Chapter 259: Winning the Award and Preparing for the Tour
The Apollo Global Music Awards was founded in 1985 and was jointly initiated by the International Music Producers Union (IMPU) and the World Music Culture Protection Association under UNESCO.
This international music event aims to recognize artists and groups around the world who have made outstanding contributions to music creation, performance, technological innovation and cultural heritage.
Its jury is composed of musicologists, artists and industry leaders from 100 different countries. It adopts the dual mechanism of "anonymous voting + cultural balance" to ensure the fairness of the selection. It is hailed as the "Nobel Prize in Music" by authoritative media.
At this moment, Xie Qingyu and his team members were on a flight to England.
A sea of clouds was rolling outside the window, but an unreal trance filled the cabin.
To be honest, neither the platform, the various agencies, nor Xie Qingyu himself had ever expected that their fourth album would receive such an honor.
It’s not that we lack confidence in the works, but that award selection is inherently subjective. In addition, there is a natural gap between Eastern and Western musical aesthetics. It is not easy to arouse emotional resonance in different cultural backgrounds, let alone cross the language barrier.
Xie Qingyu looked at his reflection in the porthole, his thoughts racing.
He knew clearly that the reason why the album "Tracing the Light Sign" was able to break through the siege was to some extent due to the adjustment of language strategy.
Compared with his previous three albums, this time he boldly adopted English narrative logic, which significantly lowered the appreciation threshold for overseas listeners while maintaining the original artistic level.
This creative breakthrough ultimately won them this unexpected yet reasonable opportunity to be shortlisted.
When the plane landed at Heathrow Airport, the whole team was slightly startled by what they saw.
The arrival hall was crowded with people. In addition to the expected foreign students, there were also many local faces holding cheering signs.
The cheers of fans echoed in the terminal. The overseas promotion strategy that the platform has carefully planned in the past two years is now showing its effectiveness in the most intuitive way.
"Emma, I'm suddenly a little nervous!"
Wei Liangchen dragged the suitcase and pressed his chest unconsciously.
The solemn attitude of the surrounding staff and the serious expressions of the teammates all silently emphasized the importance of this award.
Even though he has always been heartless, he could truly feel the heavy expectation at this moment.
Xie Qingyu smiled and patted Wei Liangchen on the shoulder: "Relax, just think of it as a trip at public expense."
It would be too much to expect to win the grand prize the first time you are nominated.
The ownership of the award is not subject to personal will. Instead of worrying about gains and losses, it is better to treat it with a normal attitude.
You will get the honor you deserve, and even if you don’t win the award in the end, this journey will not be in vain.
Being able to experience the atmosphere of exotic music firsthand is a rare nourishment for creation.
There is no need to deliberately cater to the overseas market, but at least we can avoid working in isolation. The details that we have personally experienced will eventually become an irreplaceable source of inspiration in our creations.
The convoy slowly drove towards the hotel arranged by the organizer.
Due to the tight schedule of tour preparations, they could only rush over on the day of the awards ceremony.
Regardless of the outcome, they had to fly back to China overnight after the ceremony to continue with the intensive preparations.
——
In the hotel suite, the members were busy with the final styling preparations.
The well-tailored suits outline their tall figures, and the makeup artists use brushes to carefully paint on their faces.
While everyone was working together to put on makeup, they also hastily dealt with the meals provided by the hotel.
"Fortunately, I don't have to stay here for long. This meal, ah..."
Ding Zai's fork was hanging in the air, but he finally put it down with boredom. He really couldn't muster up the appetite to take a second bite.
“I think it’s delicious!”
Wei Liangchen proudly scooped up a large spoonful of mashed potatoes and swallowed it without chewing at all, his face full of satisfaction. "How convenient! I don't even have to chew it."
You Jinzhao closed her eyes and let the makeup artist apply eyeshadow. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but complain, "Fatty Wei, what do you think is not delicious?"
As a childhood friend, he knew very well that this guy was a foodie.
If it weren't for the rapid growth during puberty, this guy would probably be very fat now.
"Stop slandering me! Didn't the puppy enjoy his meal, too?"
Wei Liangchen pointed unconvincedly at Leo, who was feasting in the corner, and then unsatisfiedly tried to rally his other teammates to his side, "Boss Jian and Xiaohua think it's good too! My benefactor will definitely join me in this fight!"
The three people who were suddenly named reacted differently.
Bai Lang: “…”
Gu Yan maintained a decent smile: "Not bad."
Even in a private space without cameras, or when he is surrounded by his own people, he still habitually reserves his words, his true thoughts always hidden beneath a watertight appearance.
As the last one to be called out, Xie Qingyu was naturally the one who was online again with the team's Master of Smoothness.
"British cooking emphasizes 'returning to basics,' rarely using complex spices, but rather prioritizing the natural flavors of ingredients. As for taste, it's a matter of taste..."
He was about to nod in admiration for his high emotional intelligence speech, but the makeup artist held his restless little head still.
"Teacher Xie, don't move. Your eyeliner will get crooked."
——
Like other top international music festivals, the Apollo Awards red carpet is also a star-studded highlight.
As this year's nominees, despite being the "new faces of the East" making their debut, Xie Qingyu and his team still received the privilege of appearing in the middle and later stages - this is a special courtesy given by the organizers to the nominees.
"Coming towards us now is a super popular group from the Flower Country!"
The host's clear RP accent echoed over the red carpet, and the ups and downs of his tone seemed like a wonderful talk show.
"Their latest album, 'Signature of Light,' has not only received widespread recognition worldwide, but has also been nominated for two prestigious awards at this year's Apollo Global Music Awards: 'Album of the Year' and 'Breakthrough Act of the New Generation'! Let us give them a warm welcome!"
