China Dominates at Asian Academy Creative Awards: A Night of Triumphs and Close Calls!
The Asian Academy Creative Awards (AACA) recently wrapped up, and the results are in! China swept the top scripted categories, but the night was filled with surprises, record-breaking moments, and nail-biting finishes. Let's dive into the highlights.
First, a major shoutout to Singapore's Ivory Chia, who made history as the youngest actor to ever win an AACA. At just nine years old, she took home the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in "Emerald Hill: The Little Nonya Story." What an incredible achievement!
China's success was undeniable. They clinched the Best Feature Film award for "MuMu" and the Best Drama Series for "Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty: To The West." But here's where it gets controversial: "Strange Tales" narrowly edged out Korea's favorite, "When Life Gives You Tangerines," by a mere 0.06 points! Talk about a close call.
Japan and Singapore led the pack overall, each taking home six statuettes. Korea and India followed closely with five wins each. Hong Kong SAR and China each secured four awards, while Taiwan earned three. Australia, Malaysia, and the Philippines each had two wins, with Thailand taking one.
Netflix's "The Queen of Villains" also shone brightly, with Yuriyan Retriever winning Best Actress in a Leading Role, triumphing over Cate Blanchett (Australia) and Kim Minha (Korea). The show also won Best Direction (Fiction) for Kazuya Shiraishi.
India's streaming platforms made their mark, with Prime Video's "The Traitors India" and Netflix's "Black Warrant" each grabbing two awards. Karan Johar won Best Entertainment Host for "The Traitors."
But wait, there's more!
Korea's five victories included Best Comedy Program for "Head Over Heels," Best General Entertainment Program for "2024 MAMA Awards," and Best Original Production by a Streamer (Fiction) for "Study Group."
Documentary honors were distributed across the region, with Australia's "Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story," Japan's "Hiroshima’s Tower of Life," and Singapore's "Addicted – The Synthetic Curse" claiming their respective categories. India's Amish Tripathi earned Best Factual Presenter for Warner Bros. Discovery's "Legends of Shiva with Amish."
The competition was fierce, with 11 nations and territories competing across 40 categories. Organizers noted that the top contenders were often separated by a single point, highlighting the high caliber of talent.
Complete List of Winners
- Best Children’s Program: "Super Guardians: Polar Rescue" (Korea)
- Best Animation: "My Melody & Kuromi" (Japan)
- Best Short Form (Non-Scripted): "Diablo: Father Antonio Beyond The Veil" (Singapore)
- Best Short Form (Scripted): "The Lines in My Head" (Hong Kong SAR)
- Best Branded Program: "Monumental Macao" (Singapore)
- Best Promo or Trailer: "Never Too Late" (Hong Kong SAR)
- Best Documentary Program (One-Off): "Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story" (Australia)
- Best News Program: "Cracking the Case: New Testimonies and Evidence in the Setagaya Family Murder" (Japan)
- Best Adaptation of an Existing Format (Non-Scripted): "The Traitors S1" (India)
- Best Original Production by a Streamer (Non-Fiction): "It’s OK to Feel Bad" (Chinese Mainland)
- Best Documentary History: "Hiroshima’s Tower of Life" (Japan)
- Best Cinematography (Non-Fiction): Jam Yau for "Monumental Macao" (Hong Kong SAR)
- Best Direction (Non-Fiction): Rowena Loh for "Karikal Mahal: A Silent Witness" (Singapore)
- Best Infotainment Program: "Tech for Good: Robotics Inspired by Nature" (Korea)
- Best Game or Quiz Program: "SME S.W.A.T." (Malaysia)
- Best Editing: Tanya Chhabria for "Black Warrant" (India)
- Best Adaptation of an Existing Format (Scripted): "Saving Grace" (Philippines)
- Best Cinematography (Fiction): Pei Ji-wei for "Black Tide Island" (Taiwan)
- Best Lifestyle Program: "Tokyo by Night" (Japan)
- Best Factual Presenter: Amish Tripathi for "Legends of Shiva with Amish" (India)
- Best Documentary Series: "Addicted – The Synthetic Curse" (Singapore)
- Best Original Production by a Streamer (Fiction): "Study Group" (Korea)
- Best Music Or Dance Program: "Singer 2025" (Chinese Mainland)
- Best Sound: Kunal Sharma for "Black Warrant" (India)
- Best Single Drama/Telemovie/Anthology Episode: "Granny Must Die" (Taiwan)
- Best General Entertainment Program: "2024 MAMA Awards" (Korea)
- Best Theme Song or Title Theme: "Bebas" by Andy Gan, Afrah Athasha, Zalelo for "Korban Part 2" (Singapore)
- Best Entertainment Host: Karan Johar for "The Traitors" (India)
- Best Non-Scripted Entertainment: "Muster Dogs Series 3" (Australia)
- Best Comedy Program: "Head Over Heels" (Korea)
- Best Screenplay: Tanida Hantaweewatana, Vasudhorn Piyaromna, Pattaranad Bhiboonsawade for "Mad Unicorn" (Thailand)
- Best Visual Or Special VFX in a TV Series Or Feature Film: Moonshine Studio for "Black Tide Island" (Taiwan)
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Hisyam Hamid for "Memori" (Malaysia)
- Best Actor/Actress in a Comedy Role: Jinny Ng for "Battle Of Marriage" (Hong Kong SAR)
- Best Direction (Fiction): Kazuya Shiraishi for "The Queen of Villains" (Japan)
- Best Feature Film: "MuMu" (Chinese Mainland)
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Ivory Chia for "Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story" (Singapore)
- Best Actor in a Leading Role: Dennis Trillo for "Green Bones" (Philippines)
- Best Actress in a Leading Role: Yuriyan Retriever for "The Queen of Villains" (Japan)
- Best Drama Series: "Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty: To The West" (Chinese Mainland)
Final Thoughts
The AACA showcased a diverse range of talent and storytelling from across Asia. From the youngest winner in history to the tightest of races, the awards ceremony was full of memorable moments.
What were your favorite wins of the night? Did any results surprise you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
