Tony Leung Ka-fai and Gao Ye win the top acting prizes at the 39th Golden Rooster Awards
The 39th China Golden Rooster Awards were handed out on November 10 in Xiamen, in a ceremony that also closed the 2026 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival. Dead to Rights, the drama about a group of civilians who hide in a photo studio during the Nanjing Massacre to protect evidence of the atrocities, won Best Feature Film.
Best Actor went to Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Ka-fai for his role as Fu Longsheng in The Shadow's Edge, the action thriller he made with Jackie Chan. It was his first Golden Rooster nomination, and it came after he won for the same role at this year's Hong Kong Film Awards. Before him, only two Hong Kong actors had taken the prize, Jackie Chan and Tony Leung Chiu-wai.
Gao Ye won Best Actress for her role as Lin Yuxiu in Dead to Rights and broke down in tears as she accepted the award. The emotion carried over to the next category. Actor Zhu Yilong, who presented Best Actor, was visibly moved when he took the stage and explained that he and Gao Ye had been classmates. “She did it. I know how hard it has been for her,” he said.
Zheng Dasheng was named Best Director, while the Jury Special Award and Best Screenplay went to the same film, 给阿嬷的情书 (Gěi Āmā de Qíngshū). Wushouer Sailai and Lan Xiya won the supporting acting awards, Wan Li was named Best New Director, Nobody won Best Animated Feature and Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value won Best Foreign Language Film.
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