The 30th Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music was held Aug. 10 in Taipei City, spotlighting the diversity of Taiwan’s rich cultural heritage.
Organized by the National Center for Traditional Arts under the Ministry of Culture, the awards saw 18 prizes presented to local artists and groups drawn from 1,078 submissions.
In the performance category, Tang Mei-yun Taiwanese Opera Company won the most prestigious prize of Best Ensemble Performance with the group’s 2018 production “The Cursed Royal Family,” which impressed the jury with its attention to detail and nuanced characters.
For music, this year’s Best Traditional Album winner was “The Voices of Rukai,” a 12-track album by an indigenous choir from Maolin Primary School in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City. The record was also praised by the event organizer for its ability to cross boundaries and deepen appreciation of indigenous culture.
Other highlights include Ku Yi-fan claiming Best Actor for his performance in the Taiwanese opera piece “Battle of the Right to Life,” as well as Yeh Chwei-ching and Wang An-chi, who were honored with Special Awards for their contributions to the country’s traditional arts in the fields of audio publishing and Peking opera, respectively.
Launched in 1990, the GMA were divided into two classifications in 2007 to separate prizes for achievements in popular music from those for traditional arts and music. (CPY-E)
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