Gemma Chan was presented with the Changemaker award at the ELLE Style Awards in London this evening.
Chan, who dazzled a sleek, blush Louis Vuitton slip-style dress, accepted the award from her close friend, Billie Piper who couldn't help but sing The Don’t Worry Darling star's praises as she took to the stage wanting to 'brag about this incredible woman,' adding 'she's much nicer than anyone else here tonight.'
After Piper had reminded everyone of Chan's many talents as a musician, academic and actress, she noted the breadth of work that has made her deserving of the award; from advocating for ESEA representation, as well as for refugees, to how she's used her platform to highlight the climate crisis.
Calling Chan her group's mum, she then introduced her to accept the award in her own words, saying: 'Mother knows best!'
Chan then thanked ELLE UK Editor Kenya Hunt for 'bringing this amazing group of people here tonight to celebrate together', before sharing wisdom from her mother and quoting Maya Angelou: 'Courage is the most important of all the virtues. Without virtue it is not possible to practice any other virtue with consistency.'
'I am not an activist I am an advocate, and all I try to do is use my platform and lend my voice,' Chan explained, closing her speech by saying: 'Here’s to everyone trying to make this precarious world better.'
Oxford-educated Chan, who made her acting debut in 2006, has made as much of a name for herself with her activism as she has her acting. Within the entertainment industry, she’s supported the Time’s Up initiative against sexual harrassment at work, and has shared her experiences of and has spoken about the lack of opportunities for East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) actors. Speaking to ELLE as one of our October cover stars, Chan says: 'It’s still inherently risky, I think, to bite the hand that feeds you. And there’s still a lot of bad behaviour in the industry. It’s very difficult to change that culture.'
Chan is also an ambassador for UNICEF, a role which she assumed in 2021. In the same year, prompted by the rise in anti-Asian racism connected to the pandemic, Chan launched and led the #StopESEAHate campaign in the UK, fundraising for grassroots ESEA community organisations.
She rejoices at the recent increase in representation in projects being made with predominately ESEA casts. 'I feel like we've got our foot in the door,' she says. 'It’s storytelling in all its genres, and I think it's great, because it also shows that we're not a monolith. There are a multitude of experiences and stories to tell from within our communities.'
Other winners at this year's ELLE Style Awards include Tems, Sex Education actor Ncuti Gatwa and Oppenheimer star Florence Pugh.
Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
