Taiwanese singer Waa Wei beats S’pore’s Tanya Chua to Best Female Mandarin Singer crown at Golden Melody Awards

Taiwanese singer Waa Wei was crowned Best Female Mandarin Singer at the 36th edition of the Golden Melody Awards, which took place at the Taipei Arena on June 28.

The Golden Melody Awards, which has been held since 1990, is Taiwan’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards.

Wei was awarded for her 2024 album Ordeal By Pearls. This is her second time winning the accolade, with the first being in 2020. She beat nominees such as Singapore’s Tanya Chua and Malaysian singer Penny Tai to take home the prize.

Chua has won the award a record four times, with her

fourth and most recent win in 2022,

for her 12th album, Depart (2021). She also won in 2006, 2008 and 2012, for her albums Amphibian (2005), Goodbye & Hello (2007) and Sing It Out Of Love (2011).

Other multiple awardees include Taiwanese singer A-mei, who has bagged the title thrice.

Both Chua and Tai went home empty-handed this year.

Taiwanese singer-songwriter Siri Lee was the night’s big winner, taking home three awards – Album of the Year, Best Taiwanese Album award and Best Taiwanese Female Singer.

Taiwan’s hip-hop artiste Trout Fresh outdid contenders such as Hong Kong singer Terence Lam and Taiwanese singers Tung Po-lin and Ricky Hsiao to claim the Best Male Mandarin Singer award.

Trout Fresh, whose legal name is Lu Shih-hsuan, also won Best Mandarin Album for Good Sound With Attitudes (2024).

Late Hong Kong singer-songwriter Khalil Fong was awarded the Best Composer award for his track Twenty Three (2024), as well as the Jury Award for his final album The Dreamer (2024).

Fong died in February

2025

at age 41 after battling illness for five years

. He was famed for his works Red Bean (2009), Love Love Love (2006) and Spring Breeze (2005). He produced and wrote songs for artistes such as Eason Chan, Jacky Cheung and A-mei.

The Best New Artist award went to rapper Someshiit, whose real name is Hsueh Jung-hsuan, for his 2024 release A Fool.

Among the winners

Album of the Year: Sui by Siri Lee

Best Mandarin Album: Good Sound With Attitudes by Trout Fresh

Best Male Singer (Mandarin): Trout Fresh

Best Female Singer (Mandarin): Waa Wei

Best Album Producer: CJ Hightide

Best Song Producer: Deja Fu

Best Composer: Khalil Fong

Best New Artist: Someshiit

Song of the Year: Friday Night – Here I Am