Music Sammi Cheng entered the entertainment industry at the age of 16 through the
New Talent Singing Awards in 1988. Although she came in third in the competition, the sponsoring record company
Capital Artists saw her potential and offered her a recording contract. Cheng at the time was still in school, and had to balance her studies with her rising singing career. In December 1988, Sammi Cheng and David Lui recorded two songs—"Cherish This Moment" (珍惜這一刻) and "Chrysanthemum Tears" (菊花淚)—for the television drama series
Deadly Secret.Sammi released 3 full-length studio albums prior to leaving school: "
Sammi", "
Holiday" and "
Never Too Late". One of her first major awards was the
1990 RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards, where she was recognized as a best new prospect.
1990–1992: Eponymous debut album, Holiday and Never Too Late In September 1990, Sammi Cheng released her debut album,
Sammi, which sold 30,000 copies in Hong Kong —a respectable achievement for a newcomer. The lead single was "Longing" (思念), followed by "Loving You Still" (仍是你) as the second single. The third single was "Fascination" (迷情). The fourth single, "Disillusion" (幻滅)—a cover of the English song "
A Long and Lasting Love"—and The final single was "Parting" (離別). As a newcomer under Capital Artists, Cheng did not receive a budget from the label to produce music videos, so the music videos for the first three singles were produced by a television station instead.In addition, this album earned Cheng the "Outstanding Newcomer" award at the
1990 RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards. On 18 June 1991, Sammi Cheng released her second studio album,
Holiday. By this time, Cheng's vocal abilities had improved significantly, allowing her to handle several technically challenging songs with ease. The album was noted for its consistent style and distinctive image, which helped her gain moderate popularity for a period. The lead single, "The Season That Never Came " (不來的季節), topped two major music charts in Hong Kong. The second single, "Valentino," was featured as a recommended song on the TV program "Jade Solid Gold." The third and fourth singles were "Friends" and "Love Lost in Vienna " (情斷維也納), respectively. Her appearance in the television drama "A Life of His Own" (浪族闊少爺) boosted album sales, earning the album platinum certification with total sales reaching 70,000 copies in
Hong Kong. Cheng's rising popularity in Hong Kong also brought her to the attention of Taiwanese audiences, with journalist Mai Ruoyu from
Min Sheng Daily News praising her outstanding performance and noting that her new album reached number one on the charts. Cheng was described as a promising new star among leading female artists. The Cantonese album was also released in
Taiwan, giving local fans an introduction to her music. Additionally, the album received positive reviews from Singaporean media, who commended her vocal quality, emotional delivery, and versatility, highlighting her ability to stand out among young newcomers. In July 1992, Sammi Cheng released her third studio album,
Never Too Late. For this album, Cheng departed from her previous youthful image by adopting a short hairstyle and more mature fashion, fully showcasing the charm of a sophisticated young woman. Due to its more sophisticated style, the singles from the album did not achieve the same chart success as those from her previous release, but the album still surpassed 60,000 copies and achieved platinum certification in Hong Kong. In addition, Cheng emerged as the most promising young female singer of her generation, widely regarded as a top contender to become the next diva of the Hong Kong music industry, and received the "Best Youthful Female Artist" award at
Metro Radio's "Beauty Awards" for this album, The lead single was "Say U'll Be Mine." The second single was "Doll's View of the World" (娃娃看天下), followed by the third single, "I Don't Want to Leave Tonight" (這夜我不願離開). The fourth single was "2gether," the theme song for the TVB Japanese drama adaptation "Rookie Cops" (新紮俏警花), and the fifth single was "If You Love Me" (如愛我), an insert song for the drama
File of Justice (壹號皇庭).
