Here's What Happened At The Star Awards 2024 Gala Night At Zouk

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The Star Awards 2024 Gala Night at Zouk yesterday (April 15) was  ̶  given the location  ̶  quite the party.

A total of 10 awards, including Best Director, Best Drama Serial, and Best Entertainment Programme, were handed out as a precursor to this Sunday's main show. 

When 8days.sg stood at the entrance of the iconic club, we couldn’t help but notice how different the atmosphere felt from your usual night out at Clarke Quay.

Gone were the snaking queues of Gen-Zs vibrating eagerly to enter the club. In their place was a quiet cordoned-off road and a huge Mediacorp sign to mark the special occasion.

We instantly wondered: How has the interior of the club been transformed to suit an awards ceremony?

We got our answer the moment we made our entrance at 7.45pm, 15 minutes before the night was set to start.

The dance floor was now filled with almost two dozen round bar tables. Guests mingled around the area, the majority armed with an alcoholic beverage in hand.

The area in front of the DJ deck was converted into a makeshift stage, and flanking its sides were booths which would later seat the nominees.

The vibe was chill, and while the setting was very much club-like, it was at the same time, not.

Let us explain. The place was dimly lit, but not so dark you couldn’t make out the features of the person standing a few tables away from you.

It was a tight fit, but for the first time in Zouk, bodies were a respectable distance from each other. The music was loud, but you didn’t have to shout to be heard. Spirits were high, but we counted only a couple of intoxicated guests (Yes, there was free-flow alcohol).

Gathered at one side of the room, a few metres away from the stage, were the stars.

Think of the dance floor as a school canteen, and every two tables was home to a ‘clique’. Friends and work acquaintances gravitated towards each other in their own exclusive groups, with one or two occasionally straying away to make their way to the canapé buffet.

We spotted Romeo Tan, Carrie Wong, Desmond Ng, Richie Koh, He Ying Ying, Elvin Ng, Jernelle Oh, Zhang Zetong, Nick Teo and Jeremy Chan making merry at their corner.

Marcus Chin, Mark Lee, Dennis Chew, and Rui En were gathered at the tables next to them, and were later joined by DJs, including Hazelle Teo, Chen Ning, Joey Tay, Gao Mei Gui, Jeff Goh, and Zhong Kunhua.

Ze Liang, dressed in a shiny beaded black suit, and Xixi Lim, decked out in a silver number which seeked to out-sparkle Ze Liang’s, hosted the show. 

DJ Xquisite spun remixes of Chinese pop songs, and while there weren’t skits or special segments of any sort, we were still treated to special renditions of the Best Theme Song nominees by our celebs throughout the two-hour event.

Maybe 'cos the event was held at the futuristic-looking Zouk, awards were given out by a robot assistant. And while the thank-you speeches were hard to hear at times, what with the clinking of glasses and constant weaving of guests in and out of the area, one thing’s for certain: the SA 2024 Gala Night was a party to remember.

Here are our favourite moments of the night:

1. Mark Lee ‘scolds’ Dennis Chew for cheering nonstop when the team from Curious City 2 was giving their acceptance speech

When the first award went to Curious City Season 2 for Best Research Writer (Entertainment), everyone was cheering for their achievement.

As we strained to hear the speech, we were suddenly distracted by Mark Lee shouting at his LOVE 972 The Breakfast Quintet co-host Dennis Chew to tone it down.

“Can you keep quiet? I want to hear her speech! Security! Please bring him out!” bellowed Mark. Cue laughter from the crowd around them (including us). 

Fret not, it seems Dennis was unfazed by the confrontation, and the pair were seen laughing together as the night went on.

Would the mood have become sombre if they didn’t win Best Radio Programme later in the evening?

2. Has Elvin Ng been hiding his vocal chops till now?

Who knew Elvin could sing like that?

The 43-year-old actor took to the stage with his My One and Only co-star Fang Rong to sing the show’s theme song ‘Qu Nuan’ (取暖).

We weren’t the only ones who noticed Elvin’s smooth vocals. The crowd, too, took notice of his impressive pipes and cheered him on.

When we approached Elvin to praise him for his performance, he excitedly shared that it was a stretch for him vocally.

“[The song's original singers] Alfred [Sim] and [Tay] Kewei’s range is quite high, but they didn’t bring it down for me and Fang Rong. I think I have a sore throat now,” he laughed.

3. Everyone wanted a glimpse of Marcus Chin’s see-through outfit.

The outfit that got the most stares last night wasn’t who you would expect it to be.

Nope, it wasn’t an actress but Love 972 DJ Marcus Chin who turned up in a suit, with a see-through mesh top underneath.

Was he taking inspiration from Ann Kok's iconic diaphanous top from the 1996 Star Awards? 

Instead of brushing us off when we asked if we could take a video, the 70-year-old jock simply smiled and ‘flashed’ what he was hiding beneath his blazer. 

4. Tasha Low sang the theme song for Oppa Saranghae! in Korean

You can take the idol out of Korea, but she’ll still find opportunities to impress us with her singing chops. Tasha, who was part of now-defunct K-pop girl group Skarf, took the stage to perform 'Lai Zi Xing Ji De Feng’ (来自星际的风), from the drama Oppa Saranghae!. She starred in the show opposite Rui En and the tune’s original singer Kim Jae Hoon.

Although the Oppa was unable to be in town for the event, we can safely say that Tasha’s sweet vocals more than made up for his absence.

The tune went on to clinch Best Theme Song, and as fate would have it, we were standing right next to the song's writer Xiao Jiu, who beamed with joy when we congratulated her on the win.

5. Best Short-form Entertainment Programme winners, the #JustSwipeLah crew, promises to “strip” to celebrate their achievement??

Okay, so when we were speaking to #JustSwipeLah host Jernelle Oh earlier that night, she mentioned something about “stripping” should they clinch the win. When we asked for more specific details on the racy celebration, she revealed that they would “plan for something, but of course, it wasn’t going to happen on the spot”.

The show’s producers then went on to repeat the same plans during their speech, but again, did not reveal any details on when and how the “stripping” might happen.

Guess we’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for the next #JustSwipeLah episode?

6. The Best Drama Serial reveal was a chaotic but hilarious mess

The stars of the nominated dramas took the stage for the night's final award.

All That Glitters’ Jeremy Chan and Zhang Zetong, Cash On Delivery’s He Ying Ying and Jernelle Oh, SHERO’s Romeo Tan and Carrie Wong, Oppa Saranghae!’s Rui En and Tasha Low, and Till The End’s Richie Koh and Kym Ng were each handed a glass of orange juice on stage.

They were instructed by Ze Liang and Xixi to start chugging their drinks with a straw and title of the winning drama would be revealed at the bottom of their glasses.

Therein lay two challenges: 1. The stars would compete to see who could “suck the fastest” 2. They had to “act” and withhold their reactions before they were given the cue to announce the winner in unison.

The actors, like a bunch of curious schoolkids, started to chat amongst themselves as they stared intently at the bottom of their full glasses.

They were called to order by Xixi, who then gave them the cue to start chugging. Carrie, Zetong and Jeremy emerged as the fastest, um, 'suckers', and we immediately noticed Zetong and Jeremy bouncing on the spot and pretending to pat each other’s backs in comfort. Hey guys, chill. 

Just as we thought we were going to hear All That Glitters being crowned the winner, Ying Ying shouted “Cash On Delivery!” as the others stared on in silent confusion. The actress then broke out in embarrassed laughter before the hosts called for a do-over.

Photos: 8days, Mediacorp Photo Unit, Zhu Zeliang/ Instagram, Chantalle Ng/ Instagram

Scroll down to see the full list of winners from last night. 

Best Drama Serial: All That Glitters

Best Entertainment Programme: Foodie Trio

Best Infotainment Programme: Inside Crime Scene S2

Best Short-form Entertainment Programme: #JustSwipeLah

Best Radio Programme: Love 972's The Breakfast Quintet

Best Theme Song: '来自星际的风' from Oppa Saranghae!, sang by Kim Jae Hoon

Best Director (Drama): Wong Foong Hwee (All That Glitters)

Best Screenplay (Drama): Ang Eng Tee (All That Glitters)

Best Producer (Entertainment): Goh Si Jiau (Star Awards 2023- Awards Ceremony)

Best Research Writer (Entertainment): Chua Ing Tze (Curious City S2)

Catch the Backstage LIVE event of Star Awards 2024 from 3.30pm - 10.30pm on mewatch or Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube Channel on April 21 (Sunday).

The Walk Of Fame will be from 5pm - 6.30pm, on mewatch, Ch 8, Ch U, and Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube Channel on the same day.

It will be followed by the Star Awards 2024 Live Show from 7pm - 10pm on mewatch, Ch 8, Ch U, and Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube Channel.

The repeat telecast for the Walk of Fame and Award Ceremony will air on Ch 8 from 2pm - 6.30pm on April 28 (Sunday).