MUMBAI: To raise funds for the tsunami victims, MTV Networks Asia is repositioning its annual MTV Asia Awards. The network will use the initiative to help the tsunami recovery efforts taking place in Asia.

The announcement was made by MTV Networks International president Bill Roedy and MTV Networks Asia Pacific president Frank Brown. The event, now to be known as MTV Asia Aid, will take place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok on 3 February.

According to a company release, UNICEF will be the major recipient of funds collected from the event.

"MTV International is uniquely positioned to help in this recovery. The Asia Aid benefit is part of MTV Networks' wider global response, utilizing all of our resources, including our global network, to add to the worldwide response," said Roedy.
 
"MTV Asia Aid will be the initial focus of MTV Networks Asia's ongoing support of the recovery efforts. MTV Asia Aid will reflect the resilience and the spirit of the people of Asia as we come together to rebuild and look towards the future", Brown said.

"The kind of attention that MTV can bring to the devastation faced by the millions of people affected by the tsunami is invaluable," said UNICEF communications director Sharad Sapra.

"It is important now, and it will become even more important in the future as the world community joins hands with governments, local communities and families to begin the long and arduous process of reconstruction and recovery," Sapra added.

The associate sponsors for MTV Asia Aid are Toyota and Hewlett Packard.

MTV's global network includes 42 channels reaching over 1 billion people - including over 450 million across Asia.