KKBOX Hong Kong Music Awards returns with ‘Music Reborn’

The 8th KKBOX Hong Kong Music Awards brought together 19 leading artists from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan for a night that celebrated not only popular music, but also its ability to be reshaped, revived and reimagined.

Presented by Katch, the annual music event, titled “Music Reborn,” was held tonight at AsiaWorld-Arena. This year’s theme reflected the continued evolution of the KKBOX Hong Kong Music Awards, while also giving artists the opportunity to present their own hits and reinterpret familiar works with new arrangements, emotions and perspectives.

The opening section moved through three different musical textures, with Artist of the Year Keung To performing “What the Work Says,” Editor's Pick of the Year moon tang presenting “moon night concerto,” and New Artist of the Year Goodnight Lillie singing “I Gaze Back into Yesterday.”

One of the evening’s early highlights came from Golden Melody Award-winning singer Waa Wei and Breakthrough Artist of the Year Mayao Ma, who performed “It's nothing” together for the first time on stage. Goodnight Lillie later joined music ambassador Janice Vidal for a punk rock version of “Wounded,” adding sharper emotional tension to the song’s original sense of uncertainty in love.

Japanese singer-songwriter jo0ji, making his Hong Kong debut, followed with “Fukutsu ni Hana,” a song for which he wrote both music and lyrics, as well as “Yoake no Uta,” the ending theme of Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game. His appearance added another layer of cross-regional exchange to the evening’s lineup.

The show continued with a series of collaborative stages that crossed languages, genres and generations. Anson Lo and Feanna Wong performed ROSÉ’s “toxic till the end,” while moon tang and Feanna paired “Wah Fu One,” the theme song of the film Ciao UFO, with “take me home.” Taiwanese streaming favorite Hua Chen joined moon tang for “Red Bean” and “Compensate,” before performing “You Didn't Wait for Me to Go to San Francisco” with Edan Lui.

The atmosphere shifted when music ambassador Louis Cheung, who also served as host, took the stage with “David Harleyson,” showing a rougher and more playful side. Fellow ambassadors 24Herbs and Stephen Fung later raised the energy with “You Can’t Stop Me,” “Memorial Day” and “Hot in the 852,” turning the arena into a charged celebration of brotherhood and Hong Kong spirit.

The softer side of the evening arrived through Edan Lui and Stephy Tang’s duet “Closed-eye Peacock,” followed by a three-way performance with Jer Lau on “Monologue.” Their stage brought a more restrained elegance to the show, balancing the night’s earlier high-energy performances.

Taiwanese singer-songwriter Xiao Bing Chih then joined Keung To for a set of lyrical works including “Lonely Planet,” “Addiction” and Leslie Cheung’s “Chase,” offering a quieter and more sentimental moment for the audience. Andy Hui and Jer Lau also performed a medley that combined “Stellar Sensation” with “Stellar Moments of Humankind,” reflecting the changing faces of Hong Kong music across different eras.

Jer later reunited with fellow MIRROR member Anson Lo for “MY LIFE,” a performance that carried a message of persistence and passion. The night ended with Anson Lo, who closed the show with the first live performance of his new song “Helicopter,” bringing the 8th KKBOX Hong Kong Music Awards — Music Reborn to a vibrant finale.

Through familiar songs, fresh interpretations and unexpected pairings, this year’s KKBOX stage became more than a music awards event. It was a reminder that songs can return with new meaning, and that music continues to find new life whenever artists and audiences meet again.

marco.lam@singtaonewscorp.com
 

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