Chen Hanwei Will Win Best Actor, Jesseca Liu Will Win Best Actress & Our Other Star Awards 2026 Predictions

Star Awards is back this Sunday (April 19), which means it’s that time of the year again when we relive the performances that lived rent-free in our heads and try to guess who’s walking away with the trophies.

Unsurprisingly, all eyes are on the cast of Emerald Hill. Will they sweep the night, or could fan-favourite dramas like The Gift of Time and Another Wok of Life pull off an upset?

Will Chen Hanwei clinch a record-breaking eighth Best Actor win after all that talk about stepping down? Is this finally Andie Chen’s year? And could everyone’s favourite Er Shao Nai Nai, Jesseca Liu, score her first-ever Best Actress trophy?

8days.sg, together with three anonymous industry insiders, weighs in with our predictions. 

So… who are you rooting for?

Best Actor

Chen Hanwei - The Gift Of Time

Desmond Tan - Devil Behind The Gate 

Richie Koh - Another Wok Of Life

Romeo Tan - Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story

Xu Bin - Fixing Fate

INDUSTRY WATCHER: I believe Chen Hanwei will win this year. He undoubtedly stands out as a natural performer, and this is a classic example of “no comparison no harm”.

However, Romeo Tan is the dark horse. This is his career breakthrough performance, and his best character to date. Romeo's character as a villain in Emerald Hill made the scenes entertaining and makes you look forward to what he can bring to the table next.

INDUSTRY INSIDER: I’m rooting for Chen Hanwei for Best Actor. His performances are always incredibly moving and he always has a way of bringing so much depth and emotion to his roles.

MEDIACORP ACTOR: There’s no doubt that it’ll be Chen Hanwei. He’s always fully committed to portraying his role, and it really shows in The Gift of Time, from shaving his head to gaining weight. As the Mandarin saying goes, “your uncle is still your uncle”, meaning experience still prevails. So I don’t see the point of others asking him to step down from the award — he’s a genuinely strong actor, and he deserves Best Actor, no matter how many times he wins.

8DAYS’ PICK! The uproar will be loud if Chen Hanwei takes home his eighth Best Actor trophy — but let’s be real, who's really stopping him?

Best Actress

Chantalle Ng - Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story

Cheryl Chou - Perfectly Imperfect 

Hong Ling - The Spirit Hunter

Jesseca Liu - Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story

Tasha Low - Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story

INDUSTRY WATCHER: Jesseca Liu will win. To bring to life a gentle character that is much loved and remembered by everyone is an achievement on its own.

INDUSTRY INSIDER: I’m placing my bets on Jesseca Liu. She’s my favourite character in Emerald Hill. The scene of her dying (spoiler alert?) low-key made me cry too. 

MEDIACORP ACTOR: Of all the performances I’ve watched in Emerald Hill, I found Jesseca Liu’s the most outstanding. I’ve seen that many people also feel the same way. She’s been in the industry for a long time now, and still hasn’t gotten an acting award, so I believe it’s time she wins it. 

8DAYS’ PICK! How has Jesseca Liu not won an acting award yet? This could finally be her year, with her quietly commanding turn as the stoic Er Shao Nai Nai poised to clinch her that long-overdue trophy.

Best Supporting Actor

Andie Chen - Fixing Fate

James Seah - Another Wok Of Life

Jeremy Chan - Another Wok Of Life

Tyler Ten - Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story

Zhang Zetong - Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story

INDUSTRY WATCHER: Andie Chen, as usual, gave a solid performance, and his role as the villain in Fixing Fate is a standout one. However, I think Tyler Ten will win. His character in Emerald Hill is the more endearing of the two and it helps that both him and Tasha look great on screen. Their chemistry is also palpable, which is a no brainer why they're such a hot 'CP' now.

INDUSTRY INSIDER: I’m rooting for Jeremy Chan. He did an excellent job as Guan Daji in Another Wok of Life, a layered character trying to stay afloat amidst life’s challenges. And honestly, I’d just love to see him and Jesseca, the OG couple, go on stage and win together!

MEDIACORP ACTOR: Andie Chen is my only pick. He deserves to win an acting award. I’ve worked with him, and he’s a really good actor who’s passionate about what he does. It’s long overdue that his talent is finally being recognised.

8DAYS’ PICK! Characters this iconic don’t come around often — the kind audiences remember and call out by name. For that, the award has to go to Tyler Ten for his star-making turn as Bai Ah Li. Sorry, Andie.

Best Supporting Actress

Chen Liping - Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story

Cynthia Koh - I Believe I Can Fly

Dawn Yeoh - Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story

Jojo Goh - Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story

Xiang Yun - The Gift Of Time

INDUSTRY WATCHER: Chen Liping did not get as much screen time as the others, but she is one of the best characters in the story! She is a joy to watch each time she appears on screen. Tasha Low struck gold with a fantastic cast mate who brought out some of her best acting.

Dawn Yeoh is also a personal favourite. She was really strong here, the character was irritating but in a very memorable way. It’s super different from anything she’s done before, a breakthrough role for her!

INDUSTRY INSIDER:  Dawn Yeoh is my pick. I think she put out a splendid performance in Emerald Hill as Kang Si Li. It’s super challenging to portray a “bad”, but likeable character convincingly.

MEDIACORP ACTOR: Jojo Goh was excellent in Emerald Hill. Her performance was grounded and thoughtful, with clear intent behind how she portrayed her character. While some performances can feel overdramatic or surface-level, both she and Jesseca Liu delivered standout performances with depth, and that truly set them apart.

8DAYS’ PICK! We would love to see Dawn Yeoh take this one. Like Tyler Ten’s Bai Ah Li, she made Kang Si Li a full-on, scene-stealing scheming force of nature you couldn’t look away from. And with Dawn yet to win a Star Award, we’re just as excited to hear what she’d say on stage.

Best Program Host (Entertainment & Infotainment)

Bryan Wong - Makan On Wheels S2

Darren Lim - Unusual Weddings

Dennis Chew - Mr Zhou's Ghost Stories @ Singapore Sightings

Guo Liang - Star Awards 2025 Award Ceremony

Xixi Lim - Say It Right! S2

INDUSTRY WATCHER: Guo Liang deserves a trophy just for being the 'MVP Carry'! And this year, he not only has to "carry” one but TWO people. That said, since actors already dominate screen time in dramas, it might be time to let other budding hosts shine.

INDUSTRY INSIDER: I’m rooting for Dennis Chew. I thoroughly enjoyed Mr Zhou’s Ghost Stories, and he continues to be incredibly entertaining and convincing as a host. Jiayou, Dennis!

MEDIACORP ACTOR: It’ll always be Guo Liang for me. When it comes to large-scale live shows, he’s always the go-to choice to anchor the event and keep it running smoothly. He excels at both acting and hosting, and it’s hard to imagine anyone matching his standard in live hosting. While many can entertain on variety shows, he truly stands out in formal events.

8DAYS’ PICK! Guo Liang may be the obvious choice, but that doesn’t make it any less deserved. A steady, unflappable presence on stage, he makes hosting a tentpole show like the Star Awards look effortless, even though it’s anything but. Few can do it, and even fewer can do it as well as he does.

You can head down to www.mediacorp.sg/starawards to vote for your favourite artistes. 

Catch the Backstage LIVE event of Star Awards 2026 from 3.30pm - 10.30pm on mewatch or Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube Channel on April 19 (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 2026 Live Show from 7pm - 10pm on mewatch, Ch 8, Ch U, and Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube Channel.

Photos: Mediacorp