Asian Television Awards results

Singapore: More than 1,800 entries were received for this year's eighth annual Asian Television Awards — 1,352 for programming and performance.

The overall increase of 4 per cent in entries, along with an obvious lift in quality, is testament to the resolve of broadcasters and production houses across the region not to allow economic and political uncertainty to compromise their commitment to being the best they can be, says chairman of judges Jonathan Hallett.

In addition, the region's cable and satellite industry's commitment to localisation is making enormous differences to local production output in Asia. Entries this year came from almost 190 companies in 15 countries.

Best Documentary (30 minutes or less)
Winner
The Weight of Paper
Discovery Channel Asia (Singapore)

Runners up:
Beating Tradition
Discovery Channel Asia (Singapore)
Forever Beijing
Discovery Channel Asia (Singapore)

Highly commended
The Call of the Scrawl
Public Television Service (Taiwan)

Best Documentary (30 minutes or more)
Winner
Kumagaiso: A Tiny Miracle in a Tiny Village
RNB Television (Japan)

Runner up
Dance of Fire: A Rebel Teacher and Sixty Kids
Mainichi Broadcasting Systems (Japan)

Highly commended
Mona Lisa: Unlocking a Timeless Work of Art
Nippon Television (Japan)
My Imported Wife
Public Television Service (Taiwan)

Natural History or Wildlife Programme
Winner
Miracle of Pantanal
NHK (Japan)

Runner up
Indonesia: Beyond the Reefs
National Geographic Channel International (Singapore)

Highly commended
Spaceship Earth: Satoyama Insect Story
Asahi National Broadcasting (Japan)
Wild Island, Out and About
Discovery Networks Asia, Animal Planet (Singapore)

Best General News Programme
Winner
Straits Times News
Singapore Press Holdings, Ch i (Singapore)

Runner up
Saksi
GMA Network (Philippines)

Highly commended
News Biz Today
CNN International (Hong Kong SAR)
TV Patrol
ABS CBN Broadcasting (Philippines)

Best Business News Programme
Winner
Biz Asia
CNN International (Hong Kong SAR)

Runner up
Moneycast Asia
Bloomberg Television (Japan)

Highly commended
Tirupati: The Business of Faith
IN-TV for BBC (India)
Singapore Business Tonight
Channel News Asia, MediaCorp News (Singapore)

Best Drama Series
Winner
The Singapore Short Stories Project
Film Formations for MediaCorp TV12 (Singapore)

Runner up
My Darling Little Witch
Nippon Television (Japan)

Highly commended
Unlimited Josh
STAR Plus of STAR Group (India)
A Gentleman
Bangkok Broadcasting & TV (Thailand)

Best Single Drama or Telemovie Programme
Winner
Cynthia the Service Dog
Mainichi Broadcasting System (Japan)

Runner up
A Brother for Life
NHK (Japan)

Highly commended
Remembering: The Horn
ABS CBN Broadcasting (Philippines)
A Lease to Paradise
Public Television Service (Taiwan)

Best Comedy Programme
Winner
Phua Chu Kang: The Parent Trap
MediaCorp TV, Ch 5 (Singapore)

Runner up
Living with Lydia: All in a Night's Work
MediaCorp TV, Ch 5 (Singapore)

Highly commended
Talk About Love
Antah UTV (Malaysia)
Bubble Gang 2
GMA Network (Philippines)

Best Current Affairs Programme
Winner
Court Martial
Infotainment Television for SAB TV (India)

Runner up
Jihad in Asia
CNN International (Hong Kong SAR)

Highly commended
News Magazine 2580: Elders in Love
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (Korea)
FTV's Hall of Dissent
Formosa Television (Taiwan)

Best Children's Programme
Winner
Drowning of the Chen Tang Town
CCTV (China)

Runners up
The Alphajets
The Disney Channel Taiwan (Taiwan)

Highly commended
Yoyo Paradise
Eastern Broadcasting Company (Taiwan)
Tomato Twins
Peach Blossom Media for Nickelodeon (Singapore)

Best Entertainment Special 7 judges
Winner
Back to Back to Christmas
GMA Network (Philippines)

Runner up
2003 MTV Asia Awards
MTV Asia LDC (Singapore)

Highly commended
Prada Gita Indonesia
Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia (Indonesia)
Very Very Happy Anniversary
GMA Network (Philippines)

Best News/Current Affairs Special
Winner
News Magazine: A Blood Legacy
Television Broadcasts Limited (Hong Kong SAR)

Runner up
SARS: A Special Report
CNN International (Hong Kong SAR)

Highly commended
Frontline: Finding a Wife in Vietnam
ChannelNews Asia, MediaCorp News (Singapore)
Malaysia Special
CNBC Asia Pacific (Singapore)

Best Entertainment Programme
Winner
Top 10
SPH MediaWorks, Ch U (Singapore)

Runner up
Sync or Swim, Mongolia
Discovery Networks Asia, Travel & Adventure (Singapore)

Highly commended
The Making of 2003 MTV Asia Awards
MTV Networks Asia (Singapore)
Snap 2
SPH MediaWorks, Ch U (Singapore)

