At the tail-end of 2014, the long-awaited Lux Style Awards (LSAs) finally shook out of slumber and announced the winners of 2013. Better late than never, as they say — and better a tasteful small ceremony than none at all. For now, the LSAs remain the most highly coveted benchmarks for success in the fields of Pakistani art and entertainment. But it is also now, more than ever, that the LSAs need to take themselves seriously so that others do too.

What makes the LSAs so important? For one, they are the longest standing, most consistent platform for awards in Pakistan. While other ventures have come and gone, the LSAs have been doling out accolades for the past 13 years. It’s an enterprise that has also commendably refrained from aligning itself with a particular television channel or production team. That makes the LSAs fair ground where anybody may win without favoritism coming into play. That’s what the winners certainly believe — the ones who don’t win may have a different story to tell.

Excitement — and controversy — begins to build once a jury composed of industry professionals pinpoints a list of nominees from a range of different fields, leading up to the final awards. From irate, ‘off-the-record’ “How dare they not nominate me?” tirades to typical “There’s a Karachi-Lahore bias within the jury” protests to “How could so-and-so win — these awards are rigged!” declarations, the LSAs never fail to bring on the melodrama.

We need Pakistan’s longest standing awards platform to get back to what they used to be

It’s an indication of the interest and anticipation that surrounds the awards. But is this criticism a case of sour grapes or is the platform truly losing its credibility? More on that later.

The results this year were announced through an exclusive, elegant high-tea where just the winners and key media figures were invited. The event lacked the razzmatazz of a bona fide LSA show with its song and dance performances and legions of stars, but it was still a glamorous affair. The chandeliers glistened, gorgeous florals by RAKA’s Amina Rasheed Khan served as décor, winners posed and preened in their designer wear and down the length of the walls hung winners’ framed images.

It was too understated an event to be filmed for television but the LSA images went viral on print and social media, especially with hot favourite Fawad Khan in attendance, Best TV Actor Satellite winner for the Hum TV drama Zindagi Gulzar Hai (ZGH). Given his current popularity, cameras tend to gravitate to wherever he goes, may they be press cameras or cellphone cameras of the LSAs limited invitees, chortling while they posed with the actor and Instagram-ming it immediately for the world to see.

Even toned down, the LSAs were fun for the people present; friends, acquaintances and professionals with an understanding of what makes the cogwheels of entertainment go round and round.

“This is so much more intimate and relaxed,” enthused Aamina Sheikh, Best Actress winner for her role in the film Seedlings.

Overseeing the event’s PR, Fareshteh Aslam, Country Head at Golin Pakistan, pointed out, “It isn’t necessary to have a grand affair each and every time, sometimes a close-knit gathering works just as well.”

Thirteen years down the line, the LSAs need to spin out unforgettable gala events year after year, rather than every now and then. And needless to say, they need to do this early in the year rather than at the very end, when the events of the previous year have become mere memories.

Agreed, but why couldn’t Unilever, the force behind the LSAs, have combined the awards with the very lavish House of Lux evening, held about two months ago? The event had been attended by Karachi’s who’s who and was hosted by Iman Ali and Fawad Khan, fresh from the success of his just-released Bollywood debut, Khubsoorat. But had the considerable media mileage generated by the House of Lux been worth setting aside the LSAs, a platform that the brand had carefully boosted and built for more than a decade?

The LSA high-tea, enjoyable as it was, did not befit the announcing of what are arguably the country’s biggest awards. There were none of those unforgettable ‘LSA moments’ of yore — no Runa Laila or Naheed Akhtar wielding on-stage magic, no Shaan and Iman Ali having a public squabble, no Ali Zafar bringing the house down with a spectacular finale. Thirteen years down the line, the LSAs need to spin out unforgettable gala events year after year, rather than every now and then.

And needless to say, they need to do this early in the year rather than at the very end, when the events of the previous year have become mere memories.

Sanam Saeed and Fawad Khan won for their lead acting roles in ZGH but both actors have delved into so many more projects since then. Sania Maskatiya won an award for ‘Best Lawn’ when she skipped out on creating lawn this summer. Babar Javed and Asif Raza Mir won in the ‘Best TV Serial Satellite’ category for Daagh, a drama shown on one channel when the producers have since aligned themselves with another channel. One can only imagine the egos this particular win must have riled! Time moves on, things change and common sense dictates that the LSAs, even though they have never stayed consistent to one particular date, need to take place early in the year rather than later.

Some of the winning results were, as always, a source of contention: how could designers Sana Safinaz not win in a single category when they had a whopping four nominations? Was it fair for Body Focus Museum’s Iman Ahmed to win for ‘Achievement in Fashion Design — Pret’ for the second year in a row given that her brand hardly has the reach and visibility that so many other nominees had?

How could Zinda Bhaag make a clean sweep of the awards — winning in the best ‘Actor’, ‘Director’ and ‘Film’ categories — and the hugely popular Waar be snubbed completely? But one can’t declare foul-play simply because some results were surprising. It’s the jury’s decision who wins and it’s impossible for the LSAs to please everybody.

Other wins were more predictable: Sania Maskatiya’s lawn may not have incited berserk crowds but it had been a very savvy translation of the designer’s catwalk aesthetics. Ace fashion photographer Rizwan-ul-Haq was a cinch to win as was Nabila who remains the bee’s knees in hair and make-up and won for the seventh time. Khaadi, fashion’s most successful retail story, won ‘Best High Street Brand’ for the 10th year in a row.

One wishes that designer Shamoon Sultan had taken out the time to accept the honour for his brand considering that he was in town. Others made much more of an effort. Sanam Saeed postponed her day’s work to lay claim to her silver statuette for ‘Best TV Actress Satellite’. “It’s the LSAs after all!” she pointed out.

It’s the kind of excitement that the LSAs still manage to generate but to maintain the credibility it has built so diligently, the platform has to move beyond delays and far-too-obvious budgetary cuts. Blame it on the bad luck of the number 13, perhaps but hopefully, next year will prove lucky for the brand. Rumors are rife concerning a nifty, well-loved Creative Director coming on board, plans already underway for a grand ceremony and results getting announced at the very beginning of the year. But rumours may prove to be true or fizzle out completely. Will the LSAs get their groove back? We’ll wait and see.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, December 14th, 2014