Filipino indie artists ena mori and SHNTI are taking their music beyond Philippine borders, earning nominations at Taiwan’s 17th Golden Indie Music Awards (GIMA) in a year that marks the awards’ most competitive edition yet.
ena mori’s Ore and SHNTI’s Melting PT. are among five works nominated for Best Asian Creative Artist, a category recognizing original music from artists across Asia outside Taiwan. They join 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’s NAMDO CALLING.
The significance of the nominations is amplified by the category’s record-breaking turnout. A total of 105 entries from artists outside Taiwan were submitted for Best Asian Creative Artist, making this year’s field the largest in the category’s history.
For ena mori and SHNTI, the nominations place two distinct Filipino voices within a broader Asian independent music conversation, one increasingly defined by genre-crossing sounds, different languages, cultural influences, and artists pushing beyond conventional boundaries.
The 17th GIMA received 4,242 submissions overall, with this year’s nominees spanning alternative pop, jazz, electronic music, hip-hop, and other forms of contemporary independent music. The awards reflect the diversity of a regional music scene where artists are bringing distinctly local perspectives into an increasingly interconnected landscape.
That idea is reflected in this year’s theme, “觸 TRUE.” Combining the Taiwanese character 觸 (chù), referring to being emotionally moved or deeply affected, with the English word “TRUE,” the theme centers on authenticity and music’s ability to resonate across cultural and geographical borders.
Fang Q, bassist of Taiwanese band Cosmos People and chair of this year’s jury, noted the record-breaking number of submissions as a reflection of the vitality and diversity of Taiwan’s contemporary music landscape.
Among the biggest names in this year’s field is Taiwanese band Sunset Rollercoaster, whose album QUIT QUIETLY earned nominations 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.
The nominations further underline the breadth of Taiwan’s independent music scene, where artists continue to move between genres, languages, and creative traditions.
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 contributions to Taiwan’s jazz culture and live music community.
Before the awards ceremony, GIMA LIVE will bring the nominees to the stage on October 21 and 22 at CORNER MAX in Taipei. The official showcase will feature the finalists for Best Live Performance, with the category’s winner determined following the performances.
The 17th Golden Indie Music Awards Ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. on October 31 at the Taipei Music Center, with a livestream available for international audiences.
For ena mori and SHNTI, the nominations arrive at a moment when independent music in Asia is becoming increasingly difficult to define by borders alone. Their inclusion among this year’s Best Asian Creative Artist finalists gives Filipino indie another point of entry into that conversation, putting Ore and Melting PT. alongside works representing the region’s expanding range of sounds, languages, and stories.
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