Kavesan Pillay crowned best live announcer at South African voice-over awards

VOICE-OVER artist Kavesan Pillay has been recognised as the best live announcer of the year at the inaugural South African voice over awards.

Pillay, 33, a senior brand manager, was nominated in two categories, best live announcer of the year and best voice-over demo.

The South African voice over awards recognised the voices that bring stories to life.

The awards featured categories from commercial performances to audiobook narrations, e-learning and multilingual performances and illustrate the diverse ways in which voice artists impact the daily lives of people across the nation.

Pillay has done over 40 radio commercials on East Coast Radio, Lotus FM Radio Hindvani and voiced e-learning courses for major brands such as Facebook, Scrum Alliance, Hilton, Discovery, First Rand Group and Medshield.

He said it was surreal to hear his name announced as the winner.

"It felt like the entire journey of the past decade flashed before me. Every late-night recording, every near-miss, every person who believed in me when I was still figuring it all out.

"To be nominated was already an honour, but to actually win best live announcer of the year felt like validation of 10 years of grit, growth and gratitude," said Pillay.

He said it wasn’t just his win, but attributed his success to his parents who first enrolled him in speech and drama classes and invested in his passion.

"It gave me confidence and taught me how to express myself through voice and emotion. Those lessons were the roots of everything I do today," he said.

Pillay, who has been a voice-over artist, actor and corporate MC for the last 10 years, has lent his voice to global brands over the last decade, as well as being the familiar in-store voice for retail chains.

He submitted his work for consideration, which included a compilation of his recent commercial voice-overs.

"Beyond showcasing my technical range and body of work, I shared how I intend to use this platform to continue uplifting others in the creative community - from mentoring upcoming voice artists to empowering young talent and entrepreneurs to find their own voices," he said.

Pillay said people often say he looks calm and in control on stage.

"Truthfully, I feel the same nerves as anyone would. The trick is learning to channel that nervous energy into performance energy.

"For me, nerves mean you care. They remind me that what I’m about to do matters. Before I step on stage, I remind myself that everyone in that audience wants me to succeed – they’re on my side. Of all the voices I’ve learned to perform, my inner voice is still my favourite. It’s the one that inspires me to rise, focus, and give my very best every single time," he said.

Pillay said his dream job has always been to voice a truly memorable character in an animated film or series.

"My love for voice acting was sparked by childhood favourites like Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z and Disney classics. Those stories respectively taught me about courage, resilience and believing in the magic of my dreams. If I could lend my voice to a character that makes someone, somewhere, feel the same way (to believe in themselves and push their limits) that would be the ultimate gift," he said.

He said his goal has always been to use his voice not just to entertain, but to educate and empower.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE