How Character Honors Is Expanding AAPI Representation Beyond Hollywood
More than ever, we’re seeing ourselves—proudly reflected in film, television, and music. As a community, we’re still shaping what meaningful representation looks like. It’s evolving every day, and we’re here for it. But what about beyond entertainment? What about journalism, fashion, tech, and business?
This year, Character Media and GoldenTV (yes, the same producers behind the Unforgettable Awards celebrating AAPI excellence in entertainment) hosted a second round of celebrations. They kicked off AAPINH Heritage Month with the inaugural Character Honors, co-presented by Toyota on May 1, honoring individuals making important strides in industries beyond the screen.
Hosted at The London West Hollywood, the evening marked a powerful shift. For many of us who look for role models paving the way forward, it was especially encouraging and affirming to see so many AAPINH women—who look like us and share similar lived experiences—leading the future of business, innovation, and culture.
The inaugural event is more than a celebration of a few standout individuals—it’s a message to the broader AAPINH community: keep moving forward. Change isn’t just possible—it’s already happening. And every small shift, every tiny move of the needle, matters more than we think.
Emerging Visionary Award honoree Nanxi Liu, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Blaze.tech—which helps the healthcare industry build HIPAA-compliant apps without coding—highlighted the significance of the evening. “Real cultural impact is what shows up in our everyday lives,” she shared.
Vicky Tsai, founder of Tatcha—a brand rooted in time-honored Japanese beauty rituals—was honored with the Toyota Call Your Shot Award. Beyond skincare, Tatcha has funded over 15 million days of school for girls around the world. “It’s really about how many doors we can open for other people,” she said.
Community Builder Award honoree Ally Maki, founder of the Asian American Girl Club, spoke to the power of connection across generations. “Sometimes all we need is a bridge to find each other.”
Lisa Ling, Global Impact Award honoree, has shaped journalism and storytelling by bringing overlooked narratives to light. Encouraging Asian American women—whose contributions are so often undervalued—she shared, “We are no longer asking for permission to exist.”
Other honorees of the night included Jiro Egawa, Senior VP of Platform Growth and Monetization at Xumo, who received the Innovation Leadership Award; Bobby Hundreds, Global Creative Director of Disney Consumer Products and Co-Founder of The Hundreds, who received the Global Trailblazer Award; Thai Nguyen, Fashion Designer, who received the Design and Culture Award; and Albert Yang, CEO of Din Tai Fung North America, who received the Cultural Game Changer Award.
About Character
For over 30 years, Character has been the nation’s leading print magazine and digital media publisher spotlighting Asian and Pacific Islander stories. Through its print magazine, online articles, video content, and signature events, including the Unforgettable Awards and live concert experiences, Character continues to connect brands and audiences through powerful storytelling that celebrates API voices and culture.
About GoldenTV
GoldenTV is the nation’s first streaming and cable platform dedicated to celebrating and elevating Asian American and Pacific Islander voices across entertainment, culture, and storytelling. Operating as a hybrid SVOD and FAST platform, alongside a traditional cable presence through Spectrum, GoldenTV offers audiences a curated destination for original programming, films, series, award shows, and cultural events that highlight the creativity, achievements, and global impact of AAPI creators and leaders. Through premium content and cultural storytelling, GoldenTV connects audiences with stories that reflect the richness and diversity of the AAPI experience.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.