The Alliance for Women in Media (AWM) held the 49th annual Gracies Awards luncheon on June 18th, Eastern Time. Taipei Broadcasting Station’s program “Taipei Good National Music” stood out among global competitors and won the award for “Regional Radio – Non-English Category.” Hosted by Mary Liu and Deputy Station Manager Pei-Wei Li, they represented the station and showcased the relentless efforts and breakthroughs of women in various fields.
The Gracies Awards, established by the Alliance for Women in Media in 1975, is named after actress and broadcaster Gracie Allen. The award aims to recognize women’s creative and outstanding achievements in media and entertainment, promoting diversity and strengthening women’s influence in the media industry. This year’s winners include former First Lady Michelle Obama, actress Nicole Kidman, and others.
Taipei Broadcasting Station competed for the first time in the Gracies Awards this year with the program “Taipei Good National Music” hosted by Mary Liu in the “Regional Radio – Non-English Program” category. The submitted segment themed “We Can Do It” was specially produced to coincide with “National Women Support Women Day,” inviting 11 well-known female composers from Taiwan and internationally to share how they overcame obstacles, found their own composing styles, and encouraged women to pursue vibrant lives.
After the luncheon on Tuesday, Deputy Station Manager Pei-Wei Li and host Mary Liu were interviewed by the media at the New York Center. Li pointed out that Taiwan inherits the essence of traditional Chinese music, hence amidst the prevalence of Western music, Taipei Broadcasting Station collaborates with the Taipei Chinese Orchestra to produce “Taipei Good National Music,” the only professional program deeply introducing Chinese music. They invite various specialists and renowned musicians to showcase the uniqueness of Chinese music and perform live on the program, aiming to promote Chinese music in Taiwan. The award-winning program was specially crafted to use music to draw attention to gender issues, showcasing Taipei Radio’s social concern.
Mary Liu, who has won three Golden Bell Awards, holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from National Normal University and has been dedicated to using music to lead Taiwan into the international arena. She shared that broadcasting and music have been her path to art, and doing more for female composers has always been her aspiration. Through “Taipei Good National Music,” Mary introduces outstanding female music creators, hoping to let more listeners appreciate the efforts and achievements of women in music composition.
The program “Taipei Good National Music” was renamed “String and Bamboo Serenade” this year and airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. The program is designed for all age groups and various ethnicities, featuring lifestyle information and popular music. It also reports important news in Taipei daily and has launched the “Listen to Taipei” online radio (tradio.gov.taipei) this year, where listeners can listen to various programs broadcast by Taipei Radio over the past year, including the award-winning “Taipei Good National Music,” making it convenient for overseas listeners to tune in online. For the latest program information, visit the “Taipei Broadcasting Station” Facebook fan page at: https://www.facebook.com/FM93.1AM1134/
The 11 female composers featured in the program are, in order of appearance: Li Hui (Taiwan), Wang Ming (Taiwan), Lu Yan (Taiwan), Lin Hsin-Ping (Taiwan), Jiang Ying (China), Yoo Hyo-won (South Korea), Maria Christine Muyco (Philippines), Dobrinka Tabakova (Bulgaria-UK), Joan Tower (USA), Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (USA), Jennifer Higdon (USA).