The two Filipino artists are competing in a five-work field for Best Asian Creative Artist after the category drew a record 105 entries from across Asia outside Taiwan.
Two Filipino artists have landed on one of Taiwan’s major stages for original music.
ena mori and SHNTI are nominated at the 17th Golden Indie Music Awards (GIMA), with mori’s Ore and SHNTI’s Melting PT. both competing for Best Asian Creative Artist.
What makes the nominations particularly notable is the competition they emerged from.
The category received 105 submissions from artists outside Taiwan, the highest number in its history. Only five works made the final list, giving the two Filipino releases places in a small field selected from a record pool of entries.
Joining Ore and Melting PT. in the category are KIKI’s Death of a Daisy & Birth of an Oyster, N.Y.P.D. 南洋派對’s DON’T LIKE 我鍾意, and NAMDO CALLING — Jung Eunhye, CADEJO and Yechan Kim — for NAMDO CALLING. PR_ ena mori and SHNTI, nominat…
The Best Asian Creative Artist category recognizes outstanding original music from artists across Asia outside Taiwan, making the presence of two Filipino nominees in the five-work shortlist a notable showing for the country’s independent music scene.
A wider Asian stage
The nominations come in a particularly competitive year for GIMA.
The awards received 4,242 submissions overall for their 17th edition, spanning alternative pop, jazz, electronic music and hip-hop, as well as music drawing from different languages, cultural traditions and creative perspectives.
This year’s theme, “觸 TRUE,” pairs the Taiwanese expression 觸 (chù) — referring to the feeling of being emotionally moved or deeply affected by something — with the English word “TRUE.”
The concept centers on authenticity in artistic expression and music’s ability to build connections across cultures and borders, an idea that also fits the international reach of the category in which mori and SHNTI are nominated.
Fang Q, bassist of Taiwanese band Cosmos People, chairs this year’s awards jury. He pointed to the record 4,242 submissions as a reflection of the vitality and diversity of Taiwan’s contemporary music landscape.
A competitive year for Taiwanese indie music
Among the major Taiwanese nominees is Sunset Rollercoaster, whose album QUIT QUIETLY is up for Best Album, Best Band and Best Alternative Pop Album.
Its track “Bluebird” is also nominated for Best Alternative Pop Song, while Tseng Kuo Hung is in contention for Best Singer-songwriter for QUIT QUIETLY.
Beyond the competitive categories, the Jury Award will go to Yuhan Su for Over The Moons, while the GIMA Impact Award will recognize Blue Note Taipei and founder Tsai Bop for their contribution to Taiwan’s jazz culture and live music community.
Before the winners are announced, GIMA LIVE will take place October 21 and 22 at CORNER MAX in Taipei. The official showcase will include the final performances of nominees for Best Live Performance, with the winner determined afterward.
The 17th Golden Indie Music Awards ceremony is set for October 31 at 7 p.m. at the Taipei Music Center, with a livestream available to international audiences.
For ena mori and SHNTI, the nominations already place their work in a broader regional conversation. Out of a record 105 submissions for Best Asian Creative Artist, two of the final five works come from Filipino artists — a strong showing for Philippine independent music on an Asian stage.