Call this writer a traditionalist, but he has never been too impressed whenever he hears a young artiste bagging an acting award. Showbiz is a cruel place, and he somewhat believes that accolades, as shammy as they are, belong to veterans who have been slogging it out. That is probably why, whenever the media goes all excited about a young actor winning an industry award, this columnist would read the coverage with many pinches of salt.

So here we have 30 year old Mark Chao (Monga, The First Time) who established his reputation by starring as one of the two protagonists in 2009 Taiwanese TV series Black & White. The 24 episode drama tells the story of two cops who have vastly different personalities. Wu Ying Xiong (Chao) believes that law and justice are the pillars of the society and are constantly on the lookout for baddies, while Chen Zai Tian (Vic Chou) lives a luxurious lifestyle while waiting for dubious sources to crack his cases. Chao went on to win Best Actor at the 44th Golden Bell Awards, the prestigious annual TV production award presented by Taiwan’s Government Information Office. The series was a big winner, taking home Best Drama, Best Director, Best Art Direction and Best Marketing.