JJ Lin and Xiaohan leave Golden Melody Awards empty-handed

Two Singaporeans were nominated at this year's Golden Melody Awards - known as the Grammys of Taiwan - but did not end the night of the ceremony last Saturday with trophies.

JJ Lin was nominated for Best Male Singer (Mandarin) for his album Drifter • Like You Do, but lost to Taiwanese rapper Soft Lipa, who won for his record Home Cookin.

Lin congratulated Soft Lipa on Instagram and added: "Didn't manage to get the win this time, but I am happy and content."

Another Singaporean, Xiaohan, was nominated for Best Lyricist for the song Drifter, performed by Lin.

But the award went to Taiwanese David Ke for the song Untold, performed by Taiwanese singer Hebe Tien.

Tien won Best Female Singer (Mandarin) for her album Time Will Tell. The member of girl group S.H.E thanked her family as well as her bandmates Selina Jen and Ella Chen.

Gain Strength, by Taiwanese indigenous musician Sangpuy Katatepan Mavaliyw, was named Album of the Year.

Hit song Your Name Engraved Herein, performed by Taiwanese singer-songwriter Crowd Lu, was named Song of the Year.

Singapore's Tan Boon Wah is one of the three songwriters behind the ballad.

Sunset Rollercoaster, a jazz-influenced synth-pop band from Taiwan, were named Best Band, while The Wanted, from Taiwan, clinched the Best Vocal Group award.

Taiwanese singer ?te (pronounced "why-te"), known for covering up her face during performances, was the Best New Artist. She accepted her award wearing a large pink hat and sunglasses.

Veteran Taiwanese singer-songwriter Lo Ta-yu, who has been releasing albums since the 1980s, received a Special Contribution Award.

The jury said his music production "almost single-handedly spawned a revolution in Chinese popular music at a crucial time when the social environment was undergoing some dramatic changes".

Among the night's performances at the Taipei Music Centre were the song Give It To Me, by Taiwanese-Korean singer-songwriter Sun Shengxi, and a medley of numbers by Taiwanese indie band Oaeen, including their recent single Start From The End.

Originally slated to be held on June 26, the event had been postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak in mid-May.