Awards season is here and we're kicking it off with the Golden Indie Music Awards. 

Based in Taiwan, the glittering awards show honours some of the best names in the Asian indie scene, across all genres. Since its conception in 2010, the Golden Indie Music Awards or GIMA have been a pillar of excellence of creative freedom and musical diversity across the region. Initially set to celebrate Taiwan's homegrown musicians, the awards ceremony has expanded to recognise the rest of the region through the years. 

This year marks a special edition of GIMA, with it taking place in the city of Kaoshiung for the first time in the ceremony's history. GIMA 2021 will also see the introduction of the Golden Indie Music Forum – an industry networking event – and another run of Asia Rolling Music Festival, a night of good music from all across the region. 

The awards ceremony, along with its many events and performances will happen from 1 to 7 November. With an action-packed couple of days, here's everything you need to know about GIMA 2021. 

Asia Rolling Music Festival 

This year's GIMA sees the fourth instalment of Asia Rolling Music Festival, a series of performances that invites musical creative from across Taiwan and Asia to share their music and talents in an effort to showcase Asia's distinctive yet musical style while also harbouring an environment of creative inspiration and exchange. 

The festival will see varied artists from the region including Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea. Happening across four stages, viewers can expect to see a mix of live and video performances from the likes of Wedance, H 3 F, Like Animals & LUSTBASS, M1LDL1FE, BGourd, Sonia Calico, The Last Wave, and more. Check out the full lineup here. 

The festival will take place across four stages, in four different cities across Taiwan – Taipei, Taitung, Tainan, and Kaoshiung – all at the same time. Taiwanese audiences will be able to watch the performances live on 5 November from 8 to 10 PM (PHT/SGT). For ticketing information for the festival, check out Golden Indie Music Awards' official website. 

For global audiences, performances videos of the festival will be uploaded onto GIMA's YouTube on 12 November. 

Live wareHouse

GIMA is more than just about the accolades and shiny trophies, it's also about stunning performances you won't see anywhere else. In addition to performances by this year's Best Live Performance Award nominees on 2 - 3 November – which will be streamed via GIMA's YouTube and Facebook pages, as well as LINE TODAY and LINE MUSIC – and Asia Rolling Music Festival, the awards ceremony will also be hosting a live concert held by Kaoshiung Live wareHouse to cap off this year's GIMA. 

The likes of Constant & Change, Wendy Wander, Fire EX., and Outlet Drift are slated to perform. 

Tickets for the concert are now sold out. 

Golden Indie Music Forum

In an effort to further enact their mission of amplifying the region's music scene, GIMA 2021 will also be hosting an industry networking and business matchmaking event called Golden Indie Music Forum.

Happening on 1 November and 4 November, the event will be split into two sections where the first session takes the theme of Local Cross-Media ‧ Music Production and Sales Summit Meeting and is intended to discuss Taiwan's music-related activities. 

While the second session is allocated for The Analysis of Independent Music Circles and Market Exchanges in Asia, where keynote speakers will speak about the wider Asian music industry. The session will split into three stages, covering Northeast Asia (Korea and Japan), Southeast Asia, and China. 

The Golden Indie Music Forum will be streamed live on GIMA's YouTube and Facebook pages. 

GIMA NOMINEES

A talented lineup of artists and musicians are up for the chance at some of Asia's most respected accolades. From well-known Taiwanese acts like ØZI, Sunset Rollercoaster, and Shi Shi to up-and-coming artists from across the region like Shye, Audrey Nuna, and Shikin Rollin, GIMA 2021 shines a light on a wide array of talented and impactful artists. 

As a special honour, GIMA 2021 will also be awarding Wu Wu-chang with the Outstanding Contribution Award.

The awards night will be happening on 6 November at 7 PM PHT/SGT and will be streamed live via GIMA's YouTube and Facebook pages, as well as LINE TODAY and LINE MUSIC. Check out the full list of nominees here. 

Best Album
PEDESTAL - ØZI
Lady of the Ocean - Outlet Drift
GOLDEN TAIZI BRO - FLESH JUICER
Leisurely - LINION
Island Catch - Fade to Blue

Best Band
Sunset Rollercoaster / SOFT STORM
Skaraoke / Skaraoke Vol. 1: Greatest Hits
FLESH JUICER／GOLDEN TAIZI BRO
Sorry Youth／Bad Times, Good Times
Prairie WWWW／Formosan Dream
FORMOZA／CHAO YING GE SHI HUA

Best Singer-songwriter
ØZI／PEDESTAL
Panai／LOVE, AND YET...
YELLOW HUANG／YELLOW-FICTION
žž／žž
Shi Shi／Where is SHI?
MA NIEN HSIEN／Mama Jeans and Daddy Shoes

