Chapter 667 - 663: The Winner for Best Newcomer Is...

The awards ceremony began promptly at 8:00 PM. Yuna Sutton and Gideon Hale, who were not nominated, were both presenters tonight.

In fact, Yuna Sutton was the one presenting the award for "Best Supporting Actress."

"Lily, when I open the envelope, if I see your name, I’ll nod twice. I’ll give you a sign."

"Okay. I hope I get some of your good luck, Yuna."

Sophie Grant had won once before, so she had a much more relaxed attitude this time. While she hoped for a repeat win, she would be fine if it wasn’t her.

Soon, the ceremony reached the announcement of the first major award of the night: "Best Newcomer."

The presenters were two highly respected veteran actors. The Best Newcomer award was always presented by older actors, symbolizing the passing of the torch from one generation to the next—a beautiful sentiment.

The two of them bantered on stage for a while, but Lily Sterling didn’t hear a word they said. All she could hear was the sound of her own heart pounding.

The closer the moment came, the more nervous she grew. And the more nervous she grew, the more it proved just how much she craved that trophy.

’That’s right. I want it!’

In front of their TV, Cecilia Sterling and the others were just as nervous. Yvonne Sterling said impatiently, "Oh, they just love to ramble on when they get older. Hurry up and announce it!"

Jasmine Sterling stared at the television without blinking, unconsciously biting her lip.

The others were the same, with only Cecilia Sterling remaining relatively calm. ’Of course, she hoped her sister would win,’ she thought. ’An outfit like the one she’s wearing tonight wasn’t just for shining on the red carpet. Its true value will only be realized if she stands on that stage to be crowned.’

Finally, one of the presenters spoke into the microphone. "For the 37th Golden Magpie Award for Best Newcomer, the nominees are... Please look at the big screen."

The camera cut to the large screen, where highlight clips of each nominee’s performance were played. When a pleasant announcer’s voice read, "...for the role of Flora in *Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix*, Lily Sterling," the venue erupted in thunderous applause. The clip shown was the scene where Flora charged into the Imperial City on horseback, ready to die for her sister. Her resolute back and determined gaze vividly portrayed the character’s unwavering conviction in that moment. This clip had also become one of Flora’s most iconic moments online, garnering over a hundred million views!

After all the nominees’ clips had finished playing, the presenters exchanged a look. One of them opened the envelope and saw the name inside. A dramatic drumroll began, designed to heighten the suspense. Lily’s heart hammered in time with the beat, the tension rising until it felt like her head would burst.

"The 37th Golden Magpie Award for Best Newcomer..."

"And the winner is..."

"Lily Sterling!"

As the name was announced, Lily’s heart gave a final, heavy thud. A sense of relief, of dust finally settling, washed over her, followed by a wave of pure joy.

"Lily! Lily!"

Beside her, Andrew Sutton was even more excited than Lily, clapping enthusiastically. The camera focused on Lily, who looked absolutely stunning tonight. With tears welling in her eyes, she rose to her feet and hugged the crew members next to her one by one before slowly making her way to the stage.

In front of the screen, the Sterling family erupted into absolute pandemonium. They were shouting, laughing, jumping, and cheering. Jasmine and Yvonne were even crying tears of joy, so happy for their Lily.

Outside the venue, Connie had been monitoring the awards closely. The instant Lily’s win was announced, she immediately notified the company to launch an online campaign, paying a hefty sum to get the trending topic to the number one spot.

At the same moment, a deafening cheer erupted from the dormitories of the Lorcain Film Academy. The entire student body was watching the awards ceremony.

Under the spotlight, Lily Sterling ascended the stage in her magnificent gown. The jewels on it were dazzling, but they couldn’t outshine her radiant, triumphant air.

She accepted the trophy from the presenter’s hands. It was a golden cylinder topped with a magpie. It felt cool and heavy in her grasp.

There was also a red certificate, which Lily clutched tightly to her chest as she finally came to a stop before the microphone.

At this moment, surprisingly, she was no longer nervous.

"Hello everyone, I’m a new actress, Lily Sterling!"

The audience broke into warm applause. Lily looked down from the stage at all the faces she had only ever seen on television. Now, they were all looking up at her. The moment felt slightly surreal.

"First, I want to thank Ms. Leila Smithson for designing such a beautiful gown for me. I didn’t let her hard work and design go to waste; I wore it right up onto the winner’s stage."

Lily was very clever. During her red-carpet interview, the first person she thanked was Leila Smithson, and now, during her acceptance speech, the first person she thanked was again Leila Smithson.

Leila Smithson was watching the awards ceremony from her hotel at that very moment. When she heard her name mentioned in thanks for a second time, a smile involuntarily spread across her face.

’I like this girl,’ she thought.

"I want to thank the entire crew of *Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix*. Thank you, Director Cole, for your coaching and guidance. Thank you to my agency, Locke Entertainment, especially my manager, Connie, and my assistants, Yuna and Finn. Oh, and my co-star, Andrew Sutton. I feel like our two characters truly elevated each other. Thank you."

In the audience, Andrew Sutton watched the radiant Lily on stage, genuinely happy for her. When he heard her go out of her way to thank him, he stood up and gave her a big thumbs-up from across the room.

Lily smiled and continued, "I also want to thank the organizing committee and the judges of the Golden Magpie Awards. Thank you for your recognition. It means the world to me."

"Finally, I want to thank my family: my beloved mother, sister, and brother. This is my first honor in my first year in the industry, and I share it with all of you!"

"Thank you to all my fans and friends who like and support me. I’ll keep working hard in the future!"

With that, Lily took a step back and gave a deep bow to the audience and the cameras.

She didn’t cry. Instead, she kept smiling, like a blue rose blooming in the starlight!

Backstage, Connie rushed forward to give Lily a huge hug the moment she came down. "You did it, Lily! I knew you could!"

"Thank you, Connie!"

Connie caressed her face, her eyes filled with pride. "You only get one shot at the Best Newcomer award in your entire career, and you got it! As for Best Supporting Actress, let’s just stay calm. There will be other chances in the future!"

For any major award, an actor only gets one chance to be nominated for Best Newcomer. If you don’t win for your first drama or film, you can’t be nominated again. That’s why, in the eyes of many, this award was so important and so fiercely coveted.

Lily knew this. Compared to Best Supporting Actress, she had indeed coveted the Best Newcomer award more.

When she looked up, she saw that Yuna was a complete mess from crying!

After composing herself backstage, Lily returned to her seat in the auditorium. Everyone she passed smiled and offered her a "Congratulations."

Just as she sat down, the winner for "Best Art Direction" was announced, and it went to *Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix*. Lily had started things off on a high note, and now the show had scored another win!

Related trending topics quickly exploded across the internet. At the same time, MIUMIU, a high-end brand under Prada, followed up by officially announcing that Lily Sterling would be their new Brand Image Ambassador for 2026!