Source: https://www.instagram.com/yumnazaidiofficial/?img_index=1
KARACHI: Friday nights at Karachi’s Expo Center have never looked so glamourous. Last night, some of the biggest names in the industry made their way to the red carpet of the Lux Style Awards 2023. Gorgeous gowns, soulful performances and well deserved awards (for the most part) were the highlight of one of the most unforgettable nights of 2023!
Despite the city being notorious for not being punctual, that was not the case at the 22nd Lux Style Awards. Stars hit the red carpet early in the evening, struck a pose and took part in fun activities. Spotted amongst the crowd were Saba Qamar, team Joyland, Sarmad Khoosat, Hania Aamir, Abdullah Siddiqui, Shae Gill, Kiran Malik, Ali Safina, Anoushay Ashraf, Fatima Hasan, Zarah Sarafaraz, Ali Xeeshan and Fahad Hussyn, to name a few.
Props go to the PH Solutions team for ensuring that things weren’t overcrowded, especially by turning the red carpet into a ring which left ample room for movement. Walking into the event itself made you feel like a star. Right from the entrance, one could feel just how grand the event was. After interacting with the media, celebrities were directed towards the ‘Lumiverse’, a room dedicated towards capturing the stars in all their glitz and glory. By 10 pm, the main ceremony had started and what a visual treat the stage was! A big floor, bright lights and an elaborate digital backdrop made for the perfect welcome to a glamorous evening.
Unlike previous editions which were more focused on producing the best edit for television, Lux Style Awards 2023 were all about entertaining the attendees. Performances had been pre-recorded for TV which meant that we did not have to sit through retakes of each dance number. And was that a relief! The event hit off on a high note with Faisal Kapadia, Shae Gill and Young Stunners captivating the crowd with a soulful rendition of ‘Us Raah Per’. Another treat was hearing Faisal Kapadia sing ‘Duur’ for his former bandmate Bilal Maqsood who was in the audience. Safe to say, music enthusiasts had quite the start to their night.
While, to no one’s surprise, ‘Pasoori’ managed to sweep in quite a few awards including Singer of the Year (Ali Sethi), Most Streamed Song of the Year, and Music Producer of the Year (Abdullah Siddiqui and Xulfi).
Kaifi Khalil also managed to bag the Song of the Year award for none other than ‘Kahani Suno’.
For the TV category, fan favorites Yumna Zaidi and Bilal Abbas Khan won the Best TV Actor Awards for Bakhtawar and Dobara respectively, and both of them, in a heartfelt gesture, dedicated their awards to their parents.
Yumna Zaidi's win in both, viewers and critics choice categories, was a milestone making her the highest award-winning female actor in the TV category for the LSAs.
Another talented soul to create history on Friday night was Aleena Naqvi who became the first woman to be awarded Fashion Photographer of the Year!
An emotional Saife Hasan was awarded the Best TV Director for Sang e Mah. Dananeer was recognized as the Best Emerging Talent and Sinfe Aahan won the Best Ensemble Play.
It’s fair to say that the Lux Style Awards 2023 were Sarmad Khoosat’s night. Out of the six film categories Kamli was nominated in, it won three including Film of the Year Critics’ Choice, Film Director of the Year Critics’ Choice (an award that Khoosat chose to share with Saim Sadiq) and Best Film Actor of the Year Female (Saba Qamar). Other winners in the category included: ‘Peela Rung’ for Film Playback Song of the Year and Film of the Year Viewers’ Choice going to Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad.
The Lux Style Awards 2023 also honored senior artists for their contribution to the industry. Marina Khan won the Lux Changemaker’s Award while Saba Qamar dedicated a beautiful performance to Reema Khan (who was all praises for the latter) who went on to win the The Youngest Lifetime Achievement Award.
As wonderful as the Lux Style Awards 2023 were, they did not go without a bit of an upset. At the start of the night, Ali Zafar took to the stage to perform and keeping in mind the allegations against him, a few audience members, including nominees, walked out of the hall. Similarly, Feroze Khan’s win for Tich Button was not well received either.
It’s fair to say that with its 22nd edition, the Lux Style Awards seem to have finally set a foot in the right direction.
