Stars Academy season 1

Stars Academy is a Hong Kong singing competition television series to find young singing talents. The first season premiered on 10 April 2021 and continued until 19 July 2021 for 14 episodes. Hosted by Sammy Leung, the show featured Hacken Lee as the coaching supervisor, along with AGA, Pakho Chau, Vincy Chan, JW, Gin Lee, and Janice Vidal as coaches. Throughout the competition, several performances gained popularity among the viewers, including Chantel Yiu's "Love Prediction", Gigi Yim's "Without You, I Still Love You", and Yumi Chung's "Wild City". The show was won by Gigi Yim. Following the finale, the contestants held a 4-day live concert titled First Live on Stage from 12 to 15 August 2021. The programme's popularity led TVB to continue its run for a second season. It also inspired other TV shows, including the musical television series Forever Young at Heart and the youth talent singing show Stars Junior Academy.

Production

Following their previous singing competition series, The Voice, TVB and its subsidiary TVB Music Group intended to produce a new programme and opened applications in July 2020. The original concept of the show aimed to discover young talents in Cantopop and involved sending the contestants to different parts of the world for musical training. Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, TVB abandoned this plan and instead conducted the training domestically. In November 2020, fifteen contestants were introduced to the public through a group performance on TVB's 53rd Anniversary Gala show. In January 2021, "The First Call" promotional footage was released, showcasing the contestants' vocals in eight group and solo performances. These performances were also made available as digital singles on various music streaming platforms.
Originally planned for February or March 2021, the competition faced a delay due to a management shake-up at Voice Entertainment, finally commencing in April 2021. In early April, additional promotional footage titled "Prequel" introduced actor Sammy Leung as the host and singer Hacken Lee as the coaching supervisor. Musician Johnny Yim joined the team as the music director. The show's eponymous theme song was then digitally released on 9 April 2021, accompanied by a music video featuring all the contestants. The first episode was broadcast on 10 April 2021. The show used XR technology to create a unique stage effect—the first in TVB's broadcasting history. A complemental TV programme titled Starry Starry Academy aired concurrently, featuring commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews.

Format and competition overview

The fifteen contestants performed individually or in groups in a series of rounds. Except for the live finale, the competition was pre-recorded. Depending on the length, each round was broadcast within one or two episodes. The show employed a panel of 25 professional music judges in each round to critique and score the contestants.
The competition kicked-off in Episodes 1–2 with individual performances from all the contestants. One contestant was eliminated, leaving fourteen to continue. These fourteen contestants were then divided into two teams, seven apiece, named as the Red and Blue teams.
In the following four rounds, the Red and Blue teams competed against each other under the guidance of their respective coaches. With Hacken Lee as the coaching supervisor, the Red Team was led by Vincy Chan, Pakho Chau, and JW. The Blue team was led by AGA, Gin Lee, and Janice Vidal. The losing team's coaches would eliminate one to three contestants per round, as stipulated by the rules. Episodes 3–4 featured individual head-to-head battles, and the team with the higher overall score would win. In Episodes 5–6, the teams competed in five matches, with designated lead vocalists in the first three and collaborative performances involving the full team and coaches in the latter two. The team with the most wins would be the winner. Episode 7 featured three team battles competing for a cumulative score. Episodes 8–9 featured a 1980s–2000s Cantopop Golden Hits theme. Under guest host Alan Tam's guidance, the teams engaged in another series of one-on-one battles, competing for the higher number of match wins.
In the next four rounds, the competition returned to an individual format. Episodes 10–11 introduced guest coaches, Phil Lam, and Jay Fung, joining the permanent ones. Each contestant performed a duet with a chosen coach, resulting in the elimination of one contestant in each episode. Episode 12 eliminated another contestant. During this time, Hacken Lee departed from his coaching role due to his commitment to Sing! China. In Episode 13, Hins Cheung appeared as a guest coach. The six remaining contestants were paired up based on judges' preferences to perform duets, with the higher-scoring contestant from each pair advancing to the top five. The highest scorer among the remaining contestants also advanced, while the bottom two battled in an elimination round, each performing another duet with Cheung, and the one with the lower score being eliminated. The finale took place on 19 July 2021 and featured the top five finalists. Unlike previous rounds, the finale incorporated both judges' scores and audience votes to determine the winner. Gigi Yim and Chantel Yiu became the top two and competed in a final round. Ultimately, Gigi Yim won three awards: Judges' Choice, Viewers' Choice, and Overall Championship, along with a HKD $100,000 prize.

