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In the heart of Los Angeles, the esteemed Gold House hosted its fifth annual Gold Gala on Saturday night, drawing a crowd of over 650 attendees. This event has firmly established itself as a celebrated gathering, shining a spotlight on Asian Pacific culture and recognizing trailblazers across entertainment, fashion, and technology.
The evening was marked by the prestigious Gold Gala Honors, with awards presented to notable figures such as Charles Melton, who received the Gold Artistic Achievement award, and Eileen Gu, honored for her Gold Impact. The legendary Jet Li was celebrated with the Gold Legend award, Priyanka Chopra Jonas was recognized as the Gold Vanguard, Revathi Advaithi took home the Forbes Gold, and Simu Liu was crowned the Gold Mogul of the evening.
In addition to these honors, the Gold100 Onstage Honorees were recognized for their significant contributions in various fields. Brett Blton and Jen Lee were lauded for their influence in Sports & Gaming, while EJAE made waves in Entertainment & Media. Rei Matsunuma and Rehito Hatoyama stood out in Fashion & Lifestyle, Tejasvi Manoj was acknowledged for Social Impact, and Theresia Gouw excelled in Business & Technology.
On The Red Carpet was present at the 2026 Gold Gala, engaging with numerous stars who shared their thoughts on the significance of the event and the vibrant celebration of diverse achievements. Stay tuned for exclusive insights from those who attended this remarkable celebration of cultural excellence.
On The Red Carpet attended the 2026 Gold Gala, and had the chance to speak with many stars about the occasion. Here’s what they had to say!
Ming-Na Wen, who voiced Mulan in the original Disney movie from 1998, said the event “is a celebration of AAPI talent and entrepreneurs, and it is also an acknowledgement of all the hard work.”
Actor Kal Penn echoed the same sentiment. “I stand on the shoulders of so many Asian American artists whose names were not household names, but if they hadn’t broken barriers in their own right, I certainly wouldn’t have had the opportunities that I had.”
“You know, I’ve worked with Gold House for many years now. I’m on the board here, and they are part and parcel of the wave of progress that we’ve been able to make,” Daniel Dae Kim explained.
The Gold Gala brings talent from all ages together, including the young live-action “Lilo & Stitch” star Maia Kealoha, who told us, “it feels so amazing being around all these inspirational people and people that I look up to.”
Sydney Agudong, who plays her older sister, Nani, in the film said, “It’s incredible. It’s an honor. I mean, I’m honestly in shock that they were honoring us tonight, so I was very stoked.”
“Kpop Demon Hunters” star EJAE told us that “seeing, you know, fellow Asian Americans or Asian artists here, it really brings a different energy.”
And maybe that energy comes from the food! “The Boys” star Karen Fukuhara described the night as “a big night of celebration, good food, always good food, I feel like we know how to eat.”
AAPI representation has come a long way, Tia Carrere reflected. “It’s beautiful now to be in a place like this, where, not only is it accepted, we are elevated. We are elevating each other.”
The event highlights the 2026 Gold100 List of the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific “culture makers.” In addition, the event “celebrates cross-industry excellence through the nation’s most-recognized Asian Pacific award-the Gold100-along with special multicultural Gold Gala awards.”
This year’s Gold Gala theme was “A New Gold World: a call to build shared abundance in an era increasingly defined by contraction.”
Both “Mulan” (1998) and “Lilo & Stitch” is streaming now on Disney+.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Walt Disney Studios, Disney+ and this ABC station.
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