Cover A film still from ‘Sons of the Neon Night’, which has earned nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards 2026 (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
A film still from ‘Sons of the Neon Night’, which has earned nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards 2026 (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
1 / 1
The Hong Kong Film Awards has announced this year’s nominations, from Shu Qi vying for her first Hong Kong Film Award as Best Director to Juno Mak and Ryuichi Sakamoto earning nods for ‘Sons of the Neon Night’
The Hong Kong Film Awards revealed the nominations a few hours ago, with Juno Mak’s Sons of the Neon Night leading the pack with 12 nominations, including the major categories of Best Film, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography and Best New Director. Coming in second is Back to the Past—the film adaptation of the city’s beloved television series—which has earned a total of 11 nominations.
This year’s nominees also include several prominent names. Taiwanese actor Shu Qi is contending for Best Director with her directorial debut Girl, while Chinese actor Zhang Ziyi has secured a Best Actress nomination for Peter Chan’s crime drama She’s Got No Name. Several productions by Hong Kong actor and singer Louis Koo have also been recognised: My First of May, Back to the Past and Behind the Shadows.
Hong Kong’s recent pride, Another World—which won the Golden Horse Award for Best Animated Feature in 2025—has also received several nominations at this year’s ceremony, including Best Art Direction, Best Original Film Score and Best Original Film Song.
Read on to find out the full list of nominees at the Hong Kong Film Awards this year.
Don’t miss: Zhang Ziyi set to come to Hong Kong for Asian Film Awards in March
Above A film still from ‘Back to the Past’, which has earned nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards 2026 (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
A film still from ‘Back to the Past’, which has earned nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards 2026 (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
1 / 1
Best Film
Ciao, UFO (Winner)
Another World
Sons of the Neon Night
Back to the Past
She’s Got No Name
Best Director
Patrick Leung Pak Kin (Ciao, UFO) (Winner)
Shu Qi (Girl)
Tommy Ng Kai Chung (Another World)
Jonathan Li, Chou Man Yu (Behind the Shadows)
Peter Ho-sun Chan, Han Shuai (She’s Got No Name)
Best New Director
Shu Qi (Girl) (Winner)
Tommy Ng Kai Chung (Another World)
Kung Siu Ping (Measure in Love)
Juno Mak (Sons of the Neon Night)
Kwok Ka Hei, Jack Lee Chun Kit (Unidentified Murder)
Best Actor
Leung Ka Fai Tony (The Shadow’s Edge) (Winner)
Louis Koo (Behind the Shadows)
Cheung Kai Chung Louis (Golden Boy)
Louis Koo (Back to the Past)
Carlos Chan (Someone Like Me)
Best Actress
Fish Liew (Someone Like Me) (Winner)
Ma Li (The Dumpling Queen)
Natalie Hsu (First of May)
Zhang Ziyi (She’s Got No Name)
Fala Chen (Peg O’My Heart)
Best Supporting Actor
Alex To (Sons of the Neon Night) (Winner)
Chan Charm Man Peter (Unidentified Murder)
Ben Yuen (The Dumpling Queen)
Wong You Nam (Ciao, UFO)
Locker Lam (Fighting for Tomorrow)
Best Supporting Actress
Michelle Wai (Ciao, UFO) (Winner)
Elizabeth Tang (Girlfriends)
Kara Wai (The Dumpling Queen)
Nina Paw (Sons of the Neon Night)
Joyce Tang (Back to the Past)
Best New Performer
Elizabeth Tang (Girlfriends) (Winner)
Lee Kai Sum Ali (Golden Boy)
Li Zhekun (The Shadow’s Edge)
Chau Tsz Yuet (Pass and Goal)
So Tsz Yan (For Alice)
Best Cinematography
Sion Michel, Richard Bluck (Sons of the Neon Night) (Winner)
Yu Jing Pin (Girl)
Leung Ming Kai (Ciao, UFO)
Kenny Tse (Back to the Past)
Jake Pollock (She’s Got No Name)
Best Art Direction
Juno Mak, Yee Chung Man, Chow Sai Hung Ambrose, Jona Sees (Sons of the Neon Night) (Winner)
Step C (Another World)
Man Lim Chung, Jasper Tsang (Measure in Love)
Lam Wai Kin (Back to the Past)
Sun Li, Lau Man Hung (She’s Got No Name)
Best Screenplay
Kong Ho Yan, Amy Chin (Ciao, UFO) (Winner)
Kwok Ka Hei, Jack Lee Chun Kit, Ho Siu Hong, Choi Ka Hang Devon (Unidentified Murder)
Shu Qi (Girl)
Polly Yeung (Another World)
Chou Man Yu (Behind the Shadows)
Best Costume & Makeup Design
SoMad, Uma Wang (Sons of the Neon Night) (Winner)
Man Lim Chung, So Chun Yan (Measure in Love)
Cheung Siu Hong (Back to the Past)
Dora Ng (She’s Got No Name)
Boey Wong (Peg O’My Heart)
Best Action Choreography
Su Hang (The Shadow’s Edge) (Winner)
Jack Wong Wai Leung (Golden Boy)
Tang Sui Wa, Xiong Xin Xin (Sons of the Neon Night)
Sammo Hung (Back to the Past)
Ken Law Ho Ming (Good Game)
Best Original Film Score
Ryuichi Sakamoto, Nate Connelly (Sons of the Neon Night) (Winner)
Chou Liting, CMgroovy, Vicky Fung (Another World)
Wan Pin Chu (Measure in Love)
Tsui Chin Hung (Ciao UFO)
Chan Kwong Wing, Kay Chan, Christopher Lai (Back to the Past)
Best Original Film Song
Wah Fu One (Ciao, UFO) (Winner)
Composer: Tsui Chin Hung
Lyricist: Leung Pak Kin
Vocal artist: Feanna Wong
Ordinary People (Girlfriends)
Composer, lyricist, vocal artist: Panther Chan
Until We Meet Again (Another World)
Composer, lyricist: Vicky Fung
Vocal artist: Claudia Ng
Blink Of Eternity (Measure in Love)
Composer: Wan Pin Chu, JJ Lin
Lyricist: Yvonne Lin
Vocal artist: JJ Lin
I Can Never Fall Asleep (Peg O’My Heart)
Composer: Mark Lui
Lyricist: Zhu Lin
Vocal artist: Nick Cheung
Best Sound Design
Nopawat Likitwong, Poolpetch Hatthakitkosol, Dhanarat Dhitirojana (Sons of the Neon Night) (Winner)
Yiu Chun Hin, Cheung Man Hoi (Another World)
Wang Yanwei, Belle Lau (The Shadow’s Edge)
Terry Shek (Back to the Past)
James Ashton (Operation Hadal)
Best Visual Effects
Enoch Chan, Yu Yat Tung, Chris Chow, Lai Tsz Fei Felix (Sons of the Neon Night) (Winner)
Water Chan (Ciao, UFO)
Dave Kwok Wai Ting, Jules Lin, Yee Kwok Leung, Kwok Tai (Back to the Past)
Leung Chung Man (Good Game)
Dennis Yeung, Dennis Yeung (Peg O’My Heart)
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
