Taiwan Golden Horse Awards for Best Action...Do You Agree?

[DrNgor]

Although the Golden Horse Awards have been around for longer than the Hong Kong Film Awards, they didn't include a Best Action Choreography category until the early 1990s. While it is interesting to see some lesser-known titles on their nominees list, they often have some very Out-of-Left-Field choices. I also think politics are very influential in these particular awards--notice how little attention that Jet Li movies get and the nominees for the past few years are downright head-scratchers--I think they've been focusing on more local fare, which is odd, as Taiwanese action has largely been extinct since the 1990s.

Without further ado:

1992 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Tony Ching Siu-Tung, Yuen Bun (Dragon Inn)

Nominees:

Stanley Tong (Police Story 3: Supercop)
Yuen Woo-Ping (Once Upon a Time in China 2)
Yuen Tak (Saviour of the Soul)

1993 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Corey Yuen, Yuen Tak (Fong Sai Yuk)

Nominees:

Yuen Woo-Ping, Yuen Cheung-Yan, Ku Huen-Chiu (The Tai Chi Master)
Jackie Chan (Crime Story)
Tony Leung Siu-Hung (Temptation of a Monk)

1994 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan, Lau Kar-Leung (Drunken Master 2)

Nominees:

Tony Ching Siu-Tung (Love on Delivery)
Kong To-Hoi, Stephen Tung Wei, Poon Kin-Kwan (The True Hero)

1995 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung (Thunderbolt)

Nominees:

Corey Yuen, Yuen Tak (High Risk)
Corey Yuen, Yuen Tak (My Father is a Hero)
Jackie Chan, Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx)

1996 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan, Stanley Tong (Police Story 4: First Strike)

Nominees:

Ma Yuk-Sing (Big Bullet)
Bruce Law (First Option)
Yuen Tak (Somebody Up There Likes Me)

 

1997 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan (Mr. Nice Guy)

Nominees:

Stephen Tung Wei (Downtown Torpedoes)
Yuen Bun (Lifeline)
Corey Yuen, Yuen Tak (Hero)

1998 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan (Who Am I?)

Nominees:

Stephen Tung Wei (Hitman)
Dion Lam (The Stormriders)

1999 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Stephen Tung Wei (Purple Storm)

Nominees:

Dion Lam (A Man Called Hero)
Austin Wai (Generation Pendragon)
Jackie Chan (Gorgeous)

2000 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Yuen Woo-Ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

Nominees:

Xiong Xin Xin (Time and Tide)
Phillip Kwok (Double Tap)
Ailen Sit (Tokyo Raiders)

2001 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Tony Ching Siu-Tung (My Schoolmate, the Barbarian)

Nominees:

Jackie Chan, Stephen Tung Wei (The Accidental Spy)
Tony Ching Siu-Tung (Shaolin Soccer)
Yuen Woo-Ping (The Legend of Zu)

2002 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Bruce Mang (Running Out of Time 2)

Nominees:

Mars, Wong Ming-Sing (Give them a Chance)
Poon Kin-Kwan (Chinese Odyssey 2002)

2003 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Donnie Yen (Twins Effect)

Nominees:

Dion Lam (Infernal Affairs)
Lee Tat-Chiu (Colour of the Truth)

2004 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan, Nicky Li Chung-Chi (New Police Story)

Nominees:

Chin Kar-Lok (One Nite in Mongkok)
Yuen Bun (Running on Karma)
Yuen Bun (Breaking News)

2005 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Lau Kar-Leung, Stephen Tung Wei, Xiong Xin Xin (Seven Swords)

Nominees:

Wong Chi Wai (Election)
Kong To-Hoi (A World Without Thieves)
Yuen Woo-Ping (Kung Fu Hustle)

2006 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Ling Chun Pong, Wong Chi-Wai (Exiled)

Nominees:

Donnie Yen (Dragon Tiger Gate)
Yuen Woo-Ping (Fearless)
Stephen Tung Wei, Farah Khan (Perhaps Love)

2007 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Donnie Yen (Flashpoint)

Nominees:

