Star Awards 2016: The Dream Makers 2 leads with 25 nominations

The Dream Makers 2 turned in a stellar report card clocking a whopping 25 nominations – across both acting performances and technical categories – for this year’s Star Awards 2016.

Actresses in the 32-part series dominated the Best Actress category, taking three out of five slots, and will see Jeanette Aw, Rui En and Zoe Tay go up against each other for the top accolade.

The drama is also repped by actors Qi Yuwu and Romeo Tan who are in the running for the Best Actor award, Edwin Goh and Zhang Zhen Huan who are in the running for the Best Supporting Actor award and Julie Tan, who is nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her turn as Dong Zi Huai.

Long-form drama series 118, which is slated for a comeback later this year, is shaping up to be a tough competitor with a plethora of first-time nominees in the cast: Chen Hanwei is nominated for Best Actor award, Ya Hui is nominated for Best Actress award, Chen Tian Wen is nominated for Best Supporting Actor award and Carrie Wong and Sheila Sim are in the running for Best Supporting Actress award.

Mid-year blockbuster series The Journey: Our Homeland has two strong candidates, Shaun Chen and Andie Chen, vying for the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor award respectively, with the former getting nominated, again, in the same category for his 2015 award-winning role.

Actors Ian Fang and Bonnie Loo from one of 2015’s top-rated drama series Tiger Mum are also recognised for their acting roles with nominations in the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories.

Rounding up the nomination list is two-time Best Actor Award winner Christopher Lee (nominated for Best Actor award for Crescendo), last year’s Best Actress Award winner Rebecca Lim (nominated for Best Actress award for Sealed With A Kiss) and third-time Best Supporting Actress nominee Paige Chua (nominated for Best Supporting Actress award for Good Luck).

‘Unbelievable’ break out star of 2015, Tian Wen, who has been in the industry since 1984, said his first Star Awards acting nomination since 1997 is better late than never. “I’m really happy to with this career breakthrough… but the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment, so I’m just going to let nature take its course.”

Things took an emotional turn for fellow nominee, Ian, who said he felt tears welling up when his manager told him the good news last night.

“I have quite a rebellious image and most people don’t have a good impression of me. But through my role in Tiger Mum I was able to showcase a different side of myself. I’m really lucky and this Best Supporting Actor nomination is a form of affirmation for me,” he said in a phone interview with Toggle.

(Continued on next page)