In Hong Kong’s equivalent of the Oscars, 22 awards were handed out in separate categories.

Newcomer Michael Ning claimed both the Best New Talent and Best Supporting Actor award for his role in the murder mystery Port of Call.

The front-runner for best actor was industry veteran Aaron Kwok Fu-shing, for his portrayal of a hardened detective in Port of Call. The film was named Best Picture by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society last year.

Upon winning the award, Kwok told a press conference “I’m really happy, I never thought [I’d win] so I didn’t even really prepare before I went on stage. During this process there were many challenges. To get this today is a huge source of encouragement. In the future I’d like to try be a director. Thanks to everyone I’ve worked with in the past. All my past efforts have shaped me. I hope to share this with my mum. She’s getting old.”

Leading the race for best actress was Miriam Yeung Chin-wah, who was nominated for her role in Little Big Master, an uplifting film depicting the story of a woman who saved a kindergarten school from closure.

Audible gasps were heard around the room as the 23 year old Jessie Li was given the honour for her role in Port of Call.

“This was my first movie. Thank you so much,” she said in a press conference following the ceremony. “I was so nervous.”

Much attention was centred around the nomination of the film Ten Years, the hugely popular dystopian film made in Hong Kong which has raised the ire of mainland authorities and pro-Beijing media for its depiction of Hong Kong’s social and political future in the year 2025.

Earlier in the evening the film’s directors had been asked what their hopes of winning were for Best Film.

“It’s a real surprise actually [to be nominated],” said Kwok Zung, who directed the first part of the film and attended the award ceremony for the first time. “In the beginning, we couldn’t imagine we could get this film screened at theatres. Now we are at the ceremony. It’s way too far beyond my imagination.”

Ten Years was nominated for Best Film alongside Ip Man 3, Port of Call, Little Big Master and The Taking of Tiger Mountain.

“Honestly, in terms of production and artistically, our film is not so qualified as other nominees [for best film], but the meaning of our film is bigger than then film itself,” he said after walking the red carpet at the Cultural Centre at Tsim Sha Tsui.

SCMP reporter Jessie Lau was on the scene, updating live via Twitter:

Banned and canned in the mainland, will Ten Years scoop the ultimate prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards?

The nominees ... and the winners

Best film

Little Big Master

Ten Years

The Taking of Tiger Mountain

Ip Man 3

Port of Call

And the winner is ... Ten Years

Best actor

Andy Lau Tak Wah

Nick Cheung Ka Fai

Tony Leung Ka Fai

Jakcy Cheung

Aaron Kwok

And the winner is ... Aaron Kwok

Best actress

Tang Wei

Miriam Yeung

Sylvia Chang

Karena Lam

Jessie Li

And the winner is ... Jessie Li

Best director

Adrian Kwan Shun-fair, Little Big Master

Derek Yee Tung-sing, I Am Somebody

Tsui Hark, The Taking of Tiger Mountain

Yip Wai-shun, Ip Man 3

Philip Yung Tsz-kwong, Port of Call

And the winner is ... Tsui Hark

Best supporting actor

Andrew Lam Man-chung, Full Strike

Louis Cheung Kai-chung, Keeper of Darkness

Max Zhang Jin, SPL2: A Time for Consequences

Max Zhang Jin, Ip Man 3

Michael Ning, Port of Call

And the winner is ... Michael Ning

Best supporting actress

Qin Hailu, A Tale of Three Cities

Anna Ng Yuen-yee, Little Big Master

Janice Man Wing-shan, Helios

Lee Sinje, Murmur of the Hearts

Elaine Jin Yan-ling, Port of Call

And the winner is ... Elaine Jin Yan-ling

Best new director

Nick Cheung Ka-fai, Keeper of Darkness

Raman Hui Shing-ngai, Monster Hunt

Lau Ho-leung, Two Thumbs Up

And the winner is ... Raman Hui Shing-ngai

Best film from mainland China and Taiwan

Mountains May Depart

Our Times

The Assassin

Wolf Totem

Blind Massage

And the winner is... The Assassin