Xiao Zhan and Sun Li both clinched the SMG (Shanghai Media Group) Best Actor and Actress honors in March, and on the 26th, the shortlist for the 31st Shanghai Television Festival Magnolia Awards was released. They have once again been nominated, Xiao Zhan for "Legend of the Hidden Sea" and Sun Li for "A Pretty Good Life". Sun Li is set to go head-to-head with Wu Yue, who is the ex of Chen Jianbin, the emperor in "Empresses in the Palace"; meanwhile, Xiao Zhan faces a formidable opponent in Hu Ge, who is only a guest star in "Tree of Life" but has been nominated for Best Leading Actor.
Sun Li achieved a career peak through "Empresses in the Palace" and has remained highly prominent ever since. Her success is not limited to just her iconic role as "Zhen Huan"; since 2017, she has also been recognized by the SMG Drama Quality Festival for "The Legend of Mi Yue," "Nothing Gold Can Stay," and "I Will Find You a Better Home." By the age of 36, she had already won the top three Chinese TV drama awards—Feitian, Golden Eagle, and Magnolia—becoming the first actress born after 1980 to achieve a grand slam. This is now her 8th nomination for the Magnolia Awards.
For Best Actress at the Magnolia Awards, aside from Sun Li and Wu Yue, popular actress Yang Zi is also nominated for "Tree of Life," marking her third consecutive year as a nominee. Other contenders include Yang Mi for "All Living Things" and Ren Suxi for "The Endless End." In the Best Actor category, Xiao Zhan has become the first male actor born in the 1990s to be nominated, breaking a near 13-year "costume drama cold streak" at the Magnolia Awards. Although Hu Ge appears in less than seven episodes of "Tree of Life," he has delivered a dazzling performance, competing fiercely against Bai Yu ("Age of Peace"), Guo Jingfei ("Old Uncle"), and veteran Yu Hewei ("Silent Glory"). Among the drama series, "Tree of Life," "All Living Things," and "Legend of the Hidden Sea" have each received six nominations.