The 20th China Huabiao Film Awards ceremony, held on April 27 in Qingdao, Shandong, saw Zhang Yi and Kara Wai as some of the night’s biggest winners, claiming the Best Actor and Best Actress awards, respectively.
Zhang Yi was honored for his performance in Endless Journey, marking his second Huabiao win after his victory for My People, My Country. The 47-year-old actor is known for his portrayals of raw, grounded characters in serious genres that range from military to crime. After his win, Zhang Yi announced that he would temporarily step back from acting to recharge, leaving him just one award away from completing the Grand Slam of China’s Major Film Awards, with only the Feitian Award left to secure.
Kara Wai, at 65, made history by becoming the first actress from Hong Kong to win the Outstanding Actress award at the Huabiao for the film Love Never Ends. She tearfully shared her dedication to cinema, “If I can’t make movies, I don’t know what else I would do,” she said, vowing to keep acting with 300% effort as long as audiences would have her.
Wang Yibo, who arrived late due to a racing event and was nominated for his role in One and Only, ultimately missed out on the Best Actor award. Nonetheless, it’s a huge nod for the Chinese actor and dancer who’s just 27 years old. On the actresses’ side, Ma Li was also among the frontrunners for her movie Article 20. Both are seasoned actresses though Kara Wai ended up taking home the honor.
