GIMA 16 Winners: Hsien Ching, Lilium, and Modern Cinema Master Dominate

AUTTA and The Chairs shares a special Taiwan–Thailand set; Silica Gel ends night on a high note

The 16th Golden Indie Music Awards (GIMA) electrified the Taipei Music Center on November 1, 2025, bringing together over 30 artists from Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand in a spectacular celebration of Asian creativity across 22 distinguished categories.

Hsien Ching emerged as the night’s biggest winner, taking home Best New Artist, Best Alternative Pop Album, and Best Hip-hop Song with her groundbreaking dual albums that defy genre boundaries. The Best Band award went to Robot Swing, whose funk and R&B-driven sound explores the dynamic interplay between humans and machines. Rising rapper someshiit claimed Best Hip-hop Album, cementing his status as one of Taiwan’s most promising voices.

Blending tradition with experimentation, Lilium earned double honors with Best Album for Everything Will Go Wonderfully and the Jury Award, reflecting GIMA’s commitment to “bring music back to its artistic essence and rekindle a pure love for creation.” Japan’s ELLE SHIMADA, recognized as Best Asian Creative Artist, dedicated her win to “girls with big dreams,” spotlighting the rise of empowered female creators in Asia’s music scene.

Performances throughout the evening embodied the festival’s theme of “Brave.” Sorry Youth opened with a breathtaking fusion of piànn-tiûnn deity rituals and thunderous percussion, igniting the stage with raw energy. Lilium joined vocal powerhouse Siri Lee for a gender equality-themed collaboration celebrating freedom beyond boundaries. Hip-hop acts That’s My Shhh and someshiit delivered electrifying sets, while I’mdifficult and Andr captivated with intimate, emotional performances about courage, empathy, and self-acceptance.

The Best Live Performance award went to Modern Cinema Master, whose intense, immersive set reaffirmed their reputation for bold stagecraft. In a cross-cultural highlight, Thai rapper AUTTA and Taiwanese trio The Chairs premiered a seamless Taiwan–Thailand collaboration, merging languages and street imagery in a unique dialogue. The night concluded with a stunning finale by Korean band Silica Gel, last year’s Best Asian Creative Artist, performing 〈NO PAIN〉 and 〈APEX〉, leaving audiences in awe.

The 16th GIMA reaffirmed Taiwan’s creative vitality and showcased Asia’s shared spirit of independence, collaboration, and artistic openness.

For more highlights and updates, visit the official GIMA website and follow on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The 16thGolden Indie Music Awards Winners

【Uncategorized Awards】

   ■     Best Album

《Everything Will Go Wonderfully》／Lilium (Album Producer:Cheng Ko-chun、Hsiao He-Shuo )

   ■     Best Band

Robot Swing／《IS IT ALIVE? (Live at Yuchen Cinema Studio)》

   ■     Best Singer-songwriter

YILE LIN／《True Colors》

   ■     Best New Artist

Hsien Ching／《If we can be happy happy every day, who wants to be sad:＊》

   ■     Best Instrumentalist

Sauljaljui／《VAIVAIK》／Yuequin(Moon Lute)、Percussion

Cheng Chun Wu／《Dual Legendary Rhythms – A New Worldview》／Percussion, World Hand Drums, Erhu, Synthesizer

Rich Huang／《Dual Legendary Rhythms – A New Worldview》／Drumset, Percussion

   ■     Best Live Performance

《Modern Cinema Master Tour 2025》/Modern Cinema Master

   ■     Best Asian Creative Artist

《LULLABY FOR THR RIVER IN MY BODY 》／ELLE SHIMADA

【Category Awards】

   ■     Best Rock Album

《Xenobones》／FUTURE AFTER A SECOND

   ■     Best Rock Song

〈disappoint〉／《Juicy》／Cat’s Bile

   ■     Best Folk Album

《VAIVAIK》／Sauljaljui

   ■     Best Folk Song

〈Heaven’s Reunion 〉／《Bitter-Sweet Playground》／CHIANG,MENG-HSUN

   ■     Best Hip-hop Album

《A FOOL》／someshiit

   ■     Best Hip-hop Song

〈VacuumB (beat by Flowstrong)〉／《If we can be happy happy every day, who wants to be sad:＊》／Hsien Ching

   ■     Best Electronica Album

《5ENOM》／FTK

   ■     Best Electronica Song

〈5ENOM〉／《5ENOM》／FTK

   ■     Best Jazz Album

《OR》／Tracy Yang

   ■     Best Jazz Song

〈Palette〉／《Ctrl+Z》／Plutato

   ■     Best R&B Album

《Heal Me Good》／Yufu

   ■     Best R&B Song

〈Praise〉／《Qrasun》／Kumu Basaw

   ■     Best Alternative Pop Album

《If we can be happy happy every day, who wants to be sad:))》／Hsien Ching

   ■     Best Alternative Pop Song

〈Nothing ever stops me〉／《Dance on the Shoreline》／LÜCY

【Jury Award】

   ■     Jury Award

Lilium ／《Everything Will Go Wonderfully》