Anita Mui, her glittering movie and musical career and her legacy, 20 years after her untimely death

On the 20th anniversary of the actress and singer’s death, we look back at Anita Mui’s journey to stardom, her philanthropy and political and social activism

Mui’s star shone brightly during her two decades in show business, and she used her success to support causes she believed in, leaving a lasting legacy

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Anita Mui Yim-fong in a still from “Rouge”. On the 20th anniversary of Mui’s death, we look at the singer’s rise to fame, her philanthropy and the legacy she left behind. Photo: Golden Harvest

Published: 7:45am, 30 Dec 2023Updated: 10:58am, 30 Dec 2023

Anita Mui Yim-fong’s sultry voice, flamboyant looks and captivating stage presence made the Cantopop icon a dominant force on the East Asian entertainment scene.

Mui’s journey to stardom began in 1982 when she won the very first New Talent Singing Awards competition organised by Hong Kong broadcaster TVB.

In the eight years following her debut, she garnered so many accolades that, in 1990, she announced she would not accept any more. All her subsequent musical awards were tribute honours.

For her nearly 50 acting credits, Mui received 11 acting awards. The most well-known were her best actress titles for Stanley Kwan Kam-pang’s Rouge (1988) at the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards – considered the Oscars of Chinese-language film at the time.

Mui (left) and two other contestants in the First New Talent Singing Awards in 1982. Photo: SCMP

December 30 marks 20 years since her death at 40 from respiratory complications caused by cervical cancer.