On the evening of October 9th, mainland Chinese actress Song Jia won the Best Actress award at the 35th China TV Drama Awards for her performance in the TV series “Blooming Flowers in the Mountain.” This marks her third time winning the Best Actress award for her role as “Zhang Guimei” after previously winning the Magnolia Awards and Golden Eagle Awards. Achieving a sweep of the three major awards for her portrayal of the same character in the TV series “A String of Three” has sparked controversy over her “monopoly” in the industry.
Apart from Song Jia, the other nominees for the Best Actress award at the China TV Drama Awards included Ma Yili (“My Altai”), Yan Ni (“Family in the Alley”), Wu Yue (“Silent Glory”), and Chi Peng (“Life of All Things”). This year’s lineup of nominees for Best Actress can be described as a “death group,” with almost all being powerhouse performers.
Song Jia’s portrayal of “Zhang Guimei” in “Blooming Flowers in the Mountain” has garnered her the Magnolia Awards, Golden Eagle Awards, and now the China TV Drama Award, completing the trifecta and becoming the sixth actress after Jiang Wenli, Sarina, Yin Tao, Sun Li, and Yan Ni to achieve such a feat.
With the announcement of Song Jia winning the Best Actress award at the China TV Drama Awards on October 9th, public opinion erupted in response. Supporters praised Song Jia’s sincere and nuanced performance, highlighting her dedication to the role of “Zhang Guimei,” including immersing herself in the world of Hua Ping Girls High School for three months and losing 15 pounds to bring authenticity to her character. However, critics argue that the character of Zhang Guimei already had built-in social relevance, giving Song Jia an advantage, and the series’ viewership of only 8 million lacked broad appeal.
Many netizens flooded the official Weibo comment section, questioning whether Song Jia monopolizing all awards with one character was fair and suggesting that it overshadowed the achievements of other nominated actresses.
Some netizens pointed out that each of the three major awards has its own criteria for evaluation, and consolidating all Best Actress awards towards one character diminishes the diversity of recognition, leading to discussions on whether Song Jia’s dominance is a judgment of her skills or the politics behind the scenes.
Particular empathy was expressed towards Yan Ni, who received acclaim for her role as “Huang Ling” in “Family in the Alley” but went home empty-handed from the three major awards. As video clips of Yan Ni’s expressions turning stiff and indifferent during the award ceremony went viral online, viewers questioned the fairness of the judging process.
Writer Cui Chenghao wrote on X, “Winning all major awards with one character is not impossible, but it should be based on whether the performance withstands comparison and scrutiny. Just because a contestant wears a hero’s costume, should the judges be afraid to let her lose?”
In the midst of intense public debate, Song Jia published a lengthy article on October 10th titled “Criticism and Reminders Are also the Kindness and Encouragement of the Audience,” responding to the controversy. Her graceful and humble attitude, attributing the honors to the original character, garnered sympathy from many bystanders and shifted the heated arguments towards discussions on how to balance professionalism and public opinion in art awards.