The first category to be presented, Popular (Viewer’s Choice Awards) in Fashion saw Sunita Marshall and Shehzad Noor win best female and male model, respectively.

In the music category (Popular), the best single award went to Uzair Jaswal and the music video to Yasir Jaswal’s Sajna.

In television, Resham was adjudged the best actor female (soap) for Ishq Ibadat while Sohail Sameer won the same in the male category for Sartaj Mera To Raj Mera; best soap went to Ishq Ibadat by Fahim Burney and the last award in this set for best tele film was won by Tamasha by Angelic Productions.

Hamza Ali Abbasi and Sanam Jung introduced the Recognition Awards (Films) and these were presented to Sania Saeed and Sarmad Khoosat for Manto, Humayun Saeed for Jawani Phir Nahi Ani and Momina Duraid for Bin Roye. Two more ‘special’ awards were presented for Excellence in Acting (Female and Male) to Sania Saeed (Manto), Mahira Khan (Bin Roye), and Sarmad Khoosat (Manto) and Humayun Saeed (JPNA and Bin Roye). Iqra Azeem and Feroz Khan won Best New Sensation (Female, Male).

Ahmed Ali Butt deserved his Best Comic Actor trophy for Mr. Shamim, Best Actor (Negative) went to Zahid Ahmed (Alvida), Sarah Khan (Mohabbat Aag Si), Behroz Sabzwari and Ali Rehman for (Diyar-i-Dil) for Best Supporting Actor (Female, Male).

A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to veteran actor Nadeem Baig followed by Popular Awards for Most Impactful Character to Abid Ali (Diyar-i-Dil), which also won Best Original Soundtrack and Best Writer (Farhat Ishtiaq) and Best Director (Haseeb Hasan).

The awards in the Popular category were presented to Imran Abbas and Sanam Jung for Alvida (Best On-Screen Couple), Best Drama Serial (Diyar-i-Dil), Maya Khan and Sanam Jung for Best Actor Female (Diyar-i-Dil, Alvida) and Best Actor Male to Osman Khalid Butt (Diyar-i-Dil).

In the Jury category, awards were presented to Diyar-i-Dil for Best On-Screen Couple (Maya Ali, Osman Khalid Butt), Best Actor Male (Mikaal Zulfiqar) and Best Drama Serial, and Iffat Omer received Best Actor (Female) for Mohabbat Aag Si.— S.S.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, May 1st, 2016