The Singapore Hit Awards (SHA), which honours the greatest talents in Mandopop, is back.

Veteran singers like Jay Chou, JJ Lin as well as Penny Tai, lead this year’s SHA nominees list with a cool six nominations each.

Taiwan singer Jolin Tsai and pop trio S.H.E. trail close behind with four nominations each.

But it seems relative newcomers are getting their shot as well.

Singapore’s Serene Koong and vocal group MICapella both managed to snag two nominations.

Other notable nominees at this year’s SHA include Power Station, Super Junior M, and Tanya Chua.

Music professionals and media veterans will decide who wins the ten professional awards such as Album of the Year and Best Male Vocalist.

However, it’s the fans who will choose who wins the popularity awards like Most Popular Band/Group and Most Popular Female Artiste, by voting via SMS from Monday.

This year’s SHA will be held at the newly-renovated Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, at 7.30pm on November 22.

SHA steps out

The SHA will be made available to audiences in over twenty cities in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Holland, United States of America and Canada, for the first time this year.

Representatives from the media in these countries will get to pick the recipient of the new Global Eminence Award.

Mandopop fans around the world will also be able to watch the SHA through MediaCorp’s xinmsn and Toggle online platforms.

Why go global?

“Mandarin artistes and songwriters have held their own against the unrelenting Korean pop wave and emerged better and stronger with albums that appeal to a worldwide audience,” explained Y.E.S. 93.3FM Assistant Programme Director Cruz Teng, who heads the team organising this year’s SHA.

“With the Chinese population growing in major cities around the world, it is only apt that we join hands to celebrate Chinese music, wherever we may be.”