The 34th Golden Melody Awards ceremony recently concluded, marking a momentous occasion as it returned to Taipei Arena after a three-year hiatus. This year’s theme, “Boundaryless,” celebrated the rich diversity and inclusivity of music. The broadcast garnered impressive viewership, with an average of 3.32 and an effective average of 3.71, making it the day’s most-watched program. The ceremony also made a splash on new media platforms, accumulating a staggering 11.96 million views. When combined with TV viewership, the global audience reached an impressive 15.35 million. Social media engagement soared, surpassing an incredible 400 million interactions. The highly sought-after titles of Best Male Mandarin Singer and Best Female Mandarin Singer were awarded to HUSH and A-Lin, respectively, with HUSH achieving this accolade for the first time and A-Lin finally realizing her dream after a 16-year wait.
HUSH, who had previously won consecutive Best Composer awards for his works “Peaceful Harmony” and “Shadowing Song” in the past two editions of the Golden Melody Awards, made their first nomination for Best Male Mandarin Singer this year with the song “Pleasing Myself” and ultimately won the award. In his acceptance speech, HUSH humbly expressed, “I don’t consider myself the best singer, in fact, I believe no one can truly claim that title. I often feel that musicians are like chefs, experiencing the same joys and sorrows but with different flavors. I want to thank the judges for presenting my dish on the stage of the Golden Melody Awards on this night filled with color, fragrance, and taste.” The chairman of the judging panel, George Chen, mentioned that selecting the Best Male Mandarin Singer was an arduous task. After three rounds of intense deliberation, they believed that HUSH’s use of voice was precise, and their work showcased their inner emotions through its production and lyrics.
A-Lin, who received a New Artist nomination at the 18th Golden Melody Awards in 2007, had been nominated for Best Female Mandarin Singer at the 20th, 22nd, 23rd, and 26th GMA but had yet to win the award. After a 16-year wait, A-Lin finally seized the Best Female Mandarin Singer title with her work “LINK,” marking her fifth attempt. Overwhelmed with emotions, she tearfully expressed, “I have been rehearsing for this journey for about 16 years. I am so happy. This journey has been incredibly long, and I have waited for 16 years and prepared for six times. Finally, I made it. This year’s harvest festival is more abundant with the Golden Melody Awards.” George Chen emphasized that the Best Female Mandarin Singer award was an undisputed choice. The judging panel’s decision was made after the first round of voting, as they believed A-Lin was born to sing. They recognized the significance of voice and expression in the entire album, as A-Lin led the way and contributed to the production with diverse elements, including indigenous culture.
The 34th Golden Melody Awards ceremony was live-streamed worldwide for the first time, with over 6.4 million views on YouTube, representing a 45% growth compared to the previous year’s 4.4 million views—an increase of 2 million views. The total viewership on LINE TODAY, LINE MUSIC, and LINE TV reached 5.56 million, showing an 85% increase compared to the previous year’s 3 million, with an additional 2.56 million viewers. The overall global viewership on new media platforms reached 11.96 million, a 60% increase compared to the previous year’s 7.5 million, with an additional 4.46 million views. Furthermore, the total engagement on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Weibo, exceeded 400 million interactions. The Ministry of Culture expressed that music is the international language that transcends borders, and Taiwan’s music scene, characterized by freedom, diversity, and richness, has long made the Golden Melody Awards an international benchmark for Mandarin pop music.
