SINGAPORE – Three times lucky? Three’s the charm? So it appeared at the Singapore Hit Awards (SHA) 2013. Especially for Mandopop stars Karen Mok, Wilber Pan and Alien Huang.

Mok, 43, emerged a big winner of the star-studded event, which was held on Friday (Nov 22) night at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Hong Kong superstar walked home with three of the night’s most significant accolades, including awards for Best Female Vocalist, Charismatic Female Performer and Asia Influential Artiste. Mok also sang and played the guzheng during the show, and gamely went up on stage with Alien Huang for an impromptu dance routine during Taiwanese band Magic Power’s performance.

”I’m thrilled and happy to be here,” said a cheery Mok to reporters backstage. “I have never been to the Singapore Hit Awards but it’s been really good fun, and I will come back any time.”

Pan, who performed the opening act, also won three awards - for Versatile Male Artiste, Charismatic Male Performer and Atorrege AD+ Favourite Music Video.

“I’m very happy (to win the Versatile Male Artiste award), because this means my efforts in each area have been recognised. I started out as a host, and then acted in idol dramas before I began singing full-time. But I’m still really happy my efforts in other areas have been recognised.”

Meanwhile, Huang beat favourites like Eason Chan, Jay Chou and JJ Lin for the coveted Most Popular Male Artiste Award, was one of the biggest surprises at this year’s Singapore Hit Awards.

“I’m really satisfied (with my awards), because I didn’t tell my company what I was nominated for. So I was really surprised when I got the award,” said Huang, who also bagged the MeRadio Top Downloaded Hit Award (Male Artiste), as well as the F&N Fruit Tree Stylish Artiste Award. “The awards I received today were the ones I really wanted, especially the Most Popular Male Artiste Award. People know me for my work as a host, but audiences in Singapore have also noticed my music.”

The Most Popular Female Artiste Award went to Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai, who was not present to collect her prize. Other big winners included Mayday for Most Popular Band/Group; Jay Chou, who picked up the Best Male Vocalist award for his work on Opus 12; Penny Tai, who won the Best Album award; Taiwanese trio S.H.E, who took home the Best Group gong, and Bai An, who walked away with the award for Best New Artiste.

Singapore’s music talent also acquitted themselves well, with JJ Lin, Olivia Ong, Derrick Hoh, Serene Koong and vocal group MICappella all walking away with one gong each. Songwriters Tanya Chua and Xiaohan both won the songwriting awards (lyrics and music composition) for their work on Chua’s A Hundred Thousand Litres Of Tears, while Lin also was selected twice in the Y.E.S. 93.3FM Pick Of The Pops Top Ten Most Popular Hits category for the tracks, The Dark Knight and Practise Love.

Other highlights of the night include a rousing closing dance medley by Cantopop trio Grasshopper, who was awarded the SHA’s most prestigious accolade, The Honorary Award, as well as an appearance by “Captain Cool” Julian Cheung, who went home with the Global Eminence and Channel U Popularity Awards. The Hong Kong singer-actor, whose appearance attracted loud screams from an excited audience, also sang a Cantonese song.

Visit Poparazzi (http://tdy.sg/poparazziblog) for more photos and the full list of winners at SHA 2013.