Gold House marks fifth Gold Gala with 650 guests honoring AAPI leaders

Gold House celebrated its fifth annual Gold Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday, drawing more than 650 guests to honor 19 Asian Pacific leaders across entertainment, technology, fashion and business.

The annual event celebrates the Gold100 List of the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific culture makers; multiple honorees told ABC7 Los Angeles that Asian Pacific representation has moved beyond acceptance to active elevation across Hollywood and American business.

The fifth annual Gold Gala, held Saturday night in Los Angeles, unveiled the 2026 Gold100 List recognizing the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific culture makers of the year. Nineteen honorees were recognized across six categories spanning entertainment and media, sports and gaming, fashion and lifestyle, social impact and business and technology, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The 2026 theme — "A New Gold World: a call to build shared abundance in an era increasingly defined by contraction" — framed the evening's conversations around growth over retreat.

Actor Kal Penn described the debt owed to earlier generations of Asian American artists. "I stand on the shoulders of so many Asian American artists whose names were not household names, but if they hadn't broken barriers in their own right, I certainly wouldn't have had the opportunities that I had," Penn said.

Actress Tia Carrere spoke to how AAPI visibility has transformed in Hollywood. "It's beautiful now to be in a place like this, where, not only is it accepted, we are elevated. We are elevating each other," Carrere said. Voice actress Ming-Na Wen said the event "is a celebration of AAPI talent and entrepreneurs, and it is also an acknowledgement of all the hard work."

Actor and Gold House board member Daniel Dae Kim credited the organization with sustaining industry momentum. "You know, I've worked with Gold House for many years now. I'm on the board here, and they are part and parcel of the wave of progress that we've been able to make," Kim said.

Live-action Lilo & Stitch star Maia Kealoha said the gathering resonated personally. "It feels so amazing being around all these inspirational people and people that I look up to," Kealoha said. Her castmate Sydney Agudong, who plays Nani in the film, said: "It's incredible. It's an honor. I mean, I'm honestly in shock that they were honoring us tonight, so I was very stoked." Gold100 Entertainment & Media honoree EJAE, star of Kpop Demon Hunters, described the room's distinct atmosphere: "Seeing, you know, fellow Asian Americans or Asian artists here, it really brings a different energy."

The Boys star Karen Fukuhara offered a lighter take on the evening. "A big night of celebration, good food, always good food, I feel like we know how to eat," Fukuhara said.

Now in its fifth year, the Gold Gala continues to draw together established stars and emerging AAPI talent, anchoring a community-wide effort to build lasting influence across American entertainment, business and technology.