Best Game or Quiz Programme
Winner
Fan Pan Tae
Workpoint Entertainment Co Ltd (Thailand)

Runner up
Tod Sa Gun Game
Workpoint Entertainment Co Ltd (Thailand)

Highly commended
Ready Steady Go
SPH MediaWorks, Ch U (Singapore)
Xing Kong Cave
Xing Kong of STAR Group (China)

Best Music Programme
Winner
MTV Asia Session: Norah Jones
MTV Asia LDC (Singapore)

Runner up
Horyuji Sound Stage
Mainichi Broadcasting Systems (Japan)

Highly commended
Prada Gita Indonesia
Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia (Indonesia)
Satu Jam Bersama Padi
PT Indosiar Visual Mandiri (Indonesia)

Best Sports Programme
Winner
Sports Centre
ESPN STAR Sports (Singapore)

Runner up
Race Day
ESPN STAR Sports (Singapore)

Highly commended
Sports Line
ESPN STAR Sports (Singapore)
Gameplan
Probe Productions for ABS CBN, Ch 2 (Philippines)

Best Infotainment Programme
Winner
Family Wisdom
Nippon Television (Japan)

Runner up
Pushkamela
MTV India (India)

Highly commended
3R (Respect, Relax, Respond)
Red Communications (Malaysia)

Best Youth Programme
Highly commended
Bum Mein Dum
Miditech (India)
The Big Unknown
MediaCorp TV, Ch 5 (Singapore)

Best Talkshow 8 judges
Winner
The Big Fight: Is Sex Finally out of the Closet in India
New Delhi Television (India)

Runner up
Xing Kong Late Night Talks
Xing Kong of STAR Group (China)

Highly commended
Tell it like it is: My Days with SARS
CCTV (China)
Talk Asia
CNN International (Hong Kong SAR)

Winners (Performance):

Best News Presenter or Anchor
Winner
Catherine Yang for Moneycast Asia
Bloomberg Television (Japan)

Runner up
Arnab Goswami for News Night
New Delhi Television (India)

Highly commended
Sandrina Malakiano for Metro Hari Ini
PT Media Televisi Indonesia (Indonesia)
Mike Enriquez for Saksi
GMA Network (Philippines)

Best Current Affairs Presenter
Winner
Karan Thapar for Face to Face
Infotainment Television for BBC (India)

Runner up
Zhang Hai Jie for Inside Out
SPH MediaWorks, Ch U (Singapore)

Highly commended
Karan Thapar for Court Martial
Infotainment Television for SAB TV (India)
Stan Grant for SARS: A Special Report
CNN International (Hong Kong SAR)

Best Entertainment Presenter
Winner
Kym Ng for Top 10
SPH MediaWorks, Ch U (Singapore)

Runner up
Jamie Aditya for Sync or Swim, Mongolia
Discovery Networks Asia, Travel & Adventure (Singapore)

Highly commended
Adrian Pang for Top 10
SPH MediaWorks, Ch U (Singapore)
Chang Hsiao Yen for Happy Sunday
Chinese Television Systems (Taiwan)

Best Drama Performance by an Actor
Winner
Tou Chung Hua for Crystal Boys
MediaCorp TV, Ch 5 (Singapore)

Runner up
Roderick Paulate for Remembering: The Horn
ABS CBN Broadcasting (Philippines)

Highly commended
Edmund Chen for First Touch
Public Television Service (Taiwan)
Robin Padilla for Remembering Respirator
ABS CBN Broadcasting (Philippines)

Best Drama Performance by an Actress
Winner
Vernetta Lopez for Ceciliation
MediaCorp TV, Ch 5 (Singapore)

Runner up
Eula Valdez for Remembering - The Helmet
ABS CBN Broadcasting (Philippines)

Highly commended
Jolina Magdangal for Magpakailanman (Forevermore)
GMA Network (Philippines)
Gu Jung Gao for Princess in Wonder
Public Television Service (Taiwan)

Best Comedy Performance by an Actress

Winner
Lydia Sum for Living with Lydia
MediaCorp TV, Ch 5 (Singapore)

Runner up
Pamela Oei for Ah Girl III
SPH MediaWorks, Ch i (Singapore)

Highly commended
Rene Liu for Pink Lady
Chinese Television Service (Taiwan)
Joanna Bessey for Kopitiam
Double Vision Sdn Bhd (Malaysia)

Best Comedy Performance by an Actor
Winner
Gurmit Singh for Phua Chu Kang - The Parent Trap
MediaCorp TV, Ch 5 (Singapore)

Runner up
Adrian Pang for Ah Girl III
SPH MediaWorks, Ch i (Singapore)

Highly commended
Michael V for Bubble Gang 2
GMA Network (Philippines)
Bryan Wong for Add Your Service
SPH MediaWorks, Ch U (Singapore)

Terrestrial Channel of the Year
Channel 5, MediaCorp TV, Singapore

Runner Up
Channel U, SPH MediaWorks

Highly Commended
Nippon TV, Japan
Channel 7, GMA Network, Philippines

Cable and Satellite Channel of the Year:
CNN International

Runner Up
MTV Asia

Highly Commended
Discovery Channel