Contestants

Gigi Yim Ming-hay was considered to have the most standout vocals on the show. Her rendition of Sandy Lam's "Without You, I Still Love You" was the first performance that gained widespread popularity.Chantel Yiu Cheuk-faye was recognized for her innate musical talent despite not being the most technically skilled contestant. Her rendition of Danny Chan's "Love Prediction" became the most-viewed performance, eventually ranking as top six local YouTube videos of the year. One of the judges, musician, commented on being greatly impressed by her storytelling ability in this performance.Yumi Chung Yau-mei is most known for her dancing ability, highlighted in her performances, including her rendition of Aaron Kwok's "Wild City".Archie Sin Ching-fung impressed Eric Kwok, a music producer and judge on the show, with his performance of Eason Chan's "The Night No Longer Comes". Kwok complimented him for making the rendition "his own". Sin and fellow contestant Aska Cheung co-wrote the original song "Puzzle", which Red Team contestants performed in the competition.Rock Ho Chun-lok was praised for delivering a "heartfelt interpretation" of Danny Chan's "Wait".Aeren Man Hoi-ting Kaitlyn Lam Kwan-lin Hugo Wong Yik-bun Felix Lam Chi-lok was noted for having a distinctive voice timbre.Windy Zhan Tian-wen was noted for her high-pitched vocals. Notable performance including her rendition of G.E.M.'s "Bubble", and "Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj. She also performed Sandy Lam's "Without You, I Still Love You" as a counterpart to Gigi Yim who also performed that song in a same episode of the show.Sherman Poon Ching-man Aska Cheung Chi-ho and fellow contestant Archie Sin co-wrote the original song "Puzzle", which Red Team contestants performed in the competition.Steven Suen Hon-lam Venus Lam Chi-ngai

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Episode performances

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Episodes 1–2

Order	Contestant	Song	Score	Result
1	Yumi Chung	"Skylight" by Joey Yung	15	Advanced
2	Aska Cheung	"Your Name Engraved Herein" by Crowd Lu	16	Advanced
3	Chantel Yiu	"Final Boarding Call" by Janice Vidal	9	Advanced
4	Felix Lam	"No Other Replacement in This World" by Eason Chan	13	Advanced
5	Windy Zhan	"Bubble" by G.E.M.	24	Advanced
6	Rock Ho	"Worse Comes to Worst" by Yoga Lin	22	Advanced
7	Sherman Poon	"You Are Your Own Legend" by Charmaine Fong	8	Advanced
8	Archie Sin	"Beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree" by Hins Cheung	14	Advanced
9	Gigi Yim	"Unbreakable Love" by Eric Chou	19	Advanced
10	Hugo Wong	"My Vow" by Pakho Chau	13	Advanced
11	Aeren Man	"Wooden Grain" by Denise Ho	5	Advanced
12	Kaitlyn Lam	"True or False" by Lowell Lo	22	Advanced
13	Steven Suen	"Special Person" by Khalil Fong	20	Advanced
14	Venus Lam	"I Ain't Got You" by Karen Mok	15	Advanced
15	Lolita Tsoi	"Science of the Heart" by Joey Yung	4	Eliminated

Episodes 3–4: First team battles

Order	Contestant	Song	Score
1	Gigi Yim	"Snowflower" by Vincy Chan	12
1	Archie Sin	"Song of Happiness" by Supper Moment	13
2	Sherman Poon	"Perseverance" by Mag Lam	14
2	Steven Suen	"Full Moon Party" by Jay Fung	11
3	Felix Lam	"Mailman" by Faye Wong	7
3	Chantel Yiu	"Escape Door" by JW	18
4	Windy Zhan	"Suffering" by Jess Lee	10
4	Aeren Man	"Superman" by AGA	15
5	Kaitlyn Lam	"Parabola" by Tanya Chua	21
5	Aska Cheung	"Love You Too Much" by Hins Cheung	4
6	Hugo Wong	"Little White" by Pakho Chau	16
6	Venus Lam	"Be Keen on You" by Beyond	9
7	Yumi Chung	"Goddess" by Joyce Cheng	3
7	Rock Ho	"The Book of Laughter and Forgetting" by Hins Cheung	22

Episodes 5–6: Second team battles

Order	Contestant	Song	Score
1	Yumi Chung, Kaitlyn Lam, Aeren Man, Gigi Yim	"How You Like That" by Blackpink	7
1	Aska Cheung, Archie Sin	"Colour of Your Eyes" by Yoga Lin	18
2	Kaitlyn Lam	"Light Years Away" by G.E.M.	3
2	Windy Zhan	"Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj	22
3	Felix Lam, Steven Suen, Gigi Yim	"Onion" by Aska Yang	22
3	Sherman Poon, Hugo Wong, Chantel Yiu	"Born Second Grade" by Jace Chan	3
4	Yumi Chung, Felix Lam, Kaitlyn Lam, Aeren Man, Steven Suen, Gigi Yim	"Lydia" by F.I.R.	2
4	Aska Cheung, Rock Ho, Sherman Poon, Archie Sin, Hugo Wong, Chantel Yiu, Windy Zhan	"Puzzle" Original song	23
5	Rock Ho, Vincy Chan, JW	"Servant of Love" by Eason Chan	1
5	Gigi Yim, Janice Vidal	"Million Reasons" by Lady Gaga	24

