FINDING A NEW VOICE

This year's CMIC Music Awards were more about restoring the credibility of China's music scene and recognizing the work of industry insiders than providing entertainment, Chen Nan reports.

At a recording studio in a remote corner Beijing on July 31, hundreds of music industry insiders - record company managers, critics, celebrities and other high-flyers - gathered for a banquet to celebrate the second China Music Industry Committee Music Awards.

At the end of the night, one of the main awards was announced by Wang Ju, secretary-general of China Audio-Video Association and Rob Schwartz, the Asia bureau chief of Billboard magazine. When Pu Shu's name was read out as winner of Album of the Year, the hall rang out to the cheers and applause from the audience.