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Star Awards 2024: Kym Ng, Jeremy Chan get first best actor wins, Mark Lee receives Special Achievement Award

Meanwhile, Zhang Ze Tong bagged three awards including Best Supporting Actor; and the Top 10 Most Popular Male and Female Artistes lists had some new entries.

Star Awards 2024: Kym Ng, Jeremy Chan get first best actor wins, Mark Lee receives Special Achievement Award

Star Awards 2024 winners: (from left) Best Actor Jeremy Chan, Best Actress Kym Ng and Mark Lee, who received a Special Achievement Award. (Photos: Mediacorp Studio 3, CNA/Eugene Goh)

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There are some Star Awards where the same few familiar faces win the same few awards – but this year's ceremony wasn't one of those.

The awards show, held on Sunday (Apr 21) at The Theatre at Mediacorp, saw celebrities and special guests turn out for the annual red carpet extravaganza in celebration of local Mandarin television.

Hosted by Dennis Chew and Guo Liang, the big do featured stage appearances and performances by international guests including K-pop band Shinee's Onew, Taiwanese actor Chen Bolin and singer Chao Chuan, and Hong Kong actress Charmaine Sheh (fun fact: She loves pandan cake and chicken rice, and there was pandan cake waiting in her dressing room as a surprise before the show).

So, who bagged the big prizes? Both the Best Actor and Best Actress categories saw first-time winners, prompting cheers from the crowd.

Star Awards 2024's top winners: Kym Ng for Best Actress and Jeremy Chan for Best Actor. (Photo: CNA/Lindsay Jialin)

Kym Ng emerged tops for her turn as a woman who comes back to this world after her death because of unfinished business in the drama Till The End, beating out fellow nominees Rui En, Joanne Peh, Chantalle Ng and Jernelle Oh.

Kym told the media that it's an award she'd always wanted, having already won two Best Supporting Actress trophies. "I really wished and prayed very hard that I would win... This award is very encouraging. It makes me want to do more acting, whether it’s lead or supporting roles," she said.

Star Awards 2024's Best Actress winner Kym Ng for Tll The End. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)

Meanwhile, Jeremy Chan was the victor in the Best Actor category, prompting an emotional response from wife Jesseca Liu as she filmed him going on stage to accept his award. The actor lost 15kg to play a simple but earnest man who goes down a tragic road in All That Glitters.

Star Awards 2024's Best Actor winner Jeremy Chan for All That Glitters. (Photo: Mediacorp Studio 3)

Jeremy didn't forget to acknowledge Jesseca in his speech, saying, "Thank you for taking care of me while I was filming this drama, cooking eggs for me every day. You liked me when I was chubby, but now you have to get used to a fitter me!"

His win meant that All That Glitters, the standout production of the year, picked up more accolades in addition to those it had already won at the Star Awards 2024 Gala Night held on Apr 15 at Zouk, where the drama, which follows the story of three friends who go from rags to riches, was named Best Drama Serial and claimed the Best Director award for Wong Foong Hwee, as well as Best Screenplay, which went to Ang Eng Tee.

All That Glitters' Zhang Ze Tong goes home with the most accolades at Star Awards 2024: Best Supporting Actor, a Most Popular Rising Star award, and a My Pick! Award for best villain. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)

Zhang Ze Tong picked up the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as a baddie in the same drama, a Most Popular Rising Star award and a MyPick! award for Most Hated Villain, making him the artiste taking home the most awards of the night.

The Star Search 2019 winner bawled his eyes out when accepting his Best Supporting Actor trophy on stage. We later asked him if he would be watching the playback, to which he quipped, "Oh, no! Now I feel regretful".

He shared: "I had a lot of self doubt and thought, maybe I’ll give up acting after a role or two. I am very happy today." He also thanked his manager, who "kept me going".

Jernelle Oh, who had been nominated for Best Actress for her role as a food delivery rider with cerebral palsy in Cash On Delivery, received a Most Popular Rising Star award. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)

Other Most Popular Rising Star award winners were Ayden Sng, who also starred in All That Glitters; and Jernelle Oh, who had been nominated for Best Actress for her role as a food delivery rider with cerebral palsy in Cash On Delivery. The Most Popular Rising Star award is earned by three young talents just starting out, with no more than five years of experience in entertainment.

Aileen Tan won Best Supporting Actress for her work in SHERO. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)

The Best Supporting Actress prize went to Aileen Tan for her work in SHERO. Aileen said she didn't think she would bag the trophy and was surprised and thankful.

Meanwhile, a Special Achievement Award was presented to Mark Lee, making this a significant year for the actor and radio personality, who had separately won a Best Actor prize at the Ho Chi Minh International Film Festival for his role in the film Wonderland.

