Taiwan's prestigious Golden Indie Music Awards (GIMA) are back for their 15th edition! Themed as Shout Out / Shout Out to, this year's GIMA seeks to pay tribute to the pioneers of the music industry. The highly anticipated awards ceremony is set for Saturday, 2 November, at the Taipei Music Center, and will be broadcast live on Japan’s Space Shower TV YouTube channel alongside a global livestream on South Korea’s media platform PRIZM. 

This year, GIMA’s registration numbers are record-breaking, with 3,877 entries, including 842 albums/EPs and 41 live performances. The "Best Asian Creative Artist" category, which highlights artists from outside Taiwan, received 79 submissions—its highest ever—pointing to the award's growing international recognition. Entries poured in from Malaysia, Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. 

The nominees for "Best Asian Creative Artist" include Korean leading indie rock outfit Silica Gel, Japanese new breed punk band Age Factory, Japanese iconic math rock band LITE, Hong Kong-based instrumental group Virgin Vacation, Mongolian folk-jazz fusion band NaraBara, and Chinese singer-songwriter Yeoian.

This year’s top contenders include the internationally renowned Taiwanese math rockers, Elephant Gym, for their 10th anniversary album World; the champion of hip-hop talent show THE RAPPERS, Taiwan rap handsome man for SIM, and psychedelic rock group Bremen Entertainment Inc. who earned five nods for The Great Bremen Show. Additionally, eccentric musical genius and producer Dac was nominated for 4 awards for his album Love Hereafter, while his show Snack earned him a nomination for “Best Live Performance”. GIMA's “Best Band” award includes Plutato, Wayne's So Sad, I'mdifficult, Sorry Youth, Elephant Gym and Bremen Entertainment Inc..

The Asia Rolling Music Festival will also take place from 27 to 29 October, featuring a series of events, including the finals for the "Best Live Performance" award. This year’s ceremony will also feature a special appearance by South Korean singer-songwriter and women's rights advocate, Lang Lee, who will join Taiwanese singer Enno Cheng for a special collaboration. 

Click here for the full list of nominees.

For more details, please check out the GIMA’s official website or follow on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.