Best New Artist
Shikin Rollin／Green
Huan Huan／Water Can Go Anywhere
žž／žž
Chien Chien Lu／The Path
FORMOZA／CHAO YING GE SHI HUA
wannasleep／Naked Grouse

Best Instrumentalist
Wu Cheng Chun／Water Snowflake Goes to Market
achino ／The Stories
KITrust／Black & Toughness
Chung Yufeng／Island Catch
David Chen／Island Catch
Toshihiro Wakaike／Yü
Chien Chien Lu／The Path
Adriano Moreira／Cook the Vibe: Leo Wang Live at Meowvelous

Best Live Performance
Smashing the wall of an endless maze + Revenge is a dish best served cold - Major in Body Bear
YELLOW-2021 MAGAPORT FESTIVAL - YELLOW
GOLDEN TAIZI BRO - Flesh Juicer
Leo Wang Live at Megaport Festival 2021 - Leo Wang
Skaraoke Vol. 1: Greatest Hits - SKARAOKE

Best Asian Creative Artist
FREEBODY - CADEJO
WINK - CHAI
days to morning glory - Shye
Whoop it up! - EIKO+ERIKO
: -)  - Nodey
A Liquid Breakfast - Audrey Nuna

Best Rock Album
Lady of the Ocean - Outlet Drift
GOLDEN TAIZI BRO - FLESH JUICER
Bad Times, Good Times - Sorry Youth
Demo III - Windmill
CHAO YING GE SHI HUA - FORMOZA

Best Rock Song
'Desire'- Shikin Rollin
'Painting the trail of whisper in every moment captured' - Major in Body Bear
'Lady of the Ocean' - Outlet Drift
'Lucky As You' - KST
'GOLDEN TAIZI BRO' - FLESH JUICER

Best Folk Album
Water Snowflake Goes to Market - Sheng Xiang & Band
Island Catch - Fade to Blue
Rambling Naluwan - Dakanow
I Wanna Be a Country Man In The City - Johnny Tsai
THE EVERLASTING BLOOM - Yujun Wang

Best Folk Song
'The Tofu Guy' - Sheng Xiang & Band
'Oh My Dear' - Syaman macinanao
'Ay Yi' - Dakanow
'Heaven.zip' - LÜCY
'The Child of Poros and Penia' - Come on! Bay Bay!

Best Hip-hop Album
Xiaoming and the city - Trout Fresh
Thanks <3 - Chunyan
Angst - Patrick Brasca
SKY - Dizzy Dizzo
Naked Grouse - wannasleep

Best Hip-hop Song
'Deep breath feat. Jerry Li' - Chunyan
'Let Me Talk' - GorDoN
'Cheap Red Mouth' - BEN
'88BARS' - Kumachan
'Black' - wannasleep

Best Electronic Album
happy life - ufa
Black & Toughness - OVDS
Paramita - Ruby Fatale
Simulation Of An Overloaded World - Sonia Calico
Archimedes - Apio, Funguz, Kaiel

Best Electronic Song
'Happy life' - ufa
'Cheat Death' - OVDS
'fu’is' - N1-NANGUAQ
'Being Emotional' - Ruby Fatale
'zaljum (Sunrise version)' - Ń7ä feat. ABAO and R.fu

Best Jazz Album
The 13th Heron - YenTing Lo
Whisper Of The Isolated Ones - Roger Lin
Fly By Light - Tokyo Chuo Line
The Path - Chien Chien Lu
AIslanders - Island Futurism

Best Jazz Song
'Engraved In The Moon' - YenTing Lo
'Drawings, Pills, Chocolate' - Roger Lin
'Vagabond Dance' - Tokyo Chuo Line
'Mama's Chattering'／žž
'The Path' - Chien Chien Lu

Best R&B Album
PEDESTAL- ØZI
Leisurely - LINION
Where is SHI? - Shi Shi
To My Penpal - Yufu

Best R&B Song
'Post-monologue' - YELLOW
'Oh Girl' - LINION
'LIMO' - 鶴 The Crane
'My Heart Is Plastic' - Robot Swing & 陳以恆、洪佩瑜
'Tell Me' (Prod. by DJ Mitsu The Beats) - 9m88

Best Alternative Pop Album
SOFT STORM I - Sunset Rollercoaster
Serene Reminder - The Fur.
Mama Jeans and Daddy Shoes - MA NIEN HSIEN
Apaz - Utjung Tjakivalid
Back To The Roots - Matzka瑪斯卡

Best Alternative Pop Song
'Candlelight' - Sunset Rollercoaster feat. OHHYUK
'Mountain Dude' - LINION, L8ching
'Infected' - Shi Shi
'Desert, Roses and Camel' - YILE LIN
' Millions of Years Apart' - The Dinosaur’s Skin feat. MANDARK

Outstanding Contribution Award
Wu Wu-Chang

Presented by GIMA 2021