to Sha-Hila. Later, for the One in a Million singing contest, her name was shortened even more to just Shila. After the contest, people called her "Shila OIAM". She didn't like that, so she added "Amzah" to her stage name, which is part of her father's name. In Chinese-speaking countries, Shila's name is 茜拉 (Xila).

Early Life and Family

NurShahila binti Amir Amzah was born on 13 August 1990. Her birthplace was Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her father, Malay: Amir Amzah Salleh, was a recording artist in the 1980s. Her mother, Fauziah Sarman, was an actress. Shila comes from a very musical family. Her younger sister, NurSyuhada, also known as Syada Amzah, is a performer too. Shila went to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Setapak Indah in Kuala Lumpur.

Music Career

Early Success (2000–2007)

Before Shila became famous as a child singer, her father worked hard to help her. At that time, record companies did not want to sign child artists. So, her father used his own money to produce her first album. In 2000, Shila's first album, Terima Kasih Guru, was released. It was launched with Tun Dr Siti Hasmah, the wife of Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister. Later, Shila signed a contract with EMI. With EMI, she released the album Sha-Hila. This album included the popular song "Yang Teristimewa".

Career Growth (2007–2009)

After her contract with EMI ended in 2007, Shila joined One in a Million (Season 2). She finished as the first runner-up in the competition. The organizers of One in a Million gave her the nickname "Shila". This was her SMS voting code during the show. In the Grand Finale, Shila sang a new song called "Memori Tercipta" (Memories Created). She did not win, but both she and the winner, Norayu Damit, received recording contracts from Monkey Bone Records.

During the competition, Shila sang many different songs. These included "Too Little Too Late", "Stuck", and "Oops!... I Did It Again". She also sang "I'll Be There" and "Car Wash".

Shila released the album Bebaskan (Set It Free) while working with Monkey Bone Records. The album came out in 2009. It had 12 songs by Malaysian and Australian composers.

Expanding Her Career (2010–2012)

3 Suara (English: 3 Voices) was an album released in 2011. It was a collaboration between Shila Amzah and two other Malaysian singers, Jaclyn Victor and Ning Baizura. One of Shila's songs on this album was "Patah Seribu". This song was played a lot on TV and radio. It was nominated for Best Female Vocal Performance and Most Popular Regional Song at the Malaysian Music Awards. It also won Pop Song of the Year and Song of the Year. The song was later added as a bonus track to her fifth album, Shila Amzah.

Becoming an International Star (2012–2014)

In September 2012, Shila was invited to join Asian Wave. This was a Chinese singing talent show in Shanghai, China. Her father, ND Lala, had sent in videos of her singing. On 20 September 2012, Shila won the competition. This was when she started to focus on her career in China. Shila received the most online votes among all the contestants. She sang songs like "Gemilang" by Jaclyn Victor, "Grenade" by Bruno Mars, and "Zheng Fu" by Na Ying. She also sang "Forever Love" by Wang Leehom and "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele in earlier rounds. The judges, who were top stars from the region, gave her a standing ovation. A Chinese composer, Gao Xiaosong, praised her, saying, "You gave me goose bumps. You broke my heart." She signed a 6-year recording contract with Shanghai Media Group.

In 2013, Shila was nominated for the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards for Favourite Asian Act. She also started her own record company called Shila Amzah Entertainment Berhad.

In July 2013, Shanghai Media Group released "A Moment Like This". This was Shila's first Chinese song in China. It was the theme song for the first Chinese Idol competition. Shila was invited to sing this song live at the show's grand finale.

At the end of 2013, Shila released her fifth album, Shila Amzah. She wrote all the songs and lyrics for this album. The album had seven songs, including two bonus tracks. It was nominated for Album of the Year and Engineered Album of the Year at the 21st Malaysian Music Awards. The songs from this album were her first to be nominated at the World Music Awards. In December 2013, Shila released a music video for "Masih Aku Cinta".

In September 2012, The Star newspaper reported that Shila would be the opening act for concerts in Beijing by Malaysian singer-composer Eric Moo. The Eric Moo–Shila Amzah Love Hurricane Concert happened on 24 July 2014.