Nicky Li Chung-Chi (Invisible Target)
Stephen Tung Wei (Battle of Wits)
Jack Wong Wai-Leung (Shamo)

2008 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Nicky Li Chung-Chi (Connected)

Nominees:

Tony Ching Siu-Tung, Ma Yuk-Sing (An Empress and the Warriors)
Park Ju-Chun (Assembly)
Tony Ching Siu-Tung (The Warlords)

2009 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Sammo Hung (Ip Man)

Nominees:

Stephen Tung Wei, Bruce Law (Beast Stalker)
Chan Koon-Lung, Qin Hai-Qiang (Cow)
Philippe Decouflé (Visage)

2010 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Sammo Hung (Ip Man 2)

Nominees:

Yuen Tak (The Gallants)
Sammo Hung (Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame)
Stephen Tung Wei (Bodyguards and Assassins)

2011 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Donnie Yen (Wu Xia)

Nominees:

Shim Jae-Won, Yang Kil-Yong (Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale I)
Dion Lam (Overheard 2)
Chin Kar-Lok (Young Bruce Lee)
 

2012 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Chin Kar-Lok, Wong Wai-Fai, Thomson Ng (Motorway)

Nominees:

Yuen Bun, Allen Lan, Sun Jian-Kui (Flying Swords of Dragon Gate)
Sammo Hung (Tai Chi Zero)
Xu Haofeng (Judge Archer)
Nicky Li Chung-Chi, Cyril Raffaelli (Black & White: Episode 1)

2013 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan, Jun He (CZ12)

Nominees:

Yuen Woo-Ping (The Grandmaster)
Tony Ling Chi-Wah (Unbeatable)
Stephen Chow, Ku Huen-Chiu (Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons)
(The Way We Dance)

2014 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jack Wong Wai-Leung (As the Light Goes Out)

Nominees:

Donnie Yen, Stephen Tung Wei, Yuen Bun (Kung Fu Jungle)
Yuen Bun, Lin Feng (Young Detective Dee)
Lin Sang (Brotherhood of Blades)
Nicky Li Chung-Chi (The White Storm)

2015 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Xu Haofeng (The Final Master)

Nominees:

Yuen Bun (The Taking of Tiger Mountain)
Liu Ming Zhe (The Assassin)
Corey Yuen (Rise of the Legend)
Nicky Li Chung-Chi (SPL 2: A Time for Consequences)

2016 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Wu Gang (Detective Chinatown)

Nominees:

Shim Jae-Won, Yang Kil-Yong (Mojin – The Lost Legend)
Yuen Woo-Ping (Ip Man 3)
Chin Kar-Lok (Cold War 2)
Adam Chan Chung Tai (Mrs. K)
 

2017 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Lin Sang (Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield)

Nominees:

Sammo Hung (Paradox)
Ku Huen-Chiu (Wu Kong)
Wande An (Explosion)
Xu Haofeng (The Hidden Sword)

2018 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jun He, Kenji Tanigaki, Hua Yan (Hidden Man)

Nominees:

Yuen Shun-Yee (Master Z: Ip Man Legacy)
Ku Huen-Chiu (Shadow)
Kenji Tanigaki (Monster Hunt 2)
Bruce Law, Yee Man Law (The Shadow Play)

2019 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Hung Shih-hao (The Scoundrels)

Nominees:

Hung Shih-hao, Chia Fan (We Are Champions)
Jimmy Hung (Detention)
Gino Yang (Mayday Life)

2020 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Teddy Ray Huang, Shao-Peng Li (Get the Hell Out)

Nominees:

Zhang Peng (A Choo)
Tang Shui-Wah (Hand Rolled Cigarette)
Maverick Chau Shing Mak (The Way We Keep Dancing)     

2021 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Chan Man-fai, Chu Ke-feng, Feng Ren-zhi (Nezha)

Nominees:

Hung Shih-hao (The Soul)
Hung Shih-hao (Treat or Trick)
Gino Yang (Till We Meet Again)
Jack Wong Wai-leung (Coffin Homes)

Edited February 18, 2022 by DrNgor

[legendarycurry]

On 2/18/2022 at 2:59 PM, DrNgor said:

Although the Golden Horse Awards have been around for longer than the Hong Kong Film Awards, they didn't include a Best Action Choreography category until the early 1990s. While it is interesting to see some lesser-known titles on their nominees list, they often have some very Out-of-Left-Field choices. I also think politics are very influential in these particular awards--notice how little attention that Jet Li movies get and the nominees for the past few years are downright head-scratchers--I think they've been focusing on more local fare, which is odd, as Taiwanese action has largely been extinct since the 1990s.

