AFTER last week’s dramatic instalment, with Rui En’s public apology stealing the show, one would think that Sunday’s second part of the Star Awards ceremony would be markedly more staid. After all, the show producers had scrapped the red carpet segment (having moved it to Part 1), so there was less to ogle over, with Part 2 kicking off with a dance segment.

    But, as it turned out, it wasn’t a boring show at all.

    The big winner of the awards was “The Dream Makers 2,” which swept most of the big categories. The series, which looks at the lives of people working in a television station, picked up the prize for Best Drama Serial, while one of its stars, favorite and seven-time nominee Jeanette Aw, finally snagged the Best Actress award for her role as the tortured Zhao Feier in the drama.

    Looking visibly elated, Aw, 36, gave a speech with a bite: “To this Mediacorp senior executive who said ‘fat hope’ when asked to predict my chances, well, hope has always been slim or even non-existent for me. But I guess today, against all odds, there’s still hope,” she said, before thanking everyone who supported her. “Your blessings were a bright light to me and gave me hope.”

    Aw’s win denied veteran actress Zoe Tay a chance to claim a second Best Actress award, after her 1996 win for “The Golden Pillow,” but Tay, ever the queen, gave Aw a tight hug when her name was announced. Backstage, Aw explained how the veteran actress gave her encouragement.

    “A lot of people showed their support for me and that made me very nervous,” she said. “Zoe Tay was sitting next to me and holding my hand and saying, ‘Whatever the results, whether it’s you or not, you just have to smile okay? When you go on stage, just take your time and talk.’

    “She made me feel at ease and she’s actually very generous. I feel that through this all I’ve got her blessings ... I’m very grateful that she was right next to me,” she added. “I think my parents will be the happiest because every year they would always hope that their daughter would win.”

    On whether this was a long time coming, Aw disagreed. “I don’t think it is. I think it’s an opportune time.”

    Qi Yuwu, who received the All-Time Favorite Artiste award last week, took the Best Actor award for his role as an executive producer in “The Dream Makers 2.” This is his second Best Actor win, his first having come in 2011. Qi later said that while he felt there he had a chance of winning, he had not thought much of it.

    “I don’t need an award to make myself feel confident about my acting,” he said.

    “Although I wasn’t born here, my career began here. I hope Singapore’s TV and movie industry will prosper.” (SD-Agencies)