The Golden Horse Awards 2026 have placed international filmmaking and a new generation of cinema firmly at the centre of this year’s nominations, with Hiroyuki Tanaka, known professionally as Sabu, leading the race with 11 nominations for “Arrested Memory.” The Taiwan-set Chinese-language crime comedy is followed closely by “Girl,” the feature directorial debut of acclaimed Taiwanese actress Shu Qi, which received 10 nominations. The nominations were announced on October 1 after the awards received 587 submissions across feature films, documentaries and short films. The 63rd Golden Horse Awards ceremony will take place on November 22 at Taipei Music Center.
“Arrested Memory” occupies the leading position in this year’s nominations with recognition across several of the ceremony’s major categories. The film connects Taiwanese filmmaking with an internationally recognised Japanese director, with Sabu taking the project into Chinese-language cinema and a Taiwan-set story. The film follows a Taiwanese detective who develops amnesia after being transferred to a new post and becomes involved in a kidnapping case as his memory continues to deteriorate. Its 11 nominations include Best Narrative Feature, Best Director and Best Leading Actor for Ethan Juan, along with recognition for cinematography, editing, action choreography and sound.
The film’s nominations therefore extend across both major individual categories and technical fields. Ethan Juan’s recognition places the film’s central performance among the acting contenders, while its nominations for cinematography, editing, action choreography and sound acknowledge several of the elements contributing to its crime-comedy presentation. With Best Narrative Feature and Best Director nominations as well, “Arrested Memory” has emerged as the most nominated film in the 2026 Golden Horse field.
Shu Qi’s “Girl” has emerged as another defining story of this year’s nominations. The film marks a significant new chapter in Shu Qi’s career as she moves behind the camera for her first feature as a director. “Girl” is nominated for Best Narrative Feature and Best New Director, while also receiving recognition in cinematography, art direction, editing, sound and original film score. Its 10 nominations make it the second-most nominated title of the year and place Shu Qi’s directorial debut prominently within the awards competition.
The film’s 10 nominations are particularly significant because “Girl” had faced industry speculation over whether its partial mainland Chinese funding could affect its reception at the Golden Horse Awards. The nomination list provides a clear factual counterpoint to those expectations: the film was not shut out and instead became one of the most recognised titles of the year. The awards’ official announcement does not attribute the nominations to any political consideration, making the film’s broad recognition across narrative and technical categories the central fact emerging from the nominations.
Another notable feature of this year’s nominations is the Best Leading Actress category. None of the five nominees are Taiwanese. The field includes Angela Yuen for “Afterpiece,” Jennifer Yu for “Double Happiness,” Liang Cuishan for “Big Little Things,” Chung Suet-ying for “We Are Born Good” and Yeo Yann Yann for “We Are All Strangers.” With the ceremony taking place in Taiwan, the international makeup of the category highlights the geographical breadth of the films and performers represented in the acting race.
Singaporean cinema has also made a significant showing in the nominations. Five Singapore films collectively received 15 nominations, led by Anthony Chen’s “We Are All Strangers” with seven. The country’s representation extends to “The Violinist,” “Ah Girl,” “Buah” and “She Said,” giving Singapore a substantial presence across the 2026 Golden Horse nominations. “We Are All Strangers” also enters both the Best Narrative Feature and Best Director races, further strengthening its position within the overall competition.
The breadth of this year’s selection becomes clearer when viewed against the number of submissions considered by the awards committee. The Golden Horse Awards received 587 entries across different formats, including 92 narrative features, 60 documentaries, three animated features, 294 live-action short films, 71 documentary shorts and 67 animated shorts. From that large pool, the final nominations bring together films and filmmakers working across different countries, languages and filmmaking backgrounds.
The feature competition further reflects that regional diversity. “Double Happiness” and “We Are Born Good” each collected nine nominations, placing both films among the most recognised titles of the year. “We Are All Strangers” received seven nominations and competes in both Best Narrative Feature and Best Director. The Best Director lineup also includes Herman Yau for “We’re Nothing At All” and Edmund Yeo for “The Age of Goodbyes,” underlining the awards’ reach beyond Taiwan and their representation of filmmakers from across the region.
The nominations also recognise contributions outside the individual film categories. Moya Chou has been named Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year, recognising nearly three decades of work in colour grading across film and digital. The honour adds another dimension to this year’s awards, alongside the competitive nominations that bring together established filmmakers, emerging directors and performers from across Asian cinema.
The winners will be decided at the November 22 ceremony following the Golden Horse Awards’ three-stage voting process. Until then, “Arrested Memory” and “Girl” remain at the centre of the nomination list, with 11 and 10 nominations respectively. The overall selection reflects a Golden Horse field that crosses borders, languages and filmmaking backgrounds, while placing both Sabu’s Taiwan-set crime comedy and Shu Qi’s first feature as a director among the most prominent films in the 2026 awards race.
