Yao Wenlong Should Have Been Nominated For Best Actor And Other Star Awards 2023 Snubs & Surprises
Seriously, how could Yao Wenlong not make the cut?
If you haven’t heard, Star Awards 2023 will be held on April 9 at Marina Bay Sands this year, and the list of nominees was released earlier today (Feb 15).
Of course there were the shoo-ins, like Your World In Mine's Richie Koh and Huang Biren as well as Dark Angel's Qi Yuwu and Zoe Tay. But there were those we didn’t see coming, like how four out of the five Best Actor nominees are first time nominees in the category.
Read on to find out whose nom surprised us (in a good way, of course), and who should have been included.
Surprise! Desmond Ng, Best Actor - Your World in Mine
We're not saying the prolific former getai singer is undeserving of this nom. His performance in Your World In Mine, in which he played the righteous and filial son of a dementia-ridden Xiang Yun, left us impressed.
But we have to ask: Was his character Hong Maodan really a lead character?
If anything, Hong Maodan felt more like a supporting role, and if he was nominated in that category, it would have significantly boosted Desmond's chances of bringing home an acting award come April 9.
Snubbed! Yao Wenlong - Your World In Mine
How in the (Your) World (In Mine) did Yao Wenlong not get nominated for Best Actor?! It's been hours since the noms were announced, and we're still reeling from the snub.
Wenlong’s Zheng Jianqiang — the hopeful and supportive father of Richie Koh's mentally challenged Zheng Tiancai — was the backbone of his tightknit family just like how the actor's powerhouse performance was the backbone of the drama.
Not only does Wenlong deserve to be nominated, he would have been the worthy winner too.
Surprise! Double noms for Brandon Wong, Best Actor - Leave No Soul Behind and Best Supporting Actor - Dark Angel
Looks like the renaissance of Brandon Wong's career — should we call it a Bran-aissance? — is still going strong. And deservedly so for one of Mediacorp's best actors, who shockingly has yet to win an acting award.
We wonder how Brandon reacted to the nominations, though we're pretty sure he was as emotional as when he went on stage last year to receive his first Top 10 award in his 27 years in showbiz.
Will history repeat itself in 2023?
Snubbed! Priscelia Chan - Your World In Mine
Who can forget Priscelia’s turn as the extremely annoying, super money-faced daughter-in-law of Xiang Yun in the drama? Not us but we guess voters for the Best Supporting Actress category did.
Surprise! Lina Ng - Your World In Mine
Another character we loved to hate in the hit show, which earned nine nominations in total, the most of any drama this year.
Lina didn't have much screen time in Your World In Mine, but her turn as the resident Karen certainly made an impression.
Snubbed! Zhu Xiufeng - You Can Be An Angel 4 & Your World In Mine
Let's get one thing clear: The veteran actress, who is 79 this year, owns every role she's in. And she had two excellent performances last year.
First as Zoe Tay and Xiang Yun’s dementia-stricken mum in You Can Be An Angel 4, and then as Grandma Papaya, Huang Biren’s resentful mother in Your World In Mine.
That one scene in the latter drama where she tried to stop Biren’s character from committing suicide was enough to warrant Xiufeng-jie a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress catergory, or the Evergreen Award category.
Oh well.
Scroll down to see the list of nominees for the major acting categories for this year’s Star Awards.
Best Actor
Ayden Sng - The Unbreakable Bond
Brandon Wong - Leave No Soul Behind
Desmond Ng - Your World In Mine
Qi Yuwu - Dark Angel
Richie Koh - Your World In Mine
Best Actress
Hong Ling - Your World In Mine
Huang Biren - Your World In Mine
Jesseca Liu - Soul Detective
Rebecca Lim - Soul Doctor
Zoe Tay - Dark Angel
Best Supporting Actor
Andie Chen - Sisters Stand Tall
Brandon Wong - Dark Angel
Chew Chor Meng - Dark Angel
Darren Lim - Genie In A Cup
Zhu Hou Ren - Your World In Mine
Best Supporting Actress
Aileen Tan - Dark Angel
Cynthia Koh - Leave no Soul Behind
Kym Ng - When Duty Calls S2
Lina Ng - Your World In Mine
Xiang Yun - Your World In Mine
Photos: Mediacorp, meWATCH
Catch the Backstage LIVE event of Star Awards 2023 from 3.30pm - 10.30pm on meWATCH or Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube Channel on April 9 (Sunday).
The Walk Of Fame will be from 5pm - 6.30pm, on meWATCH, Ch 8, Ch U, and Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube Channel on the same day.
It will be followed by the Star Awards 2023 Live Show from 7pm - 10pm on meWATCH, Ch 8, Ch U, and Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube Channel.
Watch the most recent episode of #JustSwipeLah below to find out more about the other stars who are nominated.