Gong Li Calls Golden Horse Awards Meaningless; Will Never Participate Again
Gong Li (鞏俐) has won international accolades in her career, including the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival, and serving on the judging panel for the Berlin Film Festival. She was, however, particularly disappointed when she failed to win Best Actress at the recently concluded 51st Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, which she criticized as unfair in its voting system.
Through her manager, Gong Li questioned why the nominating panel who selects the initial nominees are allowed to vote again with the jurors on the final results. Since she believes such a voting system produces unfair results, Gong Li said this will be her last time attending the Golden Horse Awards.
Gong Li was nominated for the award based on her role as an amnesiac woman in the film, Going Home <歸來>. She was a hot favorite, and many pundits had expected her to win. To everyone’s surprise, the winner of Best Actress turned out to be Chen Shiang Chyi (陳湘琪), a relative unknown who played the role of a sexually frustrated, menopausal woman in the Indie film, Exit <迴光奏鳴曲>. Allegedly, Shiang Chyi had home-ground advantage, and Gong Li merely lost by one vote among the judges.
Many Mainland fans have expressed sentiments that the result at the awards ceremony were unfair. Gong Li said through a shocking statement issued by her manager, “I would like to thank the Golden Horse Awards panel for giving me this opportunity to witness the workings of an unprofessional film festival. A film festival that is biased will cause all the people in the industry to look down on it.”
She added that she liked Taiwan and wished to re-visit Taiwan, but as a tourist and never again as a participant of the “amateurish” and meaningless film festival.
Clarification from the Golden Horse Awards Executive Committee
Rumors also abound that long-time rival, Joan Chen (陳冲), who presided as Chair over the judging panel, had deliberately prevented Gong Li from winning the Best Actress award.
A representative from the Golden Horse Awards executive committee, Shen Ko Shang (沈可尚) clarified that Joan Lin was the first judge to praise Gong Li’s acting during the judging process, and she was equally disappointed by the results but had to respect her fellow judges’ decisions.
There were three rounds of voting in total, with Joan Lin, Aaron Kwok (郭富城), Stanley Kwan (關錦鵬) and Stephen Fung (馮德倫) voting for Gong Li throughout. In the first round, Gong Li, Shiang Chyi and Vicki Zhao (趙薇) were tied. In the second round, Gong Li managed to gain a slight lead ahead of the other two actresses. In the third round, however, someone who had initially voted for Vicki chose to vote for Shiang Chyi instead. Shiang Chyi thus emerged as the winner.
Reactions from the Rest of the Film Industry
Gong Li’s controversial remarks sparked reactions from the film industry. Speaking as Chairperson of the Golden Horse Awards executive committee, Sylvia Chang (張艾嘉) said, “These remarks were not personally made by Gong Li.”
Best Actress winner Chen Shiang Chyi said, “Perhaps Gong Li was too disappointed. To me, I am a winner as long as I performed well, and could love the people I love.”
Scriptwriter Shu Kei (舒琪) was far more hostile in his reaction. In a Facebook post, he said that having talent and popularity did not guarantee one an award, using the example of prominent Hollywood actress, Meryl Streep, who did not always win at the Oscars. He then asked facetiously if Gong Li thought herself better than Meryl Streep? He also remarked that Going Home was a poor movie, with Gong Li’s mediocre performance being the only redeeming factor. He then said that Gong Li might see herself as being on top of the world, but she was, in reality, a frog in the well. Shu Kei concluded his rant by expressing that he would not watch Gong Li’s movies anymore.
Source: Ming Pao
This article is written by Jingles for JayneStars.com.
I like Gong Li. She should have won Golden Horse Award. It’s my first time to see her in Taiwan. It’s great to have her there. It’s not fair for her that she didn’t win.
I used to like her as well but am sooooo disappointed at her remarks. If she feels she is so classy and big,then she should not be acting like this.
I agree with HTS. She seems so arrogant and disrespectful. Really disappointed by her remarks and behaviour
calm down dude. Lol the media loves to write these news and even add a lot of sentences that the celeb themself did not say.
But even if she did say that, well. Everyone can voice out their own opinion right? Regardless if the public like it or not, its her own opinion. She never forced anyone to listen or agree with her.
