TVB to edit top singers out of awards shows as row with major labels takes centre stage

TVB's annual music awards will be held this month without some of the region's best known singers for the first time in more than 20 years, as a dispute over copyright fees between the terrestrial broadcaster and four major international labels drags on.

Music fans will also miss out on performances by the singers at awards events held by local radio stations because TVB will edit out the clips when it airs the shows.

TVB confirmed yesterday that some 40 singers from Universal, Sony, Warner and EMI would not attend the Jade Solid Gold Best 10 Awards presentation - first held in 1983 - on January 16. They include big names such as Universal's Eason Chan Yik-shun, Hacken Lee and Kay Tse On-kei, and Warner's Khalil Fong and Fiona Sit Hoi-kei.

Fans will still be able to see performances by singers from around 70 labels like EEG, East Asia and Gold Typhoon that belong to industry association IFPI Hong Kong, which represents more than 90 per cent of local record companies.

A TVB spokesman said it had initially planed to broadcast interviews and awards acceptance speeches by singers from the four major labels. However, they had decided not to let their singers appear on TVB.

He said part of the votes came from TVB producers, and it was not likely they would vote for singers from the four labels.