Arjo Atayde turned emotional as he was hailed Best Actor at the 2020 Asian Academy Creative Awards for his lead performance in the ABS-CBN/iWant series Bagman.
The Kapamilya actor bested all other nominees from China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand for his portrayal of a barber whose life is turned upside down as he enters the dangerous world of politics.
Now on its third year, the AACA honors the “best content and creatives” from across the Asia-Pacific region.
“It’s a dream come true, man. Amazing! I’m happy to be showing Filipino talent out there. I’m just one of the actors here in the Philippines. There are a lot of brilliant actors and I just hope for them to be able to show you even more of what we have in our country,” said Arjo, who was holding back tears during his speech at the virtual awards ceremony held December 4.
He added, “I hope this is not the first and last. I hope this is the beginning for everything. Thank you so much Asian Academy.”
In a separate Instagram post, Arjo dedicated his win to loved ones, industry colleagues and people who are experiencing discouragement while in pursuit of their dreams.
“This is for everyone who has been discouraged by others to pursue their dreams, for everyone who has been told that they don’t belong, for everyone with self-doubt, for everyone behind the scenes that made this possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kapuso actress Maine Mendoza took pride in her boyfriend’s achievement on Twitter.
“Waaaaahhhh well-deserved!!!!! Wooot wooot congratulations, @AtaydeArjo!!!! Biggest fan,” she wrote.
See the full list of Asian Academy Awards winners here.
