The Ministry of Culture's Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development (BAMID) held a press conference on June 26 in Taipei to kick off the 30th Golden Melody Awards & Festival (GMA), Taiwan's most prestigious musical event which will run from June 26 through 29 this year.
The press conference was attended by BAMID Director Hsu Yi-chun (徐宜君) and 11 groups of renowned singers and bands from Taiwan and abroad, affirming the GMA’s status as an internationally known music event and a benchmark for Mandarin pop music.
The Ministry, the director noted, has been working hard to promote this Taiwan-grown music festival worldwide to perpetuate the momentum of Taiwan's pop music industry. The aim is to raise the international profile of the festival not only as just a ceremonial awards show, but also as a prominent trade fair that can help introduce Taiwan's musical creations to the world and foster the international exchange of talent and copyright.
During the four-day timeframe, the festival will provide a series of events, including international conferences, professional workshops, networking sessions, business-matching opportunities, exhibitions, and performances. These events have drawn musical heavyweights including musicians, festival curators, and buyers from home and overseas to share their experiences and explore the latest trends of the global music industry.
This year, a total of 369 companies with delegations comprising 856 representatives will exhibit their latest musical products and innovations at the festival, with local companies accounting for a whopping 311.
The networking sessions will be attended by 24 representatives of music festivals from 14 nations. First-time participants include Playtime Festival from Mongolia, Zandari Festa and MU:CON from South Korea, City ROARS Festival from Malaysia, and Live at Heart Newfoundland from Canada.
Regular participants include South by Southwest (SXSW) from the United States, North by Northeast (NXNE) from Canada, Live at Heart from Sweden, and the Tokyo International Music Market (TIMM) from Japan. Their participation attest to the growing international recognition of the GMA brand.
The festival will culminate in the 2019 Golden Melody Awards ceremony on June 29 at the Taipei Arena, which will be streamed live on platforms including YouTube, TTV, and HamiVideo.
Information on all GMA events can be found at gma.tavis.tw and the GMA Facebook page.