The Unforgettable Awards, previously known as the Unforgettable Gala, returned for its 23rd event on March 7. Although the event usually takes place at the Beverly Hilton in December to wrap up the year, this year’s event took place at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Hollywood, just a few weeks after Lunar New Year.
Asia Blooming asked the stars walking the red carpet about their favorite 2025 moments. To start off, actress Jolene Purdy was proud of how she brought her character, Midge Kusatsu, to life in the show, The Bondsman. “It was the first time I felt like I got to flesh out my character with my culture. My character is Japanese, and she’s a baker, and I was able to use chopsticks as a tool in the kitchen. This was not in the script and was something I got to personally bring, so seeing people comment on it was very joyful for me.” For K-Pop icon Dayoung, who originally debuted in the group WJSN, releasing her first solo project was most memorable. “I would say that solo debut moment was when I bloomed.”
Not related to a specific acting role, actress Alicia Hannah-Kim unexpectedly launched a production company. “My producing partner is also Korean American, and this has been the most meaningful step of my career,” she eagerly shared. “From acting to taking a step up and trying to develop projects has been really exciting, and something I never thought I would do. It’s been a learning curve, but it’s been a really big moment for me.”
Also taking a big leap of faith was Michelle Khare, who took literal flight in her most memorable moment of 2025. “I recreated Tom Cruise’s deadliest stunt,” she shared with a smile. “I was hanging off the side of a military aircraft as it was taking off, and that pushed me to bloom in many ways. Logistically, it was a huge challenge for our team and for myself, and emotionally, the part of myself that is willing to go the distance definitely had to grow to find the fearlessness to do it.”
For Executive Producer Takashi Cheng, rather than a significant moment in his career, thinking back on 2025 brought back memories of the Eaton fires.”It was seeing the communities rally together across color lines and across differences in politics, and seeing that we can care for each other genuinely in crisis,” he began. “I live in close proximity to the fires, and so many people reached out to me to ask if we were okay, even people I hadn’t talked to in years. It made me feel like there’s still compassion in the world, and really rejuvenated me. During ’25, there were so many times where I felt a little defeated. We [as a community] check all the boxes – we’re bankable, we’re marketable, we’re great human beings, and we do such good things for our community, and yet we’re not given a fraction of what we deserve, and that really disheartens you on your journey. So this was a good touch of humanity to rejuvenate that energy and feel like there’s still people in this world that are empathetic.”
The theme of this year’s ceremony was passion, a topic many of the stars were happy to discuss on the red carpet. For Dayoung, her answer falls back to her roots. “My team, WJSN, really makes me passionate,” she began. “They worked really hard for me, so I want to make them really happy, and I want to make them feel like we’ve reached our goals together.” Both Alicia Hannah-Kim and Takashi Cheng find their strongest passion in representation, and in their communities. Cheng shared earnestly, “I’m proud of all the achievements from all the people in the room, and that we can continue to get together despite any differences and celebrate each other.” Similarly, Jolene Purdy finds her passion lies in diversity in all aspects of life, even taking part in spreading diversity in her daughter’s school.
For actress and singer-songwriter Trinity Bliss, telling stories is what drives her. “I love telling stories and feeling represented on screen, and having a whole new perspective shift based on seeing stories on screen or in music,” she began. “That’s what inspires me to write music and what inspired me to start acting.” Bliss also shared that she has new music coming out that’s been inspired exactly by that – her love for telling a story. “My first single, You Make Me Wanna Dance, was all the sparks and really seeing if I should take a chance with this person. Next was Chemistry, but it was actually the prequel to my first single. Chemistry was before the party, before the sparks, and before all the dopamine rushing stuff, still in the overthinking phase. Most recently, I released I Like Like You. This is when you’re down bad to the point of no return, and your infatuation has reached obsession and you’re consumed by it. That was the third chapter, and I’m releasing the fourth chapter, Run After Me, this month. Things can’t stay sweet forever, and I can’t wait to continue telling this story.”
