Every year, Mediacorp honours and celebrates local talent in the annual Star Awards.
This award show has played a crucial role in showcasing and acknowledging some of the biggest local stars in the last 20 years.
Star Awards 2024 took place last night (21 April 2024), and if you missed the highlights, fret not.
Here are eight highlights you need to know so you know what to talk about during your dinner with your parents and grandparents.
Guest Performer and Award Presenter: SHINee’s Onew
K-pop boy band SHINee’s leader Onew, whose real name is Lee Jin-ki, was a guest performer and award presenter at last night’s Star Awards.
This was his first public appearance after a 10-month hiatus due to health reasons.
On stage, the 34-year-old sang a cover of You Are My Everything by Gummy, an OST for his last K-drama Descendants of the Sun (2016), as well as his own song, Your Scent.
He presented awards to Most Popular Rising Stars winners Zhang Ze Tong, Ayden Sng, and Jernelle Oh.
The award show also saw other regional favourites such as Hong Kong star Charmaine Sheh, Taiwanese singer Chao Chuan, and Taiwanese actor Chen Bolin, who were guest performers and award presenters.
Live Performance By Jasmine Sokko
Fans were treated to a live performance by Jasmine Sokko (whose real name is Jasmine Wong) during the Walk Of Fame.
The 28-year-old Singaporean singer-songwriter and electronic music producer is one of the most-streamed local female artists on Spotify, and is best known for her hit song TIRED.
She’s known for wearing her trademark visors or masks to conceal parts of her face while performing, which adds to her edgy aesthetic.
In 2019, Jasmine Sokko became the first Singaporean music artist to win the award for Best Southeast Asian Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
Jasmine Sokko was also the opening act for Coldplay when the band performed here in January 2024.
She performed her song TERMS & CONDITIONS yesterday as nominees arrived on the red carpet.
Xixi Lim Ran From Backstage to Receive Her Award
Priscilla Lim Xi Xi (better known as Xixi Lim) is a 26-year-old actress and television personality.
You may know her from the comedic show Ah Girls Go Army (2022) and its sequel Ah Girls Go Army Again (2022), where she played recruit Yuan Yuan Yuan.
Since her acting debut in 2011, Lim Xixi has taken on many comedic roles in acting projects. She joined Wah!Banana in 2017 and regularly takes part in their comedic skits, along with other well-known members like Krishan J.
Last night, Xixi Lim received her first ever Star Awards trophy for Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes.
Cheers erupted when she was announced as a winner, though she was nowhere to be seen. Members of the audience began looking around. Where on earth was Xixi Lim?
Then, the host revealed Xixi Lim was actually backstage hosting the award show’s backstage livestream (which was on YouTube).
Xixi Lim suddenly burst in through the theatre’s doors, rushing down the steps to get to the stage.
“Walk slowly, take your time Xixi!” the hosts said.
“There’s time, you don’t have to run!”
Though out of breath, Xixi Lim managed to deliver her thank you speech, expressing gratitude to her friends who have always believed in her, Aprexiation (her fan club), her team at Outcast (the YouTube channel she is in), and her stylist, Bonita.
Xixi Lim ended her speech by saying “regardless of whether you’re male or female, as long as you believe in yourself, you can definitely achieve whatever you want to.”
“I am Xixi, I am perfect the way I am. Thank you to my family. Ah ma (grandmother), I did it, Ah ma!”
Thanking Cats and Dogs
Many artists thank their family, friends, and fans during thank you speeches, but not many extend gratitudes to their pets.
Last night, Jeremy Chan and James Seah thanked their pets during their thank you speech, eliciting laughter and cheers from the audience.
Jeremy Chan Thanks His Cats
Jeremy Chan won Best Actor last night for his performance in All That Glitters (2023), which won the award for Best Drama Serial.
The 42-year-old Singaporean actor and host has been featured in a number of TV series such as My Teacher Is A Thug (2017), Super Dad (2020), and Once Upon A New Year’s Eve (2024).
Funnily enough, in Once Upon A New Year’s Eve, he plays the brother-in-law of Jesseca Liu, who’s his wife.
Jeremy Chan had to control his urges to look at his wife lovingly, lest viewers suspect the brother- and sister-in-law had something strange going on between them.
When he was announced as the winner of the Top 10 Most Popular Actors, he immediately broke into a huge smile.
“I also want to thank my family, my aunt, and my two cats!” he said during his thank you speech as the audience burst into laughter.
Well deserved.
James Seah Thanks His Dog
James Seah received the award for Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes, alongside others such as Romeo Tan and Marcus Chin.
Like Jeremy Chan, 33-year-old James Seah has been featured in a number of shows. He is best known for starring in the TV drama The Heartland Hero (2021).
He started his thank you speech by saying “You work for 10 years off (the award) stage to get one minute on (the award) stage.”
After thanking his friends, colleagues, mom, and wife, James Seah said “And I want to thank my dog, Moon Moon! Daddy has won an award!”
All That Glitters: Clear Winner This Year
Unsurprisingly, the popular 2023 drama All That Glitters sweeped many awards this year.
Here are the awards won by All That Glitters and its actors:
- Best Actor: Jeremy Chan
- Best Supporting Actor: Zhang Ze Tong
- Best Drama Serial: All That Glitters
- Most Popular Rising Stars: Ayden Sng
- Most Popular Rising Stars: Zhang Ze Tong
- Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes: Zhang Ze Tong
- Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes: Desmond Tan
- Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes: Jeremy Chan
- Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes: Chantalle Ng
- Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes: He Ying Ying
- Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes: Hong Ling
- MY PICK Favourite CP (couple): Desmond Tan and Chantalle Ng
- MY PICK Favourite Show Stealer: Ayden Sng
- MY PICK Most Hated Villain: Zhang Ze Tong
Clearly, this show is one to watch.
Quan Yi Fong’s 9th Best Programme Host Award
When her name was announced, Quan Yi Fong had a shocked expression on her face.
But come on lah, we already knew she was going to win, right?
Receiving one award is already very impressive, but receiving the same award multiple times definitely grants you serious bragging rights for the rest of your life.
To her delight, the Taiwan-born Singaporean host and actress received her ninth Best Programme Host Award last night.
Push Ups Challenge
You probably didn’t expect to read something like this in an article about an award show.
During the Backstage LIVE, hosts went around challenging people to do as many push ups as possible in 20 seconds.
James Seah showed watchers that he’s not only good at acting, but good at fitness too as he did nearly 30 push ups in 20 seconds!
Reader: I can barely do five…
I can’t even do one with good form.
Marcus Chin Sang For His Thank You Speech
Giving a thank-you speech is so yesterday. How about singing on?
That’s what Marcus Chin did, and it sounded so posh, it looked like he knew he was going to win right from the start.
This might be a tad too late when you read this, but YES 933 is giving free drinks in her cafe today (22 April) after she won the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes.
For those of you who want to watch all the videos of award presentations, as well as Backstage LIVE and other interviews, they can be found on Mediacorp’s YouTube.