On November 12, the Critics Choice Association (CCA) held the third annual Celebration of AAPI Cinema & Television, recognizing outstanding achievements in Asian American and Pacific Islander media.
This year’s event took place in Hollywood’s iconic Egyptian Theatre, a historic venue that added grandeur to the evening. This year’s honorees featured influential figures in film and television, showcasing diverse voices and talent within the AAPI community.
Highlights from the evening included:
• Joan Chen received the Career Achievement Award, celebrating her impressive body of work and her recent acclaimed role in Focus Features’ film Dìdi (弟弟), which won the Audience Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
• Lee Jung-jae was honored with the Trailblazer Award. Known for his groundbreaking work on Netflix’s Squid Game, Lee made history as the first Asian man to win an Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama Series and for a non-English role.
• Ronny Chieng, comedian and actor, earned the Comedy Award for his contributions to The Daily Show, which recently won its second consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series.
• Samantha Quan was recognized with the Producer Award for her work on NEON’s Anora, which took home the Palme d’Or at Cannes and has seen a record-breaking box-office run since its October 18 release.
• Dolly de Leon received the Supporting Actress Award – Film for her performance in Ghostlight, which debuted at Sundance to rave reviews, quickly becoming one of the year’s most acclaimed films.
• Utkarsh Ambudkar was awarded the Actor Award – Series for his role in CBS’ Ghosts, a show celebrating its fourth season this month.
• Ken Leung took home the Supporting Actor Award – Series for his work in HBO’s Industry, which was recently renewed for a fourth season.
• The Animation Award went to directors David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller, and producers Christina Chen and Yvett Merino for Disney’s Moana 2, whose trailer broke Disney and Pixar’s record for most views.
• Sue Kim was honored with the Documentary Award for her Apple Original Films production The Last of the Sea Women, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. STARZ granted Kim’s award a special #TakeTheLead designation, underscoring its commitment to underrepresented voices.
• Jimmy O. Yang received the Breakthrough Actor Award for Hulu’s Interior Chinatown, adapted from Charles Yu’s National Book Award-winning novel. • Kekoa Scott Kekumano, a native Hawaiian, accepted the Rising Star Award for his role in Fox’s Rescue: HI-Surf, filmed on Oahu’s North Shore.
• Julia S. Gouw, trustee of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, was presented with the Industry Leadership Award for her enduring advocacy for AAPI representation in entertainment. Reflecting on the event, Kylie Mar, CCA member and co-programmer for the Celebration, remarked, “We are immensely proud to return for a third year to showcase these incredible projects and highlight the work of these extraordinary individuals from the AAPI community.”
Sponsors of the 2024 Celebration of AAPI Cinema & Television included Delta Air Lines, IMDbPro, Julia S. Gouw, Milagro Tequila, and STARZ #TakeTheLead, with Dell Technologies and FIJI Water as event partners. The evening was produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates. This year’s Celebration of AAPI Cinema & Television underscored the Critics Choice Association’s dedication to elevating AAPI talent and contributions in the entertainment industry.
– Virág Vida –
