A-mei and Eason Chan win best singer prizes at Golden Melody Awards

Asia's biggest stars lit up the red carpet of the 26th Golden Melody Awards on Saturday, Taiwan's equivalent of the Grammy Awards.

Among those who graced the Taipei Arena were Mandopop king Jay Chou, who donned a black hat and suit jacket with golden floral emboidery, and pop diva Jolin Tsai, who dazzled with a glittering blue low-cut V-neck gown.

Tsai clinched three prizes, including Best Mandarin Album and Best Vocal Recording Album for her release, Play.

But the stars of the evening were Taiwanese singer A-mei and Hong Kong's Eason Chan. A-mei bagged the Best Mandarin Female Singer, while Chan won Best Mandarin Male Singer award, after beating fellow Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung, who was included into the category's nomination list just days before the ceremony.

According to jury representative singer Sky Wu, Cheung - who is known as the God of Songs - had lost only one vote to Chan.

The award for Song of the Year went to Island's Sunrise, written by punk band Fire Ex for the student protests, or Sunflower Movement, in Taiwan last year.

Best Band award went to Buddha Jump, a rock band fronted by Malaysia's Penny Tai.

klim@sph.com.sg