The Distinguished Achievement Award is presented to Yang Yuntao in recognition of his exceptional contributions to dance and the development of dance in Hong Kong as performer, choreographer and artistic director. When Yang moved to Hong Kong from mainland China in 2002 to join Hong Kong Dance Company (HKDC) as a principal dancer, he quickly established himself as an artist of exceptional talent and charisma. A spell with City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) widened his artistic range to embrace contemporary dance, where he also excelled, before returning to HKDC at the end of 2007 as Assistant Artistic Director. Already respected as one of Hong Kong’s finest dancers, in this new role Yang soon developed into an equally outstanding choreographer. Since being appointed Artistic Director in 2013, Yang has taken HKDC to new heights, nurturing numerous outstanding dancers and crafting a richly diverse repertoire ranging from pure Chinese dance, to traditional folk dance, to masterworks of contemporary dance. Artistic growth has been further encouraged by collaborations with artists from other countries and the company has toured extensively in China, Europe and North America. Yang’s own works are distinguished by their incorporation of both Chinese and contemporary dance elements and by their impressive variety of themes and concepts. He is equally at home with re-telling classic tales (The Legend of Mulan, L’Amour Immortel) or re-imagining legendary figures (Nezha: Untold Solitude, The Legend of Lanling) as with bringing to life the manga universe (STORM CLOUDS, Chinese Hero: A Lone Exile) or more abstract explorations of art forms such as calligraphy and painting (Spring Ritual ．Eulogy, Shan Shui: An Ode to Nature). One of his greatest achievements has been the interdisciplinary research study on Chinese Martial Arts and Chinese Dance launched in 2018 which has expanded horizons for HKDC and Chinese dance in general, with the company’s superb martial arts skills becoming a key feature of works such as Convergence and Kung Fu Artistry: Bruce Lee’s No Way as Way.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Choreography is presented to Sang Jijia for Mr Blank 2.0, for the way his choreography transforms surveillance into a visceral language of movement where the performers’ bodies are not only physically precise but conceptually charged. Staged in a transparent glass “box” dotted with cameras, Sang’s ability to orchestrate 15 dancers into shifting tableaux of tension and vulnerability demonstrates masterful control of rhythm, space, and dramaturgy. Seamlessly integrated sound and video architecture make surveillance a choreographic language.

The Tom Brown Emerging Choreographer Award is presented to Kenny Leung. Kenny Leung, Artistic Director and Choreographer of Common Ground, is a rising choreographic voice. In Anchor in Memory, a site-specific work that transforms Aberdeen’s boat dweller oral histories into dance, music, and immersive text-and-sound installations ,Leung reveals distinctive authorship and ethical, research-led practice. Rooted in Chinese classical and folk dance techniques, shaped by Taiwan’s contemporary training, his movement language “writes” memory into the body. By reconfiguring space, presence, and listening for the audience, his work signals the arrival of a strong upcoming choreographer with a clear future impact.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Large Venue Production is presented to Hong Kong Ballet for Frida , for its high-impact production conception and vivid visual execution. Developed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa in 2020 from her original one-act Broken Wings, the internationally acclacimed full-length work has been internationally acclaimed. It presents a clear sequence of key moments from Kahlo’s life and interludes inspired by her paintings, brought to life through Dieuweke van Reij’s ingenious, flamboyant costume designs. Choreography delivers memorable physical storytelling, highlighted by the outstanding first duet and the striking depiction of Kahlo’s miscarriage. All is supported by highly effective stagecraft, rich design detail, and a cohesive staging.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Medium Venue Production is presented to City Contemporary Dance Company for Certain Movements and Shadows. Inspired by Bei Dao’s poetry, this is a sombre, thought-provoking production full of subtle symbolism. The skilfully crafted choreography by Helen Lai and Chou Shu-yi features numerous striking theatrical effects and highly inventive use of props, notably books, sheets of paper and, in a moving finale, multiple pairs of shoes placed on the stage. An extremely complex work, it is performed with exemplary discipline and searing emotional intensity by the entire cast.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Small Venue Production is presented to Passoverdance for Unanchored Harbour. Unanchored Harbour extends Passoverdance's focus on life and family. Choreographers and architects deconstruct "home" into distinct facets— symbol of motherhood, relocation dilemmas, growth and transformation, and the heart's resting place. Space becomes a vessel of memory, both steadying and fluid, prompting reflection on common life experiences of migration, loss, change, and illness. Audiences navigate freely between dance and installation from unlimited viewpoints, triggering resonance of their own personal memories. This intimate production reveals precise bodily orchestration and spatial poetics, showcasing the nuanced depth of interdisciplinary contemporary dance in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Non-Conventional Space Production is presented to the Hong Kong Arts Centre for 'Ivy Says:' An Intergenerational and Community Music Theatre Performance. Through sound and dance, 'Ivy Says:' revives the changing coastline and collective memories of Tai Kok Tsui. Led by performers, the audience members are guided through the streets with street dance and tap footwork. The sounds of rhythmic street and tap dance steps, the metallic resonance of traditional handpan music mixed with industrial echoes, urban noise, and residents' voices weave threads of sound that guide their body's movement—culminating in a collective final dance with the elderly and Tai Kok Tsui residents. The dance steps and sounds take the audience back in time, allowing the vanished coastline to resurface, demonstrating the moving power of dance to connect memory and space.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Non-Conventional Space Production is presented to Hong Kong Arts Festival Society and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for No Limits 2025 – In Touch We Trust. This work breaks many barriers – its inventive, organic use of the Tai Kwun Parade Ground expands our ideas of what space for dance can be while its boldness in giving visually impaired individuals the opportunity to dance shatters preconceptions and widens both their and our horizons. The fearlessness of the participants as they explore this new world of movement, their assurance and unquestioning trust in the touch of their companions and the joy which radiates from them as they discover what it is to dance are inspiring and profoundly moving.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer is presented to Ong Tsz Shen in Kung Fu Artistry – Bruce Lee’s No Way As Way. It's no small challenge to portray a figure as iconic as Bruce Lee and Ong Tsz Shen triumphs in a spellbinding performance. His acting brings to life the many facets of Lee's character and career, vividly tracing his journey from unruly teenager to martial arts master and ultimately Hollywood star. His magnificent dancing does equal justice to the different aspects of the role, encompassing electrifying, explosive martial arts skills contrasted with gloriously flowing, lyrical movement in deeply felt solos which embody Lee's poetic side.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer is presented to Huang Wenjie as Hung Chi in STORM CLOUDS. Huang Wenjie gives a memorably moving portrayal of the ill-fated Hung Chi, in love with Bo Ging-wan but forced to marry his foster-brother Lip Fung. Her dazzling technique and endless fluidity of movement exemplify the beauty of Chinese dance at its finest. Above all, her dancing is infinitely expressive, making us feel every emotion Hung experiences – her breathtaking duet with Bo on the eve of her wedding is a standout, a riveting display of passion and desperation.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance is presented to City Contemporary Dance Company for The Fountain of Blood from A Triple Bill. Through ensemble driven choreography that balances percussive impact with sustained, breath-led intensity, the dancers create a compelling visual language of power, ritual, and emotional fracture. The structure presents moments of unision punctuated by sudden breaks into vulnerability which demonstrate exceptional technical precision, dynamic control, and collective trust. By transforming contrast into meaning, the company sustains tension, motion, and aftermath with rare coherence, earning this recognition for ensemble artistry and performance excellence.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Visual Design is presented to Oliver Shing for Mr Blank 2.0 for its visually arresting, surveillance-saturated imagery. The work opens with the ominous line “These premises are under CCTV surveillance for your personal safety and security” displayed on wall-mounted screens, immediately mirrored on the back wall at curtain-up. Layered video projections then multiply the action across auditorium screens, stage walls, and a glass barrier separating stage from audience, creating a dense, high-contrast visual field. In this carefully composed “watched” environment, striking images—arising from stark surveillance framing—remain consistently dominant.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Set Design is presented to Lawmanray for Mr Blank 2.0 for creating an exceptionally immersive, surveillance-driven environment. At Kwai Tsing Theatre, a camera-dotted transparent glass box occupies the stage and a glass barrier separates performers and audience, masterfully turning architectural space into an active “monitoring” system. Integrated projections extend the monitored space across the auditorium, stage, and glass barrier, sustaining a visually striking, intensely claustrophobic atmosphere throughout.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Music Composition is presented to Dickson Dee for Mr Blank 2.0. Dickson Dee’s stunning score is a key element in generating the visceral power of Mr Blank 2.0. Dee draws on the full panoply of electronic music to mesmerising effect, creating a menacing intensity which is almost overwhelming and which perfectly echoes the production’s stark visual landscape and sinister themes of violence and control. The score’s relentless rhythms are the driving force behind Sang Jijia’s ferocious choreography, heightening the drama and inspiring an extraordinary performance from the dancers.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Community Dance is presented to DancingAngels for its DancingAndy and Dancers – ‘Dance for All’ Community Care Inclusive Dance Scheme sponsored by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Its core programmes include year-round dance training for special schools students culminating in a Hong Kong Cultural Centre showcase; outdoor piazza performances that share the stage with people with disabilities, seniors, students and professionals; and interactive workshops for teachers, families and the public. This initiative dismantles social barriers, builds confidence and empathy, and fosters lasting community harmony through inclusive dance.

The Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Services to Dance is presented to WestK Performing Arts for its Freespace Dance 2025. Since its inception in 2023, Freespace Dance has become a vital platform for contemporary dance in Hong Kong. The 2025 theme, “Speculative Futures: Asia‑Pacific Perspectives,” showcased four cross‑disciplinary collaborations and positioned the city as a regional hub. Their R&D commissioning model and the FIRST Creation Platform nurture local artists through residencies, mentorship and development pathways. A Delegate Programme and international partnerships expand touring and co‑production opportunities. Projects like Future Dictionary, fringe events and the “Dance in the Times of Sustainability” lecture and workshop profoundly broaden public understanding and advocate sustainable practice, strengthening Hong Kong’s international standing in dance.

The 3rd Hong Kong International Inclusive Dance Festival by the Centre for Community Cultural Development was selected by Hong Kong Dance Alliance members not on the Awards Jury to receive the Peer Award. The Hong Kong International Inclusive Dance Festival was launched in 2023 to showcase inclusive dance activities from Hong Kong and around the world. The festival’s mission is to break down barriers among those who have different abilities through dance and movement, coming together for artistic exploration and community building, raising awareness and acting as a catalyst for a more inclusive world.