Huayu: This director is so eager to improve.

Chapter 63 Award Winners List

Zhang Li glanced around at the judges present, his gaze calm, and slowly began to speak:

"Colleagues, now that the debate has come to this point, I would like to say a few words."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a deep, resonant strength.

"First of all, I must admit that both 'The Orphan of Zhao' and 'Day and Night' are excellent, even outstanding, television dramas. They represent two important aspects of contemporary Chinese television drama creation."

"The Orphan of Zhao inherits our profound cultural traditions and the essence of drama, reaching new heights in the creation of historical dramas. Its production is rigorous, and its performances are solid, reflecting our industry's reverence for and inheritance of classics. It deserves all the praise."

He paused, and the tone of his voice seemed to subtly shift:

"And 'Day and Night'..."

Zhang Li slowed down his speech, as if he were carefully choosing his words.

"It showed us a different possibility. A genre-based narrative that is closer to the aesthetics of today's audiences and has a more international perspective, and even sets new industry standards in some aspects. More importantly, it successfully crossed the so-called boundary between 'web series' and 'TV series,' sparking discussions across society and making more people, especially young people, pay attention to and think about our TV series creation."

"I often think about the meaning of awards. Is it merely to recognize past achievements, or should it also encourage future exploration? Is it to maintain a certain established order and aesthetic, or should it also have the courage to embrace change and affirm those attempts that may pave new paths?"

"Both dramas embody countless hours of hard work from their creators. Choosing either one would be a regret for the other. But there can only be one award."

Zhang Li's gaze deepened.

"What we need to make is perhaps not a simple judgment of 'good' or 'better,' but a choice about direction—while affirming solid traditions, are we willing to use the weight of a top award to explicitly encourage innovation and breakthroughs that are vibrant, future-oriented, and have already been widely validated by the market and audiences?"

He finally looked at all the judges.

"Alright, I've finished speaking."

"Now, please follow your professional judgment and begin the final vote."

After saying that, he picked up the ballot and pen in front of him.

There was silence in the conference room.

Although Zhang Li's words did not explicitly indicate that he was taking sides, their underlying message was all too clear.

He cleverly elevated the choice to the level of "direction" and "future," which will undoubtedly have a huge psychological impact on many centrists and even some judges who originally favored "The Orphan of Zhao."

The judges who supported "White Night" were invigorated, and hope ignited in their eyes.

The judges who supported "The Orphan of Zhao" looked solemn, knowing that they had encountered the most powerful "interference" at the last moment.

However, the chairman has already spoken, and the voting process must continue.

The air seemed to freeze, with only the scratching sound of the pen tip gliding across the paper remaining.

The vote that will determine the ultimate fate of "Day and Night" and, to some extent, foreshadow the industry's future direction, is about to be cast.

......

Do award winners at major award ceremonies receive advance notice?

The answer is: In the vast majority of formal awards, especially those that require live television broadcasts or large-scale on-site ceremonies, the winners of core awards (especially those involving important guests) are usually informed in advance or given strong hints.

The reason is simple: to ensure the smooth running of the ceremony and the effectiveness of the broadcast. The organizers need the award winners to cooperate in completing a series of procedures, such as acceptance speeches, backstage interviews, and media photo shoots. If someone were to sneak in a surprise, it would be embarrassing, but the greater problem would be the damage to the credibility of the awards.

Therefore, the staff responsible for contacting the winners will often notify potential winners a few days in advance, either explicitly or implicitly, by saying things like "We hope you will attend," "There is a high probability," or "Please prepare your acceptance speech in advance."

Others may not know, but the winners are usually well aware of it.

So when you see those celebrities winning awards on TV, their expressions are exaggerated, surprised, or tearful.

The most praiseworthy thing to say is: TM's acting is really good!

The Magnolia Awards are no exception.

At three in the morning,

The hotel suite was completely silent.

Qi Yue was not sleeping soundly.

The intense social interactions and meetings these past few days, along with the lingering uncertainty in his mind, have made his sleep lighter than usual.

"Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!"

A series of urgent yet restrained knocks on the door abruptly broke the silence of the early morning.

Qi Yue opened his eyes instantly, his gaze clear.

He put on his bathrobe, walked to the door, and looked out through the peephole.

Two people stood outside the door—Bai Mengyan and Pan Yueming.

Bai Mengyan had obviously climbed straight out of bed, put on a large sweater, her hair was messy and tied back, and her bare face was flushed red with extreme excitement.

Pan Yueming appeared much calmer, but he couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes. Wearing his coat, he gestured to Bai Mengyan to "keep your voice down."

Qi Yue opened the door.

"Boss! Teacher Pan! Quick, look!"

As soon as the door opened, Bai Mengyan tried to speak in a low voice, but couldn't hide the trembling and excitement in her voice. She almost shoved the phone into Qi Yue's face.

"Phone calls! So many calls! From General Manager Cai, General Manager Xu, and several other unfamiliar numbers! My inbox is exploding!"

Pan Yueming smiled helplessly, nodded to Qi Yue, and said in a steady tone with confirmation:

"Director Qi, the news must have leaked. I just received confirmation that I must prepare my acceptance speech, as there are important arrangements in tonight's program."

He paused, his voice becoming more serious, "Best Actor... they've hinted that it's basically decided."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Qi Yue with a questioning gaze.

The most crucial and best TV series is the real big prize.

Bai Mengyan was so anxious that she kept stamping her feet, but she didn't dare to make a sound. She could only look at Qi Yue with longing and wait for the final verdict.

Qi Yue let them in, closed the door, and turned on the wall lamp.

He went to the bar, poured some water, handed a glass to Bai Mengyan who clearly needed to calm down, and then picked up a glass himself and slowly drank it.

"On my end," Qi Yue put down his water glass, his voice calm, "Chairman Zhang's assistant sent a message about an hour ago."

Bai Mengyan immediately held her breath, even forgetting to drink water. Pan Yueming also listened intently.

Qi Yue took out his phone, unlocked it, and turned the screen towards them.

A concise message appears on the screen:

[Director Qi, the judging just finished. Director Zhang asked me to tell you: 'Prepare your acceptance speech; it'll be quite long.'] Congratulations.

"Pretty...long?" Bai Mengyan repeated blankly, her mind not quite processing it yet.

Pan Yueming instantly understood, a knowing smile spreading across his face, and he let out a long sigh of relief:

"It's a done deal! Director Qi... this is a clear indication! Best TV series, no doubt about it!"

Bai Mengyan suddenly realized!

"what!"

She gasped briefly, quickly covering her mouth, her eyes widening and instantly filling with tears of ecstasy and excitement.

My whole body trembled slightly from this tremendous good news.

"R-Really? Boss? We...we really won? The best award?"

Qi Yue looked at his assistant, who was so excited he was almost fainting, and then at the look of relief in Pan Yueming's eyes, a clear smile finally appeared on his lips.

He nodded:

"The news hasn't been officially announced yet; we're keeping a low profile."

"However, it seems we need to seriously consider what to say in our acceptance speech tomorrow night."