Unforgettable Gala to Open Award Categories to International Asian and Pacific Islander Talent (Exclusive)

For its 21^st edition, the Unforgettable Gala, which annually fetes Asian Americans in entertainment, arts and culture, will officially be opening its awards categories to talent from Asia and the Pacific Islands. Although the event has in the past honored Asian stars with crossover impact such as Minha Kim (Pachinko), Shohei Ohtani and Psy, the announcement indicates that Unforgettable will take on a more global focus, as it partners with AsiaLab, a Seoul-based entertainment and content platform that seeks to facilitate “One Asia” through collaborations with API stars and influencers.

For now, Character Media, the publishing company that founded and produces Unforgettable each year, is planning to hold the gala at its usual Beverly Hilton location on Dec. 16 but notes that the date could be pushed to the first quarter of 2024, depending on the status of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

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“For more than 20 years, honoring API artists, especially writers and actors, has been and continues to be an essential part of Unforgettable,” Character Media publisher and gala founder James Ryu said in a statement. “We stand united with those on the picket lines in their fight for representation, fairness and equity. While there has been immense progress for APIs in the last two decades, there is still room to grow for our community in this industry, both behind and in front of the camera.”

Known colloquially as “Asian Prom,” the Unforgettable Gala is a black-tie event that hosts more than 700 API leaders and influencers from business, entertainment, arts and culture by invitation only. Last year’s honorees included Everything Everywhere All at Once, Pachinko, Turning Red, Chloe Kim, Jeremy Lin and Steven Yeun.

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