True,but honestly if she is that great then would she even need any award to show that she is a great actress?
its like in sports. Badminton for example, people live tobsh and hate Lin Dan, they say that he’s aggorant and so on. While they praise Lee C.W for always being the ” Good Boy “. Both are obviously great sportsman. But if you count in achievements, although Lee is great. We cant denie that Lin is Better and possibly is the best out of the best. Thats the same with Gong Li. Years and years later, no one would care wheiter you’re a great actress or a great athlete or not. All that matters is wheiter you’ve won an award or a medal. This is reality.
love to bash *
These type of awards are very subjective, she may feel she have best performance out of the nominees but maybe judges feel different. It’s so tacky to criticize the award show after if you don’t win; Golden Horse Awards is quite legit award also.
I wonder what makes her think the whole judging panel is unfair? So who deserves to win in her opinion? Herself? She just have to suck it up. Being in the industry for a long time doesn’t always guarantee you an award.
I was never interested in any movie awards as today china and hong kong movie is a disaster and too artistic and bored as hell in my taste… just by reading this article she seem like a whining b**** who can’t accept the fact she lost, but then if she was favorite to win, since when awards show has been fair?!? You choose this career follow the game rules, nothing is fair in this business.
just blame on the filmfestival just because she didnt win?,lol,bad loser and no style.
Classier than you atleast.
I wonder why my inoffensive comments were being erased. Perhaps I wasn’t siding Gong Li?
What a sour puss and sore loser, poor sportsmanship.
can’t believe she will say that. sore loser.
Here we go, redux of the Mark Chao vs Vic Zhou Golden Bell controversy. At least at the time Vic did not blast the award system, leaving the dirty work to his legions of fans, whom to this date, still seething at the mention of Mark Chao.
BTW, the Golden Horse was held on the 22nd and, unlike in other sites, not a beep here until this article which primarily focuses on the controversy. What gives?
Is the Golden Horse less prestigious than say the TVB whatever award?
Why are you comparing apples and oranges?
PS: both are totally unfair and biased by the way.
HKFA fares better (although not without its biases) most of the time the results are fair.
I think you’ve completely missed my point, which is to say Jaynestar had devoted so many articles on the TVB awards and not even one on the results of the Golden Horse until this one
No, the Golden Horse are one of the most prestigious awards for China/HK/TW film. Even if you don’t agree with the award results, it’s hailed as the “Chinese” Oscars.
No
Isn’t it public knowledge that the Golden Horse Awards is a huge joke? I was totally done with them after Aaron Kwok won in 2005 with his mediocre overacting over Tony Leung Ka Fai. And he won more than once I believe. I have nothing against Aaron Kwok but objectively he’s just not a good or consistent actor.
I’m not a Gong Li fan but she’s right: the GHA is totally biased and unfair.
I can’t believe he won for ‘After the Exile’. That was 2 hours of awful. Only good scene was Charlie Young in bed.
Whether anyone is a good actor or not is down to each individual’s opinion. But just because someone we like to win does not win,does not necessarily make the awards a joke. If any of us think that way,how different are we from Gong Li? From what I know, the Golden horse Awards are very prestigious and one of the most credible ones for Asian awards. Now the Tvb awards are something that to me has lost credability for a very long time.
@HeTieShou: I’m not sure how familiar you are with Asian movies or movie award shows (not scrappy tv award shows like TVB) but the Golden Horse Awards have lost their credibility a long time ago.
Have you ever watched Aaron Kwok’s acting in ‘Divergence’? He was panned by movie critics and even I find it hard to stomach the over-the-top acting. Guess what: he won a Golden Horse Award for that. Sorry but Award-deserving-acting is definitely not ‘down to each individual’s opinion’.
True that I am not that familiar with the golden horse awards in the recent years but used to watch them way back in the days. No I have not seen that movie with Aaron. However, just you do not like Aarom in there,does not mean everyone agrees. I do think that award deserving acting has to definately be liked by the majority,but there are still going to,be a number of people that do not like a particular actor/ actress,movie,director,etc…
Aaron’s acting is indeed not very reliable and he tends to overact. Of course he had decent performances too, but I agree he definitely did not deserve to win for Divergence.
Funny how Taiwan seems to favor him. He never even won a HKF Award in Hong Kong (hasn’t even been nominated in the last five years or so despite numorous performances) and he won two in Taiwan.
Chen Shiang Chyi is more unknown than Gong Li, but she has worked extensively with Edward Yang and Tsai Ming Liang, both are top directors of Taiwanese cinema. Either way, I think that both actresses are overdue for the Best Actress Award. Hope Gong Li changes her mind and will consider attending again.
Every award has its winners and losers. Sometimes it just boil down to luck. Just as you felt you deserve to win, other nominees also felt so. Its quite unbecoming of her to make such comments after losing.
Wow Gong Li is so petty.
