The biggest stars from Asia came together for the spectacular 2023 Asia Artist Awards (AAA), which took place on December 14 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. The AAA was held in the Philippines for the first time this year, and it is frequently compared to the Asian Oscars and Grammy Awards. It was a spectacular show of flair, talent, and fashion.

READ MORE: 5 Momentous Scenes from the 2023 Asia Artist Awards in the Philippines

The Filipino fans, who are renowned for their fervent support, were up in force and expressed their love in a variety of ways. In addition to wearing clothes that were inspired by their favorites, they also brought lightsticks, photocards, and other mementos to the event as a way to honor them. At the Philippine Stadium, the Fan Zone was a hive of activity with interactive picture booths and walls where fans could write notes for their idols. The fans had a great day meeting new people who shared their admiration for the idols and collecting goodies. The positive energy persisted during the main performance as the musicians’ names were sung by the audience. An even more unforgettable night was created by cheering fan chants during songs.

A huge highlight was the red carpet event when fans came early to see their favorite celebrities. The celebrities, many of whom were making their first trips to the Philippines, did not let their fans or the media down, charming and stylishly displaying themselves. Ryan Bang, a mainstay of It’s Showtime, amused the crowd on the red carpet with his clever remarks, skillfully alternating between Korean, Japanese, Filipino, and English. His amusing remarks and charismatic manner created a stir in X, garnering him a great deal of appreciation from online users for his amusing hosting abilities.

The award winners acknowledged the steadfast support they have gotten from their fans and sent their sincere gratitude to them. They also pledged to keep putting in a lot of effort to win over their followers. NewJeans, Le Sserafim, ZEROBASEONE, BOYNEXTDOOR, and many other idols visited the Philippines for the first time and expressed their joy at getting so much love. Given how much love and support they received from Filipino fans during the awards event, some of them expressed how excited they were to hold their first concert there.

EXO’s Suho reflected on their year of happiness and challenges. Upon winning the AAA Best Emotive award, he told EXO-Ls, “From now on, I’ll continuously stay stable like how I was till now so I can move your emotions. I’ll continuously act and sing well and live well so I won’t be an embarrassing idol.”

Filipino actress Melai Cantiveros—who starred in PULP Studios’ first offering Ma’am Chief—drew laughs
with her quips when she accepted her Best Actor Award. She joked, “If someone (questions) why I have
(an) award, don’t worry. I question too. I just received an award all my life from my mother and father when they were angry with me. Tonight, my heart is kuan. I think it’s because God moves in mysterious ways.”

Actors Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, among other Filipino artists, bagged the AAA Fabulous Award. Daniel thanked his fans and ended with a peace sign, while Kathryn expressed her gratitude for those supporting Filipino-made series and movies. Other Filipino acts like Ben&Ben, and SB19 also won awards, as did Filipino-Argentinian Chanty and her group Lapillus.

Jung Sung Il, who rose to prominence as Ha Do Yeong in The Glory, won his first-ever award, the AAA Scene Stealer. He remarked, “I think the reason why I received an award so late is because there are so many amazing artists.”

Lee Dong Hwi, known for starring in Reply 1988 and Extreme Job, won the AAA Best Actor trophy. He shared his connection with the Philippines, saying, “First of all, the Philippines is like a hometown for me. We shot the casino drama Big Bet for around two months here in the Philippines. I am very grateful to all heartwarming Filipinos. If not because of you, there’s no casino K-drama.”

SEVENTEEN’s BSS subunit members thanked their collaborator Lee Young Ji as they won the AAA Grand Prize for Album of the Year. BSS said, “If not for her, we wouldn’t be able to receive this award.” Seungkwan also went down from the stage to give her the trophy.

ZEROBASEONE dedicated their AAA Best Musician award to their member Ricky, who was unable to make it to the event. Meanwhile, Stray Kids promised their fans to stay tuned for their “new version” in
2024 when they accepted the AAA Grand Prize for Stage of the Year.

The night was filled with Korean artists saying Tagalog phrases like “kumusta ka,” “salamat,” and “mahal ko kayo.” Halfway through the show, MC and soloist Kang Daniel turned to the crowd and asked, “Nasisiyahan ba kayo?” showcasing the Koreans’ love for their Filipino fans. In a surprising turn, ATBO’s Won Bin gave his acceptance speech in Tagalog, revealing he grew up in the Philippines before addressing their fans in Tagalog.

The AAA promised a night of more than many massive hit songs performed over six hours, and the artists delivered with dance breaks, theatricality, audience interactions, pyro, graphics, and idol skills. The show was kicked off by WHIB with a “Bang!” followed by SB19 with a medley. &TEAM joined them with a collaborative stage to the P-Pop group’s top hit “GENTO.”

AKMU, ATBO, DINDIN, HORI7ON, KARD, KINGDOM, Kim Jaejoong, LUN8, Paul Blanco, STAYC, and Yaochen followed with exciting performances of their own. Ash Island, Dreamcatcher, NMIXX, and TEMPEST brought high-energy stages, as did the top Japanese girl group Sakurazaka46. Kep1er, Kwon Eun Bi, and ONEUS gave theatrical and sultry performances.

&TEAM, BOYNEXTDOOR, Kang Daniel, Lim Young Woong, and ZEROBASEONE charmed audiences with their stages. ITZY and THE BOYZ gave edgy, memorable performances, complete with props and
pyro.

With their hits, NewJeans and LE SSERAFIM had everyone up and dancing. Stray Kids increased the intensity. With a 12-minute performance that featured everything from tremendous energy, stage presence, synchronization, theatricality, and pure artistry, SEVENTEEN’s BSS brought the awards program to a close. Even Lee Youngji came onstage with them.

The 2023 Asia Artist Awards served as more than just an awards show; it was a celebration of Asian talent and evidence of the ability of entertainment and music to bring people together. It was a truly unforgettable night for those concerned, as the event not only featured the best of Asian entertainment but also encouraged a closer bond between artists and their followers.

The 2023 ASIA ARTIST AWARDS was made possible through the efforts of StarNews, TONZ Entertainment, and the Philippines’ one and only trailblazer in live Hallyu events, PULP Live World.