Up-and-coming actors not among Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes nominees

Last year, the "8 Dukes of Caldecott Hill" made headlines and graced the covers of local publications.

But it seems three of the eight dukes - referring to a collective of "pretty boy" MediaCorp actors - were not popular enough to get nominated for the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes at the upcoming Star Awards in April.

The list of 40 nominees for the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes and Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes categories were released on Monday night.

To the shock of many fans, prolific local newcomer Aloysius Pang, last year's Top 10 placer Zhang Zhen Huan and former Star Search champion Jeffrey Xu were not in the running.

Pang, who is up for three other awards at the upcoming Star Awards (Best Newcomer, Best Supporting Actor and Favourite Male Character), said: "I feel all right. I think being nominated for the other three awards is good enough."

The 24-year-old added: "I would like to console my fans and supporters. I feel that I have let them down."

Pang, who made his showbiz debut in 2012, felt he did not make the cut because he has not been in the industry long enough.

"Or it could be that I am not popular enough," he speculated.

"It could also be that the competition among the male actors is too tough. I am only a newcomer, it is understandable."

Last year, he starred in several local dramas, including football-themed series World At Your Feet and crime thriller Against The Tide.

More recently, Pang appeared in medical drama You Can Be An Angel Too and the recently concluded Chinese New Year series, Good Luck.

The list of nominees for the Top 10 category was determined by responses to a survey taken by 1,000 respondents, representative of the local population.

The respondents, who were randomly selected by an independent market research company, scored each artist in the survey.

The scores were collated by the company before the nominees list was generated.

Another "duke" who was dropped from the list this year is China-born actor Zhang, who won the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artiste award for the first time last year.

The 31-year-old, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor, told The New Paper yesterday: "I was quite shocked and disappointed as I had expected to be nominated.

"I thought about it and I still cannot figure out the reason why."

Last year, Zhang acted in World At Your Feet, Against The Tide and long-running drama 118.

He added: "There is no time to stay upset for long. In the entertainment industry, everything is unpredictable. I need to start afresh and hope to do even better."

OTHER SURPRISES

The Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes category sprung some surprises as well, with actresses Pan Lingling and Yvonne Lim glaringly left out.

According to the nomination criteria, the artist has to appear in at least one Channel 8 or Channel U show, and 50 per cent of it has to be aired during the qualifying period.

Last year, Pan, 44, was on long medical leave due to her cancer battle.

The only drama she was in, 118, is still on air now, and did not qualify for this year's Star Awards as it did not fulfil the 50 per cent rule.

Lim, 38, starred in World At Your Feet and Blessings but was mysteriously excluded despite having a strong fanbase and placing in the Top 10 last year.

Meanwhile, newcomers Shane Pow, Carrie Wong, Jayley Woo and Youyi were nominated for the first time.

Wong, 20, who was also nominated for Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actress, told TNP: "It is so surreal and unbelievable. I didn't think it would come so fast.

"I don't carry the hope of taking home the award but I feel blessed and lucky for this chance."

She added: "However, I hope to take home at least one out of the three awards. My parents are excited for me, so I don't want to disappoint them."

This article was first published on March 11, 2015.
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