Please excuse me as I take a trip down memory lane…
The Golden Eagle Awards is a prestigious biannual television awards ceremony, and prides itself on being “the people’s award”. Unlike the Flying Apsaras Awards (government recognition) and Magnolia Awards (industry recognition), Golden Eagle spreads the love more evenly, and usually several dramas and actors are acknowledged.
In previous years, the Best Actor and Actress of the night were decided by online voters and a panel of judges, and presented with the Audience’s Choice award (golden statue) and Best Performing Arts award (crystal statue). This year the two awards were given to different actors, with the nominee that received the most votes from the judges winning the Performing Arts award.
The awards were preceded by the Golden Eagle TV Arts Festival, and this year Tang Yan (My Sunshine, The Lady and the Liar, Legend of Fragrance, Diamond Lover) was crowned the Golden Eagle Goddess for her slew of commercially successful dramas in 2015. The full opening ceremony can be found here.
I can’t say I agree with all the picks for outstanding drama, though it doesn’t come as a surprise, since 2016 marks the 80th anniversary of the Long March. Whirlwind Girl looks extremely awkward in between all the period and Communist red dramas, though we can’t really blame Hunan TV for wanting to include its own productions in the award list.
Tong Liya, Zhao Liying, Hu Ge and Wang Lei shared the Best Actor/Actress award, while Li Xuejian was finally given his due after being snubbed by the Magnolia Awards a couple of years ago. His heartfelt speech was definitely one of the highlights of the evening.
Full awards ceremony can be found here.
Best Actor (Audience’s Choice for Actor):
Chen Baoguo, All Quiet in Peking (Xu Tieying)
Gu Zhixin, Legendary Shopkeeper (Yi Xuetang)
Hu Ge, Nirvana in Fire (Mei Changsu)
Li Xuejian, The Young Marshal (Zhang Zuolin) & Hey Daddy (Liu Ertie)
Ni Dahong, All Quiet in Peking (Xie Peidong)
Wang Kai, All Quiet in Peking (Fang Mengwei)
Wang Lei, Ordinary World (Sun Shaoan)
Wu Xiubo, Ma Xiangyang Goes to the Countryside (Ma Xiangyang)
Best Actress (Audience’s Choice for Actress):
Liu Tao, Legend of Mi Yue (Mi Shu)
Li Xiaomeng, Ordinary World (Tian Xiaoxia)
Ma Su, Legend of Mi Yue (Wei Yan)
Tang Jingmei, Ten Miles With Red Army (Xu Ruiqiu)
Tong Liya, Ordinary World (Tian Runye)
Xu Baihui, Legend of Mi Yue (Lady Mengzhao)
Zhao Liying, The Journey of Flower (Hua Qiangu)
Zuo Xiaoqing, In the Silence (Feng Shuya)
Best Performing Arts Actor: Li Xuejian, The Young Marshal & Hey Daddy
Most Popular Actor: Hu Ge, with 13,097,464 votes
Most Popular Actress: Liu Tao, with 13,468,303 votes
Best Director: Zheng Xiaolong, Legend of Mi Yue
Best Screenwriter: Wen Haojie, Ordinary World
Outstanding Television Series:
Ordinary World 平凡的世界
Ten Miles With Red Army 十里红军
Ma Xiangyang Goes to the Countryside 马向阳下乡记
All Quiet in Peking 北平无战事
Legend of Mi Yue 芈月传
Whirlwind Girl 旋风少女
Deng Xiaoping at History’s Crossroads 历史转折中的邓小平
Wang Dahua’s Revolutionary Career 王大花的革命生涯
Hey Daddy 嘿，老头!
No.1 Army 陆军一号
Break Through 破阵