Singapore's Star Awards 2021: Venue change, surprising winners, and... booing?

The Singapore Star Awards is an awards ceremony that is held annually, to celebrate the successes of Singapore’s TV and film acting industry. The tradition first started in 1994 and it is deemed to be Singapore’s equivalent of the Emmys.

(Image: Mediacorp, j_o_a_n_n_a_d_o_n_g on Instagram)

Of course, COVID-19 has affected the hosting of many public events on a nationwide scale and caused the cancellation of the 2020 Star Awards. But, Channel News Asia reports that Mediacorp managed to revive the event and bring this year’s Star Awards to a whole new level by deciding to host the event at Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport instead of Mediacorp’s headquarters.

(Image: changiairport on Instagram)

For many, it symbolized a nationwide longing for travel. Channel News Asia reports that what made the location meaningful for both audiences and the artistes alike was how it represented Singapore's once strong pride in being known as a global tourism and transport hub.

Jewel Changi being closed just one year after it opened its doors to Singaporean and visitors alike was seen as a real shame for many.

With hosting the Star Awards 2021 in Jewel Changi, Mediacorp helped to ease the nostalgia that was felt for the location, bringing life, albeit for a short time, to Jewel Changi -- a location once bustling with grandeur pre-covid.

In an interview with 8days, Jean Toh tells of the reason behind choosing Jewel Changi as the event’s venue:
“Since everyone can’t travel now and misses flying, we felt it would be great to take the audience to areas that we won’t have access to, like the T4 transit area, boarding gates, tarmac, and showcase the artistes in their glamorous airport fashion,”

“And of course we can’t miss Jewel ‘cos it’s internationally renowned and an iconic landmark of Singapore. It is also to show everyone that Singapore is ready to take flight again.”

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From Today, what was most spectacular other than the hosting of Star Awards 2021 in Jewel Changi was that Mediacorp managed to gain access and allow for celebrities to have a runway show on the airport's runway, and with special care take into choosing which Singapore Airlines airbus plane to serve as the runway’s backdrop, Channel News Asia reports.

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Our congratulations to the winners and nominees for the Singapore 2021 Star Awards!

That said, there are other interesting surprises and upsets that happened during the event. Read on to find out what they are.

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With winning the 2021 Best Actress award, Zoe Tay has now added a new one to her collection of three separate Best Actress awards earned in 1996, 2017 and 2019. From 8days, the actress herself was stunned and surprised from being named this year’s best actress winner.

(Image: zoetay10 on Instagram)

Joanna Dong is a Singaporean singer who is most known for being the second runner-up winner of ‘Sing! China’ in 2017. However, the talented songstress was booed online for her rendition of Mavis Hee’s ‘Moonlight in the City’ during the 2021 Star Awards, Mothership reports, who much preferred Mavis Hee’s original to Joanna Dong’s jazz-inspired version.

(Image: j_o_a_n_n_a_d_o_n_g on Instagram)

What was interesting about the 2021 Star Awards was that Ella Chen, a Taiwanese celebrity and member of one of the world’s most successful mandopop girl band S.H.E, was present at the awards -- albeit virtually. From Today, the singer-actress and television host was the guest presenter for the Top 10 Most Popular Male and Female Artistes category.

Today reported that not only was Taiwanese celebrity Ella Chen present at the Singapore Star Awards, several big-name celebrities from Hong Kong and Taiwan also joined in virtually and attended the event in spirit. The list includes Kevin Tsai, Matilda Tao, James Wen, Lau Dan, Gordon Lam, Sandra Ng, Chung Hsin-ling, and Lawrence Cheng.

Many were surprised by the announcement of the winners of the 2021 Star Awards’ Popularity Award. From Channel News Asia, celebrities Felicia Chin, Xu Bin and Chantelle Ng who were huge fan-favourites and expected to win surprisingly lost out to old-timer actors like Marcus Chin, Dennis Chew and Jesseca Liu.

(Image: iamfeliciachin, xubin_ on Instagram)

From Today, one awardee who made everyone puzzled by his response to receiving the Star Awards was actor, host and comedian Marcus Chin. Marcus Chin was reportedly more elated to win the Best Radio Programme award with his co-hosts Mark Lee, Dennis Chew, and Chen Biyu, than the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artiste award.

(Image: marcus.chenjianbin on Instagram)

When Mothership first noted that Elvin Ng’s ombre outfit looked a lot like Singaporean and Malaysian drink ‘Bandung’, many agreed and made memes about it! The actor himself also acknowledged the comments about his outfit and chimed in later on Instagram, posing with a cup of unstirred Bandung -- all in good humor.

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Ann Kok is one of Mediacorp’s senior actresses who surprisingly took a hiatus and left Mediacorp in 2014. Despite being back in acting, Ann Kok told Today that she was worried that her 2013 win would be her last due to award restrictions. With the change in rules, Ann Kok was finally eligible again to be nominated for the Top 10 Most Popular category and won the award. Congratulations!

(Image: ann_kok on Instagram)

Joanne Peh’s look on the Star Awards 2021 was styled by celebrity stylist Martin Wong. The celebrity stylist made a bold choice in choosing to style his client with a Harry Winston diamond necklace that costs as much as a studio apartment in Singapore’s Orchard Road, on her neck, 8days reports.

Such extravagance!

(Image: joannepeh on Instagram)