The 65th GRAMMY Awards, recognized as the most outstanding achievement in the music industry of the United States, took place in Los Angeles on February 5, 2023. Taiwanese Designers Qing Yang Xiao and Chun-Tien Hsia won the award for Best Recording Package for their album Beginningless Beginning! This marks the second time that Taiwanese designers have won a GRAMMY. On behalf of President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President Lai Ching-te, Director General Amino C.Y. CHI of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles (TECO-LA) congratulated the winners.
This year marks the seventh GRAMMY nomination for Qing Yang Xiao, who holds the record for the most nominations for Best Recording Package. The album Beginningless Beginning is his first collaboration with his daughter Chun-Tien Hsia, and it features the natural sounds recorded at the Tamsui-Kavalan Trails, such as running water, singing birds and chirping insects. The album aims to showcase a unique combination of ancient songs, music instruments and trails in Taiwan. The cover design is inspired by the traditional art of Taiwan glove puppetry, where paper layers are used to create the appearance of an old bellows camera, which captures the ancient paths and music. Through the global GRAMMY Awards, the design team hopes to bring the richness of Taiwanese history, culture, and the historical trail used by ancestors to the attention of worldwide music artists.
According to Qing Yang Xiao, the album is particularly meaningful as he and his daughter were able to share this award together and it represents the passing down of heritage from one generation to the next.
Additionally, another Taiwanese album Telos created by visual artist WHOSMiNG (Ming Liu) and singer Fann was also nominated. Director General Amino C.Y. CHI stated that the GRAMMY Awards are regarded as the most significant awards in the music industry worldwide. After two consecutive years of Taiwanese designers winning the award for Best Recording Package, Taiwan’s soft power of design industry has won the most prestigious recognition. It is a great honor for the Taiwanese designers to bring this recognition back to Taiwan.