British TV producer and screenwriter Mal Young, who is serving as chairman of the television drama jury for the second Golden Panda Awards, recently expressed his excitement about being part of the event and his belief that the awards can grow significantly in the global cultural landscape.
British TV producer Mal Young, chairman of the TV drama jury for the second Golden Panda Awards. [Photo courtesy of Golden Panda Awards Organizing Committee]
"It feels like I'm kind of at the beginning of something that can only grow and become bigger and bigger," he said. "I think the awareness puts you on the stage up there with the BAFTAs, the Emmys, the Oscars. And I think that's very important."
The Golden Panda Awards will be held this year from Sept. 12-13. The biennial event is co-hosted by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the People's Government of Sichuan Province, with Sichuan serving as its permanent host. As an international communications award, it uses film and TV to promote connection and shared experiences, while also highlighting Sichuan's giant panda cultural brand.
"I think that's important for new talent that needs to be encouraged," Young said. "New Chinese talent will look at the awareness that this award ceremony brings and be inspired to get involved in television — finding ways of writing, getting in front of the camera or behind the camera. I think this can only be the beginning of something huge."
Renowned Chinese director Chen Kaige is serving as the general jury president, with Mal Young chairing the television drama category. Juries for all four categories began their final evaluations on Sept. 8 to select the winners, who will be announced on Sept. 13.
"I think the uniqueness of the Golden Panda Awards is that it takes us into a country and a culture that we know little about," Young said. "I never knew the amount of television you produce, and of such high quality — with diverse storytelling: contemporary, historic, period. But all of it is exciting, accessible and interesting to watch, and I'm so glad I've found that."
He added: "I think global audiences are ready for more Chinese stories, which is a great thing because it's something we've never seen before. It's fresh and new. These awards can highlight that and bring China onto the global stage."
Young is an award-winning TV producer and screenwriter whose credits include such television shows as "Brookside," "Doctor Who" and "Waking the Dead."
On his first visit to China, the producer expressed his excitement about the opportunity to engage with the country's TV industry and culture. He emphasized the growing global appetite for authentic, regionally rooted stories — such as those from China — that offer different perspectives and emotional resonance. Young said he looks for works that break conventional storytelling molds, connect deeply with universal human experiences, and courageously present unique voices rather than imitate existing successful models.
"China has got this fantastic legacy of storytelling, thousands of years of history and insight that you can bring to a new audience and teach me as well as entertain and give me an insight into something that I knew little about," he noted. "But also the new China, what's going on now? Take me into those journeys to give me that insight into how people live in different countries. That's what people want now."
The second Golden Panda Awards will feature four main categories: film, television drama, documentary and animation, as well as two special jury awards. With 5,343 entries from 126 countries and regions — 73% of them international — the event has broad global appeal.
"I think the fact that it's attracting this level of nominees, you know, the applications for thousands of television shows being submitted now, people are taking it very seriously. And I think that is so worthwhile and exciting," he said. "I wish you all the very best. And I think we're going to have a lot of fun. I think it's going to be very worthwhile and can only help the future of television in China. And the awards deserve to have a profile around the world."
