Lucky as the Hong Kong music fans, access to the most up-to-date international music is always convenient and fast. Music lovers are given massive choices to choose from that suit their tastes. To further promote foreign pops, Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK)today (25^th April) invited active participants of the local music industry to announce the awards of the “21^st International Pop Poll” Award Presentation in RTHK’s Studio One,to commend the outstanding performance of English and Japanese singers and songs in the local music arena last year.

The Award-presenters and performing guests include: TAI Keen-man, Assistant Director of Broadcasting (Radio), KONG Kwok-ping, Chairman of Hong Kong Record Merchants Association, Angelina LAW, Managing Director of CASH Music Foundation, Ricky FUNG, CEO of IFPI (Hong Kong Group), Ansa NG, Assistant General Manager of Hong Kong Recording Industry Alliance Limited, singers MC Jin, Jason CHAN, Fiona FUNG, Hanjin TAN, Danny CHOI, German KO, Chloe CHU, Eric SUEN, Janice VIDAL and Aarif LEE. The Award Presentation was honoured to have the singer as well as songwriter, Emi FUJITA, flew all the way from Japan to Hong Kong to be the award-giving and performing guest. Besides revealing the awards, MC Jin also rapped last year’s major international pop music events and singers into music. Other participated singers performed the winning songs with their own styles.

James FUNG Wai-tong, Chairman of the “21^th International Pop Poll” Organising Committee, said that the presentation has always hold its motto of promoting music without borders. It also widen the perspectives of both the public and the singers with a diversified music culture. This year, the polling was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, with a total of over 80,000 votes. As for the assessment method, winners of the three Best Selling Album Awards were chosen according to the statistical information provided by Hong Kong Record Merchants Association Ltd. The other nine English and Japanese song and singer awards were presented based on public voting by fans as well as assessments by professionals from the field, which constituted 60% and 40% of the total score respectively. The “Super Gold Song” Award went to the song scoring the highest number of votes on the “Top Ten International Gold Songs” list.

Regarding the overall results of the Poll, local pop singers Khalil Fong and Janice Vidal both have English songs released last year and were voted as two of the “Top Ten International Gold Song”. Khalil Fong had at the same time captured the “Top Male Artist” Silver Prize. The “Top Male Artist” Gold Prize undoubtedly went to “King of the Pop” Michael Jackson, whose posthumous song “This Is It” was also voted as one of the “Top Ten International Gold Song”. Lady Gaga’s popularity remains high ever since her debut in 2008. She had captured two “Top Ten International Gold Song”, “Top Female Artist” Gold Prize, and the “Super Gold Song” with “Poker Face”. The America hip hop group Black Eyed Peas again proved their fame by seizing a “Top Ten International Gold Song” and the “Top Group/Band” Gold Prize. In terms of new talents, KE$HA, Lenka and the Korean girl group 4 Minute were voted the “Top New Act” Gold, Silver and Bronze Prize respectively. The Japanese singers and songs front also witnessed keen competition. Entered her tenth years as a singer in 2009, Mai Kuraki seized the “Top Japanese Gold Song” with “Beautiful”. YUI and Namie Amuro were voted “Top Japanese Artist/ Group” Gold and Silver Prize respectively, while their songs were also voted as two of the “Top Japanese Gold Song”. Tohoshinki, the Korean boy band quintet that grasped great attention last year, was first voted as the “Top Japanese Artist/ Group” Bronze Prize. A massive rising of new talents was observed in Japan, with the group Ikimonogakari (生物股長), the female Tibetan singer alan and the girl group SCANDAL voted as the “Top Japanese New Act” Gold, Silver and Bronze Prize respectively.

The “21^st International Pop Poll” Award Presentation was emceed by RTHK Radio 2 DJs Alex Lee, Alyson Hau, Robin Pak and Teen Power DJ Benson Ling. Highlights of the Award Presentation are scheduled for broadcast on this coming Saturday, 1^st May from 6pm to 8pm during the programme “International Pop Chart” on RTHK Radio 2 (FM94.8-96.9). The public can also visit RTHK On Internet (www.rthk.org.hk) for the archived webcast version of the Award Presentation.