Jazz musician Yuhan Su took home three awards, while Japan’s Tempalay brought the event to an energetic close. Meanwhile, Balming Tiger’s Wonjin teamed up with Taiwan’s Elephant Gym for a special cross-border musical collaboration.
The 17th Golden Indie Music Awards (GIMA) was held on October 31, 2026, at the Taipei Music Center, recognizing exceptional independent and original music from Taiwan and other parts of Asia.
This year’s notable winners included Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster, which claimed Best Album for 《QUIT QUIETLY》, and Japanese-Filipino artist ena mori, who won Best Asian Creative Artist for EP 《Ore》. Taiwanese jazz musician Yuhan Su emerged as the night’s most-awarded artist, taking home three awards for her internationally acclaimed project 《Over The Moons》. Performance highlights included Japan’s Tempalay and a special collaboration between Wonjin of South Korea’s alternative musical collective Balming Tiger and Taiwanese math-rock trio Elephant Gym, adding to the ceremony’s cross-border appeal.
Sunset Rollercoaster, known internationally for their dreamy blend of indie rock, soul and retro pop, received Best Album for《QUIT QUIETLY》.The band recently gained further global attention through 《AAA》, their collaborative album with South Korean indie group HYUKOH.
Born in Tokyo and raised in the Philippines, ena mori is a Japanese-Filipino singer-songwriter and producer whose music combines classical piano influences with experimental pop. Her 2022 album 《DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!》 topped NME Asia‘s list of the best Asian albums of the year, and she has performed at international events including SXSW and Japan’s Summer Sonic Festival. Her latest EP,《Ore》, earned her this year’s Best Asian Creative Artist award, highlighting the growing visibility of cross-cultural voices in Asia’s independent music scene.
Sunset Rollercoaster winning the award for Best Album
Yuhan Su received Best Jazz Album for 《Over The Moons》, Best Jazz Song for 〈Genius and Dumb〉(天才與笨蛋),and the Jury Award. Other winners included Outlet Drift, which won Best Band for 《Masonolay i Cepo’》; Panai, who received two folk music awards for her album《Minsumin》(來了) and the song〈A Bird Without Feathers〉(是誰); and Malpace, whose debut album《((No wool. No hump))》won Best R&B Album.
One of the ceremony’s live highlights was ODD WAVES, a special collaboration between Wonjin, a member of South Korean alternative music collective Balming Tiger, and Taiwanese math-rock band Elephant Gym. Their set featured Elephant Gym’s〈鏡子 Mirror〉and〈中途 Midway〉,Wonjin’s〈겨울왕자 Ice King〉, and a collaborative performance of〈女巫 Witches〉、〈캔디가 생각나Candy〉, bringing together intricate instrumental rhythms and distinctive vocal arrangements.
Japanese psychedelic rock band Tempalay closed the ceremony with performances of 〈Kaminchi かみんち〉 and 〈Sonatine そなちね〉. Featuring Ryoto Ohara, Natsuki Fujimoto, and AAAMYYY, the trio brought their signature blend of psychedelic rock, electronic textures, and experimental pop to the Taipei stage.
Other notable performances featured Paiwan singer-songwriter Sauljaljui (戴曉君), Yuhan Su, and the Taiwu Ballads Troupe (TBT 泰武古謠傳唱) in a collaborative showcase that brought together Indigenous Taiwanese music and modern jazz influences. Meanwhile, Best Live Performance winner That’s My Shhh highlighted the energy of Taiwan’s hip-hop scene through their performance of “LIVE A LIFE.”
To see the full list of winners and stay updated on the latest announcements, visit the Golden Indie Music Awards (GIMA)’s official social media channels.
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