Critics Choice Association Unveils 2024 Honorees for AAPI Cinema & TV Celebration in Hollywood
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has officially announced the full slate of honorees for the 3rd Annual Celebration of AAPI Cinema & Television. The ceremony will take place on November 12, 2024, at the iconic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California, USA. This annual event celebrates outstanding contributions by Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists across film and television, both on and off-screen.
Among this year’s honorees is Joan Chen, who will receive the Career Achievement Award. Chen is recognized not only for her legendary career but also for her performance in Dìdi (弟弟), a Focus Features film that won the Audience Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Lee Jung-jae will be presented with the Trailblazer Award for his groundbreaking career, including his Emmy-winning role in Netflix’s Squid Game. Lee was the first Asian man to win the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and the first to win for a non-English-language role.
Ronny Chieng, known for his work on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, will receive the Comedy Award. This recognition follows the series’ second consecutive Emmy win for Outstanding Talk Series.
The Producer Award will be given to Samantha Quan for her work on NEON’s Anora, a film that won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and recently had a strong theatrical opening.
In acting categories, Dolly de Leon is set to receive the Supporting Actress Award – Film for her role in Ghostlight, while Utkarsh Ambudkar and Ken Leung will be honored with Actor Awards for their performances in Ghosts and Industry, respectively.
The Animation Award will go to the creative team behind Disney’s Moana 2, including directors David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, and producers Christina Chen and Yvett Merino. The film’s trailer set a record for most views for an animated Disney release.
Documentary filmmaker Sue Kim will be recognized for The Last of the Sea Women, an Apple Original Films production. Kim’s award will also receive STARZ’s #TakeTheLead designation, reflecting the company’s commitment to underrepresented voices.
Additional honors include the Breakthrough Actor Award for Jimmy O. Yang (Interior Chinatown), the Rising Star Award for Kekoa Scott Kekumano (Rescue: HI-Surf), and the Industry Leadership Award for Julia S. Gouw, a noted advocate for Asian representation in entertainment.
Critics Choice Association member Kylie Mar emphasized the importance of celebrating AAPI contributions to the arts. “We are immensely proud to return for a third year to showcase these incredible projects and highlight the work of these extraordinary individuals from the AAPI community,” she stated.