Without further ado:

1992 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Tony Ching Siu-Tung, Yuen Bun (Dragon Inn)

Nominees:

Stanley Tong (Police Story 3: Supercop)
Yuen Woo-Ping (Once Upon a Time in China 2)
Yuen Tak (Saviour of the Soul)

I would give this one to Supercop (Haven't seen Saviour of The Soul yet)

1993 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Corey Yuen, Yuen Tak (Fong Sai Yuk)

Nominees:

Yuen Woo-Ping, Yuen Cheung-Yan, Ku Huen-Chiu (The Tai Chi Master)
Jackie Chan (Crime Story)
Tony Leung Siu-Hung (Temptation of a Monk)

I would give this one to Tai Chi Master because Fong Sai Yuk has a weak finale (Haven't seen the two other nominees)

1994 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan, Lau Kar-Leung (Drunken Master 2)

Nominees:

Tony Ching Siu-Tung (Love on Delivery)
Kong To-Hoi, Stephen Tung Wei, Poon Kin-Kwan (The True Hero)

Worthy winner but Love On Delivery is underratted though, haven't seen The True Hero

1995 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung (Thunderbolt)

Nominees:

Corey Yuen, Yuen Tak (High Risk)
Corey Yuen, Yuen Tak (My Father is a Hero)
Jackie Chan, Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx)

I think Thunderbolt deserved this one because of how nice the action is and the way they work around Jackie's injury

1996 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan, Stanley Tong (Police Story 4: First Strike)

Nominees:

Ma Yuk-Sing (Big Bullet)
Bruce Law (First Option)
Yuen Tak (Somebody Up There Likes Me)

Haven't seen the other movies besides First Strike

 

1997 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan (Mr. Nice Guy)

Nominees:

Stephen Tung Wei (Downtown Torpedoes)
Yuen Bun (Lifeline)
Corey Yuen, Yuen Tak (Hero)

Have only seen Mr. Nice Guy

1998 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan (Who Am I?)

Nominees:

Stephen Tung Wei (Hitman)
Dion Lam (The Stormriders)

I think Who Am I deserved it

1999 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Stephen Tung Wei (Purple Storm)

Nominees:

Dion Lam (A Man Called Hero)
Austin Wai (Generation Pendragon)
Jackie Chan (Gorgeous)

I have only seen Gorgeous and I liked the choreography in it

2000 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Yuen Woo-Ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

Nominees:

Xiong Xin Xin (Time and Tide)
Phillip Kwok (Double Tap)
Ailen Sit (Tokyo Raiders)

I haven't seen Double Tap but I would give it to CTHD

2001 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Tony Ching Siu-Tung (My Schoolmate, the Barbarian)

Nominees:

Jackie Chan, Stephen Tung Wei (The Accidental Spy)
Tony Ching Siu-Tung (Shaolin Soccer)
Yuen Woo-Ping (The Legend of Zu)

Only seen Accidental Spy and Shaolin Soccer. Would give it to Shaolin Soccer

2002 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Bruce Mang (Running Out of Time 2)

Nominees:

Mars, Wong Ming-Sing (Give them a Chance)
Poon Kin-Kwan (Chinese Odyssey 2002)

Haven't seen any of these

2003 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Donnie Yen (Twins Effect)

Nominees:

Dion Lam (Infernal Affairs)
Lee Tat-Chiu (Colour of the Truth)

Only seen Infernal Affairs, bit surprised it got a nomination

2004 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan, Nicky Li Chung-Chi (New Police Story)

Nominees:

Chin Kar-Lok (One Nite in Mongkok)
Yuen Bun (Running on Karma)
Yuen Bun (Breaking News)

Haven't seen One Nite In Mongkok but I would give it to Running on Karma, it felt creative and serviced the film very well.

