Golden Melody Awards To Award Lo Ta-You
The 32nd Golden Melody Awards, after some delays, was recently announced for 21 August 2021, on a Saturday at the Taipei Music Center. Nominees totalling 171 works was released by the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development, MOC for 27 awards.
Having already announced the receiver of the Special Contribution Award going to Lo Ta-You, the long list of nominees include some of the Mandopop world’s most active contenders. Lo, famous for his rocking tunes, has album releases dated back to as early as 1980. Today, he is recognized as a cultural icon in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China. His rise to fame as a songwriter and composer began around the time when he was awarded Best Original Score by Golden Horse Awards for “Red Dust” in 1990.
Stylistically, Lo defies any genre classification, though his contribution to the Taiwan campus folk song genre was most significant. His early music in particular shows strong folk roots, and many of his songs tap into native Taiwanese cultural influences. In 1991, he wrote “Pearl of the Orient” (東方之珠), regarded as one of his most famous songs which sings praises to Hong Kong.
Lo Ta-you’s most popular pop song of the 90s has to be 電影『又見阿郎 All About Ah-Long』released by Rock Records; a tune that has been recognised to have had some of longest plays in our radio stations, cassette tapes and karaoke parlours. Its lyrics are some of Mandopop’s most unforgettable works of literature today.
For the very first time, the ceremony will not be open to general audiences as invitations will only be extended to nominees and members of the pop music industry.
A total of 283 applicants, 1,499 albums/EPs, and 21,349 works were submitted to the 32nd GMA jury for consideration, which is 151 albums and 1,888 works more than last year’s submissions. Rock Records Co., Ltd. is the biggest contender with nominations for 21 awards while albums tsu-pun and Gain Strength are in contention for 8 awards.
Award category include ‘Best Chinese Album Award’, Best Taiwanese Album Award, ‘Best Aboriginal Singer Award’ and ‘Best Orchestra Award’. For the full list of nominations, click here.
Here’s a few options to catch the award ceremony live:
Red Carpet Live Broadcast by TTV (5pm)
Award ceremony broadcasted by TouchTTV and GMA YouTube channel.
Online Livestreams on LINE TODAY, LINE MUSIC and LINE TV.
Originally slated for 26 June at the Taipei Arena, plans were scrapped due to the COVID-19 outbreak in mid-May and epidemic alert rising to level three. And after reassessing the situation, the Bureau and GMA team have come to a decision to set a new ceremony date. Consequentially, the ceremony will be required to adhere to epidemic alert level 2 standards set forth by the Central Epidemic Control Center and the Administrative Measures for Epidemic Prevention in Performance Venues by the MOC.
In response, procedures will include checkerboard seating for the audience, name registration, and maintaining a 3-meter distance between the stage and audience. Leaving no risk that may risk the attendees, negative rapid testing or PCR results and a health declaration are some of the prerequisite to entering the venue.
For more information about the award ceremony, please visit their official website here.