After four previous nominations, Singaporean lyricist Xiaohan took home her first Golden Melody Award on June 27.

The 52-year-old won in the Best Lyrics category for the contemplative song Roommate (2025) at the ceremony held at the Taipei Arena in Taiwan. Her fellow nominees in the category were Taiwan’s Chang Chen-yue, Wu Hsiung, Gummy B and Li Ko-ti.

The judging panel noted: “From physical ailments to mental anguish, silent endurance to vocal accusations, the lyrics break new ground right from the start. Rooted in emotion and executed with a precision that eschews all superfluity, the work pioneers a fresh approach to lyric-writing.”

As Xiaohan did not attend the ceremony due to her work commitments, Roommate’s performer, Taiwanese singer Julia Peng, 54, received the award on her behalf. Peng read out a note prepared by Xiaohan, which said: “My heart is so filled with love, it is about to burst.

“Thanks to Julia Peng for her beautiful voice, and to (the song’s producer and composer) Cheer Chen for her trust and a challenging track.”

Xiaohan had previously been nominated in the same category four times - for Tanya Chua’s Darwin (2007), Na Ying’s Long Take (2011), Sandy Lam’s Angels (2018) and JJ Lin’s Drifter (2020).

Over the phone on July 6, Xiaohan told The Straits Times she felt “extremely lucky” to have won. “I feel very loved, because it is so difficult to get nominated, let alone win. I must have done something right.”

According to her, every year sees tens of thousands of entries in the Golden Melody Awards category, which are vetted by hundreds of judges - including music critics, producers and musicians - across several rounds of evaluations. She herself was involved in the...