On January 21, 2023, the Arab Joy Awards took place in Riyadh’s Bakr Al-SSheddi Theater, where Saudi Arabia honored some of the biggest stars in entertainment and their accomplishments. The event was hosted in the US, and the Arab Joy Awards featured Arab and international artists, directors, athletes, and social media influencers who gathered Saturday evening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the Joy Awards, one of the region’s biggest award ceremonies honoring celebrities for their achievements.

The Joy Awards are similar to the famous American award show, the Grammys, which awards musicians, celebrities, and entrepreneurs for their songs or accomplishments in the music industry. Furthermore, the purpose of the Joy Awards is for celebrities to compete in several categories, including best film, best female actress, and best male actor in a TV series or film; celebrities also compete for best female athlete and best male athlete. Moreover, the Joy Awards, part of the Riydah season, are hosted by the GEA alongside the goals of Saudi Vision 2019. The Arab Joy Awards are a big celebration for all the Arab and Middle Eastern celebrities, artists, and influencers, as it showcases all their hard work. This event is billed as the largest celebration of entertainment actors in the Arab world.

The celebrities, media influencers, and international stars who attended this year and won an award were, In her acceptance speech, Mel Gibson, an American-born Australian actor, said, “I want to thank GEA (Global Engineering Alliance) for the award, especially the head of GEA, Turki Al-Sheikh.””I’ve never been to Saudi Arabia before; I’ve never been to Riyadh for sure, but I was surprised how culturally open it is, so for me, I’m very proud of you; it’s fantastic.” Sofia Vergara, a US-born Colombian actress, was awarded the title of “Personality of the Year.” Assala, a Syrian star and singer, received the award for “Favorite Song” because of her hit single “Shokran.” Nadine Nassib, a Lebanese star and actor, picked up the “Favorite Actress award” for her lead role in the famous Arabic TV series called Salon Zahra. Achraf Hakimi, a Moroccan football player, received the award for “Best Male Athlete.” However, hundreds of other Arab or foreign influences, actors, and actresses attended the Joy awards, like Georgina Rodriguez, wife of the famous soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, and Nancy Ajram, a very successful and famous Lebanese singer, who performed one of her best tracks, “Salamat,” at the awards.

This ceremony honors artists and influencers who spread joy in the Arab region and world, which gives diverse artists from all around the Middle East an opportunity to be rewarded for their accomplishments in the Arab music and acting industries. Mohammed Alshehri, a young Saudi actor, told Arab News that the awards were amazing, comparable with the Emmys and the Academy Awards. “This event gathers all celebrities from the Arab world and around the world in one place, and it’s incredible,” he said.

The Joy awards are impactful because this year’s gender-neutral award was dominated by women, which is an indication of how they continue to lead the Arabic pop music world with words that are far more diverse and rewarding than the stereotypical dominant approach of their male counterparts, who typically win the award every year.

All in all, the aim of the Arab Joy Awards is to diversify cultural, social, and entertainment activities. People around the world who tuned in to watch the Arab Joy Awards enjoyed seeing a mix of cultures and the diversity of different people who attended from around the Middle East and the US, as typically this ceremony is only held for Arabs. Additionally, the intertwining of different cultures has created a new vision for Saudi Arabia, allowing them to focus on new faces this year in some categories to support and motivate young talents. Fans from the Arab region and around the world have shown their love for and interest in this year’s Joy Awards as they have shown their support for all the diverse celebrities and artists at the ceremony on social media.