In February 2014, Shila was invited to I Am a Singer (Season 2). In one round, she sang "Xiang Ni De Ye", a Chinese pop song. After her performance, her followers on Weibo (a Chinese social media site) quickly grew from 1,000 to over 2 million. In another round, she came in first place by singing "Rolling in the Deep". Shila became even more popular in China after I Am a Singer aired.

During the show, she showed how good she was at different music styles. She sang in Chinese and English, danced while singing, and performed pop, R&B, and rap songs. On 4 April 2014, she finished third overall. She quickly learned new Chinese songs, sometimes in just two days. I Am a Singer helped her gain many fans in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. She is now learning Mandarin in Beijing.

Hong Kong Music Scene (2015–2017)

On 22 April 2015, Shila held a press conference in Hong Kong. She announced that she would work with GME Music and Vie Media to grow her career in Hong Kong. She sang two new Chinese songs, "See You or Never" and "Shali De Mimi". She also said she planned to learn Cantonese.

On 28 May 2015, Shila released her first Chinese song in Hong Kong, "See You or Never" (Chinese: 再見不再見). The song reached 1 million streams on Weibo Music in just two days. Shila said this song was special because it had an open ending.

On 1 October 2015, Shila sang her second Chinese song in Hong Kong, "Goodbye" (Chinese: 再見). She released the song on 6 October 2015. The song combines Malaysian pop and Mandopop styles. Shila said there would be an English version of this song later. This song continued the story from her previous hit, "Zaijian Bu Zaijian".

On 26 December 2015, Shila was named Metro Radio National Idol. She also received the Metro Radio Mandarin Song of the Year award for "Goodbye".

On 12 February 2016, Shila visited Perth, Australia, for her "Shila Amzah Colorful World 2016 Live in Perth" concert. She sang her new Chinese song, "Xiang Ai", from her album My Journey. On 26 February 2016, Shila received an "Outstanding Export Achievement Award" for promoting Malaysia internationally.

In early 2016, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia announced that Shila was chosen as Malaysia's tourism ambassador. The Malaysian Government believed Shila could attract many visitors from China to Malaysia. Her ability to speak Chinese fluently helps her connect with her Chinese fans.

On 10 March 2016, Music Asia reported that Shila wanted to enter the Taiwan music market. She said she had made a song with Khalil Fong for release in Taiwan. On 1 April 2016, Shila released her first Chinese short film called "Girlfriends Love". She played the main role in it. On 14 April 2016, Shila released the theme song for the new The Powerpuff Girls (2016) series. The song, "Who's Got the Power?", was released in Malay and Chinese on YouTube.

On 21 April 2016, Shila announced her first Chinese album, My Journey (Chinese: 心旅). The album was released on 30 April 2016 in Beijing, China. A world tour called "Shila Amzah My Journey World Tour" started on 26 August 2017 in Malaysia.

More International Success (2017–2021)

On 27 December 2017, it was announced that Shila would release a new song in the US. The song, "Rising Above", was written by Emmy award-winning composer Nathan Wang. It was recorded in English and Mandarin.

On 16 April 2018, Shila released "If We Are Getting Old" (Chinese: 如果我们老了). This was the first song from her upcoming second Chinese album. She sang it live at the Global Chinese Music Chart. On 10 May 2018, Shila released the second song, "Love Planet" (Chinese: 涂爱星球). On 12 June 2018, she released the third song, "My Dear" (Chinese: 我的他). Shila wrote this song herself.

In 2019, Shila worked with Malaysian singer-songwriter Amylea Azizan. They created "Tiada Dirimu" (Without You) for the Malay Drama Cari Aku Di Syurga. This song was nominated in the Semi-Final Muzik-Muzik 34. In the same year, Shila also worked with Amylea and Farouk Roman. She sang a duet with Indonesian singer Judika called "Tentang Rahsia" (About Secret). This song was for the Malay Drama Adellea Sofea. "Tentang Rahsia" was also nominated in the Semi-Final Muzik Muzik 35.

In 2020, Shila Amzah and 17 other artists were featured on "#jangankeluar" (#dontgoout) by Yonnyboii. This song reminded people to stay home during the pandemic. In August 2020, Vivo Malaysia released the song "KITA" (Us). Shila Amzah sang this song for the Merdeka Campaign (Malaysia's Independence Day). The song was released in Malay and Mandarin.

