Tibetan Music Awards 2005 22 October 2005, TIPA, Mcleod Ganj, India
The event
Mcleod Ganj, India, October 2005
Lifetime Achievement Award to Ama Dachung, Best Composition to Tsering Lodoe and Best Male and Female Singers, for Tsering Gyurmey and Chokey, respectively, was how the Tibetan Music Awards 2005 concluded in Mcleod Ganj on 22 October 2005.
Phurbu T. Namgyal bagged the Best Album category and Penpa Tsering (Pemsi's) Rewa received the Best Debut Album award. The Best Traditional Artiste went to Nyima and Dawa, a couple living in Australia, for their album - Garlu.
Eighty-one-year-old Ama Dachung travelled all the way from Bylakuppe, South India, to attend the ceremony, while Dharma Bums, who received the Special Award for their contribution for the Tibetan cause through their music, came all the way from Woodstock, New York.
Other artistes who travelled to Mcleod Ganj were, Chokey and Tenzin Dhondup, both from Nepal. Chokey stunned the audience with her outstanding performance while Tenzin Dhondup delighted the audience with his electronic Tibetan lute.
All the artistes living in Dharamshala — Chondhen, Kharag Penpa, Lhamo Dolma, Pemsi, Dokpo Sum, R 59 Band and JJI Exile Brothers — joined and performed in their own unique way in the ceremony.
The stage was decorated with a life size image of the trophy with clothes in five Lungta colours stretching out.
Awards in 17 categories were presented. The winners received a citation and a brass cast trophy symbolising Lhamo Yangchen ma (Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, art and music). However, The winners of the most of the awards had not attended the ceremony and their awards were received by the team members of the Lobsang Wangyal Productions. The show also received a low audience turn out.
The nominees were voted through publications and online voting in June 2005. A grand jury composed of Lobsang Tsultrim Jeshong (an audiovisual media expert and currently the additional secretary of Department of Information and International relations of the Tibetan government-in-exile), Ugen Choedon (dance and music teacher of Tibetan Children's Village school) and Tsering Topgyal (dance and music teacher lower TCV school) adjudged the winners.
The next Tibetan Music Awards will be held in 2007.