Stars past and present were out in full force for the grand 30th anniversary of the Star Awards, the biggest event of the year in local Mandarin entertainment.

To mark its three-decade milestone, the show pulled out all the stops, with a stroll down the memory lane of iconic theme songs via a live orchestra, a performance by songstress Kit Chan, appearances by Hong Kong superstars Chow Yun Fat and Sean Lau, and a towering Star Awards trophy on the red carpet 30 times the size of the real thing.

Hosted by Guo Liang together with Chantalle Ng taking on a hosting role for the first time, the show’s theme, “Walking Through Time Together” celebrated the moments and faces in drama history that made lasting impressions in fans’ minds and hearts.

The event felt like a reunion of sorts as actors long retired from the screen like Huang Shi Nan, Tracer Wong and Bernard Tan took to the red carpet; while All-Time Favourite Artistes throughout the years gathered on stage, including Ann Kok, Mark Lee, Vivian Lai, Tay Ping Hui and Fann Wong.

Meanwhile, this year’s All-Time Favourite Artistes, Yvonne Lim and Pornsak, collected their long-awaited trophies after having won 10 Top 10 Favourite Artistes awards through the years.

Pornsak quipped that he wanted to thank dish soap brand Mama Lemon as the exposure he gained from starring in their advertisement had paid for his housing and his master’s degree for the last 14 years.

Lim, who marked her return to Singapore after spending the last 10 years in Taiwan by walking the red carpet with her husband and two children, teared up as she talked about her late mother in her acceptance speech, saying, “The person I’ve missed the most for the last 35 years – do you see this? I love you.” She added, “The best award is not in my hands but in my heart.”