At the 33rd Golden Eagle Awards on Sept 29, Yu Hewei won Best Actor and Song Jia Best Actress. Zhu Yawen and Mei Ting took supporting honors. Chen Li won Best Director. "Tree of Life" won Best Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress. Eight dramas received Excellence Awards, all grounded in realism.
On the evening of September 29, the 33rd China TV Golden Eagle Awards ceremony came to a close in Changsha. The full list of winners quickly spread, circulating widely across numerous social media groups for middle-aged and older adults in less than half a day; even people who don’t usually spend much time online were sharing the news with one another.
At this year’s Golden Eagle Awards, there were no superficial works built solely on the popularity of internet stars. Of the 719 entries submitted, 36 were nominated, with realist works and major revolutionary historical works making up the bulk of the nominations.
Yu Hewei won Best Actor for *The Glory of Silence*. In the series, he plays Wu Shi, an undercover intelligence agent. Having previously been nominated for the Golden Eagle Awards multiple times but always falling just short of the trophy, he finally fulfilled his dream this time. In his acceptance speech, he said, “The greatest joy for an actor is to get close to the soul of a character.”
Song Jia won Best Actress for *When the Mountain Flowers Bloom*. On stage, she said, “Our sincerity toward our roles, our reverence for our work, and our perseverance in pursuing what we love are all equally important.”
Zhu Yawen won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Zhao Kuangyin in *The Year of Great Peace*, while Mei Ting won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Zhang Qinqin, a doctor providing aid to Tibet, in *The Tree of Life*.Chen Li won Best Director of a Television Series for *Glory in Blood*. *The Tree of Life* led the nominations with seven and ultimately took home three awards: Best Television Series, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress.
Eight productions were named Outstanding TV Series: *My Altay*, *The Origin of All Things*, *Years of Peace*, *When the Mountain Flowers Bloom*, *Years in the Northwest*, *The Silent Glory*, *I Am a Detective*, and *Glory in Blood*.
Among them, *The Birth of All Things* is particularly noteworthy. Adapted from writer Zhao Defa’s *Tender Bonds and Resolute Breakups*—which was shortlisted for the Mao Dun Literature Prize—the series is set against the backdrop of land changes in rural southern Shandong and chronicles the fortunes and misfortunes of two generations of the Ning, Feng, and Fei families.After premiering on CCTV-8 this past August, the series topped the ratings, peaking at 2.68. The revised edition of the original novel has remained on bestseller lists for an extended period, and the line from the book—“If people do not shortchange the land, the land will not shortchange their bellies”—has resonated with readers of all ages.
Previously, there were frequent voices within the industry claiming that some TV dramas were detached from reality and lacked authenticity. The results of this year’s Golden Eagle Awards serve as clear evidence that a creative approach rooted in reality and grounded in pragmatism has not only gained market recognition but also resonated with the viewing preferences of the general audience.