2005 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Lau Kar-Leung, Stephen Tung Wei, Xiong Xin Xin (Seven Swords)

Nominees:

Wong Chi Wai (Election)
Kong To-Hoi (A World Without Thieves)
Yuen Woo-Ping (Kung Fu Hustle)

Seven Swords deserved it IMHO

2006 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Ling Chun Pong, Wong Chi-Wai (Exiled)

Nominees:

Donnie Yen (Dragon Tiger Gate)
Yuen Woo-Ping (Fearless)
Stephen Tung Wei, Farah Khan (Perhaps Love)

Haven't seen Perharps Love or Exiled but Fearless had great stuff

2007 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Donnie Yen (Flashpoint)

Nominees:

Nicky Li Chung-Chi (Invisible Target)
Stephen Tung Wei (Battle of Wits)
Jack Wong Wai-Leung (Shamo)

Only seen Flashpoint and it deserved it most likely

2008 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Nicky Li Chung-Chi (Connected)

Nominees:

Tony Ching Siu-Tung, Ma Yuk-Sing (An Empress and the Warriors)
Park Ju-Chun (Assembly)
Tony Ching Siu-Tung (The Warlords)

Only seen Empress and the Warriors and it was decent

2009 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Sammo Hung (Ip Man)

Nominees:

Stephen Tung Wei, Bruce Law (Beast Stalker)
Chan Koon-Lung, Qin Hai-Qiang (Cow)
Philippe Decouflé (Visage)

Only seen Yip Man and it slaps

2010 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Sammo Hung (Ip Man 2)

Nominees:

Yuen Tak (The Gallants)
Sammo Hung (Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame)
Stephen Tung Wei (Bodyguards and Assassins)

Haven't seen Gallants but I would give it to Yip Man 2

2011 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Donnie Yen (Wu Xia)

Nominees:

Shim Jae-Won, Yang Kil-Yong (Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale I)
Dion Lam (Overheard 2)
Chin Kar-Lok (Young Bruce Lee)

Haven't seen any of them
 

2012 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Chin Kar-Lok, Wong Wai-Fai, Thomson Ng (Motorway)

Nominees:

Yuen Bun, Allen Lan, Sun Jian-Kui (Flying Swords of Dragon Gate)
Sammo Hung (Tai Chi Zero)
Xu Haofeng (Judge Archer)
Nicky Li Chung-Chi, Cyril Raffaelli (Black & White: Episode 1)

Haven't seen any of them

2013 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jackie Chan, Jun He (CZ12)

Nominees:

Yuen Woo-Ping (The Grandmaster)
Tony Ling Chi-Wah (Unbeatable)
Stephen Chow, Ku Huen-Chiu (Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons)
(The Way We Dance)

Only seen CZ12 and The Grandmaster, would give it to The Grandmaster

2014 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jack Wong Wai-Leung (As the Light Goes Out)

Nominees:

Donnie Yen, Stephen Tung Wei, Yuen Bun (Kung Fu Jungle)
Yuen Bun, Lin Feng (Young Detective Dee)
Lin Sang (Brotherhood of Blades)
Nicky Li Chung-Chi (The White Storm)

Only seen Kung Fu Jungle and it was decent

2015 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Xu Haofeng (The Final Master)

Nominees:

Yuen Bun (The Taking of Tiger Mountain)
Liu Ming Zhe (The Assassin)
Corey Yuen (Rise of the Legend)
Nicky Li Chung-Chi (SPL 2: A Time for Consequences)

Only seen SPL 2  and it had good stuff IMHO

2016 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Wu Gang (Detective Chinatown)

Nominees:

Shim Jae-Won, Yang Kil-Yong (Mojin – The Lost Legend)
Yuen Woo-Ping (Ip Man 3)
Chin Kar-Lok (Cold War 2)
Adam Chan Chung Tai (Mrs. K)

Only seen Yip Man 3 and it had OK stuff.
 

