Clavin Cher took home the Best Song Award for ‘All Is Well’ at the SG:SW I Write The Songs 2026 Finale Concert, as the Mandarin songwriting festival celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Held on 3 October at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre’s Far East Organisation Auditorium, the finale saw the top 10 finalists perform their original compositions before a judging panel and close to 350 audience members. 10 representatives from past editions opened the evening with a performance of the festival’s theme song.
Returning for his third SG:SW, Cher wrote both the melody and lyrics for ‘All Is Well’, which pairs a dark rock arrangement with reflections on a world in turmoil and the hope that love can offer. The judges praised his handling of the social theme and the arrangement’s emotional impact. Cher previously received the festival’s Lyrics (Merit) Award in 2023.
Wong Yijuin and Kenta received the Melody (Merit) Award for ‘Falling For You’, an electronic-infused love song co-composed by the pair, with lyrics by Wong. After four years of participating in SG:SW, Wong reached the top 10 with a song exploring the excitement and uncertainty of falling in love.
The year’s youngest duo, lyricist Anne Chua and composer Ho Mei Xuan, picked up both the Lyrics (Merit) Award and Popularity Award (Public Voting) for ‘Spot’. Their new-age composition celebrates fleeting moments and finding joy in the present. The song received 1,470 public votes, marking another Popularity Award win for Ho, who also claimed the honour in 2024.
‘Demolished’, composed by Edmund Ng with lyrics by Lee Jia Min and performed by Janelle Chen, earned the Best Vocal Performance Award. Exploring the difficulty of letting go as a relationship changes, the song continues a creative partnership between Ng and Lee that began after they met at SG:SW in 2020. The pair previously won the Lyrics (Merit) Award for ‘Would You Stay’ in 2022.
Rounding out the six awards, ‘Inked in Time’ won the Best Performing Band Award. Composed by Gresilda Tan with lyrics by Ang Min Jia, the song was the top 10’s only Oriental Pop entry, featuring live guzheng and flute performances. Its lyrics use painting as a metaphor for longing, waiting, and reunion.
Co-organised by Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC), Ocean Butterflies Music, and the Composers & Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS), this year’s festival received 239 song entries from 223 participants.
A new team-based format saw local singer-songwriters and festival ambassadors Yokez and Ben Hum each mentor 12 finalists over four months, offering guidance on songwriting, arrangement, and stage presentation. Both also performed as guests at the finale.
The top 24 finalists appeared at the festival’s Live Showcase at Bugis+ Atrium in August, which drew 23,240 attendees across two days, its largest turnout to date. The top 10 then attended the festival’s first Songwriting Camp, with workshops and a masterclass led by Mandopop songwriter-producer Real and songwriter Tina Wang. The youngest top 10 finalist was 16.
Real and Wang also joined Dr Liang Wern Fook, Zennon Goh, and Zhong Kunhua on the finale’s judging panel.
“For a decade, SG:SW has nurtured a new generation of local songwriters, giving promising newcomers a stage to grow and be heard,” said Ocean Butterflies Music Managing Director Colin Goh. “Their spirit of ‘daring to write, sing and be different’ brings the fresh energy and voice that Mandopop needs.”
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