Xiao Zhan sets a record with *The Legend of the Hidden Sea*, becoming the youngest Best Actor winner in history.

On the evening of March 9, 2026, the Shanghai TV Drama Quality Ceremony, organized by the Shanghai Broadcasting, Film and Television Culture Group (SMG), officially announced the year's major awards.

In the most anticipated moment of the awards ceremony, actor Xiao Zhan was announced as the winner of the highest award for male actor - the Outstanding Quality Star of the Year, thanks to his outstanding performance in the historical drama *Hidden Sea Legend*.

This award is considered the highest honor at the SMG Awards, often referred to by the media and audience as the SMG Best Actor Award. With this victory, Xiao Zhan not only achieved another significant milestone in his acting career but also set a new record as the youngest Best Actor Award winner in the history of the awards, and the first actor born after 1990 to win the title since the event was established in 2016.

Xiao Zhan's victory is closely linked to the outstanding success of the drama "The Legend of Cang Hai," a highly acclaimed historical drama about political intrigue, praised for both its production quality and depth of content. In the film, the actor plays Cang Hai, a strategist with a complex inner world, multiple layers of psychology, and a tumultuous journey of growth. The role demanded restraint, emotional depth, and the ability to portray subtle shifts in the character's psychology, something that critics have praised Xiao Zhan for delivering quite convincingly.

Not only did "The Legend of the Hidden Sea" help Xiao Zhan make a strong impression, but it also became one of the standout works of the year. The drama garnered significant discussion on social media and achieved impressive broadcast ratings. According to published data, the drama surpassed 10,000 points on the Youku platform and, when broadcast on CCTV-8, recorded an average viewership rating of approximately 1.739%, becoming one of the highest-performing historical dramas in recent years. The work was also released internationally in over 190 countries, contributing to expanding the influence of Chinese television dramas in the global market.

At the awards ceremony, *The Legend of the Hidden Sea* was also considered one of the biggest winners, taking home several important categories such as Best Director of the Year (Zheng Xiaolong and Cao Yiwen), Best Producer of the Year, Best Art Direction, and Outstanding Work of the Year. This achievement further solidified the film's position as one of the most influential television projects of the past year.

In his acceptance speech, Xiao Zhan expressed his gratitude to the production team and the audience. The actor said that this award was like "an encouragement for the first ten years of his acting career." He also specifically thanked director Zheng Xiaolong, considered a "master" of realistic television dramas and the man behind many classic works of Chinese television.

Notably, at this year's awards ceremony, Sun Li also won the equivalent title in the Best Actress category for her role as Hu Manli in the drama "Beautiful Life." This is the fourth time the actress has received this prestigious award, setting a new record in the history of the awards ceremony.

The moment when Sun Li and Xiao Zhan stepped onto the stage together to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to director Zheng Xiaolong became a memorable moment of the awards ceremony, jokingly referred to by netizens as the reunion of a "male and female" representative of director Zheng's works.

From a popular idol to an actor, Xiao Zhan's journey in recent years shows a remarkable transformation. The success of *The Legend of the Hidden Sea* and the SMG Best Actor award are considered by many to be a turning point that helped him gradually establish his position among male television actors.

In the context of major Chinese television awards such as the Magnolia, Golden Eagle, and Flying Goddess, which increasingly focus on the quality of the work and the strength of the acting, the role of Tang Hai is considered one of the important "cards" that could help Xiao Zhan go further in his artistic career.

Winning at the 2026 Quality Television Awards is therefore not only a personal honor, but also a milestone for the shift of the younger generation of actors in the Chinese television industry. With the record of the youngest Best Actor winner in SMG history, Xiao Zhan has opened a new chapter in his career, where the challenges and expectations ahead seem even greater than the glory of his current victory.

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