Artist and GMA nominee Waa Wei has recently been revealed as the host for the 31st GMA award ceremony. The 37-year-old artist first started her career as the lead singer of Natural Q and has now been active in broadcasting, theater, movie, and television.
This is not only her first time hosting the GMA, Waa Wei is also nominated for six awards, including Album of the Year, Best Mandarin Album, and Best Female Vocalist (Mandarin) for her album, "Hidden, Not Forgotten".
In today's special music video release, Waa Wei is seen singing her hit song "Only You", changing some parts to reveals she is the host of the ceremony.
When talking about how she felt when she was told she would be hosting, Waa Wei said, "I could not believe it in the beginning, I thought they were joking. I'm so grateful that the organizer is giving me this opportunity to host the ceremony and I love challenges."
She also shared which award she is hoping to bag, saying, "Best Female Vocalist (Mandarin) would definitely be the one I'm looking forward to the most."
Waa Wei has been a nominee at the GMA ceremony numerous times. Last year, she served as a juror and will now be challenging the host role. Though she admits she is under a lot of pressure, she hopes she can bring a unique and casual style that transcends well with the musical festivities. She also asked the production team whether she and her son Louis can perform his favorite song "Baby Shark Dance" for him.
The special EP, "Only You", that Waa Wei sang at the press conference was a piano cover by Evan Yo with lyrics penned by former GMA producer, Isaac Chen. The lyrics are carefully written so that the first character of each verse would combine to spell out Waa Wei's role in the 31st GMA.
Evan Yo has shared that Waa Wei kept referring back to the original lyrics while filming the MV, but that she was able to be exceptionally versatile and complete the full song when filming officially started, showcasing that she is a true candidate for Best Female Vocalist.
After taking on the host role, both Evan Yo and Waa Wei called LULU, host of the 30th GMA, for help. Evan Yo also gave a shout out to Mary, the other red carpet host, saying, "Just tell me to start singing if I stutter."
Due to their love of music, the weight of the challenge seems heavier, but many hope that they can celebrate the festivity with a more casual attitude. Previous hosts, Jam Hsiao and LULU, also performed during the ceremony. Waa Wei confessed that she hopes to perform on stage as well, saying, "I am a singer after all so I can sing anytime."
Mary and Evan Yo, host and musician respectively, are hosting offstage on the red carpet. Mary was the host last year and received an incredibly overwhelming positive reception and will be working alongside first-time host Evan Yo.
When asked about her second year as the red carpet host, Mary had this to say, "I'll pass on what Dennis taught me last year. I'm going to have to start seeing Evan a lot so we can build a relationship!"
Evan Yo on the other hand was nominated as Best New Artist for the 18th GMA and is known to be highly creative and musical. In recent years, he has become active in theater, acting, hosting, and other fields.
When asked about receiving potential negative feedback on his first-time hosting, Evan Yo said, "I don't have a lot of experience hosting, but it's a meaningful thing and I hope this will bring me closer to the GMA." He admits that he listens to nominated albums and songs when he gets nervous, joking that he feels like a private detective whenever he's searching online for information.
The 31st Golden Melody Awards Ceremony will be held on October 3rd (Sat.) 7:00 P.M. at the Main Hall of the Taipei Music Center. The red carpet of the highly-anticipated annual pop music award will be held live on TTV starting from 5 P.M. For more information, feel free to visit the official GMA website (https://gma.tavis.tw) or follow us on Facebook (@GMAGMF).
