Recently, the nomination list for the preliminary round of the 38th Hundred Flowers Awards - one of the three most prestigious film awards in mainland China - has been announced.
In this year's Best Actress category, there are only 7 actresses with 9 nominated roles, including Ma Li, Song Jia (2 films), Zhang Zifeng (2 films), Gao Ye, Zhuang Dafei, Wei Shiya and Meng Qingyang.
The media assessed that the number in the preliminary list of the Best Actress category this year is quite small, but the level of competition is very high. Young actresses have a clear advantage.
The nomination list covers many age groups and different film genres, from realistic, war, folk to comedy. Notably, no actresses who emerged from ancient costume idol films participate; all rely on realistic or artistic works to win a nomination spot.
Actors born after 2000 such as Truong Tu Phong, Trang Dat Phi and Manh Khanh Duong are considered an important successor force of Chinese cinema.
Meanwhile, the absence of 5 "85th generation little flower" (born in 1985 to 1989) including Trieu Le Dinh, Luu Diec Phi, Duong Mich, Luu Thi Thi and Duong Yen has made the audience ask: Why can stars who once dominated the small screen not participate in the female lead race in cinema?
In fact, according to the regulations of the Bach Hoa Award, participating works must be released in the period from March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2026. During this time, all 5 actresses mentioned above did not have theatrical films but they played the number one female lead, so of course they could not participate in the Best Actress category.
On the other hand, Chinese media analyzed that the path to fame of the "Little Flower 85" generation originated from historical dramas. After many years of development, their influence and relevance to the television market are still significantly greater than in cinema.
Television stations and online platforms are still willing to invest in "big female lead" scripts specifically for them. Meanwhile, the number of commercial movies with women as the center is decreasing.
Being attached to TV series for too long has caused many "85's little flowers" to form a safe career zone, while reducing competitiveness in the film market.
In addition, actresses born after 2000 have now become a priority choice for many directors and producers. The current creative trend is also favoring younger faces, causing the resources for the female leads of the 1985-1989 generation to be increasingly narrowed.
However, the preliminary list of the 2026 Hundred Flowers Awards also brings interesting highlights. Typically, Duong Mich and Luu Thi Thi both have the opportunity to compete for Best Supporting Actress nominations.
Duong Mich has 2 roles in the preliminary selection list: the role of female spy Bach Pham in "Kinh Trap Vo Thanh" and the role of ordinary woman Trinh Ngoc Dinh in "Vai Tien Truong An".
Luu Thi Thi is also on the list thanks to the guest role of Tieu Ngoc in "Kinh Trap Vo Thanh".
In 2009, Duong Mich and Luu Thi Thi co-starred in the hit movie "Heavenly Sword 3". 16 years later, from friends on the small screen, they became rivals at a major film award, this story evoked many emotions for the audience.
The 38th Bach Hoa Awards is scheduled to take place in August 2026 within the framework of the Kim Ke - Bach Hoa Film Festival, so it is likely that the official nomination list will be announced in early or mid-July 2026.
