The 12th Global Chinese Music Awards is organised by seven radio stations from around the region. Appropriately enough, watching the awards show is like listening to the radio which has a little bit of everything thrown into the mix.
There were performances by artists from Hong Kong’s Eason Chan to local singer Kit Chan, chatter by the deejay-hosts and interview segments with the stars.
The main difference is the addition of the visual element to the ceremony. Apart from the awards show, there was also a Walk of Fame event held before the show at Marina Bay Sands.
And stealing the limelight in the fashion department was Hong Kong’s Joey Yung. She looked like a giant shocking pink shower scrub and when she sat down, her voluminous get-up swallowed up her neighbours.
When her interview segment with the hosts ran on and on about her concert in Singapore next year, she jokingly thanked them for the long advertising segment.
The diva had a sizable contingent of fans but the loudest screams from the 4,000-strong crowd at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last Friday night were for Taiwan’s Show Lo.
He added fun to the proceedings whether clowning around with Taiwanese singer-actress Rainie Yang or delivering a high-octane dance performance on stage. Picked by one of the deejay-hosts to ask Lo a question, a starstruck Vietnamese fan asked why he was so good-looking, to which he coolly replied: “Because I’m the best of my mom and dad.”
Lo was crowned Most Popular Male Artiste and Yung was Most Popular Female Artiste.
With so many performances of ballads lined up, the faster-paced songs stood out. Hong Kong band Mr. delivered a blast of rock with If I Were Eason Chan while Taiwanese group Da Mouth’s dance track Baboo was a welcome jolt of energetic fun.
Taiwan’s Aska Yang gave a soulful rendition of That Man and then caused a stir when he came off the stage and began serenading the female singers sitting in the front row. China’s Qu Wanting was almost beside herself with excitement.
Local singer Kit Chan sang three songs with her signature flourish and was given the Outstanding Achievement Award.
Of the 29 prizes handed out, the most puzzling one was Most Talented Artiste Award.
It went to Singapore’s JJ Lin and Taiwan’s Rainie Yang, who seemed to be justifying her win when she said: “Besides being a singer, I’m also an actor and have been a host before so I guess I really am quite talented all round.”
The obligatory thank-yous went out to fans, record labels and the media.
JJ Lin’s parents, who were in the audience, unexpectedly reaped a bumper crop of thanks from other stars. Lin thanked them after winning a prize and Lo jokingly did so soon after. And then China songwriter-turned-singer Shane Cao and Joey Yung added to the chorus of thank-yous.
Lin himself did them proud with wins for Top 5 Most Popular Male Artiste, Most Talented Artiste and Best Album for Lost N Found. Its title ballad was among the Top 20 Hits Of The Year.
Apart from the Lin clan, the big winners of the evening included Tanya Chua, who won for Best Female Artiste, Most Popular Composing Artiste and Best Music Composition for Sing It Out Of Love. Her song Don’t Bother Me was on the Top 20 list.
Eason Chan was named Best Male Artiste, Top 5 Most Popular Male Artiste and his album ? clinched the award for Best Album. His ballad Loneliness Sufferers made it to the Top 20 honour roll as well.
This is the second time the ceremony has been held in Singapore and MediaCorp’s Y.E.S. 93.3FM was the hosting station. The awards were last held here in 2006.
(ST)