Jury Award (Golden Melody Awards)

The Jury Award (評審團獎) is a special, non-regular award presented at the Golden Melody Awards (GMA), Taiwan's equivalent to the Grammy Awards. It is given at the discretion of the judging panel each year, meaning it may or may not be awarded. Unlike other categories in the Golden Melody Awards, it doesn't have a fixed set of criteria or nominees derived from the initial submissions.

The Jury Award is typically given to recognize exceptional artistic merit, innovation, or significant contributions to the Mandarin, Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, or Indigenous music scenes of Taiwan that may not be adequately recognized by the standard genre-based categories. It often acknowledges albums, songs, or individual artists demonstrating unique creative vision, experimental approaches, or meaningful cultural impact. It is essentially a "wild card" award, allowing the jury to highlight a particular work or artist that stands out from the general pool of submissions.

The decision to grant the Jury Award, as well as the specific rationale behind it, rests entirely with the current year's judging panel. The award can be presented to artists across any genre or language represented within the Golden Melody Awards. Its purpose is to draw attention to noteworthy achievements and encourage diversity and innovation in the Taiwanese music industry. Because the Jury Award is not awarded every year, its presence carries significant weight and indicates a strong endorsement from the judges.