TVB may still have a long way to go in terms of its working conditions, but this year turned out to be yet another fair year for the anniversary awards, if not
the most fair in a while.
Best Theme Song: "The More Difficult It Is to Love" by Jinny Ng, "Line Walker"
No surprises here, though I would have preferred Fred Cheng's theme for "Overachievers" to win. I do like the song and it is one of the most memorable of the year, but wish it wasn't so overused in "Line Walker," having been played throughout all of the major couples' scenes.
Most Improved Actor and Actress: Louis Cheung and Priscilla Wong
We all knew Louis was going home with something - it was just a question of whether he would nab the Most Improved Actor award or Best Supporting. Despite having just recently signed with TVB, I still think he is overqualified and of best supporting-caliber, but the competition in that category was just too stiff. I'm still very happy for Louis and know he will be bringing home that Best Supporting Actor award soon. He was definitely a stand out and favorite by colleagues and viewers alike this year, and you can tell just by the amount of cheering and applause when his name was called during the presenting of the nominations.
Some people argue that Priscilla's win was the one thing that kept it from being a perfectly fair awards year. I beg to differ. Priscilla really did not have much competition, especially with two nominees being newcomers and only Samantha Ko as a close contender. Priscilla won in spite of being supposedly frozen by TVB, and I think that shows the company is willing to put aside their differences. I know a lot of people disagree, but I personally really like Priscilla and hope to continue seeing her improve and prove those who criticize her wrong.
Best Supporting Actor and Actress: Ram Chiang for "Come On, Cousin" and Josie Ho for "Tomorrow is Another Day"
While Louis was my personal choice for Best Supporting Actor, no doubt Ram deserved this award. In fact, it ended up being the win the audience and I was most happy about. The moment he won was the most touching of the awards show, with everyone getting up for a standing ovation, and Wong Cho Lam literally jumping out of his seat and hugging him out of happiness. Ram has long been one of my favorite veteran actors and I couldn't be more pleased with how things turned out.
Perhaps the most relieving moment though was Benz not announcing Sharon's name for Best Supporting Actress. Josie's win was the most surprising as there was not much speculation about her being a top contender, but I'm very happy TVB decided to award the one who received the most critical acclaim though "Tomorrow is Another Day" did not receive large media attention. It was also nice seeing Josie accept the award in person, as many non-signed artists do not attend at all.
My Favorite Male and Female Characters: Benz Hui and Charmaine Sheh for "Line Walker"
Unsurprisingly and deservingly, Benz won Favorite Male Character. Sure Raymond Lam is always a contender in this category, but no doubt Foon Hei Gor was the most popular and beloved character of the year, whose presence was dearly missed after drawing his last breath in "Line Walker." Come on, who else did you think would win? It worked out perfectly too, because though on merit of performance and material alone Benz gave the most Best Supporting-worthy portrayal, the ultimate results allowed talents Benz, Ram, and Louis to all receive recognition.
Charmaine won Favorite Female Character with an overwhelming majority, and my only response is: Duh. Poor thing thought she lost the race for Best Actress when receiving this award, when it turned out everyone just really loved her this year.
Best Actor and Actress: Roger Kwok for "Black Heart White Soul" and Charmaine Sheh for "Line Walker"
Strangely enough, the categories with the least competition this year were the highest honors of TV King and Queen. Roger and Charmaine (the former who had an overwhelming majority of TVB executive votes, while the latter who literally captured them all) won with no controversy and surprise.
Sure there was no worthy competition this year, but I don't think that undermines Roger's win one bit. He may have won Best Actor twice back in 2003 and 2005, but this is his first win for a dramatic performance, which I think is Roger at his best. TVB should be grateful to have such a versatile actor who is so loyal to the company. His acceptance speech was sweet and touching, and I'm sure his kids are proud.
I'm of course also happy for Charmaine, but not overly excited since there really was no other contender that could come close to touching her. Her portrayal of Nail isn't necessarily new, but it's certainly Charmaine at her best.
Best Drama: "Line Walker"
And another "duh" moment here. Definitely the most entertaining series of the year, though it noticeably wavered towards the end. "Line Walker" possessed a strong cast ensemble that was boosted by, though not an amazing script, a pretty good one that did not rely on casting to keep the series afloat.
Final Thoughts
What can I say? Either I'm overjoyed, or I'm content with the winners. It's nice to see TVB not pulling fast balls at us anymore (except of the pleasant kind). With much love, congratulations to all the winners!
