Mediacorp's Star Awards will not be held this year due to Covid-19, but will be combined with next year's event

Chen Hanwei and Zoe Tay won the Best Actor and Best Actress awards respectively at Star Awards 2019. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - Mediacorp's annual Star Awards ceremony will not be held this year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement on Friday (Aug 7), the local broadcaster said that this year's awards will be combined with Star Awards 2021.

It said: "This decision was made after careful consideration and took into account the evolving Covid-19 situation and the need to maintain vigilance and precautionary measures as Singapore continues to battle Covid-19."

The 26th edition of the awards show, which celebrates local Chinese-language entertainment, was previously rescheduled from April 26 to the second half of this year.

The combined version of the Star Awards is now slated to be held on April 18, 2021.

The awards show has been held in April every year since 2009. One of Mediacorp's biggest events, it has been aired since 1994 and is usually attended by a bevy of local stars.

Last year was the show's silver jubilee as it celebrated its 25th anniversary. Chen Hanwei and Zoe Tay took home the top honours last year when they won the Best Actor and Best Actress awards for television drama A Million Dollar Dream, where they played a married couple.

A tribute was also paid to actor Aloysius Pang, who died after a serious injury during a live-firing exercise in New Zealand in January 2019. He was 28.

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