Golden Melody Awards

Taiwan • TaipeiFounded 1990

The Golden Melody Awards are the most prestigious music awards for Mandopop and Chinese-language music, organized by the GMA Foundation in Taiwan since 1990. The 37th ceremony took place on June 27, 2026, in Taipei, with Jolin Tsai winning Album of the Year for "Pleasure."

Details

Organizing Body

GMA Foundation

Type

Industry Awards

Frequency

Annual

Processes

Nomination Process

Submissions are accepted from December 1 to January 2 for works released in the previous calendar year. For the 37th ceremony, submissions ran from December 1, 2025 to January 2, 2026, with works released in 2025 eligible. A jury of music industry professionals evaluates submissions across approximately 29 categories covering popular music, traditional arts, and technical achievements.

Voting Process

A professional jury evaluates all submissions through multiple rounds of discussion and voting. The jury chairperson leads the selection process. For the 37th ceremony, jury chairperson Kay Huang confirmed that nominees like Yoga Lin, David Tao, and Pets Tseng were discussed through several rounds before final selections were made. Starting from the 37th edition, generative AI may be used as an assistive tool, but works entirely generated by AI are not eligible.

The Golden Melody Awards (GMA) are the most prestigious music awards for Mandopop and Chinese-language music, organized by the GMA Foundation in Taiwan since 1990. Often called the "Chinese Grammys," the ceremony recognizes excellence across Mandarin, Taiwanese (Hokkien), Hakka, and Indigenous language music. The 37th ceremony took place on June 27, 2026, in Taipei, with Jolin Tsai and Chang Chen-yue each winning three awards.

How the Golden Melody Awards Work

The GMA follows a jury-based selection process that emphasizes artistic merit over commercial performance:

Submissions: Works released in the previous calendar year are eligible. For the 37th ceremony, submissions were accepted from December 1, 2025 to January 2, 2026. Record labels, independent artists, and producers may submit entries.
Jury Evaluation: A professional jury of music industry experts, critics, and producers evaluates submissions through multiple rounds of discussion and voting. The jury chairperson leads the process. For the 37th ceremony, Kay Huang served as jury chair.
Categories: Awards are presented across approximately 29 categories in four groups: vocal/record label awards (Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Mandarin Album, Best Taiwanese Album, Best Hakka Album, Best Indigenous Language Album), individual vocal awards (Best Mandarin Male/Female Singer, Best Band, Best Vocal Group, Best New Artist), instrumental awards, and technical awards (Best Album Producer, Best Arranger, Best Music Video, Best Album Design).
AI Policy: Starting from the 37th edition, generative AI may be used as an assistive tool in music creation and production. However, works in which all components (composition, lyrics, arrangement, vocals) are entirely AI-generated are not eligible.

The ceremony honors music in four Chinese languages: Mandarin, Taiwanese (Hokkien), Hakka, and Indigenous languages. This multilingual structure sets the GMA apart from other Mandopop awards that focus only on Mandarin releases.

Real-World Example: 37th Golden Melody Awards (2026)

The 37th ceremony was held on June 27, 2026, in Taipei. Jolin Tsai received nine nominations, the most of any artist, for her album "Pleasure," inspired by the seven deadly sins. She won Album of the Year and Best Mandarin Female Singer. Chang Chen-yue also won three awards, including Song of the Year for "Surfer's Love Story," Best Mandarin Album for "Go With the Flow," and Best Mandarin Male Singer.

Other winners included Enno Cheng for Best Taiwanese Album with "Moon Phases," Justin Su for Best Taiwanese Male Singer, Shan Yichun for Best New Artist with "Lil Sis," and Sunset Rollercoaster for Best Band. A-Mei was nominated for Best Mandarin Female Singer with "My Existence Is to Love You."

Karen Mok made her first GMA appearance in a decade as both performer and presenter. The ceremony featured performances from A-Lin, Hebe Tien, Nick Chou, and the Japanese band Hitsujibungaku.

Warner led all submitting organizations with 16 nominations. The nominees were announced on May 13, 2026, generating significant attention across the Mandopop industry.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

The Golden Melody Awards are the only major awards that recognize music across all four Chinese languages. This creates opportunities for artists working in Taiwanese, Hakka, and Indigenous languages who are overlooked by Mandarin-only ceremonies. The Best New Artist category specifically targets emerging talent. Shan Yichun won in 2026 for her debut "Lil Sis."

The jury-based process means artistic quality matters more than commercial sales or fan mobilization. Independent artists who produce critically strong work can win over major label acts with bigger promotional budgets. The new AI policy also ensures that human creativity remains at the center of evaluation.

If you are an independent artist creating Chinese-language music, submit your work through your label or directly to the GMA Foundation during the submission window. Works in Taiwanese, Hakka, and Indigenous languages have dedicated categories with less competition than the Mandarin categories. Check the GMA website for submission guidelines and eligibility requirements.

Related Resources

Streaming Royalty Calculator - Track streaming performance across Mandopop platforms
Performance Rights Organizations - Taiwanese PROs like MUST collect royalties for GMA-winning songwriters
Sync Licensing Companies - Explore sync opportunities for award-winning tracks
Publishing Royalty Split Calculator - Calculate splits for collaborators on award-winning albums