1993–1994: ''Sammi Cheng's Happy Maze, Big Revenge , Ten Commandments, Time, Place, Person and Sammi'' Sammi Cheng capitalized on the attention received from her duet with artist
Andy Hui, "Do you really have me in your heart?" (其實你心裡有沒有我), winning the
1993 Jade Solid Gold Top 10 Awards with that song. Cheng then went through a transformation, dying her hair orange, changing her style. her final album under Capital Artists. To promote the album, the label organized a public autograph session and placed promotional advertisements in Apple Daily. However, due to Cheng's swift transition to Warner Music shortly after the album's release, the promotional period was notably brief. The album's experimental nature and less commercial sound also contributed to its modest initial sales performance. Nevertheless, following her signing with Warner Music and subsequent resurgence in popularity, the album later attracted renewed commercial interest. In September 1995, Cheng officially signed with
Warner Music Group. One month after Cheng's departure from Capital Artists,Capital Artists' general manager Ng Yu , noting her renewed surge in popularity, released a compilation album titled ''
It's time:18 Songs, Old and New'' (是時候新舊對照18首) on 26 October 1995. Initially priced at HK$88, the album contained two previously unreleased tracks. The release was met with strong response, debuting at number one on the IFPI Top 10 Albums Sales Chart and ultimately accumulating sales surpassing double platinum. In November 1996, Capital Artists' general manager Ng Yu acknowledged that although Cheng had already left Capital Artists,her compilations had generated substantial revenue. On 18 November of the same year, she released her first Cantonese-language studio album under Warner Music Group, "Can't Let You Go" (捨不得你). The album was widely regarded by media and industry observers as marking Cheng's rise to diva status in the Hong Kong music scene. It topped the IFPI (Hong Kong Group) Top 10 Album Sales Chart and was officially certified triple platinum by IFPI (Hong Kong Group) and the Hong Kong Record Merchants Association on 22 November 1996, with total sales reaching 175,000 copies. It became one of the best-selling albums in the
Hong Kong market that year. "Hey! Man!" (男仕今天你很好) was chosen as the album's lead single, topping four major charts.The second single, "Can't Let You Go" (捨不得你) was featured in a Panasonic portable CD player television commercial, in which Cheng also starred. It likewise reached No. 1 across four major broadcast charts and topped the karaoke chart in Hong Kong for 16 consecutive weeks, leading to her being dubbed the Karaoke Queen by fans and media. The third single was "I Love You Fall Ever" (秋冬愛的故事), followed by the fourth single, "The Elegy of Love" (愛的輓歌), which served as a theme song for the television drama Detective Investigation Files II. The fifth single was "A Glass of Tequila" (Tequila一杯). On 19 December of the same year, Warner Music released Cheng's first Remix EP, ''Can't Let You Go (Remix)'' (捨不得你 Remix), to celebrate the album's commercial success. It featured newly recorded remix versions as well as her first Mandarin-language song, Can't Let You Go (Mandarin Version) (捨不得你(國語版)). It had already been included in the Southeast Asia edition of Can't Let You Go (捨不得你), released in November, and received a strong market response, quickly becoming a popular song at karaoke bars in
Singapore,
Malaysia, and
Taiwan. This significantly boosted Cheng's recognition in those countries, paving the way for her expansion into the Mandarin pop market the following year. On 29 May 1996, Sammi Cheng released her second Cantonese-language studio album under
Warner Music Group,"
Never Want to Give You Up"(放不低）. It debuted at number one on IFPI (Hong Kong Group) Top 10 Album Sales Chart , maintained that position for one week and was officially certified triple platinum by IFPI (Hong Kong Group) and the Hong Kong Record Merchants Association on 22 November 1996, with total sales reaching 175,000 copies. making it the best-selling Cantonese album by a female artist that year.The album was also twice shortlisted for Taiwan's Golden Melody Dragon Tiger Chart, appearing in the fourth and fifth weeks of the autumn season, with sales in
Taiwan reaching 30,000 copies."Beware of Woman" (小心女人) was chosen as the album's lead single, topping four major charts.it immediately became a major hit in
Hong Kong, with Cheng's trendy styling for the song sparking widespread discussion and later inspiring similar looks among other artists. The second single, "Never Want to Give You Up" (放不低）, peaking at number one on three major charts. it was used as the theme song for the TV drama "When a Woman Loves a Man" and was also featured in a commercial for
Panasonic Discman, which helped it reach a wider audience. Around the same time, Cheng starred in the film Feel 100% (百分百感覺), for which she performed the theme songs "Owe You Nothing" (不拖不欠) and "Asking Me" (問我). Both tracks became popular hits, with "Owe You Nothing" also released as the album's third single, reaching number one on one major chart, topping karaoke chart for eight consecutive weeks. On 24 June 1996, to celebrate the album's rapid achievement of double platinum certification within one weeks, Cheng released her second Remix EP, Beware of Woman Kara EP Remix (小心女人卡拉EP Remix). In 1996, the company decided it was time for Sammi to expand her market and fan base beyond
