China's TV Golden Eagle Awards Crown Yu Hewei and Song Jia
China’s small screen celebrated its biggest night of the year as the 33rd Golden Eagle Awards handed out its top honors, with veteran performers Yu Hewei and Song Jia taking the leading acting prizes. The Golden Eagle Awards, one of China’s three major television accolades alongside the Feitian and Magnolia awards, are decided partly by audience voting, which gives them a populist flavor distinct from purely jury-driven ceremonies.
Yu Hewei won best actor for his role in ‘The Silent Glory,’ a drama that drew attention for its restrained, intense performance style. Yu is a familiar face to Chinese audiences after more than two decades of stage and screen work, and the win marks a high point in a career that has only recently brought him widespread mainstream fame.
Song Jia took best actress for ‘When the Mountain Flowers Bloom,’ a series that follows the lives of ordinary people across decades of social change. Song, known for her cool on-screen presence and fashion-forward persona off screen, has built a reputation for choosing roles that mix commercial appeal with critical weight.
The evening’s biggest winner, however, was the drama ‘Tree of Life,’ which claimed both best television series and best supporting actress for Mei Ting. The dual win cemented the show’s status as the defining Chinese television production of the year, and it is expected to dominate year-end retrospectives.
In the supporting categories, Zhu Yawen won best supporting actor for ‘The Peaceful Years.’ Zhu has become one of the busiest actors in Chinese film and television, and the award adds to a growing trophy cabinet. Li Yangwei took best television host for her work on a 2024 broadcasting gala, while the animated series ‘New Big Head Son and Small Head Dad — Take You to See China (Season One)’ won in the animation category, continuing the long-running franchise’s popularity with families.
The Golden Eagle Awards are watched closely by the industry because they reflect both professional judgment and audience sentiment. Wins can translate into better scripts, bigger budgets and more advertising interest for the actors and production teams involved. For streaming platforms and state broadcasters alike, a Golden Eagle statuette is a powerful marketing tool in an increasingly crowded drama market.
Chinese television has grown more ambitious in recent years, with bigger production values, longer serialized storytelling and a push into overseas markets through streaming services. Awards like the Golden Eagles serve as a signal of which genres and themes are resonating at home, from historical epics to contemporary social dramas. The ceremony also gives the industry a rare moment of collective celebration in a year when competition for viewers has never been fiercer.
For global audiences curious about Chinese screen culture, the winners offer a useful starting point: ‘Tree of Life,’ ‘The Silent Glory’ and ‘When the Mountain Flowers Bloom’ are now the titles most likely to appear on international streaming catalogs and film-festival sidebar programs in the months ahead.