Top Asian Pacific Celebrities, Leaders

Global superstar Jung Kook, K-pop group Stray Kids, DJ Steve Aoki and singer Charli XCX are among the artists named to this year’s Gold House A100 List. The annual list, from the AAPI collective, Gold House, recognizes the “100 Asian Pacific leaders who have most significantly impacted American culture and society in the last year,” with honorees across music, entertainment, business, fashion, social impact and sports.

Keanu Reeves, Dev Patel, Bella Poarch, Mr. and Mrs. Smith star Maya Erskine, and the cast of Past Lives were also named to the entertainment and media category for the first time. Other notable honorees include F1 driver Alex Albon, soccer star Son Heung-min, inspirational author Jay Shetty, and the Maui First Responders, who are recognized under the “social impact” category for their work in providing disaster relief during last year’s Maui wildfires.

HYBE chairman Bang Si-Hyuk, who led the meteoric rise of BTS, is one of the recipients of this year’s Gold Legend Honor, awarded to those who have demonstrated “a lifetime of indelible contributions to the success and representation of the Asian Pacific community.” Actress Lucy Liu and TV host Padma Lakshmi were also given the Gold Legend distinction.

And fresh off their Coachella debut, K-pop boy band ATEEZ were bestowed with the inaugural New Gold Honor, which recognizes “rising leaders who will redefine canon for the Asian Pacific community.”

In a press release, Gold House highlights the record-breaking achievements of Asians over the last year, including the most-watched Netflix show of 2023 (The Night Agent), the most-watched Disney+ film premiere (Elemental), the most-watched FX premiere on Hulu (Shōgun), and the first Asian-led show to win an Emmy for Best Limited or Anthology Series (Beef).

Asians also continue to lead the pack in the sporting arena, with Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his new $700 million contract making him the highest-paid athlete in the world. Soccer stars Alyssa Thompson and Son Heung-min, in the meantime, are making waves as two of the best players in the NWSL and Premier League, respectively.

Gold House says Asians have also make significant in-roads in the business sector, with Asian founders representing 42% of the IPO’d companies in the United States in the last two years. A100 honorees have also included key players at companies like Google and Salesforce, and organizations like Human Rights Watch and the National Resources Defense Council.

“This year was special,” note Bing Chen and Jeremy Tran, CEO and COO of Gold House. “Asian Pacific leaders had a record number of records broken while building a more inclusive tomorrow for all, particularly in new avenues like AI. Gold House is honored to celebrate so many new and established leaders who are committed to both equity and excellence.”

This year’s A100 list was selected by members from “Top Asian Pacific organizations, creative and business leaders, and multicultural allies,” per a Gold House release. The honorees will be feted at the annual Gold Gala on May 11 in Los Angeles. See the full Gold House A100 list for 2024 online at goldhouse.org.