Hong Kong. In August 1996, Sammi Cheng, with auburn-colored hair, entered the Taiwanese market under the titles of "Hong Kong's new diva" and "successor to the diva throne." On 2 September 1996, she released her first
Mandarin-language studio album,"
Worth It" (值得). The album immediately reached number one on the Taiwan IFPI sales chart, where it remained for six consecutive weeks. making Cheng the first artist to receive a chart-topping certificate since the organization's establishment. By early December, sales had reached 500,000 copies, ranking fourth among Taiwan's ten best-selling albums of 1996. By early 1997, cumulative sales had risen to 600,000, later surpassing 700,000 across Taiwan. By early 1997, Worth It had sold one million copies across Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and North America (excluding Hong Kong and mainland China). In North America's Chinese communities alone, sales exceeded 200,000 copies, with the album repeatedly appearing on Virgin Megastore's top ten sales chart. According to Warner Music Asia's president in 1999, Worth It had sold 2.2 million copies across Asia (excluding North America and mainland China), making it Cheng's best-selling album of all time. The album's lead single, "Worth It" (值得), topped multiple music charts and Karaoke charts across Mandarin-speaking regions. The second single, "Betray" (背叛), received stronger response in Hong Kong, earned the "Favorite Mandarin Song (至尊最愛國語歌)" award while the third single, "Depend On" (依靠), was also promoted. In addition, "Beware Of Woman (Mandarin version)" (小心女人) and "Fragile" (脆弱) were released as promotional singles, primarily promoted through karaoke bars in Taiwan. In October 1996, Sammi Cheng announced her first solo concert, TCBY Sammi X Live 96 (TCBY鄭秀文X空間演唱會), to be held at the Hong Kong Coliseum. The concert ran for eight consecutive shows, with tickets selling out one month before the opening, setting a record for female singers at the Coliseum in 1996. Promoter Cheung Yiu-wing revealed that 90 percent of tickets were sold within three days, noting the strong response. Due to scheduling constraints, no additional shows could be added, but sixteen concerts were planned for 1997. The eight concerts began on 10 November 1996, staged in a three-sided configuration at the newly renovated venue, accommodating more than 7,000 spectators each night. All eight shows were sold out, with three extra rows of seating added per performance, drawing a total audience of around 60,000. A live album was subsequently released, with the LD edition selling 50,000 copies and the CD edition receiving platinum certification from the IFPI (Hong Kong Group) for two consecutive years, reaching cumulative sales of 100,000 copies—the Best-selling live album by a female singer in Hong Kong during the 1990s. Cheng also received the "My Favorite Concert (我最喜愛的演唱會)" award, voted by more than 30,000 attendees. Following the commercial success of her previous three albums, Cheng released
Passion on 22 November 1996, shortly after her concert series, adopting a metropolitan and mature female image."X Party" (X派對) was chosen as the album's lead single, topping three major charts. "Tacit Moment" (From "Feel 100% 2") (默契) was released as the second single, peaking at number one on three major charts. "Sister Theresa"(加爾各答的天使－德蘭修女) was released as the third single, "Talk About Love" (談情說愛) was released as the fourth and final commercial single, reaching number one on Two major charts.On the day of the album's release, Warner Music held a press conference titled "1,000,000 Passion" to promote the record and highlight Cheng's cumulative sales achievements under the label. Her albums had collectively sold over one million copies in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Among them, Can't Let You Go (捨不得你） and
Never Want to Give You Up (放不低） had sold a combined total of 350,000 copies in
Hong Kong and 50,000 copies in Taiwan; as of November 1996, Worth It (值得) had sold more than 450,000 copies in Taiwan and over 30,000 copies in Hong Kong. In addition, advance orders for Passion exceeded 100,000 copies prior to its release. Ultimately, the album achieved renewed commercial success in Hong Kong, receiving double platinum certification from the IFPI (Hong Kong Group) for two consecutive years, amounting to a total of Quadruple platinum, with cumulative sales exceeding 200,000 copies She won a number of awards, most notably she was
voted back-to-back as the most popular female artist by
TVB from 1996 to 1997. She went on to win the top female award again in 2001. She would finish that year with her first concert titled "Sammi's X-Dimension Concert" (鄭秀文X空間演唱會). In 1998 she was also a featured star in a
Heineken sponsored Music Horizons concert along with international singers such as
Boyz II Men and
Julian Lennon. By the time Cheng was 24 years old, she had already released four greatest hits albums.
