The 16th Golden Indie Music Awards (GIMA) lit up the Taipei Music Center, bringing together over 30 artists from Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand in a night-long celebration of Asian creativity across 22 categories.
Taiwanese artist Hsien Ching (陳嫺靜) emerged as the evening’s biggest winner, taking Best New Artist, Best Alternative Pop Album, and Best Hip-hop Song for her genre-bending dual albums. Robot Swing claimed Best Band with their funk and R&B-infused exploration of human-machine relationships, while rising rapper someshiit 山姆 won Best Hip-hop Album, cementing his status as one of Taiwan’s most promising voices. Lilium (百合花) was honored with Best Album for Everything Will Go Wonderfully and the Jury Award, reflecting GIMA’s mission to celebrate music in its purest artistic form. Japan’s ELLE SHIMADA, recognized as Best Asian Creative Artist, dedicated her win to “girls with big dreams,” symbolizing the rise of empowered female creators across Asia.
Performances embraced the theme of “Brave.” Sorry Youth (拍謝少年) opened with a dramatic fusion of deity rituals and pounding percussion, while Lilium and Siri Lee (李竺芯) delivered a gender equality–themed collaboration celebrating freedom beyond boundaries. Hip-hop artists That’s My Shhh and someshiit energized the stage with a dynamic set, followed by intimate performances from I’mdifficult 我是機車少女 and Andr exploring courage and self-acceptance. Modern Cinema Master, awarded Best Live Performance, captivated the audience with an intense, immersive show, and a cross-cultural collaboration between Thai rapper AUTTA and Taiwanese trio The Chairs (椅子樂團) seamlessly merged languages and street-inspired imagery. The night closed with a thrilling finale from Korean band Silica Gel, last year’s Best Asian Creative Artist.
The 16th GIMA reaffirmed Taiwan’s creative vitality and Asia’s shared spirit of independence, artistry, and bold expression. Updates and highlights are available on the official GIMA website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
