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| Yang Zi Makes Magnolia Awards History But Cnetz Say Other Actresses Deserved the Trophy More. (Credits: Weibo/Sohu) |
Yang Zi has finally claimed one of Chinese television's biggest honours, but instead of universal applause, her historic Magnolia Awards 2026 victory has opened the floodgates to one of the year's most heated online debates. The actress took home Best Actress for her performance as Bai Ju in Born to Be Alive, becoming the first actress born in the 1990s to win the prestigious award. While many celebrated the milestone, others immediately questioned whether the judges had made the right call.
The 33-year-old actress was visibly emotional as her name was announced during the 31st Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards. Fighting back tears before reaching the stage, Yang Zi thanked everyone who had supported her journey, especially her parents, who encouraged her dream of becoming an actress from the age of five.
She also took the opportunity to clear up online speculation, jokingly denying rumours that she had lost 15 jin solely for the role. Her acceptance speech quickly became one of the ceremony's most talked-about moments.
Yang Zi thanked director Li Xue, describing him as someone she "both loved and hated" during filming because of his demanding approach. She admitted there were days she felt frustrated on set, but ultimately credited him for helping her grow as an actress.
She ended her speech with a message encouraging dreamers to ignore outside opinions, remain true to themselves and keep moving forward. According to her, the trophy is not the finish line but merely the beginning of a new chapter.
A day later, Yang Zi reflected on the victory through social media, admitting that the achievement still felt surreal. She thanked Born to Be Alive, the production team, streaming platform iQIYI, her colleagues and viewers who connected with Bai Ju.
She described the award as recognition for the entire cast and crew rather than an individual success, adding that she hoped to continue improving with every future project.
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Yang Zi revealed that filming Born to Be Alive became one of the defining experiences of her career. The production spent six months shooting on remote mountain plateaus under demanding conditions, including high altitude, freezing temperatures and areas with no mobile signal.
She admitted adapting to the environment was difficult at first, but eventually the isolation allowed everyone to focus entirely on telling the story. It certainly sounds like the sort of filming schedule that makes ordinary office meetings seem positively luxurious.
The actress also reflected on her long journey to recognition. Having attended the Magnolia Awards several times as a nominee, this marked the first occasion she stood on stage as the winner.
She said receiving the award made her feel that years of steady work had finally been acknowledged. During the media session, she even kissed the trophy, laughing that she probably would not get much sleep after such an emotional evening.
However, while Yang Zi's supporters celebrated the career milestone, the online reaction quickly became far more divided.
Across Chinese social media, many fans congratulated the actress, arguing she has spent years proving herself through consistent performances and deserved recognition after multiple nominations.
Others praised her dedication to the physically demanding production and believed the award reflected years of gradual improvement rather than one single performance.
Not everyone agreed. Many netizens argued that Bai Ju was not an especially complex or technically demanding character compared with other leading roles released over the past year.
Some claimed the performance was "average", suggesting several other actresses delivered stronger work and should have taken home the trophy instead.
A number of comments questioned whether almost any experienced actress could have portrayed Bai Ju in a similar way, leading to accusations that the judging panel had overlooked more deserving performances.
The criticism became even louder as some users alleged the result felt "rigged", although no evidence has been presented to support those claims.
Others pointed out that every major awards season seems to produce at least one controversial winner, almost as if trophies arrive with an optional online argument included in the box. Awards may celebrate excellence, but they rarely manage to unite the internet for longer than five minutes.
Beyond the Best Actress race, the evening also recognised several other notable winners. Yu Hewei received Best Actor for Silent Honor, marking his second Magnolia acting victory.
Li Xue won Best Director for Born to Be Alive, while Swords Into Plowshares was named Best Chinese Drama, giving the ceremony a strong mix of expected winners and headline-making surprises.
Whether audiences believe Yang Zi fully deserved the honour or think another actress should have walked away with the trophy, one thing is certain: her victory has become one of the biggest talking points in Chinese entertainment this year.
The debate surrounding Born to Be Alive, Bai Ju, and the Magnolia Awards shows no sign of fading anytime soon. What do you think? Did Yang Zi earn this historic win through years of hard work, or should the award have gone elsewhere?