Gong Li sounds like a sore loser. It’s an award, there’ll always be a loser and winner. Even if you think you’ve done the best, others might not think so. So just suck it up and better lick next year. Stop whinning. It makes you look siu hey and pitiful, desperate for chump change.
Loser.
Chen shaing chyi’s acting was do good. Besides golden horse awards, she also won another awards for best actress. Maybe she isnt not that popular as other nominiees but it doesnt means she is not deserved as best actress.
Best actress awards is for who acting very well.it not based on popularity or an awareness.
Gong li is great actress, but this time, she is sour loser.
Sigh, when she didn’t win, she calls the award meaningless. This is a total disrespect to the winner. She’s a veteran in this industry. She have better manners.
Mean to say ‘She should have better manners’.
LOL why would you said something like that out loud in public. No class for a veteran actress.
Gong Li, what a sore loser & diva.
even though she is a sore loser, i have to agree with her that these awards are a joke. they cater to local actors and films more just like hk film awards and golden rooster award. she has never won a golden horse award even though she has won many international film awards. zhang yimou has never won an hk film best director award.
Any other year, yes, it can be said that the Golden Horse awards cater to local actors and films — but this year especially that is an incorrect statement. Out of the 21 awards given out at the Golden Horse this year, 16 awards went to Mainland China films and/or Mainland China actors/actresses — most of the local films only got minor “technical” awards. So for Gong Li to complain this year and try to make it into a political issue (which is what it is starting to become with Gong Li’s management and fans claiming bias against Mainland China) makes her look especially bad. I would expect more class from an internationally recognized actress like her…yes, she’s a talented actress, but I lost pretty much all respect for her as a person.
I agree and must say that I am very disappointed at Gong Li’s remarks. She is a veteran in this industry so she should have more class. I noticed that many of the winners were from Mainland so what is up with her comments saying that things were not fair. Maybe she thought she was so famous and her performance was the best of all,so she was entitled to an award for sure. Her hopes were too high but were knocked down right away,therefore,I can understand her disappointment at not winning. However her comments were uncalled for and is totally disrespectful to the Golden Horse Awards committee as well as all the winners.
Jiang Qin Qin/Shui Ling’s husband won 3 awards so she was very happy and made some touching comments. Wish that Gong Li was a better sport and should have kept all of those negative comments to herself.
That taiwanese is the sore loser. “Perhaps Gong Li was too disappointed. To me, I am a winner as long as I performed well, and could love the people I love.”
She’s has not even ahieve what Gong Li did at that age. Talking like she’s the worls best. lol sorry chen, u arent. You didnt perform well, you were helped well. Lol
@HeTieShou
The judges obviously are biased towards the home favorite, That Chen girl. C’mon Not even half a million people know who she is like peopke know who Gong Li is. By acting standards and beauty standards, She is not even near Gong Li.
I saw all the performances of all the nominated actresses and I agree with Gong Li, she should’ve won.
And you should try to understand how she feels. Sure, maybe it’s not ‘classy’ to make such statements but to her (and many others) it’s almost like seeing Jacky Cheung and Raymond Lam competing for a singing award and Raymond Lam WINNING said award.
Why would you lose respect for her as a person as she’s just having to courage to say what everyone is thinking anyway. At least she’s not being ‘fake’.
True,that she has the right to say what you wants. However I think she should have chosen more constructive words. Of course who would not be angry thinking they were going to win for sure and then,suddenly losing. The most talented and intelligent person in the world would be unable to accept it as a fact.
mainland films, actors and actresses have done very well for years at the Golden Horse. It was another mainland sweep for this year. Your claim that these awards cater to local actors and films is nonsensical.
Not true. The Best Actor award this year was given to an Ah Tiong. Many Hong Kongers have also won in the past. You really should not speak about things you do not know.
To win any award in cinema or in life, its not just pure talent, it’ll help too by not being a biatch as well.
Agree. Lost respect for Gong Li now. She think she’s so big?
she’s big when you compare her to that taiwanese chick. Gong Li’s even prettier even though Chen is younger than her.
@Han: winning a good actress award shouldn’t depend on individual fame, nor especially being prettier than the competitor. Anyone who picks the winner on this basis isn’t the least bit qualified to be judge.
Totally agree !!
Wonder whether she’ll win/lose other awards after this. LOL 🙂
Yeah, these awards are never really “fair” but I bet you she would be singing a different tune if she won. No class.
She is a talented actress, but there is no guarantee that she will win every time she is being nominated for her role. She should have handled it with class not like a SORE LOSER. She just made herself look really, really bad with that remark. Meryl Streep was nominated 18 times for Oscar Awards (best actress and supporting actress) she won three (3) times. She didn’t win on all her nominations. That is a good example right there.
