The 8^th edition of the prestigious Asia Artist Awards was a night that recognized Asian talent, putting a spotlight on artists’ achievements in Asian film, music, and TV. Filipino Hallyu fans flocked to the Philippine Arena on Dec. 14 as the Philippines hosted its first AAA.

Over 50 artists were in attendance. Aside from South Korean actors and musicians, some of the brightest Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino stars also graced the awards ceremony. It was also the first time for some artists — NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, ZEROBASEONE, and more — to visit the Philippines. This added to the excitement that was building up even before the ceremony. Fans were excited to finally see their favorites in person and not just on a screen.

FAN ZONE

Even before the red carpet event started, different fandoms came together at the fan zone area, located at the Philippine Sports Stadium, where they had various activities and fan projects. They prepared freebies, food, games, and message walls, among others. It was also an opportunity for them to meet fellow fans and show their support and love for their favorite artists.

RED CARPET

TV personality and comedian Ryan Bang hosted the AAA red carpet. His humor and versatility didn’t go unnoticed as he welcomed celebrities and made them feel comfortable since he interacted and communicated using different languages: Korean, English, Japanese, and Filipino.

Fans also finally caught a glimpse of their favorite stars as they posed for the members of the press.

ASIA ARTIST AWARDS

Filipino talent also shone that night. Melai Cantiveros-Francisco made waves on X and entertained the crowd when she interacted with IVE’s Jang Wonyoung, one of the event emcees. Melai’s acceptance speech for her Best Actor award was widely reposted on X and earned dozens of replies because of her humor. Actors Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla received the Fabulous Award. Meanwhile, folk-pop band Ben&Ben bagged the Best Choice Award, and SB19 won the Hot Trend and Best Artist (Singer) awards. The P-pop group was also one of the first performers during the event.

The grand prize winners that night were Lim Young-woong (Fandom of the Year), SEVENTEEN’s BSS (Performance of the Year), Stray Kids (Stage of the Year), SEVENTEEN (Album of the Year — “FML”), New Jeans (Song of the Year — “Ditto”; Singer of the Year), and Lee Junho (Actor of the Year).

The show, which ran for more than six hours, brought us a lot of unforgettable moments and performances. Among the performers, K-pop groups NewJeans and LE SSERAFIM showcased their talent with their powerful stages, while SEVENTEEN’S BSS closed the awards ceremony with a 12-minute high-energy performance.

This year’s Asia Artist Awards put a spotlight on the talent of Asian actors and musicians, and it was also a testament to the deep connection between artists and fans.

Awards Ceremony Photos: AAA Organizing Committee

The 2023 ASIA ARTIST AWARDS was made possible through the efforts of StarNews, TONZ Entertainment, and PULP Live World.