The Hakka Affairs Council, in its commitment to promoting the inheritance and development of Hakka language and culture, expanding the influence of Hakka pop music, driving new international trends in Hakka music, and discovering future stars of Hakka pop music, is pleased to host the “Global Hakka Music Awards.” Now entering its second year, the competition features two categories: the Composition Category and the Singing Category. Today (the 22nd), Hakka Affairs Council Chairperson Ku Hsiu-fei, Chief Judge Blaire Ko Chih-hao, pop sensation Kimberley Chen Fang-yu (who has surpassed 100 million views), and first-edition winner Lin Pei-chiao jointly attended the launch press conference. Through the visible support of Hakka musicians, they hope to inspire more musicians to engage in Hakka song creation and performance.
The Hakka Affairs Council launched the “Trendy Hakka Music” initiative in 2015, subsequently expanding it into the comprehensive “Global Hakka Music Awards” program. From developing new talent, training, music creation, performance production, to empowering new generations of Hakka musicians to enter the mainstream music market, the program has discovered numerous outstanding Hakka musicians including Yang Shu-yu, Lai Yu-chiao, Lin Yu-ting, A_Root, Lin Pei-chiao, Tsui-kou, Huang Yu-han (Han), and VUIZE Wang Chung-wei. Their exceptional musical talents have earned recognition through Golden Melody Award nominations and wins. Given the widespread love for Hakka music both domestically and internationally, this year’s competition will continue to promote overseas, calling for more excellent works and contestants to participate.
This edition invites the âTriple Crown Winnerâ musician Blaire Ko Chih-hao, known as “Ko the Master,” as the Chief Judge. Blaire Ko is renowned across multiple fields, including attending the Golden Melody Awards, Golden Horse Awards, Golden Bell Awards, Golden Indie Music Awards, and Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music. His work spans pop albums, film, TV, theater, video game soundtracks, and major events like concerts and awards ceremonies. His musical style is diverse, covering jazz, folk, electronic, Peking opera, Taiwanese opera, and puppet theaterâblending ancient and modern, East and West. He has won the Golden Melody Award for Best Hakka Album (17th and 20th editions) with the Hohak Band and the 34th Golden Melody Award for Best Album Producer for A_Root’s “Holy Gazai.” Ko encourages young people to follow their dreams boldly and hopes to discover future collaborators through this competition.
This edition’s ambassador is pop star Kimberley Chen Fang-yu, who has surpassed 100 million views. Having joined talent shows herself, she encouraged those who love singing and creating at the press conference to definitely sign upânot only for the significant prize money but also for the chance to be seen and heard by more people through this major platform. The press conference also announced that Kimberley Chen Fang-yu will participate in Hakka song creation and performance projects this year, which has generated a lot of excitement. Chen made her debut with great success, with her debut album’s song “AINI (Love You)” earning over 100 million YouTube viewsâa classic still loved by fans today. Her collaboration with Namewee on the single “Fragile” earned nominations for Song of the Year at the 33rd Golden Melody Awards and Top Ten Singles at the 25th MUSICMAN Exchange Association. She was also invited to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, making her the first singer to perform at this event.
The organizer has arranged training programs for semi-finalists and finalists, giving them professional advice. For the top three winners, a specially designed “Hakka Grammy” training and mentorship program will be implemented, featuring tailor-made professional debut training courses to nurture new music stars. The competition consists of three evaluation stages (preliminary, semi-final, and final rounds). The top three teams in the Composition Category will have the opportunity to record singles, shoot music videos, and distribute globally on digital streaming platforms. The total prize money reaches NT$1.05 million, aiming to attract more musicians to participate in this grand event. “The Second Global Hakka Music Awards” is now accepting applications until September 30. For registration, please visit the official website: http://www.hakkapopmusic.com.tw
Contest Schedule:
Deadline for Preliminary Registration: From July 17 to September 30, 2025.Â
Announcement date for Semi-Finalists: October 20, 2025.Â
Professional Training for Semi-Finalists: October to November, 2025. ( Adjust according to the actual situation.)Â
Semi-final Schedule: December 6, 2025 ( Saturday ). Venue: Ximen Red House north plaza.
Professional Training for Finalists: December, 2025 to January, 2026. (Adjust according to the actual situation.)
Finals and Award Presentation Ceremony: January 17, 2026 (Saturday). Venue: Legacy Taipei
Contest Category: This competition are divided into âComposition Categoryâ and âSinging Category.â
Registration: Online registration only. (http://www.hakkapopmusic.com.tw)
We are aliens who travel between galaxies to find the music we love across the universe.ðļðŦ