In early 2026, Sohu announced the "Red List" honoring artists with the best behavior and working attitude in Chinese showbiz in 2025. The ranking is based on the votes of 60 entertainment reporters and media personnel, recognizing artists who score points thanks to professional demeanor, subtle behavior and positive image in the eyes of professionals.
According to Sohu, the Top 5 artists who scored the strongest points with Chinese media in 2025 include Xiao Zhan, Bai Lu, Wang Hedi, Li Landi and Song Weilong. Notably, Xiao Zhan topped the ranking not only because of his standard behavior but also because of his outstanding career mark in the past year.
He continuously achieved success with major film projects, stable commercial influence and increasingly solid "top-notch" image. His calm, open demeanor and mature thinking helped Xiao Zhan to be favored by the media as the "10s man" of Chinese showbiz.
2025 marks a clear breakthrough for Xiao Zhan when he was honored as "Breakthrough Movie Actor of the Year". The actor made a strong impression thanks to his diverse transformation ability, from the image of hero Guo Jing in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" to the role of a simple cooler in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".
In the following work, Xiao Zhan was highly appreciated by experts when he completely escaped his idol image, realistically portraying a simple, approachable man. At the same time, he also made his mark in television with "The Legend of Zhanghai" in the Top 10 highest-rated films on CCTV-8 in 2025, thereby firmly consolidating his leading position in Chinese showbiz.
In 2025, Bach Loc showed stable performance when continuously participating in 3 projects of many different genres, all of which achieved positive signs.
Notably, the movie "Bac Thuong" in which she participated recorded an impressive rating on CCTV-1 channel, ranking 9th in the hotness chart. As soon as it aired, the work attracted great attention thanks to its new content and the participation of a cast of young actors, in which Bach Loc and Au Hao are prominent names.
Through this project, Bach Loc is highly appreciated by experts for her progress in acting, considering this as a notable turning point when she for the first time shed the familiar image of ancient costume films to try her hand at success with modern drama films.
In addition, many other artists such as Dich Duong Thien Ti, Tran Do Linh, Ly Nhat Dong, Tong Vu Ky, Duong Tu, Xa Thi Man... also received positive feedback from the media thanks to their serious working style, polite attitude and high EQ, contributing to creating a professional image of the Chinese entertainment industry.
