The winning shortlist of the 12th Taiwan Music Composition and Songwriting Contest was announced on Aug. 29, with the first prize going to Chou Wei-chung (周偉忠) for the indigenous languages category, Lai Yu-ciao (賴予喬) for the Hakka category, and Lin Chih-li (林志立) for the Taiwanese Hokkien category.
Each of the 3 categories had 10 finalists who were competing for the NT$300,000 first prize. The contest finale and the awards ceremony were presided by Culture Minister Hung Meng-chi (洪孟啟) and judge panels from the Council of Indigenous Peoples and the Hakka Affairs Council.
The ceremony kicked off with a performance by the Golden Melody Award-winning band BOXING (拳). Winners of the 2014 contest, including Evan Roxy (鄭逸凡), Dai Hsiao-chun (戴曉君), Huang Hsiao-chien (黃筱茜), and Chang Si-an (張錫安) also joined the stage to show support for the competition.
To commend the musicians who use native languages in their music, Jacky Chen (陳建瑋) also sang Taiwanese songs for the grand finale of the awards ceremony. Chen was named Best Male Mandarin Singer at the 25th Golden Melody Awards.
In addition to providing the NT$300,000 cash prize, the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development will also sponsor the winners in recording music videos and releasing a compilation album.
A music concert will be held at 7pm on Sept. 26 in the plaza of Taipei's Xinyi District. The finale will air from 9pm - 11pm on CTI on Sept. 19, following a special look back airing from 2pm - 4pm on MTV.
Shortlist of Winners
Indigenous languages category:
- First prize - Chou Wei-chung (周偉忠) of Paiwan: My Woman (我的女人)
- Second prize - Huang Ting-yao (黃庭堯) of Paiwan: Cheer Up for Myself (自己鼓勵鼓勵)
- Third prize - Du Han-sung (杜寒菘) of Rukai : Song for the Brave (讚頌勇者之歌)
- Honorable mentions -
- Kuo Min-long (郭明龍) of Amis: A Ka Pacici (不要勉強)
- Chang Wei-long (張威龍) of Paiwan: Ti Ma Su Nga Dan? (你怎麼歡呼?)
- Chung Cheng-tien (鐘正田) of Paiwan: Mother's Hands (媽媽的手)
- Best Live: Chang Wei-long (張威龍) of Paiwan: Ti Ma Su Nga Dan? (你怎麼歡呼?)
Hakka category:
- First prize - Lai Yu-ciao (賴予喬): The True Freedom Is… (真正的自由是)
- Second prize - Chiou Li-lin (邱俐綾): Ngai
- Third prize - Chiou Lian-chin (邱廉欽): Hakka Cuisine (客家小炒)
- Honorable mentions -
- Wang He Chiou-mei (王何秋妹) and Wang Ji-kang (王繼康): Life is Precious (生命
- 介可貴)
- Liou Rung-chang (劉榮昌): Caozaiguo (艾粄)
- Lo Wen-yu (羅文裕): Please Speak Hakka (請說客語)
- Best Live: Chiou Lian-chin (邱廉欽): Hakka Cuisine (客家小炒)
Taiwanese Hokkien category:
- First prize - Lin Chih-li (林志立): Tour (遶境)
- Second prize - Chung Han-kung (張漢恭): Taking Children to Read Poems in a Blue Sky Day (青青的天 接囝仔轉來唸歌詩)
- Third prize - Chen Yi-hsiu (陳以岫): Here (置遐)
- Honorable mentions-
- Huang Chi-bin (黃奇斌): The Prodigal Son (浪子回頭)
- Chen Wen-hsun (陳玟勳): Every Child Is Blessed by God (每一個乖囡仔 攏有一個守護的神明)
- Wang Li-te (王立德), Huang Shen-fong (黃聖峰): Four Seasons (春夏秋冬)