2003: Completely Yours... Sammi and Beautiful Misunderstanding In 2003, Cheng shifted her focus primarily to film, which led to a temporary decline in her music activities. On June 26, she released the greatest hits Album "Completely Yours... Sammi", featuring three new tracks: "Getting off Wrongly (落錯車)", "In Love with Your Bed (戀上你的床)", and "Big Runaway (大暴走)". Subsequently, to celebrate sales of the first edition exceeding 120,000 copies, a special edition was released on 28 August, featuring an additional track, "Xanadu (仙樂都)".The album topped the HMV Asia sales chart for two consecutive weeks， and achieved quadruple platinum status. It was initially expected to win the IFPI Hong Kong award for Best-Selling Cantonese Album of the Year. However, under the revised system introduced in 2001, the award was determined by total revenue rather than unit sales. As a result, Completely Yours... Sammi did not receive the honor. That year's best-selling release was a live album, which, under the new rules, combined sales of its video formats (VCD and DVD). Although its unit sales were comparable to Cheng's album, the higher retail price of live recordings meant its overall revenue surpassed Completely Yours... Sammi. Consequently, despite selling slightly more units, Cheng's release lost out due to lower total revenue. The album also performed strongly in Singapore, debuting at number six on the Singapore TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE WEEK in its first week. With sales exceeding 13,000 copies, it became the best-selling Cantonese-language album in Singapore that year.“Getting off Wrongly” (落錯車) was chosen as the album’s lead single, and it immediately became a karaoke hit in Hong Kong. However, because Cheng did not attend JSG Selections 2nd Quarter, she missed the opportunity to receive a Top Ten Songs Award. When asked by reporters at a fan convention, Cheng said she did not mind, emphasizing that the most important thing was that fans enjoyed the song. "Big Runaway "(大暴走) was released as the second single, peaking at number one on one major chart. On October 31, Cheng released her final Mandarin-language album under Warner Music Taiwan, "Beautiful Misunderstanding". The Hong Kong edition included an additional Cantonese track, "Everyday I Love You Less and Less (每天愛你少一些)".As Cheng's contract with Warner Music Taiwan neared expiration, promotional efforts for Beautiful Misunderstanding were relatively limited. At the same time, she was occupied with filming
Magic Kitchen, resulting in a rushed promotional schedule. The music video for the lead single was filmed only in
Hong Kong, and promotion in Taiwan lasted just one week, as had been the case with her previous Mandarin-language releases. On November 1, Cheng attended the album launch event, followed by an autograph show in Taipei the next day. In the subsequent days, low-budget music videos were produced for other tracks, after which Cheng returned to Hong Kong to continue her film work, leaving little opportunity to further develop her career in Taiwan. Released in only one edition and hampered by insufficient promotion, the album sold 56,000 copies—significantly fewer than her earlier Mandarin releases. Nevertheless, it was the best-selling album by a Hong Kong artist in Taiwan at the time. On 19 December, with the combined sales of Completely Yours… Sammi and Beautiful Misunderstanding, Cheng ranked fifth on the Hong Kong Record Merchants Association's year-end chart of the top five best-selling artists, with total sales of 240,000 copies. In July 2004, she held 7 nights of "Sammi Vs Sammi" concerts in Hong Kong. She also broke the record as being the youngest female singer to hold more than 50 accumulated concert nights in the city. The album contained no new material. It was released at a time when record sales in Hong Kong were generally weak, with a limited pressing, a relatively high retail price, and little promotional activity. Nevertheless, the album spent several weeks at the top of HMV Asia Sales Chart , was among the "Top Ten Best-Selling Cantonese Albums" at the IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award presented 2006 , and ranked third on the year-end chart compiled by the
Hong Kong Record Merchants Association. It became the best-selling album by a female artist in Hong Kong that year, with sales approaching platinum level. (In 2006, IFPI Hong Kong adjusted the platinum threshold to 40,000 units due to the downturn in the local market.) The release was regarded as the only compilation album that drew attention during the year. The break was taken to recoup her energy from the entertainment industry.
