Every year the Lux Style Awards (LSAs) are in the spotlight for bringing the audience a night full of glamour and entertainment. This year’s hype for LSA 2020 was mellow due to the restrictions put up and huge gatherings canceled. However, the LUX team managed to pull through and bring to an entertainment starved audience a chance to witness their favorite celebrities from the best seat in the house – their own couch – with a well planned and executed virtual show. 

The LSA 2020 show aired on New Year’s Eve at 8 pm on YouTube and excitement was in the air.

Many were apprehensive of what it would feel like to watch the red carpet and the show which was recorded over several days with strict SOPs in place and many celebrities recorded from their homes. But from the beginning of the show, the theme of the 19th LSA 2020 was obvious.

In hard times, the award show was trying its best to bring some happiness and celebration towards viewers while keeping everyone safe. This was highlighted in many speeches and messages such as Shaniera Akram’s message followed by the executive director of Jinnah Hospital, a front line worker, Dr. Seema Jamali who was asked to present the first award of the evening.  

The show began with a strong message of hope.

Followed by a beautiful ‘Hope’ song sung by the year’s best singer, 10-year-old Hadia Hashmi, iconic Hadiqa Kayani, melodious Ali Tariq, and qawwal Fareed Ayaz, accompanied by the rest of his back singers. Complementing the spirit of the song, was Faith, who did a mystical reverential dance to support the musical number. The entire performance was surreal yet awakening and brought hope for the coming year with striking lyrics “Yeh hai azmaaish, illahi jo tu hai mera.” 

Moving into the crux of the show, we got to see supermodel Mushk Kaleem as the red carpet host, who took us on a journey with faces we’ve missed on-screen with exciting questions that updated us on what everyone has been up to. She looked glamorous in two, sleek black, minimalist dresses styled by Rao Ali Khan (who styled the rest of the celebrities too) and spoke eloquently with each celebrity she interacted with. It was definitely nice to witness a quieter red carpet with clearer sound! 

The chemistry between Mehwish Hayat and Ahmed Ali Butt was fabulous. As the official hosts of the award show, they looked glam and their friendship was obvious. Ahmed’s natural wit and humor kept us hooked and those were parts hard to fast forward. 

From the first music category, it did sink in how meticulously the team behind the awards show had worked.

With no stage that the winners could come up to, to interact with presenters and receive their award, each winner either sent in their speeches and regards through their homes or recorded their speech onset alone. However, because the shots were so well clipped together, sometimes it slipped our mind that Lux Style Awards was never actually taken on the ground. The glamor of the celebrities, floating in their dapper suits and enchanting dresses helped keep up the elegance of the award show – best reflected through the red carpet appearances before the fashion segment! 

Usually, it is the winner’s speeches that often give us emotional moments to remember from LSA. We didn’t expect there to be a lot of emotion in the show this year, knowing how it was recorded. However, some parts still were hard-hitting, such as when the late Zara Abid won the best model (female) and her mother and brother came to receive her award.

Zara’s mother shared how Zara Abid always wanted to win a Lux Style Award. That reminded us of how short life is and how we should be grateful, even in unprecedented times. Anwar Maqsood’s speech for the Unilever Chairman’s Lifetime Achievement Award was also heartfelt. The 85-year-old, multi-talented actor, host, painter, and scriptwriter recorded his speech from his home, where he was in isolation recovering from COVID. He sent his regards to his fans and the brand team and reminded us of the hope that carries on despite despair, with a beautiful poem that he read out. 

Another moment from LSA 2020 that took us to the past was definitely Tapu Javeri’s lifetime achievement award (fashion) segment.

The category displayed a flashback of the photographer’s great work over the years with photographs of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to a young Moammar Rana. A tribute to Tapu was made by many recognized faces such as singer, Fakhir, director Saqib Malik and designers, Maheen Khan and Deepak Perwani. 

It was definitely the segment of Arsalan Naseer, from Comics by Arsalan, that stole the show. The comedian’s natural style and commentary over films produced in 2019 was commendable and spot on. The narrative over Baaji, specifically, had us roaring with laughter. 

LSA 2020 ended with a performance by Mehwish Hayat on Jimmy Khan’s song “Khoya Chaand Kahan” which is also the song played in the new Lux ad featuring Mehwish Hayat herself.

This marked the memorable end of a grand show, which proved to us that no matter what life brings, Pakistanis put on their thinking caps and come through it. From the artists who were nominated and awarded to the producers and the entire team behind the show, the LSA managed to not lose its charm despite being virtual. Watch the entire show, available on YouTube.

This post has been sponsored by LUX

Cover image via Luxstyleawards PK/YouTube