This year, Character Media’s Unforgettable Gala celebrated the gathering of the AAPI community’s legendary icons and bright stars. At the 22nd gala, here are Asia Blooming’s top three most memorable moments from the red carpet this year.
1. Cast Reunions
One of our favorite moments was seeing the cast of XO, Kitty Season Two come together on the red carpet. Just like in the show, it seemed as though all the boys were fighting for Kitty (Anna Cathcart), as everyone rushed to her to say hi once she belatedly arrived for the red carpet. All striking a pose together, the group tried their best to keep straight faces before bursting into laughter shortly afterwards. The endearing moment on the red carpet showed that their onscreen friendship is just as sweet offscreen, and it’s a fun treat for fans eagerly awaiting season two to drop on January 16, 2025.
2. Walkin’ the Runway
Everyone was dressed to the nines in classic black tie attire, traditional clothing, or even cosplay (Thai-Chinese singer and actor Mark Angelo showed up as everyone’s current favorite silver-haired heartthrob — Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen), but this year’s co-chair was simply unmatched and captivating on the red carpet. In sleek black pants with a soft and flowy, black-and-white top that grew into a billowing floor length cape, Eugene Lee Yang strutted onto the carpet like he owned it—and in those moments, he definitely did. Needing no guidance, the event co-chair struck poses, twirled, and threw the bottom half of his flowy covering in the air for dramatic flair. If there’s one thing we can count on each year at Unforgettable Gala, it’s that Yang will always go all-out and blow everyone away.
3. That’s My Best Friend!
There’s no better feeling than knowing your best friend is there to support you. This was the case for Chelsea Sik and Michelle Park! As Park walked the red carpet, her best friend could be seen and heard cheering her on from the side, taking cell phone photos and videos while smiling proudly. After they each individually walked, the pair also stopped and took a few photos together. Even after the red carpet finished, the duo reappeared on the photo wall once more, taking more videos and photos of and with each other with the empty red carpet.
Although those were just a few memorable moments from the red carpet, there were also countless more unforgettable events inside the gala itself. The list of 2024 honorees can be found below:
Actor in Film — Joan Chen
Actor in TV — Anna Sawai
Breakout in Film — Izaac Wang
Breakout in TV — Hoa Xuande
Director — Sean Wang
Writer — Rachel Kondo
Digital Influencer — Vivian Tu
Vanguard — Avatar: The Last Airbender
Global Groundbreaker — Naomi Watanabe
Global Icon — Hiroyuki Sanada
Cultural Icon — Prabal Gurung
Community Impact — Lakers Legends (Award Accepted By Byron Scott)
For more, click on the photo below to view our photos from the event:
