Star Awards 2023 celebrates the crème de la crème of local Chinese entertainment in a spectacular concert

Singapore, 9 April 2023 – The stage was set, the lights were on, and the stars shone brighter than ever at Star Awards 2023 (SA2023), Singapore’s biggest celebration of content and talent in the local Chinese entertainment industry. Themed “Beyond | Celebrations” (新跨越 星狂欢), this year’s extravaganza unfolded as an unforgettable concert at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands, where winners of 12 performance and popularity award categories were crowned amidst electrifying performances by Singapore’s finest and regional superstars Sammi Cheng and Jam Hsiao.

Hosted by local artiste Lee Teng and renowned artiste Matilda Tao, the star-studded show saw the widely popular title Your World in Mine emerging as the biggest winner of the night with three performance awards, as Richie Koh, Huang Biren, and Xiang Yun were crowned “Best Actor”, “Best Actress” and “Best Supporting Actress” respectively. In addition to its wins for “Best Drama Serial” and “Best Theme Song” at the SA2023 Gala Dinner held on 30 March, Singapore’s top-rated Chinese drama in 2022¹ snagged a total of 5 wins out of 9 nominations, missing out on “Best Supporting Actor” which went to Brandon Wong for his performance in Dark Angel. On the variety front, Christopher Lee was named “Best Programme Host” for Dishing with Chris Lee, ending Quan Yifong’s five-year winning streak since 2017.

Dedicated to up and coming artistes with five years or less of experience, the inaugural award for “Most Popular Rising Star” went to Ayden Sng, Gao Mei Gui and Richie Koh. The trio received an outpouring of congratulations from their fellow nominees, all of whom were also on stage for a riveting dance performance that kicked off the show with a bang. Meanwhile, Das DD was conferred “Best Rising Star”, setting a high bar for his continued growth in the industry. For artistes with more than five years of experience, the highly-coveted accolade of “Top 10 Most Popular Male/Female Artiste” was presented to household names such as Carrie Wong, Desmond Tan, Paige Chua and Romeo Tan, veteran artistes Ann Kok, Guo Liang and Marcus Chin as well as radio DJs Chen Biyu, Chen Ning and Jeff Goh, all of whom had won the hearts of audiences across platforms.

In empowering fans to support their favourite artistes, four MyPick! Awards were also dished out exclusively in the seven-hour Backstage LIVE marathon. Stars of the popular series Love at First Bite Xu Bin and Chantalle Ng were crowned “Favourite CP”; while Richie Koh and Jesseca Liu bagged the “Male and Female Show Stealer” title respectively for their exceptional ability to captivate audiences and stand out from the crowd. Meanwhile, in playing his villainous role in Dark Angel to perfection, Jeffrey Xu snagged “Most Hated Villian” to enthusiastic cheers from his fellow antagonists.

Please refer to Annex A for the full list of winners of Star Awards 2023.

Leading the celebrations for nominees and winners alike were famed superstar Sammi Cheng and vocal powerhouse Jam Hsiao, who doubled up as award presenters and performers. Audiences were left spellbound as Sammi delivered her soulful rendition of Just Like Your Tenderness (恰似你的温柔) to the accompaniment of a pianist, with a stunning curtain of sparkles adding a touch of magic. Meanwhile, with a six-member live band providing the perfect auditory backdrop and a wave flamer amplifying the visual splendour, Jam’s act was a seamless fusion of high-energy hits and romantic ballads, including Princess (王妃), Can only miss you (只能想念你), I really want to tell you (好想对你说) and Skin (皮囊).

Not to be outdone, SA2023 nominees themselves put up a series of electrifying and emotionally charged performances. In a touching tribute, “Best Evergreen Artiste” winner Xiang Yun and fellow nominees Aileen Tan, Richard Low, Hong Hui Fang and Zhu Hou Ren took to the stage with Vocal Associates Seniors Choir for a soulful rendition of The Brightest Star in the Night Sky (夜空中最亮的星), evoking a keen sense of nostalgia. Also tugging on heartstrings were “All-Time Favourite Artiste” recipients Felicia Chin and Rebecca Lim, who expressed their gratitude to fans with a captivating hand dance that they performed alongside 90 students from local dance troupe Dance Inspiration.

It was not just performers who pushed creative boundaries at the show, as state-of-the-art technologies were also deployed to add a touch of wonder and suspense. From an immersive laser show and interactive LEDs that dissolved to unveil winner portraits to stunning drone shots that characterised the opening video featuring Singapore’s brightest stars against its skyline, SA2023 was a masterclass in marrying technology and entertainment to keep audiences on the edge of the seats, from start to finish.

Angeline Poh, Chief Customer & Corporate Development Officer, Mediacorp, said: “Star Awards 2023 was a dazzling tribute to the brightest stars and best programmes of the local Chinese entertainment industry. From inspiring speeches to electrifying performances by household names and emerging stars alike, the concert-style celebrations tonight were a powerful reminder of the immense creativity of homegrown talent, both in front of and behind the scenes. We look forward to seeing their continued success, and to provide more platforms for passionate individuals to realise their dreams. My heartiest congratulations again to all winners!”

In a surprise announcement that reaffirmed Mediacorp’s commitment to nurture local talent, a new reality singing competition Battle of The Buskers offering a stage for passionate buskers to shine was also announced through a video trailer. Fans can look forward to live performances across Mediacorp’s network, making for an immersive and interactive multi-platform experience. Watch this space for further updates!

The SA2023 Live Show, Walk of Fame, Backstage LIVE marathon and curated highlights of the SA2023 Gala Dinner are available on demand via mewatch, Mediacorp’s YouTube Entertainment Channel and the official Star Awards website. Fans can also catch the repeat telecast of the Walk of Fame and Live Show on Channel 8 on 16 April between 2pm – 3.30pm and 3.30pm – 6.30pm respectively. For viewing details, please refer to Annex B.

¹ Viewership measured from 1 January to 31 December 2022. Source: SG-TAM (all rights reserved by IMDA). Data downloaded on 4 January 2023.

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