Sunset Rollercoaster and ena mori were among the winners at the 17th Golden Indie Music Awards (GIMA), held at Taipei Music Center on 31 October.
Celebrating independent and original music from Taiwan and across Asia, the ceremony awarded Sunset Rollercoaster Best Album for QUIT QUIETLY, while ena mori took home Best Asian Creative Artist for her EP Ore. Taiwanese jazz musician Yuhan Su was the night’s most-awarded artist, collecting three honours for her project Over The Moons.
Known for their blend of indie rock, soul, and retro pop, Sunset Rollercoaster’s win follows the international attention surrounding AAA, their collaborative album with South Korean band HYUKOH.
For Japanese-Filipino singer-songwriter and producer ena mori, the award adds to a growing list of international milestones. Her 2022 album DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE! topped NME Asia’s best Asian albums of the year list, while her live appearances have included SXSW and SUMMER SONIC. Drawing on classical piano and experimental pop, her latest EP Ore earned her recognition among this year’s regional nominees.
Yuhan Su’s three wins comprised Best Jazz Album for Over The Moons, Best Jazz Song for ‘Genius and Dumb’ (天才與笨蛋), and the Jury Award.
Elsewhere, Outlet Drift won Best Band for Masonolay i Cepo’, while Panai received two folk music awards for her album Minsumin (來了) and song ‘A Bird Without Feathers’ (是誰). Malpace took Best R&B Album for their debut, ((No wool. No hump)).
The ceremony also brought artists from across the region together onstage. ODD WAVES, a special collaboration between Wonjin of South Korean collective Balming Tiger and Taiwanese math-rock trio Elephant Gym, featured the band’s ‘鏡子 Mirror’ and ‘中途 Midway’, alongside Wonjin’s ‘겨울왕자 Ice King’. The set also included collaborative performances of ‘女巫 Witches’ and ‘캔디가 생각나 Candy’.
Japanese psychedelic rock trio Tempalay closed the ceremony with ‘Kaminchi かみんち’ and ‘Sonatine そなちね’. Members Ryoto Ohara, Natsuki Fujimoto, and AAAMYYY brought their mix of psychedelic rock, electronic textures, and experimental pop to the Taipei stage.
Other performances included a collaboration between Paiwan singer-songwriter Sauljaljui, Yuhan Su, and the Taiwu Ballads Troupe, connecting Indigenous Taiwanese musical traditions with contemporary jazz. Best Live Performance winner That’s My Shhh also showcased Taiwan’s hip-hop scene with ‘LIVE A LIFE’.
For the complete winners list and further updates, visit GIMA’s official Instagram.
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