Zhu Zeliang and Ivory Chia on their Star Awards nominations

The annual celebration of local Chinese entertainment returns this weekend, with a new Best Microdrama category, marking Mediacorp’s push into bite-sized storytelling. Star Awards 2026 takes place this Sunday at The Theatre at Mediacorp. Emerald Hill: The Little Nonya Story continues its strong showing, leading with 17 nominations across nine categories. CNA spoke to two of the nominees, Zhu Zeliang from YES 93.3 and Ivory Chia, who plays a young version of the lead character in Emerald Hill.