2007–2008:Resurgence with Show Mi Tour After taking a break for about 2 years, she re-invented herself again, and held her 6th concert in HK from 18 to 25 May 2007 titled "Show Mi" (
Mi being the nickname of SamMI given by her fans). Due to the huge demand for tickets, the four performances was expanded to eight. She returned to entertain at the age of 34, and invited fellow star
Andy Lau and
Denise Ho to perform with her. At the end of the first show, audience members continued to shout 'encore' for 15 minutes until Sammi came back out and sang "Our Theme Song" (我們的主題曲). The concert was expanded to the Show Mi Tour. On 3 August 2007, the CD edition of Sammi Show Mi 2007 Live was released. Shortly after its release, the album reached number one on the HMV Asian Sales Chart, with total sales of 50,000 copies. A limited edition DVD followed on 24 October, and a VCD edition was released on 16 November. On 29 November, a Blu‑ray edition was released, recognized as the first Blu‑ray concert disc recorded at the Hong Kong Coliseum.By early December, the combined sales of the VCD and DVD editions had reached double platinum status (in 2006–2007, IFPI Hong Kong defined double platinum as 80,000 units). Combined sales across all formats (CD, VCD, DVD, Blu‑ray) exceeded 200,000 units. The CD edition remained on the HMV Asia Sales Chart from August 2007 to mid‑January 2008, while the video formats (VCD, DVD, Blu‑ray) continued to appear on HMV's video sales chart throughout 2008. The release ultimately became the best‑selling live album in Hong Kong music history. Subsequently, with the four formats of Sammi Show Mi 2007 Live (CD, VCD, DVD, and Blu‑ray), Cheng won the awards for Best Sales Cantonese Release and Best Sales Local Female Vocalist at the IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award presented 2007. She then continues actively in Hong Kong entertainment industry after about two years of rest, marking a strong comeback with many more concerts held at
Hong Kong,
Macau,
mainland China,
Taiwan,
Singapore,
Malaysia,
Canada,
United States,
Australia, etc. She also continued to work in films and had starred in various commercial advertisements. From December 2014 to January 2015, she held 12 nights of 'Touch Mi' concerts in Hong Kong Coliseum. She also invited heavyweight stars to be the guests of her concerts, including Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Leon Lai, Ekin Cheng, Louis Koo, Nick Cheung and Eason Chan. Her 'Touch Mi' concert extends to World Tour in 2015 and 2016 with 4 shows at Genting (Malaysia), 3 shows at Macau (China), 3 shows at Singapore, 2 shows at Guangzhou (China), 1 show at Foshan (China), 1 show at Melbourne (
Australia), 2 shows at Sydney (Australia), 1 show at Shenzhen (China), 1 show at London (United Kingdom). Her 'Touch Mi' World Tour concluded in Hong Kong with another 8 shows in September 2016, hence bringing her total number of shows for this world tour to 38. Some of her new guest stars in Touch Mi 2 Hong Kong shows are Dayo Wong, Dicky Cheung, Francis Ng and Alex To. In 2017, she held a series of mini-concert tours entitled
Naked. Sammi in Taiwan and China. Also, she held a private mini-concert in Macau, entitled
Sammi Cheng VIP Music Private Enjoy Show. She held a single-show Sidetrack Birthday Gig concert at Macau on 19 August 2018 in conjunction of her 46th birthday as a treat to her fans. At the same year she collaborate for the first time with Taiwanese rock band
831, releasing her remake song "眉飛色舞Plus" (Eyebrow Dance Plus). In 2019, she released the single "We Grew This Way" (我們都是這樣長大的) and won 12 music awards including "The best song of the year radio station and digital platforms. In conjunction with her 30th anniversary in the entertainment industry, her 10th concert world tour is organized, which began with 13 shows at Hong Kong's Coliseum in July 2019. This brought her total shows in Hong Kong's Coliseum exceeding 100-mark, at 102. In conjunction with her 49th birthday in 2021, she held a single-show 'Listen to Mi Birthday Gig' concert at
