The Star Awards 2026 nominee list is now out, and though Emerald Hill has dominated with nods in almost every acting category, artistes from popular dramas like Another Wok Of Life and The Gift Of Time also made the cut.
Among them is seven-time Best Actor Chen Hanwei. The 56-year-old Ah Ge was, once again, nominated for Best Actor for his performance as a terminally ill cancer patient in The Gift Of Time.
Xie Shaoguang and Chen Hanwei in The Gift Of Time (Photo: Mediacorp)
Not long after the nominations were announced, it was revealed that Xie Shaoguang, 64, Chen's co-star in the show, had asked to be left out of the Star Awards nominations as he considers himself “semi-retired”.
"I would rather the spotlight be left to the outstanding actors who are actively working now, so they may have more opportunities to shine," he said.
Xie's appearance in the drama marked his long-awaited return since leaving the industry in 2005, and fans were thrilled at the idea of Chen going head-to-head with him at this year’s awards. But alas, the actor decided that the awards were no longer for him.
The news sparked a heated online debate, with the conversation quickly involving Chen and his 16th Best Actor nomination. Many debated over whether he should take a page from Xie's book and step aside to give younger actors a shot at the title as well.
Speaking to Chinese-language newspaper Zaobao about his nomination and Xie's withdrawal, Chen said: "I'm very grateful just to be nominated, it's the warmest encouragement I can receive. I persist because of [the] support, and I am thankful for everyone's trust."
Does that mean Chen plans to stay in the running because of his supporters?
Turns out, Chen had actually given his stance on the topic during an interview with Zaobao three years ago.
When asked for his view on whether he should withdraw from the awards, he explained at the time: “The company has their own plans and standpoints. You can’t withdraw just because you were nominated and didn’t win, or because you keep winning. Unless it’s like the Most Popular Artiste award, where the company specifies that after 10 wins you can’t be nominated again, I must respect the company’s system."
He added: "If other actors stopped after winning several awards, then who would compete in the future?”
Still, some netizens believe that Chen should “step aside” to give younger artistes a chance to shine, while others have continued to express disappointment that they won’t get to see what they were hoping would be a showdown between Chen and Xie after all.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
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Among them is seven-time Best Actor Chen Hanwei. The 56-year-old Ah Ge was, once again, nominated for Best Actor for his performance as a terminally ill cancer patient in The Gift Of Time.
Xie Shaoguang and Chen Hanwei in The Gift Of Time (Photo: Mediacorp)
Not long after the nominations were announced, it was revealed that Xie Shaoguang, 64, Chen's co-star in the show, had asked to be left out of the Star Awards nominations as he considers himself “semi-retired”.
"I would rather the spotlight be left to the outstanding actors who are actively working now, so they may have more opportunities to shine," he said.
Xie's appearance in the drama marked his long-awaited return since leaving the industry in 2005, and fans were thrilled at the idea of Chen going head-to-head with him at this year’s awards. But alas, the actor decided that the awards were no longer for him.
The news sparked a heated online debate, with the conversation quickly involving Chen and his 16th Best Actor nomination. Many debated over whether he should take a page from Xie's book and step aside to give younger actors a shot at the title as well.
Speaking to Chinese-language newspaper Zaobao about his nomination and Xie's withdrawal, Chen said: "I'm very grateful just to be nominated, it's the warmest encouragement I can receive. I persist because of [the] support, and I am thankful for everyone's trust."
Does that mean Chen plans to stay in the running because of his supporters?
Turns out, Chen had actually given his stance on the topic during an interview with Zaobao three years ago.
When asked for his view on whether he should withdraw from the awards, he explained at the time: “The company has their own plans and standpoints. You can’t withdraw just because you were nominated and didn’t win, or because you keep winning. Unless it’s like the Most Popular Artiste award, where the company specifies that after 10 wins you can’t be nominated again, I must respect the company’s system."
He added: "If other actors stopped after winning several awards, then who would compete in the future?”
Still, some netizens believe that Chen should “step aside” to give younger artistes a chance to shine, while others have continued to express disappointment that they won’t get to see what they were hoping would be a showdown between Chen and Xie after all.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
Continue reading...