Blue Ribbon Awards finalized - Hiroyuki Sanada ties with Toshiro Mifune in the Best Actor category

The final winners of Blue Ribbon Awards, selected by the reporters in 7 Tokyo sports/entertainment newspapers, are announced on Jan. 24.  The Best Actor award goes to Hiroyuki Sanada for his performacnce in "AEGIS", as his third time in this award, following 1993 ("We Are Not Alone") and 1995 ("Sharaku" etc.).  The only actor who won this award three times in his lifetime before was the great Toshiro Mifune.  The award presentation will take place in Iino Hall, Uchisaiwai-cho in Tokyo on February 7.

The Best Director award is given to Jun-ya Sato for "YAMATO".  As "YAMATO" was released very late in the year, it was not qualified in other awards.

Here is the list of all the winners:

• Best Picture:  "Pacchigi" ("We Shall Overcome Someday")
• Best Director:  Jun-ya Sato ("YAMATO")
• Best Actor:  Hiroyuki Sanada ("AEGIS")
• Best Actress:  Kyoko Koizumi ("Hanging Garden")
• Best Supporting Actor:  Shinichi Tsutsumi ("Fly, Daddy, Fly" and "Always - Sunset in the Third Street")
• Best Supporting Actress:  Hiroko Yakushimaru ("Raccoon Princes" and "Always - Sunset in the Third Street")
• Best Rookie:  Mikako Tabe ("HINOKIO" and "Aozora no Yukue")
• Best Foreign Film:  "Million Dollar Baby"
• Special Award:  late Kihachi Okamoto
• Staff Award:  Kenji Uchida (screenplay for "Unmei ja nai hito")

Source:  SANSPO.com

The nominee list is on my previous entry on Jan. 3.