The HITO Pop Music Awards

The annual HITO Pop Music Awards, chosen by some of the Chinese-speaking world’s biggest radio stations, were announced last week. Three of the biggest winners in the 2009 edition of the awards were Mayday (五月天, pinyin: Wǔ Yuè Tiān), Jay Chou (周杰伦, pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún) and Joanna Wang (王若琳, pinyin: Wáng Ruòlín), all multiple award-winners.

Taiwanese five-member pop-rock band Mayday collected four awards in total, including Best Band and the Asia Media Award. Their album Poetry of the Day (後青春期的詩) spent 7 weeks in the number one position to win them the Longest Chart-topping Album award. Their single Suddenly Miss You So was also judged the Number 1 Chinese Song of the Year. Lead singer Ashin also picked up the Best Lyricist award for Poetry of the Day.

Newcomer Joanna Wang took the award previously monopolised by Jolin Tsai, Best Female Singer. Her bilingual debut album Start from Here won Longest Chart-remaining Album after spending 19 weeks in the charts, and the song Let’s Start from Here was also chosen as the Number 2 Chinese Song of the Year.

Jay Chou won Best Male Singer, Best Singer/Songwriter, and his song Fragrant Rice made the Top 10 Chinese Songs of the Year.

A list of the major award-winners is below.

Longest Chart-topping Album: Mayday (6 weeks) – Poetry Of The Day
Longest Chart-remaining Album: Joanna Wang (19 weeks) - Start From Here
Best Singer/Songwriter: Jay Chou – Capricorn
Best Newcomer: Jam Hsiao – Jam Hsiao
Best Band: Mayday – Poetry Of The Day
Best Male Group: Fahrenheit – Two-Sided Fahrenheit
Best Female Group: S.H.E – My FM S.H.E
Best Female Singer: Joanna Wang – Start From Here
Best Male Singer: Jay Chou – Capricorn

Top 10 Chinese Songs Of The Year
1. Mayday – Suddenly Miss You So
2. Joanna Wang – Let’s Start from Here
3. Khalil Fong – Love Song
4. Jam Hsiao – Collection
5. Aska Yang – Dove
6. Eason Chan – Don’t Speak
7. Angela Zhang – Don’t Want To Understand
8. Yoga Lin – Mystery
9. S.H.E – It’s Quiet
10. Jay Chou – Fragrant Rice

2008 Best Overseas Singer
Hong Kong – Eason Chan
Singapore – JJ Lin
Malaysia – Gary Cao

2008 Recommendation Awards
Public’s Favourite Song: Aska Yang – Dove
DJ’s Favourite Album: Khalil Fong – Future
Asia Media Award: Mayday