The 22nd Asian Television Awards was held at Suntec Convention Centre on Friday, 1 December 2017, hosted by Wang Li Huan, Baki Zainal and Stephanie Carrington.
The night of glitz and glamour began way before the actual awards ceremony, with die-hard fans of Running Man host Kim Jong Kook waiting patiently to enter outside the event hall three hours prior to the ceremony. Celebrities began to saunter down the red carpet just after 8PM, and were greeted warmly by the throngs of screaming fans. Both the stars and audience were visibly impressed by host Baki Zainal’s fluent and flawless Mandarin.
Niti Chaichitatorn bagged the Best Entertainment Presenter and Host award for Talk with Toey Tonight, and the presenter dedicated his award to gender equality, receiving an applause of approval from the audience.
A roaring applause followed after Hong Kong’s veteran actor Bobby Au- Yeung was awarded “Best Comedy Performance by an Actor/Actress”. Au-Yeung is a familiar face in the Cantonese drama scene and it was clear that many fans felt that he was well-deserving of the award.
The veteran actor humorously quipped, “I’d like to thank my wife. In our many years of marriage, she has never once scolded me. I’m sure all the other husbands here today are quite envious of this!”
Singaporean actress and comedian Irene Ang was invited onstage to present the “Best Actress in a Leading Role”. This category saw an especially heated contest, with talents like Felicia Chin and Zoe Tay among the nominees. The award went to Hong Kong’s celebrated veteran actress Wai Ying Hung Kara, for her moving performance in Affairs of the Heart. ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ went to Taiwanese actor Tsai Chen-Nan for his stellar performance in She’s Family.
Another hotly contested category was “Best Drama Series”. Nominees for this category included the extremely well-received South Korean drama, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God , Singapore’s very own Tanglin, and China’s Fighter of Destiny. KBS drama Love In the Moonlight received the award, which certainly delighted Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung fans.
The audience was also treated to a soulful performance by homegrown Sing! China finalist Joanna Dong, though it was a pity that she only performed one song.
However, the true highlight of the Asian Television Awards ceremony appeared to be Kim Jong Kook’s performance. Thunderous applause and high-pitched screams ensued as the singer cum Running Man Star strode onto the stage. The event hall was transformed into a sea of lights. Fans raised their LED banners , waving them in the air as Kim Jong Kook serenaded the crowd.
Taiwanese-Korean singer Bii performed two songs, I’m Thinking of You and Love More, both of which were composed by the talented songwriter himself. The dashing 28-year-old delivered an engaging live performance, and his vocals were no less than impressive.
Mediacorp was awarded the honour of ‘Terrestrial Broadcaster of the Year’, and for ‘Best Direction (Non-Fiction)’ for To Live – Disaster, ‘Best Digital Fiction and Non-Fiction Programme/ Series’ for Patisserie Fighting.
Mediacorp veteran and familiar face Zhu Hou Ren took home the award for ‘ Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ for his outstanding performance in Trapped Minds. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been up on stage to receive an award. Thank you everyone”, said Zhu as he received his award on stage.
by Natalie Kwan
