Last night, Gold House hosted the fourth annual Gold Gala at the Music Center in Los Angeles, bringing together its “A100” list of AAPI luminaries for an evening of celebration and cultural recognition. As Bing Chen, CEO and co-founder of the nonprofit, told Variety in April, “The Gold Gala is more than just the biggest Asian Pacific event—it’s a platform for launching the next wave of culture.”
This year, the event—often dubbed the “Asian Met Gala”—honored a star-studded lineup including Jon M. Chu, Megan Thee Stallion, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ang Lee, and many others. Chu was presented with the A1 Award in Entertainment and Media for his work on the box office smash Wicked and its upcoming sequel, Wicked: For Good. In a rousing speech, he declared, “We’re not just guests at the table anymore—we’re building the damn house, and it’s made of gold.”
Chopra Jonas received the inaugural Global Vanguard Award, while Megan Thee Stallion—an outspoken anime enthusiast—was honored with the One House Award. The Gold Legend Award was presented to acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee, Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara, and Pachinko author Min Jin Lee.
The evening was not only a celebration of cultural contributions from influential figures—it also served as a stunning showcase of Asian designers. Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee, honored alongside fellow Olympians and Paralympians Chuck Aoki and Lee Kiefer, turned heads on the red carpet in a shimmering iridescent white gown by designer Andrew Kwon.
“Growing up, I didn’t always see people who looked like me on the world stage,” Lee said while accepting her award. “My journey hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been shaped by my culture. This honor is not just for me—it’s for the young girls watching who now know that they can dream big and that they belong.”
Additional honorees included Zhang Ziyi, Moana 2 star Auli’i Cravalho, writer-producer Dana Ledoux Miller, director Dave Derrick Jr., and Laufey, who captivated the audience with a performance of her new song, “Silver Lining,” dressed in a shimmering gold gown by Huishan Zhang.
Dinner was presented by OpenTable and featured a menu of Filipino cuisine, crafted by James Beard Award-winning chef Lord Maynard Llera. The meal was paired with bespoke Hennessy cocktails developed by mixologist Ash Miyasaki, highlighting Asian flavors such as fresh Korean melon, jujube fruit, and jasmine tea. A longtime champion of diverse communities, Hennessy sponsored the glamorous night. “Both Hennessy and Gold House share a dedication to supporting AAPI visionaries, artists, and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future,” Antoine Varlet, the brand’s senior vice president, tells ELLE. “Hennessy stands in celebration of this unstoppable momentum, honoring a legacy of ambition, resilience, and impact.”
After the ceremony, guests headed to the Gold House x Billboard Founders Party, where honoree Anderson.Paak took the stage for a high-energy performance. The night continued with a surprise karaoke moment from The White Lotus’s Tayme Thapthimthong, who brought the house down with a lively rendition of “No Diggity.”
In his closing remarks, Chen addressed the crowd, underscoring the significance of each individual’s contribution.
“The good news is you don’t have to do everything, you can’t,” the co-founder said. “Nobody can. You just have to do one thing. Each of you is the most important one in the world, because you are the first, and we just want you to know as well.”
Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the event, below.
Sandra Oh
Tayme Thapthimthong
Amanda Nguyen
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
H.E.R.
Megan Thee Stallion
Courtney Eaton
Naomi Watanabe
Auliʻi Cravalho
Chriselle Lim
Lilly Singh
Laufey
Kim Shui
Pritika Swarup
Brenda Song
Joel Kim Booster
Kimora Lee Simmons
Atsuko Okatsuka
Tan France
Mindy Kaling
Daniel Dae Kim
Fernando Garcia
Poorna Jagannathan
Suni Lee
Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg
Jon M. Chu
Additional reporting by Claire Stern Milch.
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