Episode 7: Third team battles

Order	Contestant	Song	Score
1	Aska Cheung, Rock Ho, Sherman Poon, Archie Sin, Chantel Yiu	"Bicycle" by Eason Chan	3
1	Felix Lam, Kaitlyn Lam	"Half Moon Serenade" by Hacken Lee	22
2	Hugo Wong	"The Last One" by Sammi Cheng	4
2	Yumi Chung, Aeren Man	"Dancing Street" by Priscilla Chan	21
3	Windy Zhan	"Without You, I Still Love You" by Sandy Lam	2
3	Gigi Yim	"Without You, I Still Love You" by Sandy Lam	23

Episodes 8–9: Fourth team battles

Order	Contestant	Song	Score
1	Yumi Chung	"Impatient Beings" by Cookies	19
1	Hugo Wong	"Side Face" by Leslie Cheung	6
2	Kaitlyn Lam	"Embraced by the Starlight" by Shirley Kwan	22
2	Windy Zhan	"I Must Leave" by Cass Phang	3
3	Chantel Yiu	"Love Prediction" by Sandy Lamb	19
3	Aeren Man	"Don't Know" by Joey Yung	6
4	Felix Lam	"Impression" by Sam Hui	4
4	Archie Sin	"The Night No Longer Comes" by Eason Chan	21
5	Gigi Yim	"Love Trap" by Alan Tam	16
5	Rock Ho	"Wait" by Danny Chan	9

Episode 12

Order	Contestant	Song	Score	Result
1	Archie Sin	"Late Person" by Andy Hui	18	Advanced
2	Kaitlyn Lam	"If I Don't Have You" by Karen Mok	7	Eliminated
3	Aeren Man	"Bad Boy" by A-Mei	9	Advanced
4	Chantel Yiu	"In Love Again" by Leon Lai	23	Advanced
5	Gigi Yim	"The Goodbye Kiss" by Jacky Cheung	18	Advanced
6	Yumi Chung	"Wild City" by Aaron Kwok	20	Advanced
7	Rock Ho	"I Can't Sing" by Hacken Lee	24	Advanced

Elimination chart

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Reception and ratings

As of September 2021, Chantel Yiu's performance of "Love Prediction" has accumulated 4.08 million views on YouTube, making it the most-watched performance. Following closely behind are Gigi Yim's rendition of "Without You, I Still Love You" with 2.3 million views, and Yumi Chung's performance of "Wild City" with 2.18 million views, ranking as the second and third most-viewed performances, respectively. Yiu, Yim, and Chung also received significant media coverage and were considered popular among the viewers, contributing to the overall success of the show. The finale had an average viewership of 1.57 million, reaching a peak of 1.63 million viewers.

Post–competition

Alongside a management contract with TVB, the contestants also signed a record deal with Voice Entertainment. In October 2021, a dedicated sublabel, All About Music, was established under Voice Entertainment to handle the release of their musical works. The top five finalists—Gigi Yim, Chantel Yiu, Yumi Chung, Archie Sin, and Rock Ho—were among the first artists to launch their solo careers under the label. In addition to the solo endeavors, All About Music also formed a girl group called After Class which included Gigi Yim, Windy Zhan, Chantel Yiu, and Yumi Chung. The contestants made their acting debut starring in the musical television series Forever Young at Heart. In September 2025, Gigi Yim left TVB management and established her own studio to oversee her future work.

Concerts

First Live on Stage was a live concert featuring the fifteen contestants, with the music coaches making special appearances as guest performers. Originally planned for two dates, Voice Entertainment added two more dates to accommodate the overwhelming popularity. The concert ran from 12 to 15 August 2021 at MacPherson Stadium, featuring a setlist primarily consisted of songs performed by the contestants during the singing competition. A televised version of the concert was broadcast on 28 August 2021.
The contestants reunited two years later for What We Become Live, a concert that took place on 22 December 2023, at Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre. The show was said to experience lower-than-expected ticket sales and received criticism for its disappointing setlist.

Releases

The First Call

Gigi Yim – "Guarding the Wheatfield"
Chantel Yiu, Windy Zhan and Yumi Chung – "The End"
Rock Ho and Sherman Poon – "Lost for Words" (欲言又止 by Vincent Wong and Hana Kuk\\\\

Original songs

Group – "Stars Academy" – Stars Academy theme song
Group – "Go Go Gold" – TVB's 2020 Summer Olympics theme song
Group – "Hat Trick" – featuring the second season contestants
Group — "Puzzle"

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result
2021	54th TVB Anniversary Awards	Best Variety Show	Stars Academy	Won
2021	54th TVB Anniversary Awards	Best TV Themesong	"Stars Academy"	Won
2021	54th TVB Anniversary Awards	Best TV Host	Sammy Leung	Nomitated
2022	New York Festivals TV & Film Awards	Entertainment Programme Promotion	Stars Academy