The 1st Hum Awards took place on a night of spotlights, glamour and grandeur from all genres of the entertainment industry, including fashion. As a debut, it was a job well done by the Hum team: the ambiance was one of its kind with a vibrant red carpet that came alive with celebrity presence. The following live ceremony may have had its few awkward moments due to glitches but still the awards were more a hit than anything else.

Here’s what clicked

A buzzing red carpet is a sure sign of success and at the 1st Hum Awards, the lounge area adjacent to it was jam-packed with celebrities, fashionistas and socialites well before the show started. All the right names in the industry were there in an expression of solidarity and support which helped the awards ceremony score crucial positive points.

Abida Parveen is another positive, and irrespective of her recent health scare, she delivered a stellar opening performance on two counts: Yaar ko Humne Jabaja Dekha and Main Naara-i-Mastana.

Well-rehearsed hosts Mahira Khan and Mikaal responded immaculately to a solid script: Mikaal responded to praise from Mahira Khan by comparing it with former Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s statements which are glowing yet hard to believe!

The presenters for the award ceremony were well-chosen and included the likes of Anwar Maqsood, Asim Reza and even Alamgir who made an appearance on stage after a long time. A momen arrived when Jawaid Sheikh and Samina Peerzada gave away the Excellence in Music award to Ustad Raees Ahmad Khan to a thunderous applause.

Presenter Bushra Ansari paid rich tributes to legendary artists in the Recognition Awards category. The recipients included highly respected names from TV, radio and film such as Nayyar Kamal, Badar Khalil, Qazi Wajid, Mohammed Qavi Khan, Talat Hussain, Munawar Saeed, Shakeel, Abid Ali and Anwar Maqsood.

Stand up and stage comedian Umar Sharif added further charm to the proceedings by playing his popular pranks on all and sundry by pretending that his mike wasn’t working which even threw the technical crew off guard. He proved that he is the indisputable King of Comedy by making people laugh away their troubles repeatedly. Needless to say, Umar Sharif’s impromptu performance was easily one of the best of the evening. No one was spared the wrath of his indomitable wit, not even longtime friend Jawaid Sheikh who seemed at a loss of words for once.

The song and dance performances included Humayun Saeed’s Six Sigma production Main Hoon Shahid Afridi song premiere, which is also allegedly Pakistan’s first ever sports film.

Ahsan Khan and Mehwish Hayat’s live wire performance on a medley featuring Bollywood hit tracks Latt Lag Gaye (film: Race 2), Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola and a remix of Nazia and Zoheb Hassan’s ever-popular Disco Deewanay (film: Student of the Year) brought the house down.

Rabbi Shergill was another highlight of the ceremony. He performed his famous tracks Challa ki Labda Phiray included in the soundtrack of the Bollywood film Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Bullah ki Jana Mein Kaun and Tere Bin Sanu Sohniya from his album.

Last but not least, Sultana Siddiqui presented the Humsafar blockbuster serial awards to the technical crew, production team and cast to mark what she dubbed as “the biggest success in the history of television drama.”

Here’s what didn’t

Most certainly not welcome were the technical glitches that occurred a few times, especially during Humayun Saeed’s initial performance. But it’s a given for any live ceremony and understandable that it will all eventually come together in the editing room.

Fashion model Abbas Jafri’s speech on winning the Best Male Model award was most definitely a miss since his acceptance speech in English was riddled with flaws, making the fashion fraternity wince and wish he had stuck to Urdu or any other language that he is fluent in.

Humaima Malik’s much-awaited song and dance performance towards the end of the ceremony was not at all what one expected. It seemed like she had two left feet with no energy whatsoever which didn’t translate well on stage at all.

Finally, the ceremony started late and went on till around 3am with the following day being a week day and a working one for many in the audience.

With the 1st Hum Awards in its teething phase, such flaws can be overlooked if given the assurance that over the next couple of years a more mature awards ceremony will emerge, one that has the potential to well and truly enthrall entertainment enthusiasts.