Chou, Mok Win Big At Melodys

The Golden Melody Awards, often referred to as the Grammys of the Chinese-language music world, were distributed at a ceremony at Taipei Arena June 18.

Veterans Jay Chou and Karen Mok took the male and female pop vocal performer awards, respectively. Chou was nominated for seven awards. He also won the best album award for The Era, his 10th collection.

Best Song went to “Jonathan’s Song” by Jonathan Lee, who also won the prize for composer of the year with the same tune.

Best band award went to the indigenous Taiwanese group Matzka from the town of Taitung. However, best aboriginal album went to a different indigenous artist, Suming Rupi, who received his statue from President Ma Ying-jeou personally.

Suming joked that to the president, “aboriginals are blue-chip stocks” that the nation should invest in.

Taiwan’s aboriginal groups comprise 14 different languages and dialects.