Mark Lee gets a Special Achievement Award. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)

Receiving the award, Mark thanked people who had been influential in his career, such as Jack Neo who gave him his first gig in Comedy Nite 35 years ago, and Dennis Chew, who launched his career in radio, moving Dennis to tears.

Mark had some pithy advice for his colleagues: “I’d like to tell those who will get their Top 10 Most Popular Artiste awards later: Hold your trophy stable with both hands and don’t shake it about, or it will wobble its way into someone else’s hands next year. This is something I have studied for many years.”

It was a night to remember for actresses Ann Kok and Jesseca Liu, who both took home their tenth Top 10 Favourite Female Artiste trophies last year. For this feat of enduring popularity, they were each presented with an All-Time Favourite Artiste award (and also gained the relief of not having to compete in the category in subsequent years).

On stage, Ann said: "If you were to describe my acting career in terms of a drama, I think it’d be full of ups and downs and very exciting. Thanks to my fans and supporters, my acting journey hasn’t been lonely. I will continue to approach every role with sincerity."

Jesseca shared: "To receive this honour is not thanks to my own labour. To be standing here, it’s thanks to many people’s efforts." She didn't forget husband Jeremy Chan, saying, "Thank you to my other half although your arms might not be the strongest in Mediacorp, they are my best safe harbour".

And as this year's Top 10 Most Popular awards were presented, another two will soon rise to join them. Actress Yvonne Lim and presenter Pornsak, who each won their 10th Most Popular award, will receive the All-Time Favourite Artiste trophy next year. 

New entrants to the Top 10 Most Popular ranks were Benjamin Tan, James Seah, He Ying Ying and Xixi Lim.

What else was new at the Star Awards this year? The scrapping of the Evergreen Artiste award, presented to actors of a certain vintage; and the debut of a new award known as Best Audio Personality, designed to honour radio DJs for their work on-air.

This prize went to The Breakfast Quintet's Dennis Chew, who said: "It’s not my prize but the whole team of The Breakfast Quintet (which includes Chen Biyu, Mark Lee, Marcus Chin and Joe Tsoi)."

Dennis Chew wins Best Audio Personality at Star Awards 2024. (Photo: CNA/Eugene Goh)

Catch the repeat telecast of the Walk of Fame and Award Ceremony on Apr 28 from 2pm to 6.30pm on Channel 8. Also available on mewatch. 

For more information, visit mediacorp.sg/StarAwards.

***

FULL LIST OF STAR AWARDS 2024 WINNERS

Special Achievement Award: Mark Lee

Best Actor: Jeremy Chan (All That Glitters)

Best Actress: Kym Ng (Till The End)

Best Supporting Actor: Zhang Ze Tong (All That Glitters)

Best Supporting Actress: Aileen Tan (SHERO)

Best Audio Personality: Dennis Chew (The Breakfast Quintet, Love 972)

Best Programme Host (Entertainment & Infotainment): Quan Yi Fong (Hear U Out S4)

Young Talent Award: Ang Yu Heng Tesla (Cash on Delivery)

Best Rising Star: Yunis To (Stranger in the Dark)

***

Best Drama Serial: All That Glitters

Best Entertainment Programme: Foodie Trio

Best Infotainment Programme: Inside Crime Scene S2 

Best Short-form Entertainment Programme: #JustSwipeLah 

Best Theme Song: Wind From The Galaxy (Kim Jae-hoon)

Best Director (Drama): Wong Foong Hwee for All That Glitters

Best Screenplay (Drama): ​​Ang Eng Tee for All That Glitters

Best Producer (Entertainment): Goh Si Jiau for Star Awards 2023 - Awards Ceremony

Best Research Writer (Entertainment): Chua Ing Tze for Curious City S2

Best Radio Programme: The Breakfast Quintet (LOVE 972)

***

All-Time Favourite Artiste: Jesseca Liu, Ann Kok

Most Popular Rising Stars: Ayden Sng, Zhang Ze Tong, Jernelle Oh

Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes: Chantalle Ng, Ya Hui, Carrie Wong, He Ying Ying, Chen Biyu, Tasha Low, Chen Ning, Yvonne Lim, Xixi Lim, Hong Ling

Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes: Romeo Tan, Marcus Chin, Jeff Goh, Zhang Yaodong, Pornsak, Desmond Tan, Benjamin Tan, Shaun Chen, James Seah, Jeremy Chan

***

My Pick! Awards

Favourite CP: Desmond Tan and Chantalle Ng (All That Glitters)

Show Stealer: Ayden Sng (All That Glitters)

Most Hated Villain: Zhang Ze Tong (All That Glitters)

Source: CNA/my

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