Rise Toward the Light, Sound Beyond Ordinary
Looking Back at the 9th KEPMA CUP 2026

KEPMA CUP 2026 / 01

Nearly Four Months: From Video Auditions to the Final Showdown

Entries for the 9th KEPMA CUP opened on July 1. By the audition deadline on August 20, musicians from across China and overseas had submitted video performances, taking their first steps toward the KEPMA CUP stage.

A dedicated overseas entry channel welcomed contestants from South Korea, Japan, Russia and other countries. In total, 105 musicians advanced to the semifinals: 53 in Fingerstyle and 52 in Vocal & Guitar, including 12 entrants from the overseas channel.

Semifinal judging took place from September 1 to October 15. Following the jury’s professional assessment, 15 contestants from each division earned a place in the finals. The lineup included winners of major competitions in China and abroad, including Japan’s FPD (Morris FingerPicking Day), raising anticipation for an exceptional final.

Original compositions accounted for 63.3% of the pieces in this year’s finals, rising to 93.3% in the Fingerstyle division—both records for the competition. As more musicians take the stage with their own work, KEPMA CUP is growing into a place where original music can be heard and shared, as well as a stage for competition.

KEPMA CUP 2026 / 02

Finals Day: A Meeting of Outstanding Musicians

On October 28, 29 finalists gathered at Shanghai’s Xingzai Cultural Center for the culmination of their competition journey.

Vocal & Guitar Finals

Fourteen contestants told their stories through guitar and voice. Some sang softly, weaving private feelings into their melodies; others performed with joyful freedom, bringing the stage to life with rhythm. Each carefully prepared piece was heard in full, and sincere musical expression was met with applause time and again.

Fingerstyle Finals

Fifteen contestants brought melody, harmony and rhythm together on a single guitar, taking the idea of a “one-person band” to remarkable heights. With several international competition winners sharing the stage, every movement of their fingers held the audience’s attention. Their skillful performances drew wave after wave of applause and amazement.

KEPMA CUP 2026 / 03

Award Winners of the 9th KEPMA CUP 2026

After a closely contested final and deliberation by the jury, the awards for the 9th KEPMA CUP 2026 were announced:

Vocal & Guitar · Top 3

01 · Champion

Shang Weihang (尚苇杭)

02 · Runner-up

Wang Bosi (王博思)

03 · Third place

Xu Anyan (许安言)

Vocal & Guitar · Merit Awards

• Liu Jia (刘佳)Fourth place · Vocal & Guitar
• Fu Zijun (付梓俊)Fifth place · Vocal & Guitar
• Chen Chen (陈尘)Sixth place · Vocal & Guitar
• He Junye (贺骏晔)Seventh place · Vocal & Guitar
• Zhang Boxuan (张博喧)Eighth place · Vocal & Guitar
• Liu Yu (刘禹)Ninth place · Vocal & Guitar
• Liao Yiyang (廖艺洋)Tenth place · Vocal & Guitar

Fingerstyle · Top 3

01 · Champion

Chun Sanghyeok

천상혁 · 千相赫

02 · Runner-up

Juheon Lee

이주헌 · 李主憲

03 · Third place

Shinyoung Lee

이신영 · 李晨瑛

Fingerstyle · Merit Awards

• Siwoo Lee (李时瑀)Fourth place · Fingerstyle
• 运泽金Fifth place · Fingerstyle
• Hyungjoo Lee (李亨柱)Sixth place · Fingerstyle
• Shi Jingxuan (石敬轩)Seventh place · Fingerstyle
• Liao Pengyu (廖鹏宇)Eighth place · Fingerstyle
• Liu Xiling (刘犀灵)Ninth place · Fingerstyle
• Guo Qilong (郭祺龙)Tenth place · Fingerstyle

Special Awards

• Chun Sanghyeok (천상혁)Best Original Composition · Fingerstyle
• Chen Qizheng (陈棨正)Best Arrangement · Vocal & Guitar
• Liu Jia (刘佳)Best Stage Performance · Vocal & Guitar
• Huang Yuanhao (黄源灏)Emerging Talent Award · Vocal & Guitar
• Liu Yiyang (刘易阳)Jury Special Award · Vocal & Guitar

Stars of the Light

• Xu Shumeng (徐舒萌)Stars of the Light · Vocal & Guitar
• Gao Yuwei (高雨薇)Stars of the Light · Vocal & Guitar
• Zhang Yihao (张一豪)Stars of the Light · Fingerstyle
• Lin Huaike (林怀科)Stars of the Light · Fingerstyle
• Yang Yichen (杨一辰)Stars of the Light · Fingerstyle
• Geunha Kim (金根厦)Stars of the Light · Fingerstyle

KEPMA CUP 2026 / 04

Masters Showcase: Champions, Masters and an Unexpected Duet

KEPMA brand ambassador Lan Haipeng, collaborating artist Wang Yemin and Dutch fingerstyle guitarist EDDIE took the stage in turn, each bringing a distinctive musical voice to the evening.

The newly crowned champions of both divisions also performed in the Masters Showcase. Moving from the competition to the concert stage was KEPMA CUP’s special gift to its champions.

One of the evening’s most unforgettable moments began with an invitation that was not on the programme.

During his performance, Wang Yemin spontaneously invited South Korean guitarist Chun Sanghyeok, this year’s Fingerstyle champion and Best Original Composition award winner, to join him for a duet. One was the 2023 FPD champion, the other the 2024 FPD champion. Meeting on the KEPMA CUP stage without a planned collaboration, the two champions played together spontaneously, creating a unique musical exchange.

As their strings answered one another, winning and losing fell away, leaving only the music. It became one of the defining memories of the 9th KEPMA CUP.

KEPMA CUP 2026 / 05

With Thanks: Every Expression of Passion Deserves to Be Remembered

Thank you to every contestant. From the first submissions in July to the final stage in October, your journeys across great distances and your daily practice brought “Rise Toward the Light, Sound Beyond Ordinary” to life. Whether or not you received an award, everyone who stepped onto that stage was at the heart of this event.

Thank you to every judge, from the auditions to the finals. Your expertise and care upheld the fairness of the competition, while your generosity and willingness to share gave something back to everyone who loves the guitar.

Casper Esmann · Eddie van der Meer · Lan Haipeng · Eunho Yoo · Ivy Lyu · Yang Jiasheng · Wang Yemin · Sai Ping · Guo Wei · Chen Liang · Cong Zheng

Thank you to our partners and sponsors: co-organizer DOUBLE pickups; special sponsor REBOUND strings; supporting partners Shubb capos, PLEK, Graph Tech and Elixir; media partners Jitashe’s official website and Fingerstyle China; and technical support provider Rusi Acoustic. Your support gave this shared passion a stronger foundation.

Finally, thank you to every guitar enthusiast and audience member who followed KEPMA CUP. Every view and every round of applause gives us a reason to keep moving forward.