Hong Kong on 18 August 2021. For her 50th birthday, she held a Christmas-themed 'You Are Beautiful To Mi Christmas Party' event at Hong Kong in December 2022. {{listen
Acting Cheng's acting career began with the
TVB series
A Life of His Own (浪族闊少爺) in 1991. A year later she began her film career with the movie
Best of the Best (飛虎精英之人間有情) in 1992 with fellow Cantopop star
Jacky Cheung. She would follow with another comedy film
Feel 100% (百分百感覺) with
Ekin Cheng and
Gigi Leung. In the late 1990s during the slump of the
Hong Kong film industry, Cheng starred in the film
Needing You... by director
Johnnie To, co-starring
Andy Lau and the movie
Summer Holiday in 2000. The films were hits at the box office hit in all
South East Asia regions, and Hong Kong has cumulated nearly
HK$60 million at the box office. The
Needing You... VCD received a sold out record of more than 200,000 copies. On 18 April 2002,
Warner Music Hong Kong released a
soundtrack compilation album titled
Sammi Movie Theme Songs Collection (鄭秀文電影金曲精選) to celebrate the success of
Beautiful Life [From "Love on a Diet"] (終生美麗), which won Best Original Film Song at the
21st Hong Kong Film Awards., and Cheng won Best Actress at the
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award for her acclaimed performance in
Wu Yen (鍾無艷). Against this backdrop of simultaneous achievements in film and music, Warner Music Hong Kong issued Sammi Movie Theme Songs Collection to highlight her crossover appeal as both a Cantopop diva and a film star. The album achieved strong sales in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. won The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress in 2023 for her role in
Lost Love. Cheng has been nominated for the
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress 10 times, in 2001 for her performance in
Needing You..., triple nominations in 2002 for
Fighting for Love,
Wu yen and
Love on a Diet, in 2006 for
Everlasting Regret, in 2013 for
Romancing in Thin Air, in 2014 for
Blind Detective, double nominations in 2020 for
Fagara and
Fatal Visit, and in 2023 for
Lost Love, becoming one of the most nominated leading actresses in the history of the
Hong Kong Film Awards. She has also earned 3 nominations for
Best Leading Actress at
Taiwan's
Golden Horse Awards, the most prestigious awards for Chinese-language films, for
Needing You...,
My Left Eye Sees Ghosts and
Blind Detective. She also won the
Golden Horse Award for Best Original Film Song for "DoReMi" (
Romancing in Thin Air) in 2012. She was named Best Actress by the
Hong Kong Film Critics Society in 2002 for her titular role in
Wu yen. For her contribution to the Hong Kong film industry and having starred in over 30 films, Cheng received the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award at the
11th Asian Film Awards in 2017. For her critically acclaimed performance in
Lost Love, she won four Best Actress honors in 2023 from the
Hong Kong Film Critics Society, the
Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild, the Hong Kong Online Critics' Choice Awards and the
41st Hong Kong Film Awards.
Advertisements Cheng changes her look and image for every album, which enables her to gain extensive attention and appreciation from the music professional and the public. Sammi is a trendsetter of hair-coloring and has been chosen to be one of the Top Ten fashionable celebrities in Hong Kong. She has been signed and endorsed by many companies. These endorsements include
SK-II skin care and Mona Lisa bridal service. Her first album with
Warner Music Group, "Can't Let You Go " (捨不得你) released 3 hit singles, "Hey! Man!" (男仕今天你很好), "Can't Let You Go" (捨不得你) and "The Elegy of Love" (愛的輓歌). She was selected as the prominent celebrity for the endorsement of
Panasonic using "Can't Let You Go " (捨不得你) as the theme song. In the many years of her active presence in entertainment industry, she had been involved in multiple advertisements for various brands ranging from sports shoes, watches, clothing, massager, skin-care products, magazine covers, etc. == Artistry ==