An electrifying SUPERNOVA kicked off the start of the Academic Year with heart-thumping music and dance performances at UTown Green on 16 August 2024. The annual evening concert is the largest outdoor music event on NUS campus, and a highly anticipated event in our academic calendar.
A multi-genre musical platform for NUS students
This year’s SUPERNOVA presented two categories for student performers: the new The Rising Star Category and an Open Category. The former is a competitive segment with participants vying for cash prizes and the non-competitive Open Category retained the performance format offered by past editions of SUPERNOVA.
A/P Chan Tze Law, Vice Dean of Students, highlighted the event's significance. "Supernova is a wonderful example of the multi-genre musical platforms available to NUS students," he said.
Prior to the pandemic, The Rising Star existed as a standalone competition, organised by the University Campus Infrastructure and opened to NUS hostel residents only. 2024 marked the first year that it teamed up with Supernova to extend the competition to the wider NUS community.
A/P Greg Peterson, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and Supernova judge remarked: "Merging the two events allowed us to showcase more talent to a much larger audience than any previous year."
14 groups competed in the finals for the grand prize of $1,000. The competition began back in July when 30 groups took part in an audition which was live-streamed on YouTube.
Infectious energy filled the air as throngs of students filled UTown Green.
Kicking off the academic year with a core student experience
SUPERNOVA gives students a taste of NUS' student life as they begin their university journey. Ronith Saju Madathiparambil (Year 1, Computer Science) said: “Supernova was a great start to my NUS life and I’m excited to see what’s in store in the years to come!”
It was a rare sight to see UTown Green abuzz with excitement at night. Lighted wristbands and light sticks bobbed in unison as students and staff raved to the music.
Emily Hou (Year 3, Life Sciences and Public Health) an exchange student from Boston, said that she is grateful for the atmosphere. “I really love the energy from the students and the number of performers featured at the event! At my home university, we mostly have external artists showcasing their works, thus this was a nice change!”
Whit Fury performing in the Open Category of Supernova: Rising Star
Rachel Eyu Chi Yu (Year 4, Biomedical Engineering) from NUS Funkstyles who emerged champions of The Rising Star category said: “As the choreographer, I am immensely proud of our dancers' growth and how our love and dedication for dance shone through during the performance.”
NUS Funkstyles performing their item at Supernova: Rising Star
Supernova once again demonstrated the vibrant energy, creativity, and camaraderie of NUS' talented student community. From the exhilarating performances to the months of dedication behind the scenes, the event was a true celebration of passion and perseverance, creating unforgettable memories and setting the stage for future stars.
Congratulations to the following winners!
| Champion: NUS Funkstyles |
| First runner up: Maroon Monday |
| Second runner up: Your Mom’s Favourite Band |
A huge thank you to all our performers
| Bisko Disco Supernova Machine, Choo Choo Train, Cole's Law, Full Promises, Gabaha, NUS d'Hoppers, NUS Funkstyles , NUS Jazzttitude, MADreamers, Maroon Monday, MILK TOWN, SKYLINE, Under The Covers, Your Mom's Favourite Band | Convex Optimisation, Midnight Rovers, Minian, Sarah's Cheese, Our Happy Rosies, Seven Shades Of Snow (7SOS), Whit Fury |
Relive SUPERNOVA highlights!
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