I understand her sentiments, Don’t we all complain like that as well. But to openly question and make such remarks is the hallmark of a self entitled sore loser. At least respect your opponents. You think Meryl Streep will say that to Jennifer Lawrence when J Law won and J Law was young, new and one of her very first performances as compared to Meryl Streep or Nicole Kidman and the likes? Or Adrien Brody as compared to the veterans he was nominated against? Etc etc? No respect for her.
That taiwanese actress.. Whats her name again???… Uh… She got lucky, i saw her film, her acting was so crappy when you conpare it to Gong Li’s acting. Gong Li’s movie was supposed to be another boring movie yet her performance had made me atleast to change my mind.
Clearly she’s never worked for TVB…
Yup and of course she would think she too great fir TVB.
But she clearly is too great for tvb. ..
This really reminds of the one incident during the Olympics where a gymnast from Russia lost the gold medal to a gymnast from China. The gymnast from Russia got upset and made rude comments like how she was cheated out a gold medal and felt that she should have won instead and not the gymnast from China. It is just so sad when some just think they are entitled to this and that,but when they do not get it,they end up acting like this. Sigh…
Gong Li and the entire Ah Tiong film industry is very Low Class.
Childish, immature and very embarrassing. I am mortified for this petty actress.
Shameful.
I think the voting process is flawed.
The nominating panel once selected the nominees should hands off the judging phase.
This is to avoid conflict, there might be a situation where members of the nominating panel could be voting for the nominees they made earlier.
I dont think this mama makes such comments, the media loves to report the negative
finally someone eho has brains. Media loves to add some other stuffs to what the celebrity actually said. Especially if they come from mainland. ( to make them look bad of course)
Never been a fan of her but if this is true then I’m disappointed. Like someone mentioned above, I expected her to have more class. Not good for her image as an international actress.
there is no such thing as entitled to a prize…one works hard for it…even if he/she doesn’t get it, it means someone else deserves it more.
Ewwww, sore loser !!!
“Shu Kei concluded his rant by expressing that he would not watch Gong Li’s movies anymore.”
Agreed, boycott Gong Li (the adulterer/奸夫) !!!!
then go ahead. A few penny from you is the least that she cares. She has the mainland market to back her up, which is way more than enough.
boycotting Gong Li just because she said her own personal views? You’re the loser here. Hating on Gong Li who’s making million of bucks in mainland. Lets face it, this actress – Chen dude is nothing compared to Gong Li.
Geezus, please stop overrating Western Hollywood actors/actresses. Most of the time these “super” stars play the same character in their movies. Western-worship much, Mr Shoe Kei?
Although im not a fan of Gong Li. I must say that she is much much much much better than the taiwanese actress Chen something.. Way classy than that taiwanese girl. Its obviously a biased judging panel. A mainland actress vs a taiwanese actress. Aint it obvious who’s gonna win.
“Perhaps Gong Li was too disappointed. To me, I am a winner as long as I performed well, and could love the people I love.”
Ohh please, yeah you won one Award. But does that mean you’re gonna aim much more success in the future. No. I saw Chen’s movie, it was crappy. Gong Li certainly gave a much better performance, but then again i’m saying this as a viewer because i’m not a big fan of them both ( i dont know about this Chen girl too much ) . Gong Li deserved to win in all honesty.
Taiwanese and HK people look down on mainland people. They think they are better than them ( which they are not ). Just because there are people from mainlamd whom are rude and impolite, that doesnt mean the rest of them are like that too.
Chen got really really lucky becuase of the biased judges. Its like Justin Bieber losing to some unknown singers ( which is impossible)
Dude, you gotta wake up. Everyone is bashing on Gong Li merely because she’s a mainland actress and she’s stating out her opinion. If she was from Taiwan, HK or so on it would have been a different story. People would say : ” Oh, she’s so innocent, we’re dissapointed that she lost. ”
I’m Korean American and i must say that Gong Li is a better actress than Chen that taiwanese dude, well chick.
Oh..during 30-40 minutes,one person using mutiple nickname to defend his goddess.
You know who is who :).
i looked at the comments too. But they are different accounts as i can see. They’ve commented on lots of articles here. And different opinions, not always the same time and same opinions. They’re from America i think. So that explains it.
What if she didn’t say it. Lol. You know the press.
I am a fan of neither, and I’ve not seen their nominated movies. I do know lobbying is a common activity for actors and actresses to win an award. So fairness ? what the heck is that ?