The moment the door of the extended limousine opened, Xie Qingyu and his team members discovered that many media reporters at the scene had recognized them and were shouting at them to look at the cameras in different directions.
When the seven people stood in unison in the middle of the red carpet and saluted the media area in their neatly dressed suits, the spotlights suddenly poured down like a rainstorm.
In fact, these media outlets that enthusiastically filmed the event may not all be familiar with this group from the East.
But seeing their colleagues so enthusiastic, and seeing the superstar aura exuded by Xie Qingyu and his group in their every move, they also pressed the shutter button.
After all, the names on the shortlist are always news materials worth recording.
The aesthetic differences between the East and the West are particularly interesting at this moment.
Just as Asians often have difficulty distinguishing Western faces, these foreign journalists may not be able to fully appreciate the charm of Xie Qingyu and others' appearance.
Leo is slightly better, as his facial features are more Westernized.
But some things transcend cultural boundaries: slender body proportions, upright suit silhouettes, and that unique ancient charm peculiar to Orientals.
Seven long-legged handsome guys standing in a row in an orderly manner is a pleasing sight in itself.
The reporters who originally planned to take a few photos unknowingly captured the moment when they were about to enter the inner field. They even began to imitate strange accents and shouted the members' names in broken Chinese, trying to retain this rare oriental beauty.
Soon after entering the inner venue, the opening performance kicked off. Different from the style of domestic ceremonies, the stage presentation here is more like an immersive music party.
The performers moved freely between the round tables and interacted closely with the guests. The entire venue was filled with a cheerful and free atmosphere.
It didn’t feel like attending a serious international music festival, but rather like being at an impromptu gathering of world-class musicians, with everyone immersed in pure joy.
Xie Qingyu unconsciously clapped his hands along with the rhythm. At that moment, a black band was performing classic Dixieland jazz on the stage.
As one of the oldest jazz genres, its signature collective improvisation bursts with exhilarating energy, while the bright and cheerful tones of brass instruments dominate the entire space.
The musicians, holding trombones and cornets, moved freely in the venue, and sometimes approached a table of audience members to give an impromptu solo, which triggered bursts of good-natured laughter and cheers.
This light-hearted and cheerful minor melody, combined with the lively interaction on the scene, made everyone's mouth curl up unconsciously.
Xie Qingyu turned to look at his teammates, only to see that everyone had relaxed brows and was swaying gently to the cheerful rhythm.
It is a rare moment to purely enjoy the music. Even though the previous performance lasted for quite a long time, it did not feel long or boring at all.
When the award ceremony officially began, everyone, including Xie Qingyu, had an expression of wanting more.
On this night, music is no longer a bargaining chip in the competition, but a wonderful bond that connects everyone.
The first honor presented at the ceremony was the Music Technology Innovation Award.
This highly professional award aims to recognize individuals or teams that have promoted the development of the industry in technical fields such as recording and mixing.
As clips of the finalists' works played on the big screen, Xie Qingyu couldn't help but be attracted by the unique sound processing techniques of one of the female creators.
Those delicate tonal layers seem to be able to touch the texture of the sound.
It's a pity that the award went to someone else in the end, but the innovative achievements of the other winners are equally admirable. It can only be said that in the world of art, talent and opportunity are always subtly intertwined.
Soon, the ceremony progressed to the moment of announcing the first award that MYST7 was nominated for - the "New Generation Breakthrough Performance Award".
The award presenter opened the envelope neatly. When Xie Qingyu and the members heard the word "team", they knew that they were the only group among the five candidates shortlisted for the award.
"The winner is MYST7!" The guest's loud voice echoed in the venue.
The seven teenagers hugged each other excitedly.
Although colleagues from the European and American music circles were not familiar with this oriental group, they still responded with sincere applause and cheers.
As the climax chorus of "Nimbus Sign", the title song of the album "Tracing Light Sign" sounded, seven people lined up and walked towards the stage.
As the team leader, Gu Qiong solemnly accepted the crystal clear trophy. The award presenter warmly hugged each member before leisurely leaving the scene.
When it came time to give the acceptance speech, everyone's eyes naturally turned to Gu Qiong.
On this international stage, concise and powerful speeches are the best choice.
Xie Qingyu stood under the spotlight, looking at the world-renowned musicians in the audience, his mind particularly clear.
The moment he won the New Artist Award, he knew that they would most likely miss out on the "Album of the Year" award.
This is not the so-called "pork-dividing" rule, but the selection criteria of the two awards are inherently different.
The Newcomer Award focuses on the vigor and possibilities of newcomers, and values the impact brought by fresh blood.
The best album is a rigorous test of the all-round strength of mature musicians, requiring artistic depth and industry influence that can stand the test of time.
The judges classified them as the former, which was both an affirmation of the breakthrough of "Tracing the Light Sign" and a subtle pointing out the areas in which they still need to accumulate.
But as the old saying goes, being shortlisted is a recognition!
Isn’t the trophy you hold in your hands at this moment the best starting point to move towards higher goals?
In this ever-changing music world, who can say that this group of young people will not have a more dazzling future?
Everything happened just as Xie Qingyu expected, and in the end, they missed the opportunity to win the "Best Album of the Year" award.
But this trip to England was still very fruitful. Not only did I experience the atmosphere of the top music festival firsthand, but I also won a very prestigious award in my first nomination.
The most precious things are the international music connections built up during the drinking and socializing. These intangible treasures are hard to come by.
As soon as the dinner ended, Xie Qingyu and the members hurriedly boarded the return flight.
While fans were still celebrating their win on social media, the seven had already soared into the night sky of England.
Outside the porthole, the lights of thousands of homes are like scattered stars, shining brightly in the night.
Xie Qingyu looked at the city that never sleeps silently, with a determined smile on his face - they will be back soon.
Because MYST7’s world tour is coming!
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