From the closing show of the Joy Awards, January 17, 2026 (Facebook)
On Saturday evening, the Saudi capital concluded the “Joy Awards 2026” ceremony as part of the “Riyadh Season” activities, in a night that brought together stars of drama, cinema, music, sports, and content makers, and its results were a direct reflection of the audience’s vote, which decided the names of the winners in the various categories, according to the organizers of the ceremony.
According to the official list announced: In the television drama category, Syrian actress Karis Bashar won the “Best Favorite Actress” award, and Saudi actor Abdul Mohsen Al-Nimr won the “Best Favorite Actor” award for the series “Al Marsa.” In awards for works, the series “Ashghal Very Flat” was crowned with the “Best Egyptian Series” award, while the Lebanese series “Salma” won the “Best Levantine Series” award, and the Saudi series “Al-A’sha Street” won the “Best Gulf Series” award. Saudi actress Taraf Al-Obaidi won the “Favorite New Face” award in drama for the “Ummy” series, and the “Favorite Series Director” award went to Ahmed Katiksiz and Gul Saraltin for “Al-A’sha Street.”
As for cinema, the Egyptian film “Sikou Siku” was crowned with the “Best Cinematography” award, while the Egyptian actor Maged El-Kedwany won the “Favorite Actor” award for the movie “Fiha Eh Means,” and the Kuwaiti actress Shajoun won the “Favorite Actress” award for the movie “The Wedding of Fire.” The “Favorite Film Directing” award also went to the Egyptian director Omar Al-Muhandis for the film “Sikou Siku.”
In the sports category, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bono was crowned with the “Best Athlete” award, while Saudi football player Laila Al-Qahtani won the “Best Athlete” award, in addition to Qatari Nasser Al-Khelaifi being awarded the “Diamond Entertainment Makers Award.”
The Content Creators category also witnessed the crowning of the Saudi influencer Rayan Al-Ahmari with the “Favorite Influencer” award, while the Saudi influencer Rateel Al-Shehri won the “Favorite Influencer” award.
The night also included special and honorary awards, including the “Lifetime Achievement Award” which was given to the artist and former Egyptian Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, as well as to the American star Forest Whitaker, while the Saudi Saleh Al-Arrayed received the “Honorary Joy Awards,” and Asala Nasri received the “Honorary Entertainment Makers Award” alongside Kuwaiti director Ahmed Al-Dougji and Egyptian composer Amr Mostafa, and “Person of the Year” went to British actress Millie Bobby Brown.
The return of Fadel Shaker
In the music category; Egyptian singer Angham won the “Favorite Artist” award, while Lebanese artist Fadel Shaker won the “Favorite Artist” award, as well as the “Favorite Song” award for “Sahhak Al-Shouq,” while his son, singer Mohamed Fadel Shaker, won the “Favorite New Face” award in the music category.
Amidst this scene, Fadel Shaker’s winning of two awards turned into the most widely discussed and controversial headline on social media platforms, as the coronation came while his name was still linked to judicial files in Lebanon, which reopened the debate about the artist’s presence in the public sphere and the limits of the “legitimacy” of honoring him in awards based on public voting. While supporters saw the result as a reaffirmation of his continued popularity, critics considered that a platform the size of “Joy Awards” would give this presence an overly sensitive return.
Nostalgia of Syrian drama
In one of the most striking parts of the ceremony, “Joy Awards 2026” devoted a long exhibition space to reviving the memory of Syrian drama, as part of what Saudi Arabia provided as support for Syrian art and the history of its works that are most present in Arab consciousness. On stage, iconic moments from series that formed part of the viewers’ memory returned, through an innovative show that combines theatrical performance with the original dramatic imprint, recalling works such as “Mirrors,” “The Return of Ghawar,” “Al-Zeer Salem,” “Bab Al-Hara,” “Rabih Cordoba,” and “Jamil and Hana.” Many of the presented scenes seemed as if their characters were coming back to life to show themselves again, many years after the presentation of these works, but in a modern artistic spirit that bets on nostalgia on the one hand, and on re-presenting the dramatic legacy in a contemporary way on the other hand.
The scene was complemented by the participation of the Syrian “Inana” band, under the supervision of its director, Jihad Mufleh, through various performances that dedicated the segment as a declared tribute to Syrian drama, with the participation of a number of graduates of the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts.
