Western and Asian pop stars will take the stage in Bangkok for the music video network's annual regional awards show that was transformed into a benefit concert for victims of one of the largest natural disasters of the past century.

"There has never been such an international effort inside the MTV family. It's a first of its kind," Frank Brown, the president of Singapore-based MTV Networks Asia Pacific, told AFP in a telephone interview.

"The tsunami recovery event is really about engaging the help of young people around the world to benefit all of the affected families."

He said he hoped the show could end up rivaling Live Aid, the massive 1985 charity concerts in Britain and the United States which raised millions of dollars for famine victims in Ethiopia and spearheaded pop activism.

The acts in Bangkok will not have the global musical clout of Live Aid, which drew the likes of Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, The Who, Madonna, Queen, U2 and Led Zeppelin.

"Asia Aid" will have star power, though, in American Grammy-award winner Alicia Keys, rockers Good Charlotte, Taiwanese rhythm and blues singer Jay Chou, Japan's Namie Amuro and Thailand's Tata Young.

"I'm very honoured to be participating in the MTV Asia Aid and I'll do my best to send out a message of hope to everyone," Rain, one of Korea's most popular male pop artists, told AFP.

A taped performance by superstar Jennifer Lopez as well as recorded messages from US rapper 50 Cent, Irish crooner Ronan Keating, singers Bryan Adams, Moby and Ashanti, and Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi will also be included in an aim to garner contributions from MTV's audience of more than 400 million households.

United Nations chief Kofi Annan is also getting into the act via videotape, as are Hong Kong action hero Jackie Chan, and Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand.

"We were overwhelmed by everyone's desire to help," Brown said.

More than a billion people would end up seeing part of the show, he added. The programme will air on all of MTV's global channels, but the network is also allowing broadcasters to air it for free.

He said he hoped the show would raise "many millions of dollars", but did not provide target figure.

Viewers will be able to send in their donations via telephone, mobile phone text messages, or by an MTV website, mtvasiaaid.com.

Most of the proceeds will be given to UNICEF, with donations collected in Thailand and India going to their respective government-linked funds.

Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden said he was concerned about "keeping people interested" beyond just the musical extravaganza.

"All of us need to be in it for the long haul," he said.