At just 25 years old, Jackson Yee made headlines by winning Best Actor at the prestigious Golden Rooster Awards, becoming the youngest actor to ever receive the honor. However, her triumphant moment quickly became controversial following racy comments from veteran director Wong Jing.
In a recent public statement, Wong Jing revealed some of the industry’s hidden “award formulas,” implying that casting certain character types – particularly those representing marginalized or emotionally compelling roles – significantly increases an actor’s chances of winning. His comments seemed to indirectly point to Yee’s portrayal of a disabled young man in the film “Little me”leading to accusations that the actor may have been playing the system.
“Choosing a special type character gives you a big advantage in the prize circuits,” said Wong Jing, sparking a heated debate.
Online critics speculated that Yee won not only because of his acting skills, but also because his character aligned perfectly with what awards juries tend to favor.
Despite the controversy, Wong Jing did not deny Yee’s hard work. He praised the actor’s dedication, noting that he lost more than 10kg for the role and required six months of treatment after filming. However, Wong still stressed that strategic character selection was an important factor in the success of the Yee Prize.
Wong Jing also spoke out against the long-standing murky reputation of China’s film awards. He shared a personal story involving his father, famed director Wong Tin Lam, who lost out on an award despite putting his heart and soul into a film, only to later win with less passionate work, alluding to favoritism or pre-established victories.
Other Chinese celebrities have raised similar concerns: Bai Bai He mocked unfair selections at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and Hai Qing once questioned whether Tang Wei’s victory in Venice was less about talent, more about connections.
While many netizens criticized what they perceived as “awards manipulation,” others defended Jackson Yee, praising both his performance and his professionalism. However, the situation has renewed scrutiny over the credibility of China’s major film awards, with fans calling for tougher judging standards to ensure true merit is honoured.
As one viewer said, “When even young talents are doubted after important victories, what does this say about our system?”
