The 12th China Music Chart Awards were handed out on Saturday, with stars from China's mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong appearing and putting the spotlight on Beijing.
A total of 17 awards were presented, among which four awards were given to original musicians.
As most winners were consistent with public expectations, which were a result of online voting, the awards were widely regarded more of a celebration than a surprising ceremony.
Taiwan pop singer Jay Chow and Stefanie Sun from Singapore remain the most popular, taking Most Popular Male Singer and Most Popular Female Singer.
Their mainland counterparts are both first-time winners. Sha Baoliang was selected as Most Popular Male Singer. And the Most Popular Female Singer award went to veteran singer Sun Yue.
Age of Water and Wood, a duet band by two former students from Tsinghua University, won Best Group. Widely acknowledged for their talent in singing and composition, the two band members now pay more attention to their appearance. Their new image took fans by surprise.
Taiwan pop group S.H.E was awarded Best Group in the Taiwan and Hong Kong Region. F.I.R, also from Taiwan, was chosen as Most Popular Band.
Best Records went to Xu Wei from the Chinese mainland, mostly known for his campus-style songs.
Best Original Newcomer was Longkuan Jiuduan, a musical duo from the Chinese mainland. The duo found their surprise success from their first electronica album "I Like Tricky Music," released in early 2004.
Among awards for the Chinese mainland, Wang Feng was awarded Best Original Musician. Most Popular Newcomer was Chen Kun, an idol of both the movie screen and music scene.
Beijing's pop-punkers Hua Er (Flower) won Most Popular Band on the Chinese mainland.
The earliest event of its kind on the Chinese mainland, the China Music Chart Awards was set up in 1993 with an aim to promote original Chinese music.
It is organized by the Chinese National Satellite Music Radio Associated Network made up of several Chinese music radio stations.
(China Daily 01/28/2005 page6)