2017 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Lin Sang (Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield)

Nominees:

Sammo Hung (Paradox)
Ku Huen-Chiu (Wu Kong)
Wande An (Explosion)
Xu Haofeng (The Hidden Sword)

Haven't seen any of them

2018 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Jun He, Kenji Tanigaki, Hua Yan (Hidden Man)

Nominees:

Yuen Shun-Yee (Master Z: Ip Man Legacy)
Ku Huen-Chiu (Shadow)
Kenji Tanigaki (Monster Hunt 2)
Bruce Law, Yee Man Law (The Shadow Play)

Only seen Master Z and it was OK

 

Haven't seen any of the nominees from 2019 onward

2019 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Hung Shih-hao (The Scoundrels)

Nominees:

Hung Shih-hao, Chia Fan (We Are Champions)
Jimmy Hung (Detention)
Gino Yang (Mayday Life)

2020 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Teddy Ray Huang, Shao-Peng Li (Get the Hell Out)

Nominees:

Zhang Peng (A Choo)
Tang Shui-Wah (Hand Rolled Cigarette)
Maverick Chau Shing Mak (The Way We Keep Dancing)     

2021 Golden Horse Awards

Winner: Chan Man-fai, Chu Ke-feng, Feng Ren-zhi (Nezha)

Nominees:

Hung Shih-hao (The Soul)
Hung Shih-hao (Treat or Trick)
Gino Yang (Till We Meet Again)
Jack Wong Wai-leung (Coffin Homes)

 

[DrNgor]

This year's nominations are in:

Liao Jia-sheng, Lin Kuei-hsieh and Chuang Jen-ming (Demigod: The Legend Begins*)
Jack Wong Wai-Leung (Limbo)
The Abandoned
Sunny Pang (Geylang)
 Sheu Fang-yi (Salute)

* - Appears to be a puppet/marionette film, just like 1999's Legend of the Sacred Stone.

 

Edited November 20, 2022 by DrNgor

[thekfc]

18 hours ago, DrNgor said:

This year's nominations are in:

Chris Huang (Demigod: The Legend Begins*)
Jack Wong Wai-Leung (Limbo)
The Abandoned
Sunny Pang (Geylang)
Dileep Subbarayyan (Salute)**

* - Appears to be a puppet/marionette film, just like 1999's Legend of the Sacred Stone.

** - I'm not sure if this is the right Salute.

I think "Salute" is the Taiwanese dance featurette by Sheu Fang-yi. As a dancer & dance choreographer Sheu Fang-yi is freaking awesome.

 

 

[DrNgor]

10 minutes ago, thekfc said:

I think "Salute" is the Taiwanese dance featurette by Sheu Fang-yi. As a dancer & dance choreographer Sheu Fang-yi is freaking awesome.

 

Corrected. Yeah, the Golden Horse awards do occasionally allow "dance choreography" to be nominated for Best Action Choreography.

[Chu Liu Hsiang]

On 9/28/2022 at 8:54 PM, DrNgor said:

Chris Huang (Demigod: The Legend Begins*)

On 9/28/2022 at 8:54 PM, DrNgor said:

* - Appears to be a puppet/marionette film, just like 1999's Legend of the Sacred Stone.

This caught my interest as traditional puppetry is fascinating and creative.  Here is some info and a trailer to the movie which they describe as

Quote

unique opportunity to experience a hybrid genre, which eccentrically combines traditional puppetry, CGI extravaganza and martial duels of wuxia

https://asianmoviepulse.com/2022/07/film-review-demigod-the-legend-begins-2022-by-chris-huang/

[DrNgor]

On 9/28/2022 at 3:54 PM, DrNgor said:

Chris Huang (Demigod: The Legend Begins*)
Jack Wong Wai-Leung (Limbo)
The Abandoned
Sunny Pang (Geylang)
 Sheu Fang-yi (Salute)

And the winner goes to Sheu Feng-Yi for Salute.