IN CELEBRATION OF API EXCELLENCE IN ENTERTAINMENT
Presented by GoldenTV and Character Media, the ceremony will stream as a special on Friday, March 13 from 6-8 PM PT on GoldenTV
Los Angeles, CA (March 8, 2026) — On Saturday, March 7, GoldenTV and Character Media hosted the 23rd Annual Unforgettable Awards, the entertainment industry’s premier and longest-running annual celebration honoring Asian and Pacific Islander excellence in film, television, and culture, held at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The ceremony drew a star-studded audience of actors, musicians, media personalities, and industry leaders across the Asian and Pacific Islander entertainment community.
The evening celebrated a distinguished slate of honorees representing some of the most influential Asian and Pacific Islander voices in entertainment today. Honorees included Chloé Zhao, who received the Global Icon Award presented by Charles Melton; Bowen Yang (The Wedding Banquet), who received the Actor in Film Award presented by Atsuko Okatsuka; Lawrence Shou (Rosemead), who received the Breakout in Film Award presented by Izaac Wang; Te Ao o Hinepehinga (Chief of War), who received the Breakout in Television Award presented by Anna Cathcart and Sang Heon Lee (XO, Kitty); Lloyd Lee Choi (Lucky Lu), who received the Writer Award presented by Lee Sung Jin; Arden Cho and Ji-young Yoo of KPop Demon Hunters, who received the Vanguard Award presented by the cast of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender; Leenda Dong, who received the Digital Influencer Award presented by Alan Chikin Chow; and Jet Tila, who received the Culinary Excellence in Media Award presented by Kristen Kish. Additional honors included the Director Award presented by Kieu Chinh to Park Chan-wook for No Other Choice, and the Actor in Television Award presented by Reina Hardesty to Daniel Dae Kim for Butterfly. Both Park and Kim shared pre-recorded acceptance messages during the ceremony.
During the evening, guests were treated to live performances from global singer-songwriter and television personality Eric Nam (The Traitors), magician and mentalist Kevin Li (America’s Got Talent), singer Peng Peng, and singer-songwriter Sinéad Harnett. Additional featured presenters included Selection Committee Co-Chair Fala Chen (Ballad of a Small Player), Chrishell Stause (Selling Sunset, The Traitors), Lewis Tan (Cobra Kai, Mortal Kombat II), Kevin Woo (KPop Demon Hunters), and Randall Park (The Residence).
The ceremony will stream as a live-to-tape special on Friday, March 13, from 6–8 PM PT on GoldenTV, available on Xumo Play and the GoldenTV app. The broadcast will be preceded by the official red carpet pre-show from 5:30–6 PM PT, hosted by stand-up comedian John Dela Cruz, best known as Nurse John.
Event Highlights:
- Opening the ceremony, GoldenTV CEO Takashi Cheng welcomed guests and underscored the mission behind the Unforgettable Awards, sharing, “Unforgettable is not only a celebration of achievement, but also a reminder of our responsibility to keep building opportunity, access, and visibility for those who follow.”
- Charles Melton presented the Global Icon Award to Academy Award-winning filmmaker and current nominee Chloé Zhao, praising her visionary storytelling and the emotional depth of her work calling her “one of our greatest storytellers” and stated “We need her films. We need her voice. We need her way. Chloé Zhao for president.”
- Accepting the honor, Chloé Zhao reflected on the power of storytelling and creativity, sharing that “it is the birthright of every human being to use their creativity to alchemize their life experiences.” She also expressed pride in her heritage, noting “I’m very proud to be Chinese, and the wisdom of my ancestors is not lost on me. I work very hard every day to rediscover it and remember it.”
- Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka presented the Actor in Film Award to Bowen Yang for his performance in The Wedding Banquet, praising Yang’s “fearless, razor-sharp timing and the rare ability to make even the most chaotic characters lovable.”
- Accepting the honor, Bowen Yang reflected on the evolving visibility of Asian and Pacific Islander artists in entertainment, sharing “I’m so happy and lucky that it’s starting to change now because of rooms like this, because of events like Unforgettable, where we can see each other and go from the third person to the first with ourselves.” He added, “It’s called a glow for a reason. We are lit from within. We are incandescent.”
- One of the evening’s highlights was magician and mentalist Kevin Li, who delivered a mind-blowing interactive segment, engaging audience members including Randall Park, Ji-young Yoo, Elizabeth Yoo, and JR De Guzman in a series of surprising moments that left the room stunned.
- The Unforgettable Awards closed with a performance from The Traitors Season 4 finalist Eric Nam who performed his latest single, “How the Fire Started” and “Congratulations.”
- In addition to their Unforgettable Award, honorees took home a gift from Dior.
- Notable guests in attendance included Adele Lim (Joy Ride, Crazy Rich Asians), Alicia Hannah-Kim (Cobra Kai), Bao Nguyen (Director, BTS: The Return, The Greatest Night in Pop), Brandon Finn (Chief of War), Chris Pang (Interior Chinatown, Crazy Rich Asians), Christine Ko (Dave, Ghosts), Dante Basco (One Big Happy Family, Hook), Devin Kawaoka (Shrinking), Ellen K (Radio Personality), Gia Kim (XO, Kitty), Hudson Yang (Fresh off the Boat), Jabari Banks (Bel-Air), Jack Champion (Avatar: Fire and Ash), Janet Yang (Producer), Jeff Timmons (98 Degrees), JR De Guzman (Comedian), Justin Chien (The Brothers Sun), Lindsay Price, Liza Soberano (Lisa Frankstein), Maria Zhang (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Minyeong Choi (XO, Kitty), Regan Aliyah (XO, Kitty), Sam Song Li (The Brothers Sun), Selena Lee (The Queen of the News), Shota Nakajima (Top Chef: Portland), Sisa Grey (Chief of War), Stephanie Sugnami, Tia Carrere (Lilo & Stitch), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (XO, Kitty), and more.
GoldenTV and Character Media’s 23rd Annual Unforgettable Awards is executive produced by Kelly Mi Li and Kimmie Kim. Sponsors for this year’s ceremony include presenting sponsor iHeartMedia, along with VeVe, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel, and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF).
For more information on the Unforgettable Awards, visit UnforgettableAwards.com. Stay connected by following Unforgettable Awards, GoldenTV and Character Media and using the hashtag #UNFO on social media.
About the Unforgettable Awards
Founded in 2002, the Unforgettable Awards is an annual black-tie event honoring Asian Pacific Islander luminaries in entertainment, arts, and culture. The show unites hundreds of industry leaders and artists each year in celebration of creativity, representation, and community.
About GoldenTV
GoldenTV is the nation’s leading AAPI entertainment platform dedicated to celebrating AAPI voices across film, television, digital content and live events. Through premium programming and signature cultural moments, including the annual Unforgettable Awards, GoldenTV is expanding the reach and influence of diverse AAPI storytelling globally.
As part of its long-term vision, GoldenTV is actively driving multicultural alliances across the media landscape, building strategic partnerships that expand representation, foster cross-cultural collaboration and create scalable platforms for diverse creators to thrive. By uniting industry leaders, storytellers and brands, GoldenTV is shaping a more connected and inclusive future for entertainment.