In May 2021, Shila Amzah worked with Siti Nordiana, Mark Adam, and other Malaysian singers for an Eid song. It was called "Salam Dari Jauh" (Greetings From Far). This song was important because Muslims in Malaysia had to celebrate Eid at home. The song reached number 34 on YouTube's trending videos the week it was released.

Comeback (2022-Present)

On March 6, 2022, Shila Amzah and SOG won the Best Song award for "Pelukan Angkasa". This was at the Anugerah Juara Lagu 36. Shila made history at this event. She is the only artist to have joined Anugerah Juara Lagu in four different ways. She was a Runner-Up as a solo artist, a finalist in a duet, a Runner-Up in a trio, and a Winner with a group.

She has also appeared in various singing competition programs as a duet partner. She sang with Suki Low (3rd Winner) on Gegar Vaganza 2022. They sang an Indonesian hit song called "Jera". On March 27, she sang with new singer Danial Chuer in the Final of Big Stage 2022. Danial received the highest marks from the judges and finished as Runner-Up. They sang "Still Love You", a song known for its wide vocal range.

On April 1, Shila made another winning history. She became the champion of The Masked Singer Malaysia Season 2. She was hidden behind the mascot called ‘Rambutan’, a popular fruit in Malaysia. She showed many different vocal skills during the show. In the final show, one of the judges correctly guessed that Shila Amzah was the Rambutan. She will also appear in The Masked Singer Malaysia Raya Edition in May.

Awards and Honors

In 2013, Shila received the Anugerah Kembara (International Breakthrough Award) at the 20th Malaysian Music Awards. This special award is given to Malaysian artists who have performed internationally. Shila received it after winning Asian Wave in 2012.

In 2014, she received the 'Puteri UMNO Female Icon Award' at the UMNO General Assembly.

Business Ventures

Shila has started her own companies: Greyscale (SA) Sdn. Bhd., Shilala (HK) Limited, and Shila Amzah Greyscale Pty Ltd. These companies focus on entertainment. She is also the founder and president of her own clothing line, Shila Amzah Boutique.

On 5 June 2016, Shila launched her clothing line and her exclusive boutique. It is called SA by Shila Amzah Boutique and is located in Bangi Sentral, Selangor, Malaysia.

Music Albums

Malaysian Albums

• Terima Kasih Guru (2000)
• Sha-Hila (2005)
• Bebaskan (2009)
• 3 Suara (2011)
• Shila Amzah (2013)
• Aladdin (Malaysia Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2019)

International Albums

• My Journey (心旅, 2016)

Concerts

Major Concerts

• 2014: Shila Amzah Love Live in Shanghai, China
• 2014: Shila Amzah Love Live in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
• 2015: Shila Amzah Colorful Live, Hong Kong
• 2016: Shila Amzah Colorful World, Perth, Australia
• 2017: Shila Amzah My Journey Concert in Malaysia, Pahang
• 2018: Shila Amzah Pull the Distance, Beijing, China
• 2018: Shila Amzah Loving You World Tour, Genting, Pahang
• 2021: Shila Amzah Journey to the Future Concert, Kuala Lumpur

Showcases

• 2013: Shila Amzah Showcase, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 2015: Shila Amzah Exclusive Showcase, Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore

Guest Appearances

• 2014: JJ Lin Timeline World Concert, China
• 2015: KEF x Khalil Fong Concert, Hong Kong
• 2019: Hacken Lee 20th Anniversary Concert, Genting Highlands, Malaysia

Collaborative Concerts

• 2012: A Journey Through Time Concert, Malaysia
• 2012: Shila Amzah Concert: Gala Amal Pamoga-Gaza, Malaysia
• 2014: Eric Moo-Shila Amzah Love Hurricane Concert, China
• 2014: Midem Festival (Malaysian Supernova Night), Cannes, France
• 2014: Skechers Sundown Music Festival Concert, Singapore
• 2020: Shila Amzah From Home, Virtual
• 2020: Kempinski Concertini, Virtual

Film and TV Appearances

Music Videos

Music Covers

See Also

In Spanish: Shila Amzah para niños