FORBES ASIA’S 100 DIGITAL STARS

 

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FORBES ASIA’S 100 DIGITAL STARS

Asia-Pacific’s Most Influential Celebrities on Social Media

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1. BLACKPINK (Band, South Korea)

2. JACKSON YEE, 20 (Actor and singer, China)

3. DAVIKA HOORNE (Actress, Thailand)

4. AMITABH BACHCHAN, 78 (Actor, India)

5. CHI PU, 27 (Actress, model, producer, singer and TV

host, Vietnam)

6. MARIO MAURER, 32 (Actor, Thailand)

7. ZHOU DONGYU, 28 (Actress, China)

8. MAYDAY (Band, Taiwan)

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FORBES Asia’s inaugural 100 Digital Stars list highlights 100

singers, bands, and film and TV stars from across the Asia-

Pacific region who have taken the digital world by storm.

With their powerful social media presence, these trailblazers

have garnered millions of loyal followers across popular

platforms, making them as famous online as they are on

stage and screen.

This list, which is unranked, comes at an exceptional time.

Much of the region’s population is spending time isolated at

home, where people are relying on their screens for

communication and entertainment.

Special focus is given to celebrities who, despite cancelled

physical events and activities managed to remain active and

relevant, largely by using social media to interact with their

fans, raise awareness and inspire optimism. Many also used

their influence to help worthy causes, especially those with a

Covid-19 focus.

Methodology: To determine the finalists, Forbes Asia

evaluated the candidates’ combined social media reach and

engagement. They also considered their recent work, impact

and advocacy, brand endorsements and business endeavors,

and their recognition profile on a local, regional and global

level. Here are the top eight personalities who are active in

film, music, and TV.

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1. BLACKPINK (Band, South Korea)

Blackpink’s members—Lisa (23), Jennie (24), Rosé (23), and

Jisoo (25)—are Korea’s most-followed celebrities on

Instagram. Lisa has over 42 million followers and is the global

brand ambassador for Celine, while Jennie is the face of

Chanel, Jisoo Dior and Rosé for Saint Laurent. In October,

Blackpink became the first girl group to top the Billboard

Artist 100 chart.

2. JACKSON YEE, 20 (Actor and singer, China)

A member of the band TFBoys, Yee, whose real name is Yi

Yangqianxi, starred in the 2019 film Better Days, for which he

won Best New Performer award at the 39th annual Hong

Kong Film Awards event. With over 86 million Weibo

followers, Yee’s posts endorsing Emporio Armani and Tiffany

& Co. have had millions of shares.

3. DAVIKA HOORNE (Actress, Thailand)

This Belgian-Thai, also known as Mai Davika, earned a Best

Actress nomination at Thailand’s Nataraja Awards for her

role in the TV series My Ambulance. She is Thailand’s second-

most popular Instagram celebrity, with 12 million followers,

after fellow Digital Star Aum Patchrapa. Her endorsement

deals include Gucci and L’Oreal.

4. AMITABH BACHCHAN, 78 (Actor, India)

A veteran of over 200 movies, Bachchan in May used his star

power and 105 million social media followers to help raise $7

million for Covid-19 relief. Over his long career he has held

elected office and been the subject of at least 11 biographies.

5. CHI PU, 27 (Actress, model, producer, singer and TV

host, Vietnam)

With over 19 million social media followers, Chi, whose real

name is Nguyen Thuy Chi, is one of Vietnam’s most popular

female celebrities. A model-turned-actress and singer, her

music video “Anh oi o lai” has over 92 million views on

YouTube. She donated $50,000 this year to local Covid-19

relief efforts.

6. MARIO MAURER, 32 (Actor, Thailand)

Maurer won Best Actor at Thailand’s TV Gold Awards in

February for his role in the Thai TV series The Pharmacist Of

Chaloang. The German-Thai star has 11 million Facebook

followers, which he uses to support charities and sponsors

including King Power.

7. ZHOU DONGYU, 28 (Actress, China)

Zhou has starred in over two dozen movies, including 2019’s

Better Days, for which she won Best Actress this year at both

the Hong Kong Film Awards and China’s Hundred Flower

Awards. She has 31 million Weibo followers, and

endorsement deals with brands such as Burberry and

Victoria’s Secret.

8. MAYDAY (Band, Taiwan)

The five-piece band is one of the most popular musical

groups in the region. Lead vocalist Ashin has Taiwan’s most-

liked Facebook page, with nearly 4 million followers. In May,

the four-time winner of Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards

held a virtual concert that received 42 million views on

YouTube.